Thank you to Macmillan and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
In the sea of YA fantasy, sometimes a book stands out from the rest for all of the right reasons. The Last Bloodcarver by Vanessa Le is a steampunk YA fantasy with a stunningly original premise. The story revolves around Nhika, a bloodcarver who can alter the bodies of anyone who she touches. She's seen as a monster or myth by society, but when she's bought by a wealthy family who wants to solve their father's murder, she has the chance to prove that she's not such a monster after all. Can she solve the murder before the murderer comes after her?
Here is an enchanting excerpt from Chapter 1, which introduces us to the main character:
"Someone like Nhika, with her fidgety smile and frayed satchel of snake oils, didn’t belong in these streets.
In the Dog Borough near the harbor, she never would’ve stood out in this attire, with her cropped sleeves and bare hands. There, residents traded silk for cotton and wool, and the cogwork of their automatons crackled with rust and crusted sea salt. Here in the Horse Borough, women wrapped themselves in tight silk dresses and men in boxy robes, concealing every inch of skin with long gloves and high collars. It was the fashion, stemming from the fear of people like her.
The myth of them, anyway."
Overall, The Last Bloodcarver is an amazing YA fantasy that will appeal to fans of The Last Airbender and Not Even Bones. One highlight of this book is how it starts off with a punch and never lets go. There is nonstop action from beginning to end. Another highlight of the world building that actually felt original and complete. This book takes place in an Asian-inspired steampunk world that I wanted to visit and never leave.
Another highlight of this book are the emotional parts that got me emotional, which is hard to do for a book. One final highlight of this book is the #ownvoices Asian representation. I am happy to support an author of Asian descent in the YA fantasy space, especially when the book is so well-written and fun to read. If I had to complain about 1 thing, I would say that some parts are gory. This book is not for the faint of heart. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of YA fantasy in general, you won't regret checking out this book when it comes out in March!
In the sea of YA fantasy, sometimes a book stands out from the rest for all of the right reasons. The Last Bloodcarver by Vanessa Le is a steampunk YA fantasy with a stunningly original premise. The story revolves around Nhika, a bloodcarver who can alter the bodies of anyone who she touches. She's seen as a monster or myth by society, but when she's bought by a wealthy family who wants to solve their father's murder, she has the chance to prove that she's not such a monster after all. Can she solve the murder before the murderer comes after her?
Here is an enchanting excerpt from Chapter 1, which introduces us to the main character:
"Someone like Nhika, with her fidgety smile and frayed satchel of snake oils, didn’t belong in these streets.
In the Dog Borough near the harbor, she never would’ve stood out in this attire, with her cropped sleeves and bare hands. There, residents traded silk for cotton and wool, and the cogwork of their automatons crackled with rust and crusted sea salt. Here in the Horse Borough, women wrapped themselves in tight silk dresses and men in boxy robes, concealing every inch of skin with long gloves and high collars. It was the fashion, stemming from the fear of people like her.
The myth of them, anyway."
Overall, The Last Bloodcarver is an amazing YA fantasy that will appeal to fans of The Last Airbender and Not Even Bones. One highlight of this book is how it starts off with a punch and never lets go. There is nonstop action from beginning to end. Another highlight of the world building that actually felt original and complete. This book takes place in an Asian-inspired steampunk world that I wanted to visit and never leave.
Another highlight of this book are the emotional parts that got me emotional, which is hard to do for a book. One final highlight of this book is the #ownvoices Asian representation. I am happy to support an author of Asian descent in the YA fantasy space, especially when the book is so well-written and fun to read. If I had to complain about 1 thing, I would say that some parts are gory. This book is not for the faint of heart. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of YA fantasy in general, you won't regret checking out this book when it comes out in March!