The Last Namsara

Iskari #1

by Kristen Ciccarelli

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.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Dragons, Romance, Young Adult Fantasy, High Fantasy, Fiction

421 pages, Hardcover

First published October 2, 2017

About the author

Kristen Ciccarelli is an internationally bestselling author whose books have been translated into a dozen languages. She grew up on her grandfather's grape farm and spent her childhood running through vineyards, making forts in the barn, and adventuring in the deep, dark woods behind the house.

Before writing books for a living, Kristen dropped out of college and worked various jobs. These included: fruit picker, artisanal baker, L'Arche assistant, community bake oven coordinator, bookseller, and potter. She also spent a year living in a punk house.

Today, Kristen resides in the Niagara region of Ontario with her husband and their book-obsessed toddler. She is happiest when she’s reading a good book by a warm fire or chasing her giggly daughter down the shores of Lake Erie.

Learn more at www.kristenciccarelli.com or follow Kristen on Substack: kristenciccarelli.substack.com

Reviews

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm loving my Fairyloot ♥ More pictures and synopsis of things on link below ♥



BOOKISH THINGS

I freaking love this book!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's on my favorites list now =)



And it has dragons ♥



I put off reading this book for a long time because I thought it was just about some jerk girl that was killing dragons. I don't do killing dragons books. Unless it's just some random thing in the book.

But..

THIS. IS. NOT. THAT. BOOK.

In the beginning, there was the Namsara: the child of the 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.

Asha is the Iskari in the book. She tells stories to lure the dragons out. The stories are against the law. She follows the Old One. Someone is coming to her in her thoughts and dreams. She kills dragons. She thought she had a reason. She was wrong.

Let me first say that I LOVE:
Asha - Iskari
Torwin - love interest - slave
Safire - Cousin
Dax - Brother
Elorma - Namsara
Kozu - Dragon
Shadow - Dragon

There are a few others that play parts that are awesome too.

Asha is supposed to marry, Jarek. He's a jerk that is the commandant to the king. The King is Asha's father. He's a jerk. Jarek is a jerk. I wanted them dead from the moment I met them. Then the more evil things I found out the more I wanted to kill them myself.



Safire is Asha's cousin. She's fierce and she trains with Asha. Safire is her own force to be reckoned with and she is Asha's dearest friend as well.

Torwin is a slave to Jarek. I love Torwin so much. Torwin is treated badly by the jerk, Jarek!. And Asha and Torwin slowly become interested in each other. I mean it's so slow I thought I was going to ooze out into the floor with the tension. All of you insta-love haters will love that.

Asha's father tells her if she goes and kills the first dragon, Kozu, that he will call off her wedding to Jarek. Asha is all for this because Kozu is the dragon that burned her when she was young.

BUT

Things are not what they seem and Asha finds out things that are horrific. Things about her father, things that happened to her as a child. Why her mother died. Why her brother Dax is slowly dying. Why she will become the best of what she truly is with the help of her family and friends and her love.



There is a part. Well there are many parts, that I wanted Jarek dead. But this was the last straw and he became nothing.

"I'm going to kill him."
Safire dragged Asha out of the pool of dragon blood and brought her to the lake edge, trying to wash it from her knees and legs.
"I'm going to gut him with my bare hands and use his entrails for dragon bait."

But at least there was a happy ending! But we shall see what happens in the next book!

Happy Reading!

Mel ♥

MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List

AMAZON REVIEW

[Drcong O ' · Rating 5 out of 5]

the fact that this book isn't that hyped and other shit books get more recognition than this masterpiece is absolutely disrespectful and I do not stan that shit. 😔😔

this book had 20 different plot twists that literally had my jaw dropped and gave me an unhealthy amount pain. It's just so beautifully written and everything about this book, especially Torwin and Asha had me: 💓💓💓💗💖💗💗💓💓💓💓💘💝💞💕💕💕💕💘💖💓❤️❤️❤️❤️💚💜💛💓💗💖💙💘💙💘💕💕💗💓❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️

anyways, I'm physically incapable of writing a review because there are literally no words to describe how absolutely gorgeous this book was. this is deadass a book I will never forget it. Ok. Bye.

I love Asha. I love Torwin. I love one (1) adorable, cute, scary, badass dragon named Shadow. And I love another badass dragon, Kozu. I love this book and I fuckitnloveitsomcuhbye

here's some emojis that probably sum up my feelings: 😀😀😀😀😨😑😢😢😢😥😳😳😳😳😳😳😳☹️😞😔😣☹️🙁😕😠😠😠😠😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😦😦😦😑😑😑😐😐😐😧😧😮😮😮😲😲😲😰😰😰😨😨😨😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😤😤😤😤☹️😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭💓💓💓💓😭😭😭💓😭💓😭💓😭💓😭💓😭💓😭💓😭💓😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭💓💓💓💓💓💓😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭🍆

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what if she accidentally slides that sword up even more and straight into her nostril?? ouch.

[elena ❀ · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you die here, after I've just saved your life, I will hunt you past Death's gates and kill you a second time.

I said it once, I'll say it again: I loved everything about this. This is one of the best YA fantasy debut novels I have ever read. This is not my favorite book, but it has become one of my favorites (and favorite fantasy books for sure). Honestly, I knew this was fantasy and about dragons and that was it, but that wasn't what intrigued me. It was actually the cover (although not the prettiest) that shone brightly to me and captured my attention as I was book shopping (because when am I not?)

The Last Namsara is a debut YA fantasy novel revolving around Asha, a kickass heroine that uses an ax to hunt down dragons. It all started with "The Old One", who was the first to create and see the First Dragon, the dragon everyone in this world is afraid of. He was bored one day, so he created two creations: a golden child and a death child, as they called it. The Golden Child was Namsara, a child who always smiled and shone brightly, bringing light and laughter. The other child was Iskari, a child of death, who brought fear and death, tremble and darkness. While Namsara was a boy, Iskari was a girl. The reason The Old One created two different gendered people was that he needed the world to be balanced. This made the Iskari mad, making her turn against him, which was a big mistake she had done. It all started with her betrayal, and it ended with more betrayals as the stories live on. Iskari had been killed by The Old One himself and Namsara had found her dead, shed tears for his sister, and wished she hadn't done what she did.

Years pass, and this story still exists, along with other stories. These stories are illegal to tell in the world, but the Iskari Asha still tells them. Asha is the daughter of the Dragon King and Queen, sister of the Heir to the throne, Dax, and a dragon hunter. She tells these stories in order to call out the dragons that still are around, wandering, and although the stories are forbidden to tell, she does not listen. She hunts dragons for a living. Going back to the old days of Asha, she had summoned the First Dragon and he had burned the whole city, burning her face and giving her scars. The Dragon King needed to protect his little daughter from everyone, taking the blame, but even with that, the people still called the crying little girl Iskari for what she had done. Ever since then, people look at Asha with fear, are scared to look at her face and her scar, and are scared to face her because of what she can do. Asha had heard these stories when she was little. Her mother would also tell her the stories to make her fall asleep. She is instantly drawn to these figures of the past, wanting to learn more about them, until she becomes the most feared and strongest dragon slayer in the kingdom of Firgaard.

Asha hunts and conquers each dragon she can find and brings its head to the king, but even with every head she has brought, her will awaiting her at her home is not over. She is to be betrothed to the cunning and shameless commandant, the man her father trusts the most, controller of every soldier in the army. This commandant knows the truth about Asha and her nature, and in order for Asha to find that out, she must kill the First Dragon, Kozu, and bring its head to the king. Kozu, the dragon that burned the city when Asha told the stories to others without knowing the consequences and without knowing what would happen. Asha was little. She did not know if anything was false or true, so she told what she heard. As Asha begins to hunt down Kozu, she begins to hunt down her past, her truth, and the truth about these ancient stories she has been drawn to since little. With the help of a slave, owned by the commandant and unallowed to touch anyone but his master, the commandant that is supposed to marry Asha and take over her, she begins to open her heart to the untold stories, to love, to freedom, to free will, and to a truth that has been kept from her from the people she least expected.

Iskari let others define her because she thought she didn't have a choice. Because she thought she was alone and unloved.

Buddy read with MY FAV MAY

This has become one of my favorite YA fantasy novels. It's a debut novel which makes it better because it was so different than what other authors have written. The author herself said in her acknowledgments that she wanted to write something different than most others did. She wanted to write a story about a girl who was fierce and strong, loyal and feared, and she did, and she did not fail.

