The story is different in a refreshing and exciting way. I enjoyed the newness of the idea of the Growns or dragons, but despite the fast pacing, the wide cast, and so many things happening in each chapter, I also felt like nothing's being said or explained much. I have so many questions about the characters and their new world, but the ending only left me confused and curious. It felt like things were only getting started, and this book was just a huge prologue. 

I loved Sparks' Teen Killers Club series, and I've always liked how she writes details and paints that mental picture for the settings and scenes. It made things vivid and has helped me enjoy her books more. I wish she wrote her main characters a little differently from each other, though. I'm starting to see patterns and similarities between this book's main characters and the TKC characters. If I remove references to Kay's physical appearance and her name, she sounds just like Signal to me.

I love the idea of this, but the execution left something to be desired, I thought. Nothing was really explained well enough - although I always want more details, so maybe that's just me! - and everything happened very quickly, with no real space to breathe. If the series continues, I'll definitely try the next one, because I think there's definite promise here, but just this book didn't quite do it for me.

This book was such a fun read! The idea that adults could turn into monsters leaving the teenagers to fend for themselves is such an intriguing concept! The characters were fun and the love triangle was honestly very entertaining and added to the tension!

Title: "Merciless King of Moore High"

Rating: 4/5

"Merciless King of Moore High" is a captivating journey into a dystopian world where the rules of survival are constantly shifting and alliances are forged in the crucible of chaos. From the opening pages, the novel grabs readers by the throat and plunges them into a world teeming with danger and intrigue.

At the heart of the story is a unique premise: a world where adults have transformed into bloodthirsty monsters, leaving only teenagers to navigate the treacherous landscape of survival. This concept alone is enough to pique the interest of any reader, offering a fresh and imaginative take on the dystopian genre.

While the love triangle elements may not appeal to everyone, they add an extra layer of tension and complexity to the narrative, serving as a reminder that even in the midst of chaos, matters of the heart cannot be ignored. However, for those who prefer a more straightforward storyline, these interactions may come across as somewhat predictable and clichéd.

Despite this minor quibble, the novel excels in its ability to weave a complex and politically charged narrative that keeps readers engaged from start to finish. The intricacies of the hierarchy and power struggles within Moore High are expertly crafted, adding depth and nuance to the story.

One of the novel's greatest strengths lies in its writing style, which is both immersive and engaging. The author's skillful prose draws readers into the world of Moore High, making it easy to become invested in the fate of its characters.

Overall, "Merciless King of Moore High" is a compelling read that offers a tantalizing glimpse into a world where survival is paramount and nothing is as it seems. With its blend of action, romance, and political intrigue, this novel is sure to leave readers eagerly anticipating what comes next from this talented author.

Top 5 reasons to read this book:

Post-apocalyptic world. I love that the story actually started months after the apocalypse. The survivors were past the process of recovering and were now trying to survive in the new world. 
 
Plot. This is such a unique and intriguing plot. The grown-ups were mysteriously infected, and the teens barricaded themselves inside high school. There are lots of questions that arise around the plot, but you will have no time to think about them because the story will definitely hook you up till the very end. 
 
Politics. I haven't read many books that involve politics, or even if they do, politics that doesn't interest me this much. The political dynamics in this book are what glued me to the pages. 
 
Characters. Every character is just brilliantly written. There are a few gray characters in the book, which is just awesome. I loved the story even more because of the multiple POVs. 
 
Brick. Yes, the male protagonist. Protective, possessive, and caring—I mean, what else do I need? Absolutely nothing.
 
The title couldn't be more perfect. If you love zombie fights, complicated love, a post-apocalyptic world, and a thrilling storyline, then this book is for you. I really hope there will be a sequel to this book.

Just like Lily's Teen Killers trilogy, this book freaking kicks ass! Always looking forward to reading her work.

