Thank you to NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review

Under the guidance of visions from his god, Tal has pledged himself The Destroyer, the sister of a cruel and vicious ruler. She herself is not a victim of her sister but is just as ruthless and merciless.But Tal’s god had promised that by doing so, Tal could save both the empire and the Destroyer. Two years into his service, Tal has grown disillusioned with the promise and doesn’t see an end in sight. He has lost faith that his vow will ever make a difference. However events occur which mean the Destroyer loses her memory and her magic, which gives the two a chance to get to know each other better and find what drives the other. Meanwhile Tal’s sister, Nix has taken matters into her own hands and has a more direct plan in mind for saving the empire, and freeing her brother by killing the Destroyer.

I really like that the characters undergo a lot of change throughout the book. Tal is a man of principle but a principle which has worn him down and made him defeated, Throughout the course of the book he realises that his god didn’t force him into anything, that it was a choice he made, and continues to make right up until the end of the book. He’s also principled in what he says and how he acts, sometimes in ways that play out as sheer stubbornness when what’s driving him at that particular time isn’t clear to other characters. I do like him though as he’s not perfect. He doesn’t always take other people’s feelings into account and he’s very self-sacrificing at times.

The Destroyer or Eloise is just as stubborn but you get to see her uncertainty and her fear. You’re not asked to forgive the things that she’s done and the book doesn’t let you forget her brittleness and her quickness to lash out or use violence to solve a problem. But circumstances also highlight her humanity and potential to be better, although the end of the book does handwave a lot of the difficulties and transition to that better alternative and there’s a certain element of blaming external things which is a bit frustrating.

Nix is probably my favourite character. She’s direct and blunt and also likes using violence as a solution to a problem. She’s very single minded in how she approaches things, but her love for her brother shines through, and later in the book she shows she’s not just an unthinking weapon but believes in what she’s doing and why. Helenia, her girlfriend is a good foil to her, being more open to listening and tolerance even if harm has been done to her and people she cares about, although she’s not a pushover. Some of my favourite scenes are where she’s tearing Nix a new one for leaving her behind, something that happens several times throughout the book.

The world itself has interesting elements. I enjoyed the magic system with its focus on different metals and how they affect the people that carry them. You’re not hit over the head with an abundance of worldbuilding details to the detriment of everything else. The main focus here is between the characters and the journey they undergo in understanding themselves and each other.

A strong part of this book is about faith. What do you believe in, how far do you go to honour and live up to your beliefs and in what way do they shape your life? Tal, Nix and Helenia all believe in the Unforged God, but in different ways and different styles. Tal through his visions seems to treat his faith as a path, a thing he has to do or a thing promised to him. Nix is much more about vengeance and shaping the world to fit it to your own desires, whereas Helenia leans towards tolerance and moderation. Co-operation rather than dominance. I really enjoyed that although faith is a very strong thread through this book it doesn’t feel overwhelming or overly sanctimonious. I was surprised that the memory loss element of the story wasn’t actually a huge part of it given the book blurb. It’s more a way of breaking the pattern of behaviour between Tal and Elosie and giving them a chance to relate in different ways to each other.

Ultimately this was a very satisfying book that asked some interesting questions.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc.

This book has everything I could want. A unique magic system, enemies-to-lovers, great characters, fast plot, etc. I was in love from the first chapter. The only bad thing about this book is that I don’t have more. I needed more Tal and Elodie. It was magnificent. I don’t even have words right now.

This is a YA romance which is a little bit too much of both for my taste. I love YA but this leans into repetition to make sure we have figured out exactly what is going on. The monsters in this book are truly monstrous and shouldn't be forgiven just because of their pasts. I get that they're teenagers, but that didn't clarify their romance for me. Not my favorite.

This book was such a surprise i wasn't expecting how much i would love this book.

Naomi Hughes has such amzing talent at beautifully building the world. The pacing for this book was spot on i was grippped the whole way through and read it in one sitting.

