Okay, so I really insanely, absurdly love the Teen Killers Club trilogy. Like, so much that I will ask for more, even when we do not yet have the rest of the story for Merciless King.

Lily Sparks is one of my fave authors and I will read everything she ever writes. She is massively creative and a fantastic writer. TKC was realistic enough that, especially given the climate of our country right now, you could absolutely believe that the government would use something like the Wylie-Stanton to find the psychopaths and put them in this joke of a White House "aministration".

Merciless King, on the other hand, is straight-up dystopian. That's not my usual genre, but I love this one so freaking much.

Nearly a year ago all of the adults morphed into ginormous bloodthirsty monster dragon-y things. Our main character, Kay, has spent the last nine months barricaded inside her high school with fellow students. Life is really difficult at Jefferson; they're scared, they're starving and miserable, and the Student Council collectively makes decisions together on ideas presented at assemblies.

When Kay, a memeber of the SC, finds out a secret that would greatly disrupt life in the walls of their school, she is exiled. Straight-up just taken outside in the middle of the night and left basically as a snack for whatever these hell-creatures are that the adults have turned into.

Kay is surprised and grateful to be rescued by a raiding party of cheerleaders from Jefferson's crosstown rival, Moore High. No one at Jefferson ever thought about there being any other survivors. Not only are the kids holed up inside Moore surviving though, they are thriving. No one is starving, and they are legit living as though they're back in the middle ages, complete with a king's court, rival factions, and serious shadowy intrigue. Life is still hard and violent, but they've made it this far and don't intend to change any time soon.

King Max does not trust Kay and she has to prove that's she's not there for nefarious purposes on behalf of Jefferson. Max rules with an iron fist and his word is final. There is no talking things out, no assemblies or joint decision-making. Kay has to learn to navigate this new world, which involves expeditions to slay the monsters, minding her own business, and not getting involved in the political intrigues.

Without giving anything away, I can say that she fails miserably at most of those things.

Something Sparks excels at is jumping into the action right away. The book literally begins basically as describe in the summary. It can be jarring because you have no idea what is going on, but the way she crafts her stories, everything comes together and you find out piece by piece what you need to know, when you need to know it. It is crucial that you do not get too attached to any characters, because Sparks has no qualms about killing off someone if it serves a purpose and furthers the story. There was one death in particular that was really hard for me and I never want to talk about it again or I will cry.

Sparks also excels at creating a massively diverse cast of characters. There are a lot of people to remember here, but she gives them life and they are unique. I never felt like someone was a cardboard cutout or a caricature, just there to be a body and fill the space.

Much like in TKC, it is sometimes hard to know who to trust. This is for a variety of reasons - the factions at Max's court, the reality of their situation now that all the adults are gone, and the things characters are willing to do to survive. There is not always a clear-cut good guy or bad guy. It's all shades of gray here and that's okay. You don't know how you will react in a given situation until you're forced to, and Kay has to learn how to deal with that.

It took me a matter of hours to read this one. It's brutal and violent and traumatic and even so, these kids keep surviving and moving forward and doing what they think is right, for the good of the group. The book is simply impossible to put down as characters shift their loyalty and we find out secrets that were meant to stay hidden.

Though the story concludes as well as can be expected, there's room for so much more. I would love to see these characters again and I hope that Sparks decides on the best way to get future stories of Moore and Jefferson to her eagerly waiting fans.

Highly, highly recommended.

This book wasn’t for me, but there was nothing wrong with it. The author did a wonderful job juggling so many characters with their own motivations.

I loved reading this book! I love her writing, and this standalone sounded really fantastic! And it was, I loved watching these characters navigate the perils of this new world as well as the politics between the different groups, working for survival and for power.

These characters were so great to read about, as they navigated this changed world where there is so much danger, and they've made these schools their safe havens. But the politics within the schools is pretty fierce. When Kat is kicked out of Jefferson, it's lucky that's she's brought to Moore High. Well, maybe, but it's not easy.

Oh, but there was so much going on in this book! I loved following these characters as they navigated this world, as they schemed and plotted, and it was just such a well done story! I was on the edge of my seat, wondering what was going to happen next!

The way things ended, it could stay a standalone, but I would absolutely love for it to be a series, to spend more time in this world, with these characters. Given everything that they went through and learned, and where we left them, a sequel would be fantastic!