This was right off the back one of those teen dystopian tv show vibes that needs to be visualized because the imagery was there in every short and anticipating chapter with lots of drama, love, and secret dynamics. I mean these are young adults who now have the power in there New England home town with adults now being monsters and they are doing what they believe is best for them in complete unlike power systems. The problem of course both Moore and Jefferson High have a king and leadership run by boys. And the dysfunction at Moore High is obvious to everyone in particular one of the female main characters Kay when she arrives there being a unknown person. And the relationships plus stories on how they formed are the best ya ones I've read in a almost fantasy dystopia drama since a popular fight to live series in the 2010's. While none of these characters are selfless in a world they are living in they are just as equal brave and smart but also willing to fight in even when it seems completely not worth it. By the end I could definitely say this is going to be or could be a series that makes young sometimes dumb teens worth believing in. That's everything you need to keep a story like this going in my experience.

I didn’t like this for a dystopian I felt like the plot moved to slow and the characters just felt flat and uninteresting to me

This is such a fun read and a fantasy twist on the "Lord of Flies"-esque story. Due to the nature of the set up, the violence comes off a little brutal for a contemporary setting, but it works. I liked watching Kay form relationships in Moore High and figure out the secrets of what is going on. Overall I really enjoyed this one!

My first thought is – I NEED A SEQUEL ASAP!

So, this book is a wild ride. There is so much happening on every page, but it works, the whole thing has a sense of urgency which aligns with the world the author has created.

We have a society rupturing catastrophe, coupled with the complexities of the still developing teenage psyche. We touch on so many themes, including but not limited to:

Family & Friendship, Love/Relationships, Sexuality, Mob mentality, Politics, Sovereignty, Ethics, The Greater Good, Belief, Perspective, Control & Mental Health.

I spent a lot of the book not being entirely sure who was a “good guy”, or “bad guy”, and I LOVED that, it really kept me guessing,
The groups within this story are complex, the side characters are multitudinous, but still individual and engaging (or enraging).

<3 Frank

The end BOTHERED me, but only because I have so may questions………

I need more Lily…. PLEASE.

This was such a unique dystopian fantasy that I couldn’t put down. I’m not sure what I expected when I first picked this one up, but I was definitely surprised. This book had a fast pace, multiple povs, as well as some King Arthur references. I found this to be a very well written read with so much packed into the story. I’m very curious as to what happens next in this dystopian world after how the epilogue left off.

Overall Impressions: I genuinely could not put this down. The horror/apocalypse/event is not explored super thoroughly, because the real terror is the dystopian set up created by teenagers in its wake. You almost forget at points that this isn’t just political intrigue/a murder mystery, and then a giant monster barrels in to remind you. I never knew who I could trust or who was “right” or “wrong” throughout the whole story and I found it absolutely fascinating. Really, really enjoyably weird read.

Worldbuilding: This book is hyper focused on a very small portion of the world and never zooms out to tell you more. The main characters don’t know what happened with the rest of the world (or even beyond their own high school) so neither do you. The main characters don’t understand what creates or motivates the Growns, so neither do you. I did wish for a lot more information on them but on the other hand, I LOVE that the story just plunks you down in the middle without a ton of exposition or info dumping.

Characters: Most of the characters were unlikable (on purpose!) and utterly untrustworthy but they always kept me guessing. I really liked Kay, even when I was shouting for her to just stop talking, and Brick was probably my second favorite character even if he clearly makes flawed decisions. I wish we had learned more about Starr but ultimately the book did a great job of keeping so many POVs distinct and interesting.

Plot: A million twists and turns, and yet it all made sense in a general way. I was shocked by some of the revelations but afterward they did make logical sense.

Pacing/prose: fast paced throughout, with constant action on action on action.

Recommend/Read More? Absolutely. I am hoping this gets a sequel because there is so much left to explore in this story.

This book had such a unique premise and was so much fun to read! I was drawn in right away and it had my attention at every turn in the story. This was a dystopian fantasy with quite a few characters to follow, but they all had unique voices and were easy to keep track of. I really enjoyed the focus the author put on the teens and the world they created for themselves to help them survive. I’m definitely curious to see how the story continues from here.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy.