I'm certain this book will be a big hit once released. It ticks all the boxes for an amazing YA fantasy read.

well deserved 5 stars

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

There were no surprises in this character-driven YA fantasy. But I loved it. It was a throwback to YA fantasy of 15-20 years ago. (That is to say, it was Megan Whalen Turner and Tamora Pierce.) It goes easy on plot twists, lacks political games and detailed world building. However, the story pacing and character development is just right for a stand alone. The Destroyer, Tal and Nyx are wonderful characters. The romance (hetero and GLBT) is sweet and believable.

With Thanks to Netgalley and Naomi Hughes for an advanced readers copy of this book!

This book was such a surprise, I absolutely loved it. A really good all round YA Fantasy.

Through her beautiful world building Hughes lets The Alloyed Empire come to life really early on in the novel, and introduces our 3 main characters a cruel princess her young guard a sister set on saving her brother and freeing the kingdom. The storytelling is flawless, and the pacing spot on not to mention the gipping story itself that is fully of twists and turns.

This book delivers everything likable about the genre, good story, enemies to lovers, a little romance, likable characters it really ticks all the boxes. This would be a perfect subscription book book, the cover is already beautiful but some nice sprayed edges..... I got side tracked.

Thoroughly deserving on its 5 stars.

I went into this book with zero expectations, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the story! This is a great fantasy standalone, which is usually so hard to achieve and find.

The pace of the story was really fast. It wasn't too long. There is also a great evolution throughout the book of the plot and the stakes. It was never boring, and it keeps you interested from start to finish. The ending was also super satisfying.

Another great thing about this story is the world-building. The magic system and the politics have clearly been thought out and they are well explained. I never felt lost, and I could easily keep up with every new plot point.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Elodie has my heart. Once you start reading this book you can't stop. It took me two days to read it because I was working, but once you read Elodie and Tal you can't stop thinking about them, I couldn't stop. It was my first book from Naomi and it was flawless and the cover? I am obsessed.

I should start with the story, it was unique I like the way how Naomi got me thinking about if it was their God or ours, call me crazy or the way you want, but when Tal gets mad with the Unforged God I understand that because if you are a believer you know that sometimes that happens with you or not, but when Hel said: Anger is not the absence of belief. I just love that. Bye.

I knew it was an enemies to lovers, but I did not know that it will be so damn good. Like they were enemies, he wanted to kill her, and then he was falling for her, but you know the best part? It wasn't in a rush, you get to grow with Tal and Elodie, you get to know them so well that you cry when they cry and you smile when they do.

Is a short book and that doesn't matter, you know why? The writing, the world-building, the plot, the characters are well done. Is impossible not to like this book. Have to admit that "the bodyguard crush" got me since the beginning (my bad).

Nyx... Well, she is a great character and I admire her because she sacrifices everything for her brother and as a sister, I would do the same, even tho she irritated me, but I understand her, and that the important thing here.

This book was magical, thank you.

I really enjoyed the characters, but I felt as though they needed more refinement. Also, I thought the world building was a bit sloppy and left the reader confused.

Mercurial for me was a whirlwind of a book. The author threw me into this complex and interesting world made of metal. Hughes makes you fall in love with a handsome boy, Tal, who is committed to his faith and his love for family and friends. Hughes describes a fiery girl, Elodie (The Destroyer) who on the outside is cold and diabolical, but inside is a scared and lonely shell of a person. Then there is the intense loving girl, Nyx, sister to Tal and has an intense love for her brother and the people she cares about. Hughes describes these characters well and their motivations make sense with who they are. It was really hard for me to deal with some of their decisions as I read, but I loved the characters and believed that the decisions were better toward the end of the book.
Naomi Hughes truly did a good job displaying a characters need to find their own voice within their faith. While I am not usually a person who talks/ really believes in faith, I understand the complication of believing in something whole heartedly even though it feels like it is failing you. Hughes does an amazing job describing who Tal is and how he combats his issues with his faith given his dire situations. Hughes also describes the duality between loving someone you are suppose to hate and how some of this can be hard to comprehend and put together, morally and emotionally. Both Nyx and Elodie had things that they wanted to sacrifice and change. Both ended up doing it for the same person because of love, more than for their own greed and self preservation. Mercurial is a book I would definitely pick up again and again. Honestly, I want more of this world because I think Hughes did a great job with building it. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves enemies to lovers, complex characters, multiple points of view and fantasy. This book definitely left me in a little reading slump, so I would recommend anyone who can to try it out.

