I’ve had The Last Namsara on my shelf for far too long. I’ve never really thought much about it, and I’ve always had another book I wanted to read more until recently when some fellow book-lovers started raving about it. We have the same taste in books, so I thought I should give it a try. This book is part of my December Reading Challenge.
Now, the only thing I’m thinking is “Why did I wait so long to pick up this book? Why??”
THE LAST NAMSARA by Kristen Ciccarelli
SYNOPSIS
In the beginning, there was the Namsara: the child of sky and spirit, who carried love and laughter wherever he went. But where there is light, there must be darkness—and so there was also the Iskari. The child of blood and moonlight. The destroyer. The death-bringer.
These are the legends that Asha, daughter of the king of Firgaard, has grown up learning in hushed whispers, drawn to the forbidden figures of the past. But it isn’t until she becomes the fiercest, most feared dragon slayer in the land that she takes on the role of the next Iskari—a lonely destiny that leaves her feeling more like a weapon than a girl.
Asha conquers each dragon and brings its head to the king, but no kill can free her from the shackles that await at home: her betrothal to the cruel commandant, a man who holds the truth about her nature in his palm.
When she’s offered the chance to gain her freedom in exchange for the life of the most powerful dragon in Firgaard, she finds that there may be more truth to the ancient stories than she ever could have expected. With the help of a secret friend—a slave boy from her betrothed’s household—Asha must shed the layers of her Iskari bondage and open her heart to love, light, and a truth that has been kept from her.
Genre: YA Fantasy
Format: Hardcopy
Pages: 416
Publisher: Harper Teen
Source: Received in a book box subscription I purchased myself.
REVIEW
Disclaimer: This review doesn’t contain any spoilers, and the opinions expressed are my own.
I’ll be honest. When I started reading the book, I struggled with the story. It wasn’t because the plot was uninteresting or poorly written; it was because the concept was new. My mind struggled to grasp what was valuable to the characters and why it was so important. If you start the same way, keep reading. Past the 3rd chapter, I was hooked.
The world building is rich and well-developed, and should I say, they have dragons?!? I love stories with dragons. I also really enjoyed how the main story was interwoven with the old tales. It truly helped me understand the characters’ motives/actions through the beliefs deeply rooted in their history.
The primary character’s development is fantastically executed. Asha, known as the Iskari, is very interesting because her world unravels throughout the book. She faces both external and personal conflicts, which raises the stakes. The romance progresses naturally, and this progression makes it easy to feel invested in both characters. The reader wants them to be together even though their love is forbidden.
RATING ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2
The plot was not quite a five for me. For the sake of the rating system, I gave it a five-star review on Goodreads, but it’s more of a 4.5. There was one little thing that troubled me when I read: the pacing in the second part of the book was off at times. It was nothing major, but it bothered me in a few places. That said, the story is unique, rich, and beautiful with nice twists that will make you forget the little things that may not work for you, so I would highly recommend this book.
The next installment, The Caged Queen, is more of a sister book—a sequel of sorts. It will be the story of another character in Asha’s world. By the end of The Last Namsara, the reader knows who this new story will revolve around because the author starts to hint at it in the second part of the book.
I can’t wait to read the second book.
Happy Reading to all!
Do you like YA Fantasy novels? Check out the following reviews:
- Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young
- Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas.