The Last Namsara by Kristen Ciccarelli - review

Publisher: Gollancz (5th October October 2017)

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 . . . (Publishers' blurb)


I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an open and honest review.

It seems like ages since I've read any YA high fantasy and this was the perfect book to get me back into it.

In some fantasy, it frustrates me when there's an outdated view of women plucked from some historical period. In this book, Asha is one of the most powerful people in the society and she has agency. Her father tries to restrict Asha and marry her off but Asha resists. She's a fantastic character - very well-developed and believable in her motives and actions.

This book could easily be compared with Game of Thrones just because of the fantasy setting (and the dragons, which I loved!) Another similarity is that this book has really great writing, where I became invested in the plot, cared about the characters and didn't know what was going to happen. Even the smallest details had significance and I thought the plotting was really strong.

Another thing I really liked was the stories. It was so clever that the stories of their culture related to the plot and you also got to read them! This was such a great touch.

I really loved this book and I want more! Along with Royal Bastards, this is one of my favourite YA fantasies that I've read this year.






If you liked the sound of this, now try Royal Bastards by Andrew Shvarts, which I reviewed here. The giveaway from this review has now ended.