This was a compelling read with a unique magic system, however at times it felt like the pacing was rushed and I think it could have benefitted more from being a duology. Certain parts seemed too condensed down that the book didn't always feel fleshed out. The romance felt a little too 'insta-love' and rushed, given the character's circumstances this made it a little hard to connect with and find believable. This book still has a lot of potential and I definitely sound it easy to read.

3.5 stars

This is a hard book for me to review because there are some things I really enjoyed about it, but there are also things that I had a hard time with.

I really liked Tal and Elodie. Their character arcs were done well and I felt so bad for them with all the pain they felt! They were fascinating to read about, and they were my favorite part of the story.

The world building was also very interesting, and I loved the religious aspect to it! The themes of belief explored by Tal were beautifully written, and I teared up a bit during an emotional scene of realization that Tal had.

The hardest thing for me about this book was how dark and violent it could be. It’s a dark world, and I understand why it was written that way, but I personally prefer books that aren’t so violent. I’ve read many books with fighting and battles in them, but there were a lot of descriptive, gory details in this book which I found disturbing. I also really dislike reading torture scenes, and there were several of those in this book. I understand why they were there, and they didn’t feel gratuitously violent, but torture scenes make me feel sick so I dislike reading them.

There is also a prominent LGBT romance in the book, which I was not aware of when I requested it.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Content:
Swearing: Moderate (no s or f words, but the words that were used were used multiple times)
Romance: nothing more than kissing, LGBT romance
Trigger Warning: torture scenes

I was provided an eARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

In Mercurial we follow 3 characters, Elodie aka the Destroyer, right hand and sister to the Empress, Tal who was reluctantly lead by his God to swear his loyalty and protection to the Destoryer, and Nyx, Tal's older sister and member of the rebel group called the Saints. After a rebel attack leads to Tal and Elodie stranded, they start to learn there is more to the other than meets the eye.
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I so desperately wish this book had been written as a duology because unfortunately, as a standalone, everything about it felt rushed. I thought the storyline was super compelling, the magic system was unique, the characters and romance had a ton of potential, the world and politics were complex, but I felt like we never got time to enjoy and get to know all of that. So much action was condensed down that none of it felt fully fleshed out. I would have loved to see more time with Elodie and Tal while she doesn't have her memories where they actually get a chance to get to know each other, but instead of actually seeing that happen we are told they start to have a new understanding of each other. I would have loved to know more about the politics of the world and the magic but that was pushed aside for the unfortunately underdeveloped romance. I also felt like Nyx's pov didn't really add that much to the plot until the last 5% of the book. I would have loved to see more about the rebellion from her, or seen more of her inner struggle with following orders vs doing what she felt was actually right, but instead she just sorta added narration on what Tal and Elodie were doing.

Overall, I really enjoyed the idea of the book but I just wanted so much more from it.

Wow.

I am always hesitant to read extremely cliché novels but I often drift back to them because I like certain tropes. This book was amazing because you get amazing tropes that everyone loves <(like enemies to lovers)> while also adding a ton of plot twists and unexpected decisions.

Hughes uses not only amazing worldbuilding and representation, but writing that truly resonates with readers. You don't have to be part of the minority groups in this novel to connect to them due to the humanity that Hughes writes into the pages. She writes a a relatable story of finding your place in the world, struggling with faith and religion, and deciding your own destiny. (And I'm a sucker for a good character arc <3 )

Extremely well done.

I wanted to like this so much, but unfortunately this triple-perspective story was filled with tropes I'm not a fan of and the story just fell a little flat for me.

Let's start with the characters first:
I actually quite liked all of them. Tal, The Destroyer, Nyx, every single one of them had something that I liked. Usually, there's at least one character I dislike, but in this book I couldn't find any besides the villains. They're all standard issue YA fantasy characters, but it worked in the story, so I don't have any complaints. I did like the secondary characters better, in this case Nyx and her girlfriend Helenia. I enjoyed their relationship a lot and I could really tell they loved each other.

