Sons of Anarchy meets The Handmaid's Tale in this dystopian reverse harem adventure! Merciless is the ninth and final book in the Steel Demons MC saga. This series is full of kindle-melting steam and dangerous men who take what they want. Proceed with caution if easily offended.
I have been generous with the ratings these last two books. This series has slowly gone off path. What started off as a strong woman surviving a dystopian world controlled by violent men, turned into a strange American Gods rip-off.
This book had too much drama, and not enough of the character interactions that made me fall in love with the series in the first place. The first 40% of the story has incredibly graphic torture scenes of two favorite characters. What was the point it all that pain and agony? It was awful to read and did nothing for the characters, or the plot, or the story. It made zero sense.
Then all of a sudden people have new abilities, and there are new Gods and it all felt rushed. I really missed those deeper relationship dives that were in the first few books.
I’m looking forward to the Sons of Odin spin off series.
Well, that's the end... minus the bonus epilogue, Endless. I just want to say that I have fallen in love with this series and it will definitely be a reread over and over for me.
Mariposa is what I love in an fmc. She loves hard, she wants to protect and to heal, and will do anything it takes, even running headfirst into conflict, to save her family. Family to her is more than blood, and I think we can all agree that we have found our people like that. The guys are all unique in their own ways. I love them all, I couldn't possibly pick just one.
In Merciless, we see everything come to a head. Their survival is coming down to this one moment in time. I was expecting action, and it was delivered. This whole series has been jammed packed with it, and this one was no different. After the cliffhanger from The previous book, I wasn't sure what was going to happen. I was having a mini panic attack about 20% into the book.
This series is a wild ride for sure. I highly recommend it. It's a long series and it is totally worth it. I am excited to read the extended epilogue soon!
Now someone needs to find me some brain bleach so I can read it for the first time again.
Generously giving this 3 stars. While this was better than book 8 (by a lot), it still felt off or something from the first 7 books. After 8, I wasn't even sure if I wanted to bother with this book. If this hadn't been the final book in the series, I wouldn't have bothered reading it, cause book 8. The characters just didn’t seem the same (not just from the events they went thru) in book 8 & 9 (this book). Almost like the author hadn't written in the series for years & forgot them, or like someone else helped with the writing, not saying that's what happened, but that's the disconnect I felt with the characters. The flow was a bit slow & tedious at times in this book, enough that I put it down & did other things cause I got bored. I had a hard time reconciling some things that happened, some of these events or happenings almost felt forced into the story to make it longer. Time frame in the story, felt like months since the time frame was squirrelly -with no true references, but at the end some comments lead it to sound like maybe a week or more from the point Shadow & Reaper were captured by the Sha, to when they rescue them. While this ended the series, I felt that there should have been a few things addressed that were blown off that happened. I definitely wouldn’t want re-read the series now, & regret reading it in the first place, as it left me feeling a bit bitter about the story as a whole, all from book 8 & 9.
What a fantastic conclusion to this series. Mari goes through so much in this series and every new things she conquers proves just how incredibly strong she actually is and how very fiercely she loves her husbands and how much they love her in return. Mari, Shadow, Reaper, Jandro and Gunner are amazing characters and I’m sad that this adventure is over. But what an ending they got! I just finished reading and I already can’t wait for the next time I decide to re-read this series. Thank you Crystal Ash for a series I loved from start to finish and will never get enough of.
The first half of this book was absolutely brutal. I had to take a break from it a couple of times because my heart hurt. After all the trials and tribulations, The Steel Demons found their slice of heaven. What an epic way to close out a phenomenal series.
This series has been one hell of a ride and with each book you just become more and more invested in the characters and their relationships and you can’t help but love this series and although I am sad to see it end, OMG what an epic ending it is! Mari and her guys have been through so so much and the character development and growth has been outstanding. The storyline is action packed and suspenseful, there’s heartbreak but also happiness and passion and it had me on the edge of my seat as we made our way to the final battle. Good will win over evil hands down and love well love really can stand up against anything!
What's shined the most for me throughout the Steel Demons MC series has been the depth of the character development. I think this series has resonated so strongly for many readers because of the characters, whether they loved or hated what was happening with them. Mari, Reaper, Jandro, Gunner, and Shadow had highs and lows throughout the prior eight books and in Merciless, they get some more lows before more highs and then the book ends on an amazing high note.
I was so happy with Reaper and Shadow's relationship growth and how Mari and Reaper reconnected to come out even stronger. Jandro and Gunner had less overall growth in some ways, but still grew as characters and especially within their personal relationships. This was such a great ending to a strong series.
OH.MY.GODS I LOVED IT!!!!! *wahhhhhhhh* it is over 😭 I'm going to miss everyone so much!!!! This series held me spellbound all the way!
The whole book was an emotional rollercoaster!!! It was an sit on the edge of your seat leg bouncing read. Oh and the ending *sigh* the author beautifully wrapped up these nine books. I couldn't be happier with this ending, though we had to go though some tough sh*t to get there. It was the perfect happily ever after. I can't wait for the Endless epilogue novella.
If you haven’t picked up this brilliant series yet, the I strongly urge you do it. It is epic in all the right ways. 🖤
This was rushed and thrown together!!! There wasn't any type of build up to these abilities the God's had to inhabit there bodies just bam they could. Also were was Reapers mother and sister while he was held captive. This so called fight was just too unbelievable and why another book I can point out a few parts that can be cut to avoid another book.
The final book, well almost of the Steel Demons book series was a doozy! Merciless, basically competed the 9 book series which was the harshest yet, everything from mind control, torture, shoot 'em up fire fights, was a part of the book. Thankfully our main character survived, LOL, of course she did. Mariposa started out as a strong, confident woman, looking to save, heal, and find her long gone parents. Miraculously nearly all characters parents, siblings, even presumed lost friends showed up. Seems the author Crystal Ash could never bring herself to kill off 'any' of her characters.
Mariposa enjoys having four husbands in her relationship, and I enjoyed the wild and explicit sex she enjoyed with them. Based on my arousal experiences, the author does a great job in describing the 'action'. I mean MFM was exciting, but MMFMM was nearly exhausting, and I'm just the reader.
I will admit there are parts of the book and series that tested the imagination. However, the overall premise is good and kept me interested. I am looking forward to reading more of the Steel Demons saga, as a Harley rider, and dedicated MC enthusiast, I love the series. I agree with another reviewer of the book... "This series is a wild ride for sure. I highly recommend it. It's a long series and it is totally worth it. I am excited to read the extended epilogue soon!"
I'm looking forward to more of Mariposa and Reaper, the others, and a baby to the fivesome!
Have you ever come across a book or series where you fall in love with the characters so deeply, you simply cannot stop thinking about them? Well for me it’s the Steel Demons MC series and Merciless, the final book, is the perfect, most satisfying conclusion I could have hoped for.
In Merciless, Crystal doesn’t make us wait long for the action to begin. Everything we’ve learned about the gods, their link to Mari and her men, and the Sha, culminates in an epic final battle that had me biting my nails in suspense.
The final book in the series moves quickly, with moments of anguish and heartbreak, action and suspense, and finally, those hard fought moments of joy, passion and love. These characters get their happy ending but it does not come easy for any of them.
Merciless concludes the series and this storyline but Crystal is writing an extended epilogue novella, Endless, that will be out before the end of the year. I’ve already got mine preordered because I am nowhere near ready to say goodbye to these characters. The door is also left open for some beloved side characters to get their own stories which is super exciting. I love this world so much and can’t wait to see what comes next!
An epic conclusion to a series that has held me within its grasp since I picked up the first book last year. I almost put this on an ever growing TBR pile but took a chance and so happy I did. It’s that good!
The ending of the last book left me feeling angry and empty inside as the big bad that’s been in the background throughout the series finally made a move that left Mari and her guys fractured since two were taken. With help from their companions the remaining three come together to take out the bad guy and rescue the others.
I loved how it all came to a smack down that proved good wins over evil and love can conquer all. All works out in the end with Mari, Reaper, Gunner, Jandro and Shadow becoming a complete, cohesive group. They move forward and find forgiveness and happiness. And let’s just say their group scenes are phenomenal. The reader won’t be disappointed on that front.
Look forward to secondary characters receiving their own series soon.
* I received this book as an ARC for an honest review.