Kristen Ciccarelli has definitely won me over with this one. There are mixed reviews about this one said by a couple of friends, but I have begun to not allow that to stop me from reading a book that may or may not become one of my favorites. In this case, it allowed me to find a new book I love. First, the characters. The main character, in particular, reminded me of Aelin from the ToG series by SJM, but this one was better, the story and the character, in every way. Asha is no Aelin and Aelin is no Asha. One of the biggest things it reminded me of Aelin was how Asha wears her scars with pride and does not let the terrors of the dragons stop her from dragon slaying and being feared. Like Aelin, she wore scars without being ashamed and embarrassed, but instead proud she overcame a fear and became strong because of it. I really enjoy books with the not-so-typical fantasy female that says she will kill in order to protect but won't actually do it. Asha did not say she will protect, but she did say she will kill and hunt, and so she did.

Although I’m comparing the two, Asha is no Aelin. She’s better. Asha is what a courageous person really is. She fought for the way she was made to. She took the symbol of the Dragon Queen, her grandmother, and she wore that badge with pride and honor. With that being said, Asha has become one of my favorite female characters in YA fantasy and I cannot wait to see which paths she takes in the second and third book. Although there was no sign of character development, I feel like there really wasn't any needed. I think the author actually managed to give enough information about the MC and keep her role balanced and well laid out enough to keep me reading about her and the challenges she was facing. Asha is a dragon hunter, so she lived by telling the old stories and killing dragons she saw, no matter what it took her.

One of the things I loved so much about this was how the author kept the role of Asha and didn't change her for the worst but instead kept her character firm, strong, loyal, and fierce for the best. There were even times I felt bad for Asha because of what she had found out and what she had to face in the end. Hell, there was even a scene in this book that made me cry! I don't know man, but my animal loving emotions really hit hard with the dragons in this book. If you're a fan of the movie How to Train your Dragon, there is a dragon here that reminded me of Toothless and it was the reason I cried. I won't say why, but I cried. And I mean, listen, to me, Toothless is adorable. The dragon even had a broken wing like Toothless!

Righting himself, Shadow's pale slitted eyes flickered over her, checking for injury, before narrowing on the commandant and the king at her back. Shadow roared, and the temple shook with the sound. As if the Old One himself had woken from a too-long slumber, angry, ready to take back what belonged to him.

One of the other things I loved about this was how Asha used her hands, feet, body, and an ax to hunt down the dragons. She preferred her weapons and armor over other weapons offered to her and, hey, if that isn't loyalty, then I don't know what is. I fell in love with Asha right from the beginning and could not stop rooting for her. No matter what challenge she was about to face or what consequence she had just run into, I was always rooting for her and screaming her name in my head, wishing for her to just bash out and kill characters I didn't like.

The author managed to occupy me right from the beginning. This was a buddy read so it was difficult to keep up at first, but, since I was intrigued right from the beginning, I wanted to keep reading until the end. I had read 100 pages and didn't notice because my attention was just on the book and nothing else which made me lose track of time. In my reading experience, that says a lot for a debut novel because debut novels don't always go as planned for me. Ciccarelli managed to keep me reading from page 1 and so on, without skipping any lines, because of how easy it was to follow her writing. It was not simple, but it was not complex, and one of the best things was that every chapter and line ended with a sort of cliffhanger, which always left me craving more of her writing and left me wanting to read more of what was left. Every last sentence ended with something that still had me completely hooked.

I said I felt bad for Asha at times, many times actually, and its true, I did. She was so used to being called the Iskari, a death bringer, a death child, a child that brought betrayal and darkness to the people around her because of what she did. The thing is, she didn't do anything she was blamed for. Asha was young when she called Kozu, the First Dragon. Asha heard these stories from her mother, her grandmother, and the people around her. Any young child would be curious and would begin to tell them aloud, whether they were said the way it was supposed to be said or not. Because of what Asha was remembered and known as she had been insulted so many times and no one had loved her and really looked at her. There's the exception of her father who loved her because he's her father, but even her father was a bastard filled with lies and betrayal. You can tell from the beginning. Asha's brother and the slave, Torwin, owned by the commandant of the army, Jarek, were Asha's only support. Oh, and I can't forget her loving, beautiful, and caring cousin, Safire, who supported everything Asha did and never left her behind no matter what excuse and lie Asha told him.

Be afraid Father. I'll make you regret everything you've ever done to me.