Writing and plotwise I have very few complaints as well. The writing flowed nicely and captured my attention enough to keep me hooked to my e-reader to find out what would happen to the characters next. Again, there are several tropes that I dislike, but that shouldn't take away that I liked the writing. I found the plot a little predictable, but as someone who's swallowed basically all fantasy books since she could read, I don't find it something to actually remark on.

I quite enjoyed the introduction of a new magic system based on metals. I don't think I've heard of it before and I enjoyed the premise. A lot of thought went into it and I can definitely appreciate that.

I have to admit that I wasn't a fan of the enemies-to-lovers trope as I felt it wasn't very well done, which is probably why I've given this book three stars. Even though it is explained that these characters have had feelings for each other for a while now, for me it kind of felt as if they fell in love only when Eloise got her amnesia and suddenly a switch was flipped between them. I feel like the story could've done with a little more leading up to their eventual romance.

Overall, I think it was an enjoyable read with a nice writing style. It might not be for everyone, but I can definitely see people really enjoying it.

When I started reading this book, I was ready to be disappointed. Almost all of the books I read that were from authors I had never heard of were just absolutely horrible. I had never heard of this author but I was intrigued by the summary, so I decided to give it a chance. I am so glad I did because this book could easily become one of my favorite stand-alones.

Summary: In an empire where only the aristocrats have powerful metal in their blood, the Destroyer and her mercurial fire magic is the most feared of them all by the commoners of the kingdom. Tal is one of those commoners but he is different: he has forbidden silver blood in his veins that allow him to see visions of the future. He saw visions of the Destroyer saving the kingdom but only if he swore to protect her. He has long regretted his decision to guard her as he is forced to kill every day on behalf of the Destroyer. Then Nyx, Tal's sister, organizes a rebel attack on the Destroyer and she emerges without any magic or memories. Tal can now easily plan her death, but he can't help falling for her new persona who calls herself Elodie.

Things I Liked:
1. Plot: It is so hard to find an original novel these days or at least a novel that is delivered originally and uniquely. Everytime anyone hears "magic school" for example, immediately people will say something along the lines of "that author is just copying Harry Potter". Although this book was based on a "copied" idea of blood magic (think books like Red Queen and All the Stars and Teeth), it was delivered so well and did not sound copied or unoriginal.

2. Tropes: There were so many hidden tropes in here, I absolutely loved finding them. Some of the tropes that I could find were enemies to lovers, amnesia, blood magic, misunderstood villains, and enemies being forced to rely on each other for survival. I loved how they were all so subtle and cleverly hidden. It is so neat how a combination of tropes came together to create such a unique novel.

3. LGBTQIA+: I love the LGBTQIA+ representation in this novel. I have seen a lot of authors really try emphasize LGBTQIA+ characters in their summaries to make readers interested, but I really like how this author just hid it almost. I think it was a really nice relationship and even better for being a hidden surprise.

Things I Didn't Like:
1. Love Interest: This is really the only problem I had with this story. As you could probably tell from the summary, Tal and Elodie are love interests. The development of their relationship is very slow-moving and sweet. However, I cannot see how their relationship will ever move past their past. They have both hurt each other so much and they even admit that they cannot forgive each other yet. I also do not think they have much chemistry, it is almost like some lame destined love or insta-love trope.

Okay, so I feel like I did a really bad job of communicating how much I really loved this book. It is not yet one of my favorites, but it definitely surprised me, especially with how little hype it's getting. This book definitely deserves more attention and I think could easily become many people's favorite book. My actual rating is a solid 5/5 stars.

