Review: The Last Namsara

Book Name: The Last Namsara

Author: Kristen Ciccarelli

Release Date: 2 October 2017

Find it on Goodreads

My Rating: 4.75 stars

I would have read this as soon as it released…except it looked huge at the time. Now that I’m less of a *judgemental idiot*, I finally read it, and I’m so glad I did.

Asha is basically an ‘Iskari’. She’s feared by her fellow people for what she did as a child. (she kinda destroyed the city) Now she hunts dragons to atone for her sins, and she’s promised to the commandant, who’s not a very nice person. Her dad, the dragon king, offers her a way out of the betrothal: kill the First Dragon, Kozu.

I LOVE dragons (any fantasy creature, honestly) and the author didn’t disappoint. The scenes with Shadow and Kozu were my favorites. I enjoyed the idea of the ‘old stories’: Asha uses them to lure dragons, and the dragons tell them to her. The ones included in the book were beautifully crafted and I hope Ciccarelli comes out with a collection.

Coming to the characters, Asha’s development was phenomenal. She went from cold and uncaring, to willing to sacrifice her life for others. Torwin’s backstory was great and I really liked his and Asha’s pairing: it was well written, slow burn and no insta-love! I only wish Safire had gotten more page time, because girl power. I know that Dax and Roa have their own book, but I’d have preferred some more explanation about their arrangement.

The writing was mind-blowing and lyrical; I marked out so many wonderful passages. The plot twists were amazing and I definitely did not guess the villain till the end – I was in shock for the last hundred pages! The world-building could have been better, but since it’s a series it’s okay.

For a fantasy, this wasn’t slow or boring at all! If you love reading about dragons and badass, knife wielding girls, this is for you!