Loved reading this book, and I can't wait to read more by Lily Sparks!

It’s tough to really invent something new in the YA Dystopia subgenre anymore, but Lily Sparks has done exactly that here in this fun and original story.

Part monster dystopia and part modern day Lord of the Flies, this is a terrific story about who winds up in charge when all the adults are, um, absorbed into enormous, murderous monsters.

If that sounds kinda bonkers that’s because it is, but in the best possible way. There’s a good balance of action and menace with social hierarchy and politics, and of course, the age old idea that absolute power corrupts absolutely. Suffice it to say that the actual monsters aren’t the only monsters in town.

I can’t stress enough how much we NEED a sequel to this one, so I hope this excellent story gets the attention it deserves. It’s sweet and funny and never tips over into the saccharine, and it avoids the whiny angst that we too often get in YA fantasies. This one really made me care about its world and its characters, and I need to know what happens to them after the concluding chapters of this book.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

This feels like a such a unique premise, especially for dystopian YA which has seemed stagnant in the last few years! Like Mad Max meets The Society, which I wouldn't even have think of mashing together. But this book actually works! It feels very honest in terms of being a child/teenager in such a horrifying situation. but at same time giving their characters to grow and make adult, rational decisions, without making it feel oddly placed. I also liked that the book is set 'after', instead of taking us through the play-by-play of the actual apocalypse — we're forced to go along with it while simultaneously wonder what happened. Basically, this was a great adventure, it felt incredibly fresh for the genre, and the plot and characters really tied it together!

Thank you to Netgalley and North Star Editions for the ARC!

The premise of the book was really interesting and it had been a while since I read a dystopian young adult book that did not feel like a mix of the ones that became incredibly popular in the past decade. However, I struggled to finish it due to several reasons.

Firstly, the greatest strength of the book: the plot is very interesting and it successfully explores the human nature in a post-apocalyptic setting. The teenagers in the book feel (mostly) believable in how they behave and interact, though I feel their knowledge (especially in some medical settings) was a bit overplayed.

The world-building was scarce, but it felt sufficient until the epilogue, in which I felt things didn’t make much sense. In fact, that’s my main gripe with The Merciless King of Moore High.: it felt like it kept jumping from one place to another, so it got confusing often. Especially during the first half, it felt like the author had a list of things that she had planned to happen on every chapter, but the story didn’t necessarily call for them to happen that quickly, or needed some more context or paragraphs in between; it didn’t quite flow.

The characters were also very interesting, but the plot kept dropping characters to go back them 100-200 pages later, so it was really hard to be invested in their arcs and stories, especially in the case of the secondary characters. A lot of them get introduced very early and disappear for most of the central part of the book. I also feel Max, Brick and Jess would’ve needed to go a bit deeper into their backstory to actually make the reader care for some of the things they reveal and the outcome of their plot points.

Overall, it’s a fun book and not very long to read. I think the author has very interesting ideas and is on the right path to make very compelling characters, but in my opinion she just didn’t quite get there with The Merciless King of Moore High.

Oh I LOVED this one! We're thrown right into the action, this is not really the unfolding of the apocalypse, but the middle of it. Kay finds herself, for the first time in ages, outside the school walls- and being rescued by a neighboring school. It sounds funny (and it is, at times!) that the school has wizards and royalty, but it is also a darker tale of what happens when people get too much power. Truly, I could not put this book down. I adored the characters, even when they were making messy choices (because come on- who wouldn't make a bad choice here or there in the end times?) and the story itself was so compelling! Between the monsters- called "Growns" or "dragons", depending on who's talking- and the political mess and the sheer survival of it all, mixed with the characters' relationships with each other, the whole thing was a HUGE win. And the ending is not a cliffhanger, but does leave the story open for more- and I personally am BEGGING for more!!

This book is a wild ride. In a world where only teenagers have survived an apocalyptic event, and adults have morphed together into "dragons," we have many groups fighting for control.

In one enclave, a successful kingdom; in another, the Student Council leads a starving mass. When the two groups meet, not all is what it seems.

The Merciless King of Moore High is a rich tapestry of political schemes, murders, love affairs, betrayals, and much more. Its plot twists and turns incessantly, keeping you guessing about whom to trust until the very end. This gripping narrative compels you to remain glued to its pages, eagerly devouring chapter after chapter to uncover what happens next.

