Justice without Mercy

Seek Justice. Love Mercy.

A new terrorist threat has emerged in a society already mired in discord. There is constant conflict between two factions, polarized by opposing ideological extremes. To stay in power and control the people, the ruling party has outlawed emotional attachments and family units, and replaced natural conception with a selective genetic reproduction program. They sought to engineer the perfect society. Instead, they created a police state, where Enforcers keep order while the few profit from the oppression of the many. But even the elite are susceptible to disillusionment. As an Enforcer, Agent Mercy has a comfortable life, but one devoid of connection. She is going through the motions until she meets Agent Justice. He awakens her emotions and challenges everything she has been taught about relationships. They must fight the temptation of a forbidden attachment. For Mercy and Justice to be together, they would have to break the laws they are sworn to uphold. Ultimately, she must make a choice between love and loyalty to the only way of life she has ever known.

Reader's Favorite Book Review

Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

Review Rating: 5 Stars

Justice Without Mercy is a work of fiction in the dystopian, science fiction, and romantic suspense sub-genres, and was penned by author Rae Burgess as the first novel of the Factions of Virtue series. Written for adult readers, the work does contain some use of explicit language, scenes of moderate violence, and mild sexual situations. In this near-future world, we are introduced to Agent Mercy, who works as an Enforcer for an oppressive government that seeks to shut down emotional attachments and family bonds in order to keep control of people. But when Mercy meets fellow agent Justice, she begins to feel something that could shatter her view of the world and how things are done in her society.

Author Rae Burgess has created a cool and highly engrossing dystopian world where freedom and romance are hidden under the table, just waiting to burst free. I loved the idea of the system going against human nature because it endears us to the characters at once and helps us root for them to break free from oppression. Mercy is a great central figure for this because at the opening she is very much indoctrinated by the police state, and her awakening represents some very powerful ideas about control and rebellion. The world-building was off the charts too, with many well-described locations and influential social structures in place to add to the tension and realism of the piece. Overall, I would certainly recommend Justice Without Mercy to all dystopian and romantic suspense fans.