3.5 stars I enjoyed finishing this series and getting a end for a group of characters I grew to care about a lot. When j first started this series it felt so new and different to me and I loved it and devoured every single book very soon after. That’s why I’m sad to say this one wasn’t my favorite, I felt like towards the end of the series something that was there in the beginning was missing. I also hated not having a lot of the characters that were so involved in the beginning of the series barely be present at all these last books. Overall still a solid read and I’m happy about the ending, and the very much open ended ending for a certain group of MCs can’t wait to see them in SOO !!! So glad to have stumbled across this series and will be rereading it eventually :)
The final book in the Steel Demons series. We have our epic love fests and one last epic battle. It’s been one heck of a journey and I’ve enjoyed the entire ride. Kind of sad to see them go, though. I’m disappointed in the Sons leaving. I mean, I get it, Four Corners was crap to them, but they just left. 🥺 I need more of their story. Looking forward to their book and to Endless, the extended epilogue! 💜
This is definitely one of my favorite series!! A totally original mix of Romance, RH, Dystopian, Motorcycle Club and BIG TIME Mythology!! This has been the coolest book series I’ve read! Now for the last, a Novella Epilogue!!
This is one of my most favorite series but this could have been put into the last book. We didn’t need to wait months for this. But it’s a good read. Just like the rest of the series.
As always this was a great book. This was a great ending and I can't wait for the novella in December. I want to know more about the kids and the town.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Did this series had to be nine (9) books? Absolutely not! I gave up on book 8, and out of obstinance read the ninth. I hate Mari. I also came to wonder, why is the series tagged and titled MC? The last 4-5 books had nothing to do with the MC. Ever since they reached the Four Corners, the MC stuff were gone. We saw some mentions, some of them even died, but it was just that, tertiary characters/scenery for the Mari/Reaper drama. Mari went from bad to worse. By the end of the book, I fell asleep, and didn't even care to rollback the audiobook to catch up. I just didn't care anymore.
Aside that everything wrapped with a little bow at the end, and how the whole thing got resolved, was not just stupid - was ridiculous.
Will I read this author again? Maybe - as long as it's sort and sweet. This story could have been told in 3-4 books. Everything else was just a lot of idiotic inner monologue. Maybe an editor to cut out the redundancies?
The narrators were good, but ugh! they were narrating nonsense at certain points.
Shadow. It’s 100% Shadow for me, for life. I just don’t think this series would have been the same without him, ya know? He was instrumental.
I can’t quite believe we are here, at the end. I feel like I’ve had a real quick love affair with the Steel Demons MC being as I only found them at the beginning of last month, it’s been a whirlwind.
I liked that there was no real hanging around in this book, if you weren’t witnessing what Reaper and Shadow were having to endure, you were back with the rest trying to figure it all out. I also really enjoyed that it didn’t all come to a head at the end of the book, you had time to wind down with them and see a bit of what life after the Sha was like.
After the epilogue, I’m really looking forward to the Novella. I can’t wait to see how that pans out for them 😍
I am feeling pretty conflicted over this one. I want to rate it higher since it’s (basically) the last book in the series and I really liked the series over all but I just didn’t like this individual book as much. Maybe I just invested so much time into this series, I was hoping for a more intense ending? I don’t know. The defeat of the bad god was kind of anti climactic. It was almost too easy. The whole “Gods” plotline was getting a little irritating and it’s left semi-unresolved. Some of the main characters had a personality transplant. There are things that I didn’t feel got adequate answers. We got ONE on page group scene after waiting 9 books. I want to read book 10 because I am dying to see these men as daddies, but feeling a little let down over all.
This was an okay conclusion. Things got a little corny and cheesy with love bonds and Shadow constantly calling Mari “lover.” Ick. I once again felt badly for Reaper this entire book. Did the author just decide she hated Reaper at book 7 and decided to demolish him? Honestly, we could have done without the needlessly drawn out stuff between Mari and Reaper for ALL of last book and book 8 and book 9 should have been one book. Again, a nice ending (and yes I know there’s a novella and I will read it) - but this could have been epic, and it just wasn’t.
🤩 🤗 Spoilerfreie Rezension – Steel Demons MC – die neunte – Lesehighlight - Pageturner ❤️absolute Suchtgefahr!!!🤗🤩 ❤️
Gerade habe ich das Buch „Gnadenlos“ beendet.
Ich gebe generell keine Zusammenfassung des Buches ab, weil ich der Meinung bin, dass diese auch durch den Klappentext beim Buch schon aussagefähig ist. Insofern schildere ich hier lediglich meine Eindrücke, da dadurch sichergestellt wird, dass definitiv nicht gespoilert wird 😊
Autor:
Crystal Ash hat mich schon mit „Gesetzlos“, „Machtlos“, „Furchtlos“, „Schmerzlos“, „Hilflos“, „Herzlos“, „Sinnlos“ und „Skrupellos“ begeistert. Bereits von Beginn an dachte ich bereits, dass es schwierig sei, das Niveau zu halten – geschweige denn, das Ganze zu toppen. Aber Crystal hat mich eines Besseren belehrt! Wieder und wieder! - Wow! Auch das neunte Buch der Serie ist da keine Ausnahme!
