You know those books which pull you out of a slump? Which feel new and refreshing and unique and fun? That was me and The Last One. All in November I was struggling and The Last One was one of those books I woke up and consistently was excited to read. Keep reading this book review of The Last One for my full thoughts.
Summary
Thrown into a desolate land of sickness and unnatural beasts, Kai wakes in the woods with no idea who she is or how she got there. All she knows is that if she cannot reach the Sea of Devour, even this hellscape will get worse. But when she sees the village blacksmith fight invaders with unspeakable skill, she decides to accept his offer of help.
Too bad he’s as skilled at annoying her as he is at fighting.
As she searches for answers, Kai only finds more questions, especially regarding the blacksmith who can ignite her body like a flame, then douse it with ice in the next breath.
And no one is what—or who—they appear to be in the kingdom of Vinevridth, including the man whose secrets might be as deadly as the land itself.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
I need book two immediately. It’s so hard to talk about The Last One because of the spoilers. Not only are there TONS of reveals which had me angrily typing notes into my phone OR sitting in shock, but also there are so many secrets from the main character. As she has no memories of herself, we learn more about the world and her past with her. And it’s a doozy. I was instantly on her side and while I stayed there throughout the book, there were times I wasn’t sure. Because that’s how deeply The Last One explores heroism and saving the world.
It’s a story that explores justice, the cyclical nature of revenge and violence, and what it means to be The Chosen One. If you love fantasy books that have these epic journeys, these romantic swoons, and this core mystery this is for you. But The Last One feels so refreshing and unique. Maybe it’s because of Kai’s memory loss, but the crashing down of the themes echoes. With numerous betrayals, you’re kind of on Kai’s side. The rest of the world can burn. But when you find out more about the world, and Kai, you start to question what’s happening.
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The Last One examines trust and the burden of having a legacy, a prophecy, power. And it also explores what we would do to tear the world down. Much like the Vision and Wanda scenes in Avengers, who would we doom the world to save? And visa versa. What does that say about us as people, as heroes, as the Chosen? If someone attacks us, do they deserve retaliation? What if it’s out of defense? What if it’s in a cycle of violence upon violence heaped all over each other?
The Last One has swoons, it has fight scenes and epic battles, and it also has some big question theme exploration. So I obviously loved it. Find The Last One on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop.org, & Blackwells.