I would recommend this book to people who liked Red Queen and All the Stars and Teeth because they have similar plots. I have also heard this book being compared to the The Winner's Curse Trilogy by Marie Rutkoski. I would also recommend this to people who are interested in books that are not very focused on romance and are more focused on the world they take place in rather than character-driven.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an E-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book was stunning. I adored the characters, and the worldbuilding drew me in. One thing that I didn't like was how after all that Tal had been through working for the Destroyer, as soon as she lost her memory, all it took was 24 hours for him to go from hate to love, and that seemed a bit strange and forced to me. That said, after those 24 hours, I did end up enjoying seeing how they grew, and other than that one problem, the book felt a lot more enjoyable. If you enjoyed Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard, then you should give this a try.

full review: http://thedragonscribe.com/2021/03/07/mercurial-by-naomi-hughes/

I received this book via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Mercurial follows the story of three POV protagonists: Tal, who once believed he was on a mission from his god, is now imprisoned by an unbreakable vow to protect a tyrant. Elodie, better known as The Destroyer, the feared and terrible enforcer of an oppressive empire, and the tyrant Tal is forced to protect. And Nyx, Tal’s half-sister and an agent of the rebellion, who will do anything to see her brother free of his oath. Following a failed assassination attempt on Nyx’s part, Elodie finds herself stranded with Tal in a harsh wilderness, devoid of both her memories and her powers. And then things get interesting.

Amnesia-as-redemption is both a thorny and interesting topic, and has been deeply compelling in every medium I’ve seen it in. One of my favorite video games handles this beautifully, but I won’t tell you which one, because I hate to spoil one of the best plot twists of all time, even twenty year later. Oof. I feel old. More recently, I read a book with this trope that handled it cynically, with an amnesiac main character determined to be a good person, and nevertheless descending further into evil with every memory he regains. This book, however, is not that one, and handles the issue with a refreshing amount of nuance.

At its heart, Mercurial is a novel about redemption and forgiveness. How much is enough to atone for past sins? Are any atrocities bad enough to make redemption impossible? The answer, as you may well guess, is “It’s complicated,” and while Mercurial does not necessarily offer concrete answers, it does treat the characters as humans with thoughts and feelings and emotions who are capable of coming to conclusions of their own.

My favorite part of this book was how human all of the characters really were. Every single one of them made one or more terrible decisions throughout the story, ones that made me shout “Why?” and threaten to throw my e-reader out the window. But far from this being a critique, it is actually testament to the author’s writing kills. The author made me deeply care about the characters even as they made me tear my hair out. There was a certain point in the story when I was so frustrated with all the characters and their actions, that the evil serial-murderer tyrant was actually my favorite. Many of the heroes were driven by selfish motives, many of the villains had decent reasons for doing what they did. And yet every single character was human, and I found myself rooting for them even when I hated their guts, just a little.

Without getting into any spoilers, I thought the way the book ended was brilliant, and the way certain things came together, and various actions bloomed into consequences good and bad, was really a sight to behold. Mercurial was tightly plotted and well thought out, and entertaining all the way through.

In terms of gripes (of course there are gripes), I think my biggest complaint was I would have liked more. More of these characters, more of this world. It was obvious everything was deeply developed with care, but we simply don’t get to see enough of it. We know the current ruling government is Bad, based on the fact that they’re apparently burning down a village at the beginning of the novel because … reasons. But I’d like to know more about why they’re bad, why they find it important to burn random villages who might otherwise contribute to the country’s GDP, and if the answer is “They’re just evil for funsies” that’s fine, I just wanted more. The world in this novel is very intriguing, but I feel like we only see just the barest surface of it. I would love to read anything else the author decides to write in this world.

Mercurial is a great book for people who love redemption arcs, amnesia plots, and enemies to lovers romance.

I think that overall it's a great book, and I love the writing style, I only wished more of the characters. I loved most of them, but some of them could have been used more, and could have been wrote more completely

Thank you to NetGalley for the e-ARC of Mercurial in exchange for an honest review.
Mercurial follows the story of Tal and 'The Destroyer' and Nyx - how each of their lives and intertwined with each other.
I did find that the first few chapters felt slow, but they were building up the world and atmosphere for when the plot truly kicked in. Once the action started, I found myself engrossed in the world that Hughes has created - fully immersing myself in the novel.
I enjoyed the character arcs and I loved the interactions between them all, nothing felt forced and all dialogue flowed naturally.
Fans of 'RED QUEEN' and 'FURYBORN' should enjoy this book.