Cover/Titel: Definitiv passend – und ein weiterer absoluter Eyecatcher! Ich mag es und finde, dass es sofort die Neugier weckt, was sich dahinter verbirgt.
Schreibstil: Jedes Buch von Crystal Ash wird von mir verschlungen - und der SDMC ist ein Paradebeispiel! Schon beim ersten Band der Serie war man bei den ersten Sätzen im Bann des SDMC! Das hat sich seitdem auch nicht geändert. Jedes Mal bin ich aufs Neue sofort wieder in der Geschichte drin! Außen vor bleiben? Nicht möglich.
Crystals Schreibstil ist absolut mitreißend. Das Ganze ist definitiv tempo- und actionreich, zuweilen wirklich heftig 😮und nicht unbedingt etwas für schwache Nerven.‼️
Die Entwicklung der Dynamik von Mari und den Jungs ist bei jedem einzelnen Buch spannend und unvorhersehbar. Gerade deshalb und durch diese Weiterentwicklungen fasziniert und begeistert das Buch mich wieder! Diese Einblicke, die man in die Charaktere hat - Man wird direkt in das Geschehen katapultiert und liest und liest – bis man am Ende angelangt ist! Es gibt unerwartete Wendungen und man weiß nie, in welcher Richtung es weitergeht. ❤️
Das Buch ist wirklich absolut herausragend und weckt definitiv die Sehnsucht auf mehr – und zwar auf sehr, sehr nachdrückliche Art und Weise! ❤️😉🫶
Protagonisten: Da bleibe ich dabei: heiß, heißer, Steel Demons MC! Tolle Charaktere, eine durchdachte und mitreißende Handlung, Action wo sie hingehört, dazu Gefühl … einfach eine rasante, spicy Mischung. Ich will definitiv mehr davon und finde es jetzt schon schade, dass es nach dem nächsten Buch vorbei sein wird 🥹🥹!
Stimmung/Atmosphäre: Definitiv wieder absolut intensiv. Temporeich! Erschütternd! Einfühlsam! Grausam! Bewegend! Dennoch erotisch und heiß - und einfach nur genial!
Setting: Absolut atemraubend. Süchtig machend. Heiß – und ich will bitte sofort weiterlesen… Bitteeeee! *flehendschau*
Kritikpunkte: Für mich gibt es hier keinerlei Kritikpunkte!
Fazit: Es war ein erneut ein absolut herausragendes, großartiges Buch das definitiv Lust auf mehr macht. Ich möchte sofort mit dem nächsten Buch starten! Definitiv von meiner Sicht aus eine totale und voll überzeugte Leseempfehlung für alle, die mit dem Setting keine Probleme haben.
Bewertung: Eine voll und ganz überzeugte 5-⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Sterne-Empfehlung für ein großartiges Buch!
Insofern eine klare, definitive Leseempfehlung! Holt euch dieses Buch! Ihr werdet es nicht bereuen! 😉🤗 Ihr habt dann wirklich einen Keeper, den ihr euer Eigen nennen könnt! Versprochen!
Und die Reihe in der richtigen Reihenfolge: 1 – Gesetzlos 2 – Machtlos 3 – Furchtlos 4 – Schmerzlos 5 – Hilflos 6 – Herzlos 7 – Sinnlos 8 - Skrupellos 9 - Gnadenlos
This book did a fabulous job ripping my heart to pieces and then putting it back together and making me cry happy tears. I am so happy there is a book 10 because I didnt want this world to end. I absolutely adore the Steel Demons MC and all these characters. Be ready for some breathe-stealing moments and some punches to the gut with torture and horrible things done to some of our favorite characters. I thought the flow of the story and the confrontation with the evil forces and overall bad guy was done really well. We had such a big lead up to this ending, we knew it wasn't going to be easy.