Asha is a compassionate character who was so used to hearing insults and bad comments about her being, in the kingdom ruled by her father and was used to not being looked at directly. Her slaves were even afraid of her and would always be facing down when they entered her room to do their job, which was pitiful and sad. Since I said there is some slow-burn romance, the slave, Torwin, also managed to be a support system of Asha and managed to catch my full attention. He was full of hate as well, but it was different, and he was used to being ordered around, watching and obeying his cunning master, Jarek, that it got the point where he was being brutally hit that Asha, being the strong yet scared girl, had to step in front and stop it. I felt bad for Asha because she was so used to being seen as strong and fierce, not being scared of anything because she is a dragon slayer and not caring about anyone or anything, but that wasn't true. If she didn't care about anyone, she wouldn't have protected Safire as a dragon began to breathe fire out as she was killing it; she would not have saved Torwin from being killed; she wouldn't have let some tears fall down as she saw someone special die; she wouldn't have remembered her mother and her past and how much she loved her. Asha was seen as emotionless, but she wasn't that. She wasn't heartless, she was just not sure to showing love because she was never shown any love. With that being said, Asha did not let her identify get in the way of her achievements.

Asha would fit into the category of coming-of-age because she grew to be an independent and fierce young woman. Her whole life, she was used to being ordered around by her father, by being seen as a threat, and by being lied to by the people she could not imagine. She was able to find out the truths that lied in her nature and find out what her story really was. She was able to set herself free from the biggest cruelty that was awaiting her and was able to see what the kingdom of Friggard really was. She was not confident but she was proud. She was not used to being complimented that she took compliments as insults and wanted them to stop. She grew out of a shell she was trapped in and was able to set free from the lies, the betrayals, and the cruelty that was rising in her.

Life taker, they said.
Death bringer.
Iskari.

Some have said this book is slow-paced at times. I'd have to disagree. I didn't find myself bored while reading this book not once because of how fast the book felt. There was plot twist after plot twist and everything was going down at once that it got to the point I had to stop because I remembered it was a buddy read and I needed to wait for May. I grew impatient after, sorry May. I think the author did a fantastic job at keeping the pace at just the right speed. One of the other things I loved about this was the ancient old stories. The author wrote the most known and common stories told that it was enough information to help me catch up on to what was happening. There were stories about the Dragon Queen, about the first Namsara and Iskari, about Kozu and why he burned the city, about The Old One, about Elorma and Willa, Rayan and Lillian, and other characters that were the first to start everything that happened and I just thought reading about them was so interesting. Elorma, Willa, Rayan, and Lillian don't have any roles in the story, but they have some sort of role on some side characters which was nice to read about because we can learn more about the other characters, main and side. The author gave just enough information and didn't just spill out so much that it became info-dump that would ruin the story. What I love about this is how the information went back and forth, and it really helped. I loved how with the ancient stories, the author was able to give information about something that had just happened in the chapter and help us catch up and not be lost. There were times where I would read a chapter and a character would be mentioned but I was confused because I did not know it. Luckily, after, the author provided that characters story and managed to capture my attention even more.

YA fantasy lovers are sleeping on this. Really, sorry to say it but I have some friends who have loved and appreciated YA fantasy stories that...are trash. Many are books I've tried to pick up but have given up because of how boring it was. It's a book many readers are looking for in other YA fantasy books—dragons, betrayals, violence, war, politics, slow-burn romance, its got everything we want in YA fantasy. Overall, I'm really looking forward to the sequel in this. It's about Dax, Asha's brother, and Roa, an enemy, and I'm really looking forward to how that goes. Although Asha is mentioned in the description, I don't think it will focus on her the most, but I could be wrong. I'm really only looking forward to it because of Dax. In the beginning, he was so pure, soft, kind, and weak. He wants peace, not brutality, and wants allies, not enemies.

She believed the lies he told. She hunted down monsters because he asked her to, never realizing the most wicked monster of all stood right behind her.

[Viburnum (hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a simple girl. I see dragons, I like.