THINGS I LIKED
•The overall premise was insanely creative.
•I liked that both Jefferson and Moore had pros and cons to how their schools were run. Moore was obviously thriving compared to Jefferson being on the brink of starvation, but being at Moore was contingent on participating in Expansion (killing the Growns/dragons and reclaiming more land) and basically feeding into the ego of a tyrant. Neither option was appealing but biting the bullet and tolerating some of the less than stellar aspects was what ensured survival.
•Kay and Brick’s romance was adorable, yes it was cliche for them to think the other wasn’t interested, no I don’t care because I loved it.
•Some of the twists were well-done and it literally left me guessing up until the very end what would happen.
•Leo’s murder was devastating and showed just how in over their heads these kids were. It highlighted that disconnect they had between real life and what they thought a trial by combat would look like; that mob mentality fell away for a moment to showcase their shock that someone had been killed right in front of them. They may be the authority in this new world, but they’re all still kids, or barely adults at least, and this scene was a brutal reminder of that.

THINGS THAT MADE ME GO “HUH?”
•Navigating politics and having next to no characters who were truly altruistic got to be exhausting after a while. I was okay with everyone having their own selfish agendas at first, but it just got to be a little much seeing so many people want others dead. (Max, Tyler, Stokes, Simon, Merlin, and Nirali especially all had my blood boiling from their choices and attitudes.) Maybe I’m just not cut out for a world like this, but Starr coming in and pointing out how messed up it was for no one to actually be looking out for each other made me realize how much I truly didn’t like most of the characters. The past four years has brought out the worst in humanity and seeing it echoed here in a dystopian scenario was uncomfortable, to say the least. I realize some of them were looking for someone to blame for their grief, and others were trying to maintain order, but ffs…everyone dogpiling Kay over and over again was annoying. Switch it up a little, at least?
•I would have loved more flashbacks about Before. The revelation that Brick and Max are half-brothers didn’t really get to sink in all that much due to it being at the end of the book.
•There were at least two other schools in Brockton that may or may not have had more survivors. What were their societies like? Starr had no interest in going back to either, but I need details!
•There wasn’t really an ending. The book just stops after the epilogue, which raises more questions that won’t be answered. If there are more books coming, then this wouldn’t bother me too much, but there was so much left that didn’t get a resolution. How long will Brick need to pretend to be Kyle? What is Moore going to look like with Max and Merlin still in power but with Jess still alive? Is anyone going to get their comeuppance? What in the hell did Leo turn into and does that only happen to the dead?

NITPICK CORNER
•A good nitpick this time: Frank the dog lived! Yay to this book for little to no animal cruelty!

My opinions are all over the place, so I think three stars is the closest rating I can give that lines up with that. If more books are planned, then I might come back and change my rating, but as is, this was interesting and very different from what I usually read…so there’s that, I suppose.

Thank you North Star Editions and Netgalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This one was an absolutely wild ride. You’re thrown straight into the action from the beginning and it’s entirely high stakes throughout the whole story.

This is a dystopian but not quite like any other I’ve read. It reminds me of some mix of The Society combined with a zombie apocalypse, only the zombies are giant beasts made up of multiple humans combined.

I don’t really know how to describe this plot without giving anything away but it’s one that keeps you guessing. You never quite know who to trust, who’s on whose side, which way is the ‘best’ or ‘right’ way. These characters are all so complex and I truly believe they all want what’s best, at the end of the day, but the chaos of their lives has skewed that idea for more than one of these kids.

And they are just kids. I think that’s what makes this story work the way it does. These teenagers are forced to grow up, to survive in a world designed to kill them, to find ways to govern and maintain order and keep hope alive. Of course they’re messy and scared and they make so many mistakes at every turn.

I’ve not seen this advertised anywhere as the first in a series but if it is, the ending is a little frustrating. I hope we get a sequel to tie off all the loose ends.

Thanks to NetGalley and Flux for the eARC.