Without spoiling too much, just know not everyone is going to make it out the same way they came in. Two of our favorite are held captive and tortured and the others have to hold the family together to rescue them from the baddies’ clutches. I felt so hard for the 2 in captivity, so many teary-eyed moments, so many times I had to stop the audio because I thought the author was going to absolutely destroy me. I should have kept faith that we would all get our HEA together though. In terms of the 2 not captured, they really stepped it up and helped Mari get through her grief and guilt while also battling theirs. I loved how the gods were brought in more and their interactions and how they were part of the end.
Nothing I can really say about how awesome this narration was. To the emotional mess the characters are in, to the ever present gods, these narrators did a fabulous job embodying the characters and bringing them to life in my ears and mind. I already have these on my automatic listen narrator list (and I am a picky audiobook listener haha). So amazing, wish it wasnt over.
Overall this series really hit it out of the park for me. I am going to own all on paperback (eventually hardback if the author goes that route) and now on audio. So amazing, can’t say enough about this incredible RH series.
Und mal wieder ein tolles Cover von den Steel Demons. Ich liebe wieder sehr dieses Hot Pink, mit dem gearbeitet wurde. Auch gefällt mir wieder sehr, wie die einzelnen Elemente sich in der Geschichte wiederfinden, so z.B. die Granate, die eine tragende Rolle im Kampf gegen das Chaos spielt. 😍
Der Schreibstil ist wieder einwandfrei verständlich. Ich konnte wieder unfassbar gut und schnell das Buch beenden.
Inhaltlich hat der Krieg mit Tash hier seinen Höhepunkt erreicht. Dieser wurde auch unfassbar spannend gehalten. Man konnte es gar nicht abwarten, wann die Truppe endlich ihren lang ersehnten Frieden bekommt. 🤯
Über die gesamten Bücher hinweg spielen die Götter aus verschiedenen Mythologien eine tragende Rolle. Allerdings muss ich sagen, dass es mir jetzt hier in diesem letzten Buch zu wild wurde. 🥺
Denn zu Beginn überlegen Mari, Gunner, Jandro und der Rest ihrer Freunde, wie sie Shadow und Reaper wieder vom Sha, also dem Chaos, befreien können. Es scheint lange aussichtslos, da die Armee einfach zu klein und der Gegner zu groß ist.
Ganz plötzlich allerdings ist das Einmarschieren zu dritt in die Festung des Chaos‘ kein Problem mehr, sobald sie ein wenig Hilfe der Götter bekommen haben. Für mich fehlte da einfach das Pläne schmieden und das einbeziehen der Armee von Four Corners, da dies vorher eine große Rolle gespielt hat. 🤯
Auch der Endkampf ging dann für mich irgendwie unrealistisch schnell vonstatten. Für mich waren die vorherigen Bände einfach deutlich krassere Highlights, weil es mir nicht so übernatürlich vorkam, wie jetzt dieses Finale.
Fazit Zusammenfassend waren die Steel Demons eine echte Bereicherung für mich. Mir hat es so viel Spaß gemacht, sie zu verfolgen. Doch ich muss auch sagen, dass ich jetzt ein wenig froh bin, dass die Geschichte ihr Ende gefunden hat, da es sich zum Ende hin ein wenig gezogen hat. 3 ⭐️
What a way to end this series. I have loved this series from the moment I started it. It has so much and more overall.
This book takes off right where Book 8 ended. Shadow and Reaper are taken from the Sha. While Mari, Gunner and Jandro are trying to put their heads together as much as possible to figure out a way to get to them, Reap and Shadow are being tortured to a point of breaking.
All hope seems to be lost until we are introduced to a new God, Quetzalcoatl - the Aztec god of Wisdom and knowledge.
When they are given new hope and learn new "abilities" to help bring Sha down - the don't wait a second longer and race to go break out their men.
While we wait for Reaper in limbo essentially - Shadow thinks it all comes down to being his fault. The loyalty these two provided for each other throughout the book made you love these characters even more. I LOVE character growth in a series and these two definitely came out on top. We got all the wants we craved from Book 7 with Gunner. And Gunner and Jandro got more love in this one too.
The build up was crazy and I was on the edge of my seat. I loved how they were able to harness their connection to each other and their Gods to overcome the chaos. The big conclusion happened maybe 50% in, so we get LOTS of conclusion to Mari and her guys story. I'm still super excited for the Novella because lets face it... I'm really not ready to say goodbye to these characters yet.
Cant wait for the Novella.
*Overall 4.5/5 *Heat? 5/5 (We get a hottt 4-way) *First person POV - all main characters *No Triggers *Fast burn - do not need to wait long ;-) *HEA? YES! and then some.