I was captivated by the diverse and well-developed cast of characters. Each one was distinctively characterized, making it easy to distinguish them—a feat not often achieved in storytelling.

If the idea of "Post-Apocalyptic Gossip Girl" makes your ears perk up then definitely check this one out.

4.25/5

This was an entertaining dystopian following two high schools in the aftermath of every adult suddenly mutating into giant monsters. I thought the premise was fun and it was interesting seeing how the students handled having to move forward and make a new society.

I wanted more information about the world at large and what was happening to trigger only adults into changing, but we only see what the kids know and they have no outside contact. It did seem like things were moving in a new direction by the end though, so maybe a sequel someday?

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Flux and NetGalley for the copy.

I ended up not finishing this book. I felt thrown into the midst of something I didn't understand right from the get go and no matter how hard I tried to wait to see how the world was explained and built, I couldn't get past the confusion I felt and decided I'd stop reading then and there.

An enjoyable foray back into teen genre dystopia. Lily Sparks always creates enjoyable characters, dynamics between them, and romances. This novel is no different. Including multiple POV characters adds to the depth of the narrative on top of it. Moore High doesn't shy away from the brutality and rough edges of its post-apocalyptic setting. The characters were in real danger and the tension was held high. It's a thrill ride the whole way.

I love the idea of this and I think it will hit for a lot of teen readers who crave dystopia. It reminds me somewhat of [book:Gone|2536134] but more weird and less gross. It's not my precise cup of tea as a reader but I'm glad to have it on my radar for teen readers advisory.

Young Adult Fantasy: Apocalyptic, Morally Grey, Kingdom of Kids, Adults are Monsters, Witches & Wizards, Love Triangles, LGBTQ+ rep

This is:
⚜️ It’s an apocalyptic teen drama
⚜️ There’s feudal type political drama with a modern twist
⚜️ Dragons Dudes, Dragons! (Well sorta)
⚜️ Morally gray heroes and villains
⚜️ And a chaotic love triangle

⚠️: 🔪, violence, ☠️, gore, body horror, starvation, suicidal ideation

No one knows why nine months ago the adults in Brockton started morphing into twisted masses of decaying flesh that coalesced into large mutated creatures, but the teenagers at Jefferson and Moore high schools came together in varying ways to survive the monstrous “Growns/Dragons.” Jefferson has a “democratic” leadership led by student body president, Kyle, who’s been tasked to find help. When Kay Kim tries to present an idea to the remaining leadership and learns a shattering secret, she is forced out and left to die. Fortunately, she is saved by cheerleaders from Moore High, who have a thriving society—food, shelter, and safety. While impressed, Kay is horrified that they are governed by a king named Max, but she’s desperate for asylum.

However, asylum isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, as Kay can barely stomach bowing to a overlord who runs Moore on a feudal system from his favorite video game. Moreover, asylum isn’t free, and Kay must be invited into one of the groups and face a dragon to earn the right to stay and petition King Max for aid to Jefferson. When Kay discovers a faction pursuing democracy, she quickly falls into their machinations, despite knowing Max is convinced she’s a spy. Within days, her presence shakes loose secrets and threatens the core of Moore and Jefferson’s societies. With things spiraling out of control, neither school’s government may survive the fallout.

The Merciless King of Moore High has an interesting premise, and I hoped to really enjoy it. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get into it. The political intrigue works for the setting, but wasn’t intriguing to me. Since this is the core of the narrative, I struggled to stay engaged. Like many dystopian stories, Merciless explores ideas of choice and autonomy and how removal of guard rails exposes the darker sides of ruling, in a framework of political, courtly machinations fostered by underlying trauma and teenage decision making. The story is told from three POVs: Nirali Chaudri, student vice president and doctor at Jefferson; Randall Brick, Max’s best friend and his Captain of the Guard; and Kay, the main POV character.

Moore is like Lord of the Flies, while Jefferson is more Animal Farm. Max and Brick killed a dragon the day it happened. With their heroic action (and a vision from Max’s own personal Merlin), Max is crowned king. Max’s word is law, and being at Moore means slaying dragons to expand their safe zone to take back Brockton. Most students go along with this edict, except a small dissenting group that wants a democracy—without a plan for creating one. The school is stable and the students are thriving, but the underlying discord means Merlin (the real power at Moore) has her work cut out for her maintaining the peace and bolstering King Max as their lord and savior.

