Mercy by Rebecca Lim

A fallen angel haunted by her past. Yearning for her immortal beloved. Forever searching for answers.Who will show her Mercy?


Mercy has lost herself. She can’t count how many times she’s “woken up” in a new body, and assumed a new life, only to move on again and again. During the day she survives in the human world on instinct and at night her dreams are haunted by him. Mercy’s heart would know him anywhere. But her memory refuses to cooperate.

But this time is different. When Mercy wakes up she meets Ryan, an eighteen year old reeling from the loss of his twin sister who was kidnapped two years ago. Everyone else has given up hope, but Ryan believes his sister is still alive. Using a power she doesn’t fully comprehend, Mercy realizes that Ryan is right. His sister is alive and together they can find her. For the first time since she can remember, Mercy has a purpose; she can help. So she doesn’t understand why the man in her dreams cautions her not to interfere. But as Ryan and Mercy come closer to solving the dark mystery of his sister’s disappearance, danger looms just one step behind.

Will Mercy be able to harness her true self and extraordinary power in time? (goodreads)

Mercy begins when our main character wakes up in the body of Carmen Zappacosta, a gawky and awkward teenager with an amazing soprano voice, heading with a bunch of other students to Paradise for a musical performance.

Mercy is only slightly aware of who she really is. She believes she knows her true name and has a tiny inkling of what she really looks like. Mercy has inhabited so many bodies they all kind of blend together, but circumstances with Carmen are different. Mercy can "feel" Carmen at times and she has a special ability that allows her to feel and see things from other people she touches.

In Paradise Mercy meets Ryan Daley, who is determined to find his twin sister - Lauren - who has been missing for 2 years. Everyone else in his family has given up, presuming her dead, but Ryan is certain she is still out there... somewhere.

The first half of the book what a bit slow-going for me but the second half quickly picked up. The paranormal elements of the story are not heavy and only minimal amounts of Mercy's past are revealed, but it is just the right amount the leave the reader intrigued and waiting to get their hands on Exile. I'm hoping more will be revealed in the second novel of this series.

I grew to enjoy Mercy as a character. Even in the body of shy and quiet Carmen, Mercy is feisty and spunky. She definitely took matters into her own hands... for Carmen, Lauren, Ryan and herself. I really liked Ryan, as well. His devotion to his sister was extremely heartwarming. There are a few characters who remain a mystery to readers in this first book, but will most likely come to light in the subsequent books of this series. I can't wait to find out more about them.

I really enjoyed the interaction between Carmen (occupied by Mercy) and Ryan. Carmen is a shy, skinny girl with skin problems. Not exactly the girl every guy dreams of, but Ryan sees what (or WHO) is inside, not out.

With quite a cliffhanger ending, I can't wait to get ahold of Exile. I'm looking forward to seeing where Mercy's journey takes her next, what happened in her past and why she occupies others bodies. I want to know if Ryan and Mercy are able to work things out.

Overall, I enjoyed Mercy. Definitely a series I think readers will want to keep an eye on.

Publish Date: May 17, 2011
Publisher: Hyperion Books
Pages: 288 (hardcover)
Source: NetGalley
Others in Series: Exile, Muse
Rating: 3.5/5


Find Rebecca Lim
Goodreads  |  Facebook


Buy Mercy
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Book Depository