CONTENT WARNING: blood, death, gore, body horror, alcohol and drug use.


OMG.

Lily Sparks has done it again, she wrote a book (the first of a new series, I hope!) that captured and captivated me within its pages from the beginning - so much so that I devoured it (pass me the term here because it takes on a rather macabre meaning given the contents of the book) in just two days because I couldn't tear myself away from the story and the characters.

I was attracted to this book primarily because it's written by Lily Sparks, who also wrote one of my favorite books of all time ("Teen Killers Club") and gave me one of the most psychopathic and attractive bookish boyfriends ever (hi, Erik), but also because the high school setting where the kids barricade themselves inside to hide from bloodthirsty monsters reminded me of another of my all-time favorite books written by one of my all-time favorite authors: "This Is Not a Test" by Courtney Summers.

But there are no zombies here, there is much more - and we never really know everything, we don't know why and we don't know how, but all the adults have turned into monsters and I won't say anything else so as not to ruin the surprise for you. Kay, the protagonist, tells us little or nothing because she is clearly traumatized, but we see some things about the day that changed everyone's lives forever through the points of view of other characters.

After a trilogy like "Teen Killers Club", there was the risk that some characters would end up resembling others - but that's not the case. Kay is not Signal, the titular King is not Erik, none of the male characters are Javier, and none of the female characters are Jada. But the way I was involved with all of them was the same.


The story begins exactly how the plot tells us: Kay is out of school, exiled in a coup for something she discovered, in the middle of nowhere and at the mercy of the monsters - the Growns, as Jefferson calls them. But a group of girls saves her and takes her to the other school in town, Moore High. In addition to being surprised that she and her classmates are not the only survivors, she is also amazed by the way they are all healthy and not starving like them at Jefferson. But what leaves her most dismayed of all is the difference between the two schools: while Jefferson has adopted a policy of seriousness, rationality and no nonsense where everything is discussed and approved or not by the Student Council during public assemblies, the Moore lives as if they were still in the Middle Ages based on an old video game - the boy who first killed a "dragon" is King, his best friend Captain of the Guards, the other friends Knights, the girl who takes care of treating the wounded calls herself Wizard Merlin and the rest of the school each occupies a room with a name defining their "clan" and they all form the King's court.

King Max doesn't trust Kay right away, believing her to be a spy and therefore entrusts her to the custody of his best friend - and if Kay wants to gain trust and asylum at Moore, she must train and go out with the others in the next Expansion to kill a dragon. If this doesn't kill her first.

And, between one training session and another, one driving lesson and another, she discovers that not everyone is loyal to the King and that there is a faction just waiting for the right opportunity to rebel against tyranny. But she also discovers something that links both schools and Kay, who is incapable of lying, must now guard the biggest secret of all.


What else could I tell you? I can't say more.
I can't tell you the names of the other characters because I risk spoiling big things and I certainly don't want to.

I can tell you that I turned my nose up at the idea of a love triangle, but in reality the triangle never comes together because of the feelings that two of the people involved have for other people and because in the end it was just part of a political intrigue.

I can tell you that it is difficult to identify a real villain within these pages because everyone thinks they are doing the best for their people, but then you see how the new reality they are forced to live in has brought significant changes in their personality. So yes, maybe in the end someone really is a villain.

I can tell you that the skepticism felt by Kay in having to bow before the King when the King in question is a boy of her age - and when in her school everything is decided together after being the subject of a discussion - is also real for the reader. But then the story moves forward and you understand why everyone has adopted that lifestyle - whether it's out of desperation, hope or because everyone else has already done it, but believing in something, believing in the power to defeat "dragons", gave all of them at Moore a purpose and the desire to continue living.

I can tell you that you will never be bored because there are twists and turns on almost every page, court intrigues, shadowy plots, changes of alliances, duels and betrayals - you'll be anxious sometimes.

I can tell you not to get attached to anyone because Lily Sparks - as I already knew - is not afraid to kill her characters if it serves the story. And I still cry when I think about a certain death in this book.