On the other hand, Jefferson is starving in filth and infestation. A committee was quickly established to quell panic, but the leaders have no plans. Everyone has simply hunkered down to wait for Kyle. They live by ten laws, with the holy, unspeakable one being no one can question if Kyle is still alive. Like Merlin, Nirali knows that maintaining order at any cost is the name of the game now. The students will start dying within a week, and all she can do is hold the ship together until it sinks. Her need to hold onto power isn’t as blatant as Max’s, but Nirali, like Kay, is convinced she always knows best.

Brick is my favorite POV character. Though he is the quietest vocally and spiritually, he has the most resonance. Despite his appearance and reputation, he’s kind and does his best to help Kay. His love and loyalty to Max are the backbone that holds their society together, as he keeps Max as grounded as possible given how quickly the power went to his head. Max immediately goes from a fraught relationship with his parents who made him feel invisible to being doted on as a king. Max also seems to love Brick as much as he resents him. Brick is his best friend, but also the recipient of his father’s affection; Brick is his loyal second-in-command, but also the actual slayer of the initial dragon. In Max’s mind, Brick could easily usurp him in the affections of his subjects, which is a toxic mixture that can explode with a moment of imbalance.

Kay is an easily influenced wrecking ball. She “can’t keep her mouth shut when she knows she’s right” no matter the cost. Though pleading with Max to help Jefferson, her utter disdain undermines her cause. Kay believes lying is evil—full stop. She clings to her version of the world: democracy is always fair; leaders never lie; and there is no greater good worth lying for. Kay comes into Moore pretty hot—challenging the people who saved her life minutes into being there. She’s quick to judge the totalitarianism at Moore, but blissfully ignorant to its less extreme sibling, authoritarianism at Jefferson. Her leaders set the rules and breaking the sacred one is punishable by three days without food, but Kay fails to see how this crushes free thought and is as merciless as Max. Kay is the avatar of civility and honesty, so her teenage, completely black-and-white worldview makes sense, but being dogmatic is her whole personality. Having her grapple with the discomfort of acknowledging someone’s point of view/reasoning and still stand up for her convictions creates a more interesting character and a nice developmental arc. I don’t mind characters who make mistakes and who don’t learn from them, but make them interesting. Kay is one-note, and spending time mostly in her POV was trying.

That being said, overall Merciless is good. It’s not a romance, and the main romantic element is between two straight teens with a fleeting glimpse of queerness being a kiss between two young women. The story is actually more mystery than fantasy, as the Where’s Kyle? of it all mixes into the power plays. There’s minimal world building, but it’s sufficient. There are some of the standard superman antics, such as three dragons (whose smallest are the size of SUVs) rolling up into an enclosed space and being taken down somehow, or a character getting shot in the thigh, but basically walking it off a day later with occasional lightheadedness, but they aren’t overly distracting. The secondary characters, dragon-killing training, and fights are well done, as is the pacing. The first half is a bit slower and heavier, but it sets up the domino effect of the latter half. The ending is open-ended, but darkly funny for its short-sightedness and has a sacrificial air that Moore would enjoy.

I think the bar may have been set too high for The Merciless King of Moore High. I’ve read many YA and non-YA books with the same beats and settings, including adults becoming monsters. The best ones have a unique angle, compelling characters, and/or both; for me, that isn’t true here. However, it’s still entertaining. I adored Brick and found Nirali and Merlin’s chess master sparks nice. The environment and magnitude of Moore’s operation is vibrant, and I’m sure others, especially that target audience, will find more to like.

I'd rate this book a solid 4 stars. It packs a punch with its tension, boasting an intriguing concept and a plot that had me hooked from the start. The story keeps you on the edge of your seat, itching to find out what happens next.

However, while the concept is fascinating, the execution falls a bit short for me. Some crucial aspects are left unexplained, leaving me scratching my head at times. Additionally, the pacing feels rushed, with events unfolding rapidly and little room for the story to breathe. It's like hurtling through a rollercoaster without a moment to take in the scenery.

Overall, despite its flaws, I still found myself captivated by the book's gripping storyline and unique premise. It's a thrilling ride, but one that could have benefited from a bit more polish and depth in its execution.

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!