4.5/5
The Last Bloodcarver is a special kind of YA fantasy. As the first in a duology, you expect something sprawling, something intricate and expositional in preparing you for a continuation of the plot into a second novel.
The best way I can describe the feel of this fantasy is that it's like orange juice concentrate. We don't have a sprawling landscape here--we have a city-state with diverse burroughs, but no epic journey. Instead, the growth and development here comes from within the characters themselves. Nhika as a main character is introspective, reflective, and also irrational at times. She's a young adult written for young adults. As a foil/partner, Kochin is also deeply multi-faceted. The supporting characters are also deep and real, and the way that their interactions and internal struggles play out on pace makes this YA fantasy feel different than many I've read before.
That's not to say the setting and magic system don't have the makings of an epic YA fantasy--the steampunk-inspired mechanical elements contribute to a sense of atmosphere that inspires awe as much as trepidation. There aren't huge twisty-turns in this one I don't think, but the underlying complexity of the politics, the segregated city-state setting, and the disparities of wealth and privilege highlight the uncertainty that anything in society is what it seems.
This is a refugee story, a story of a place ravaged by colonialism and the diaspora scrabbling for identity where it was violently ripped away. The characters grapple with generational trauma, with finding kinship, with honoring their ancestors while staying true to themselves. And all the while, we're following a compelling plotline with an ending that truly left me impressed and in shock.
All that being said, what makes this a 4.5 for me is some issues of contrivance. There was a point where the plot was moving along almost solely due to overheard or eavesdropped conversations. Some themes were emphasized so heavily it felt a bit repetitive at times. If I put myself in the target audience's shoes, though, I'm not sure 15-year-old me would have noticed these technical issues amidst the outstanding character work.
To whoever is reading my reviews on my silly little Goodreads/StoryGraph/wherever I decided to post this---this is a good one. I hope so many people find themselves in this book. And you best believe I'll be counting down the days until Book #2 comes out.
The Last Bloodcarver is a special kind of YA fantasy. As the first in a duology, you expect something sprawling, something intricate and expositional in preparing you for a continuation of the plot into a second novel.
The best way I can describe the feel of this fantasy is that it's like orange juice concentrate. We don't have a sprawling landscape here--we have a city-state with diverse burroughs, but no epic journey. Instead, the growth and development here comes from within the characters themselves. Nhika as a main character is introspective, reflective, and also irrational at times. She's a young adult written for young adults. As a foil/partner, Kochin is also deeply multi-faceted. The supporting characters are also deep and real, and the way that their interactions and internal struggles play out on pace makes this YA fantasy feel different than many I've read before.
That's not to say the setting and magic system don't have the makings of an epic YA fantasy--the steampunk-inspired mechanical elements contribute to a sense of atmosphere that inspires awe as much as trepidation. There aren't huge twisty-turns in this one I don't think, but the underlying complexity of the politics, the segregated city-state setting, and the disparities of wealth and privilege highlight the uncertainty that anything in society is what it seems.
This is a refugee story, a story of a place ravaged by colonialism and the diaspora scrabbling for identity where it was violently ripped away. The characters grapple with generational trauma, with finding kinship, with honoring their ancestors while staying true to themselves. And all the while, we're following a compelling plotline with an ending that truly left me impressed and in shock.
All that being said, what makes this a 4.5 for me is some issues of contrivance. There was a point where the plot was moving along almost solely due to overheard or eavesdropped conversations. Some themes were emphasized so heavily it felt a bit repetitive at times. If I put myself in the target audience's shoes, though, I'm not sure 15-year-old me would have noticed these technical issues amidst the outstanding character work.
To whoever is reading my reviews on my silly little Goodreads/StoryGraph/wherever I decided to post this---this is a good one. I hope so many people find themselves in this book. And you best believe I'll be counting down the days until Book #2 comes out.