For fans of deadly games and magic, The Last Refuge is for you. It’s full of action packed battle scenes combined with magical creatures. It gave me YA dystopia feels which builds the unrest. Keep reading my book review of The Last Refuge for my full thoughts.
Summary
Kiera Vandyer told herself she’d only agreed to this scheme for the money, that nothing else had drawn her to this venture, but you can’t lie to the truest parts of yourself. For sixteen years, she’s hidden her burning curiosity for magic, knowing that one misstep would mean certain death at the hands of Atterah’s merciless leaders: the all-powerful Ruling Board.
Just when Kiera is on the cusp of securing a stable future for herself and her mother, a cruel twist of fate forces her to commit the worst possible infraction. She trespasses over the border into Etabon, the last refuge for magic on Atterah. Once within, her rare form makes her a target for the warden of the site. To escape the warden and conceal her crime from the Ruling Board, Kiera must use her strange new powers to battle for her freedom… or die trying.
The Last Refuge is the enthralling first novel in the Stealing Sanctuary series, weaving together the destinies of two dreamers caught up in a dark curse that spans generations. Enter a world of gripping adventure where love burns slowly, family is chosen, and hope is a dangerous yet beautiful dream.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
The Last Refuge is a genre blended world full of alternate worlds, magical creatures and boundaries, and placements. It gives YA dystopias mixed with magic feels. Think a world with similar veins to The Hunger Games and Divergent in terms of technology and deadly trials. But then there’s magic. What could go wrong? On an action, pacing, level The Last Refuge delivers almost non-stop thrills.
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However, I’m one of those readers who needs character introspection to connect and feel the weight of these moments and I just needed a few more crumbs to fall in love. There’s a line between what we have to do to survive, the actions we never thought we would do. And it resonates so deeply when we know what we have had to sacrifice to survive. I just wished there had been more balance between character introspection, thoughts, and moments to feel. One can definitely say there isn’t much time in The Last Refuge for this, but for me as a reader I needed a bit more.
If you’re looking for a non-stop action story which feels nostalgic in its speculative vibe of magical dystopia, definitely check out The Last Refuge. It has the unrest, the seeds of rebellion, and it stresses the power of mercy and compassion. Find The Last Refuge on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop.org, & Blackwells.