I can tell you that I loved Brick.

I can tell you that, although the story has its own conclusion, as was the case with "Teen Killers Club" there is still a lot of space, a lot of margin, a lot of unknown to explore and the story can only grow - this pun too refers to the content of the novel.

I can tell you that the epilogue is something illegal and that leaves the reader astonished because it does not coincide with what was known before about the Growns - or dragons, as you prefer. So we need other answers to just as many questions.

So Lily, give us a sequel!

While I really liked the concept of the book, the structure and prose made it not work out for me. I enjoyed the characters but the story felt very repetitive and got confusing at points. Some things were worded strangely and sometimes it felt like things were missing.

Thank you to NetGalley for the e-arc.
All opinions are my own. This is a no-spoiler review.

4.5 Stars

Oh wow, that was one hell of a ride!!! I knew that this was right up my alley only by reading the summary. And I was right. I loved it. This books genre is somewhere between horror, dystopian/apocalyptic ya, nerdy video game and highschool drama. That sounds like an absolut crazy mix, but it thoroughly worked for me. If you want a book that has a little bit of body horror, a touch of the fantasy-vibe with political intrigue, but make it highschool...this book is definitly for you.

I absolutely adored the characters and all of their weird storylines. Especially with the multiple pov's, you really get an inside view on why certain characters act/make decisions the way they do. However I found it a bit difficult at the end to follow exactly what was happening. BUT I think it's because English is not my first language...after reading it a second time, I got all the details;)))

The pacing of the book was fantastic. I did not feel bored for a second. I was hooked as soon as I read the first page and I finished the book in one and a half days. I simply could not put it down.

I also really appreciated the queer representation and just in general the diverse character cast.

I really hope that there will be a sequel! I don't want to say goodbye to these characters just yet...I feel like there's a lot more coming for them!

THE MERCILESS KING OF MOORE HIGH is one wild ride! I'm not sure what was more shocking: the grotesque dragon-like monsters comprised of the corpses of the grown-ups of the town, or the twisty deceptions of the teenagers fighting the monsters and each other for their very survival. What I do know is this book was completely unexpected, riveting, and unputdownable! But it's not just about the action. Sparks has created such authentic, relatable characters that I wanted to root for every one of them, even the ones making less-than-honorable decisions. With action, heart, and powerful storytelling, THE MERCILESS KING OF MOORE HIGH offers a completely fresh take on apocalyptic horror, and I'm excited to see what's next from this author.

oh my god. This book. Where do I start??

I've read 6 books from NetGalley until this one, and of course, all of them were special and good in their own ways, but none of them made me want to scream, push my face into a pillow, or put a countdown in my calendar so I can order this book asap when it comes in stores. This book though, this book did all of that.

I unhinged my jaw and swallowed this book whole. I Literally did not do anything today besides sitting in bed, holding my phone and reading this book with music in the background.

The Merciless King of Moore High is an apocalyptic survival story, rom-com, and action/adventure with equal parts teen-drama, politics, and body-horror. Basically everything I LOVE. Even if that's not your cup of tea specifically, I still don't doubt you'll love it as much as I did.

The story has several POVs but primarily we follow Kay and Moore High 'enforcer' Brick. There are a few other POVs, including from one of the student council leaders at Jefferson High, but for the most part, this is Kay and Brick's story. I always love when a book has different POVs, and this did not disappoint. Amazing.

God, and the writing? Where do I start. I don't think I've ever read a book that describes body horror and monsters as good as this one, and I've read A LOT of them. The writing was so clever and satisfying, a true reminder that I actually love reading. The characters, also, were simply amazing. Each one of them stood out for different reasons, but mainly because of their personalities. I legit fell in love with all of them. Well, maybe not all, if you know what I mean. But still. Even the "villains" of the stories were written so good that I might have sympathised with them half of the story, even without wanting to.

For the record, I just added the author's other books to my shopping cart, and I can't wait to read them.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this truly outstanding book in advance!