WARNING: This review will likely have spoilers for the Mercy series by Rebecca Lim, which includes Mercy and Exile.

Caitlin: My favourite thing about this book? ANSWERS! I love getting answers, don’t you?

Christine: I do. Some of them I’d already figured out before the main character, Mercy, but the BIG one was answered. Of course it was an ‘A-ha!’ moment, like yes, I should have realized that was the answer before and now I feel kind of silly that it took me this long to get it. *sigh*

Caitlin: Yes, I understand this feeling. I never figure anything out early. So, this time Mercy wakes up in the body of a young, hugely famous modal in Milan. It is days before her big runway show that is set to save her career but all Mercy wants is to find Ryan, the human she has feelings for, or Luc, the angel she is obsessed with. Or possibly she wants both. She is very confused on the subject of men.

Christine: Aren’t we all? By the end of the book, though, I think she’s clearly made her choice about that particular problem.

The fashion and model thing really threw me for a loop during this book. I’m used to her being placed in normal girls with not much going for them, someone she can embody in order to hide her from Luc. I know why they put her in who they did, but it wasn’t altogether clear at the beginning. It was, however, rather funny reading about her stumbling attempts to wear five inch heels and learning the art of standing still while wearing very expensive clothing.

Caitlin: It all seems like it would be so easy. Except for the heels. I’m no good with heels either. Besides fashion and drama in the fashion world, we get to see a lot more of the angels responsible for Mercy’s current situation. Which was good but also strange? Like how the world just stopped for like two chapters so Mercy could have a conversation with one of them. Right when she was in the middle of a busy…thing. It made me restless and eager to get back to the normal world while they were just chatting.

And we didn’t get to know her real name. This bothers me so much. I need to know. It was used by others in the book but we don’t get to know. Why????

Christine: Take a deep breath. I have a feeling we’ll learn it in the next and final book, Fury. Which by the way, I love that title. It’s definitely time for Mercy to fight back instead of being a doormat.

I’m actually okay not knowing her real name, probably because I’ve read other books where people’s real names are not used (The Time Machine, anyone?). It doesn’t take anything away from Mercy as a character.

Can we all just take a second to look at Ryan and his choices and his absolute faith in Mercy and how incredibly awesome he is? I want a Ryan. I want someone to love me so much he’ll fly to the other side of the world for me. Oh, Ryan. You’re too perfect to be real.

Caitlin: I’m hoping we see more of Ryan in Fury as well. It seems like we will because of…well…things. I’ve missed him these past two books.

I liked that there was some intense death and destruction at the end. Rebecca Lim is not afraid to just kill people off, just when you’re starting to care about them. It was a very exciting last couple of chapters and I like how everything came together at the end.

Christine: Yes! Very exciting. I hated putting the book down during those last chapters. I have no idea how that’s all going to play out, since you know there were cameras everywhere and people love stopping in the middle of the street to take video with their phones. It should make for a very exciting end book.

For as much as we’ve learned about Mercy and probably will learn, I liked how she kind of came into her own during the end of the book. In the first book and in Exile, you get a hopeless and almost martyr sense from her while she’s looking for answers about her existence. While I understand her reliance on Luc, I’m glad she finally got to see him as he is now, instead of how he portrays himself to be in her dreams. I also liked seeing her fight back. You saw small bits of that fire in her in the other books, but this one really brought it out of her.

Caitlin: I suspect she will continue to be a little angry in Fury. I mean, the title is a bit of a clue. But other than Mercy being angry I cannot quite imagine what is going to happen in the next one. Or where it’s going to leave us at the end. I realize April isn’t a terribly long wait for a book but why do we have to wait at all?

I need to know what happens to Mercy and Ryan.

Christine: Me, too, which is why I’m so glad I know you and will be able to read the book early. Silly US publishers and their weird publishing schedule.

Caitlin: You’re welcome.

A reminder that Christine and I read the Canada/UK release of this series. The Australian release is, I believe, ahead of us, and the USA one behind. After some sluething around I have only found contradicting information about when book two, Exile, is going to be released. Rebecca Lim’s Goodreads blog says both that it will be released in April and 2012 and April 2013. I’m not sure what’s up with Hyperion on this.

Anyone have any information they’d like to share?

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