Skip to main content

The Last Namsara

The Last Namsara by Kristen Ciccarelli


*I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Synopsis (from Goodreads)
Asha is a dragon-slayer. Reviled by the very people she's sworn to protect, she kills to atone for the wicked deed she committed as a child - one that almost destroyed her city, and left her with a terrible scar. But protecting her father's kingdom is a lonely destiny: no matter how many dragons she kills, her people still think she's wicked. Even worse, to unite the fractured kingdom she must marry Jarek, the cruel commandant. As the wedding day approaches, Asha longs for freedom. Just when it seems her fate is sealed, the king offers her a way out: her freedom in exchange for the head of the most powerful dragon in Firgaard. And the only person standing in her way is a defiant slave boy


Review
“Asha lured the dragon with a story.”

Such a great first line! Right there you get the tone for the whole novel.

Ciccarelli builds a creative new world with a complex political history, fascinating mythology, and DRAGONS!!! I love everything to do with dragons and the dragons in this book were fabulous. They are more than just vicious animals; they can actually communicate and bond with humans.

I love the role that stories played. You can probably draw all sorts of metaphors for how knowledge is power. I also love how it all ties in with the mythology of the land and the Old One.

Asha is a very compelling character. She has to face various truths and lies and breaks down her own walls to become who she was meant to be. I also like her relationship with the slave, Torwin, and how it builds gradually. I did feel like the secondary characters, like Asha's brother and cousin, aren’t fully fleshed out. The villains, who are really evil and sadistic, don’t have much depth to them either.

The plot at times was a little slow, but I was so absorbed in the story that it just swept me through anyway. Some of the reveals were a little obvious in coming, but I don’t think they were meant to be totally hidden anyway. Other twists I didn’t see but were cleverly hinted at and then revealed! I do hate the "girl has to escape from marriage" cliché as her motivation to action though.

Overall, I really enjoyed the story and will definitely read the next one!


Rating
4 stars.


Details
Genre: YA, Fantasy.
Language: None or mild.
Sex: There are no sex scenes, but there are instances of sexual aggression.
Violence: Lots of violence, though not super graphic.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

This Savage Song

This Savage Song - Victoria Schwab Review: The newest book by one of my favorite authors, V.E. Schwab (She goes by "Victoria" for her YA novels). I love the premise for the book: violent acts create actual monsters. The two main characters are a human girl named Kate who desperately wants to be a (figurative) monster: a big, bad crime boss like her father, who runs one half of V-City. The other is August, who is a literal monster, a Malchai, one that drains the souls of his victims through his music, who desperately seeks his own personal humanity. I loved them both, and their personalities and characters and drives are so multi-faceted and real. They interact with other characters in believable and different ways. The juxtaposition of these two characters in and of itself is one of the driving things behind this story, and one of the things that makes it so compelling. Even though marketed as a YA, it really delves into the deep questions: What makes us human? W...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Reader

The Reader by Traci Chee Synopsis (from Goodreads) "Sefia lives her life on the run. After her father is viciously murdered, she flees to the forest with her aunt Nin, the only person left she can trust. . . . But when Nin is kidnapped, Sefia is suddenly on her own, with no way to know who’s taken Nin or where she is. Her only clue is a strange rectangular object that once belonged to her father left behind, something she comes to realize is a book." Review The main reason I picked up this book was that it got a LOT of hype. I thought it was a good book, but I'd say more for younger YA. I think if I were 12-14, I would have REALLY loved this book. The premise is interesting: In a world where reading doesn't exist, Sefia has a rare book. However, I found at times the story was a bit too  meta... stories within stories within stories, and how reading is literally magic. The pacing was quite slow. I also found the feel or tone of the story jumped around. Fi...
Post a Comment
Read more

Anticipated September Releases

September is looking like THE month for book publications! Here are 5 books that I'm looking forward to: 1) The Reader - Traci Chee Release date: 13 September I've heard a lot of hype about this book and the premise sounds interesting. A world where reading is illegal. After Sefia's father is murdered, she finds the only thing that holds the answers is a strange, rectangular object he left behind--a book. 2) A Shadow Bright and Burning - Jessica Cluess Release date: 20 September Again, a book that has received a lot of attention. Henrietta Howel is the first female sorcerer in a hundred years and has been heralded as the Chosen One. Except she isn't. But she can't let them know. 3) Three Dark Crowns - Kendare Blake Release date: 20 September I love Kendare Blake and everything she's ever written, so when I heard about this new series I was beyond excited. Besides that, the story sounds very intriguing. And, knowing Blake, it will b...
Post a Comment
Read more