All I can say is that The Last Namsara was intensely gripping, full of claws, horns and fangs. And it hooked me.
To be honest, it did have its fair share of faults—a hole-riddled plot, jarring character inconsistencies and disjointed, forgettable settings to list a few. But let's not dwell on them.
Now, the writing. It was clean and concise, but no less evocative, leaping off the pages and soaring with outspread wings to rarefied heights. And as for the characters—I admit, I wasn't too fond of Asha at first. She was too arrogant, too aloof, and all in all, awful (there's no greater sin than the killing of dragons!). But she was, too, misguided. Scorned and shunned, starved of love from others and from herself. Someone who was wrapped in scars on the outside and inside. And to my surprise (or not), I ended up rooting for Asha. Because of her flaws, because of the regrets and insecurities buried in her heart, she was such a real and relatable character, and her personal growth was all the more powerful.
And the romance was all I could've wanted and more, spun from longing and hurt, hopes and promises. Torwin was the perfect counterpoint to Asha—he was tender, thoughtful and so, so sweet. And the love between them was achingly beautiful, so much so that it made my heart burst into flames inside my chest—and made me breathe fire.

4.0/5

[High Lady of The Night Court · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Once there was a girl who was drawn to wicked things. Things like forbidden, ancient stories."
I haven’t stopped grinning since the last 4 chapters of this book, I don’t think I can!
I was entranced by this book since the first sentence and I know this is going to be one of this year’s favorites. This book was one of my most anticipated reads of this and my expectations were pretty high and I can say with no doubt that all my expectations were met and that I love this book. Kristen Ciccarelli takes this simple plotline and weaves it into this amazing book about Stories and Dragons which were at the heart of this book.

It’s a story about a girl who grew up to become an Iskari; a death bringer, a dragon slayer, and the opportunity presented to her that just might allow her to escape the clutches of the betrothal that she never wanted and a life of loneliness she never chose. Old Stories are banned in Firgaard, they are believed to cause death and destruction, so what shall happen to a girl who is using these stories to lure dragons, especially when these stories seem to make the dragons more powerful?

I liked a lot of things about this book but two of my favorite are the protagonist, and the method in which the author wrote this book. Our protagonist Asha, the Iskari, is the seemingly fearless dragon hunter. What I liked most about the character is the fact that the author didn’t make her out to be a completely invincible or all-knowing entity. Asha has a very valiant personality, but the author also reveals the scarred, terrifying and misunderstood part of her which made her more realistic.
The second thing I liked was that the author didn’t try to hide the obvious. Once in a while we come across a love interest but the story is told in such a way that it makes the protagonist oblivious to the relationship which we all know is going to come. I really like the fact that the author didn’t try to hide what we would have easily figured out but she took it and expanded the thoughts surrounding the concept, and not just in the sense of love interests.

I can’t wait for the next books and I look forward to reading them. I recommend this book to all fantasy/Dragon lovers.

[☘Misericordia☘ ⚡ϟ⚡⛈⚡☁ ❇️❤❣ · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story of stories and dragons who love them. Love them enough to breathe fire.
A story of a girl who loved stories. Loved them enough to destroy a grand city.
A story of a ruthless dragon king who feared his story-seeking daughter.

Behold crafty ancient gods and their defeated priestesses, warrior tyrants versus lost-and-found girls. Authentic and flowing.

Gorgeous cover!

Q:
Asha lured the dragon with a story.
It was an ancient story, older than the mountains at her back, and Asha had to dredge it up from where it lay deep and dormant inside her.
She hated to do it. Telling such stories was forbidden, dangerous, even deadly.
...
“I thought they didn’t breathe fire anymore.”
Asha froze.They don’t breathe fire without stories, she thought.
...
The old stories drew dragons the way jewels drew men. No dragon could resist one told aloud.
But the stories didn’t just lure dragons. They made them stronger.
Hence, the fire.
It went like this: where the old stories were spoken aloud, there were dragons; and where there were dragons, there was destruction and betrayal and burning. (c)
Q:
The girl who’d tricked it here with a story. ... It was stranded. And a stranded dragon fought fierce. (c)
Q:
But neither the heat nor the cold killed her.An unbearable loneliness did. (c)
Q:
She’d been burned by the fiercest of all dragons and lived. Who else could say that?
Asha wore her scar like a crown. (c)
Q:
Once there was a girl who was drawn to wicked things.Things like forbidden, ancient stories.It didn’t matter that the old stories killed her mother. It didn’t matter that they’d killed many more before her. The girl let the old stories in. She let them eat away at her heart and turn her wicked.Her wickedness drew dragons. ...
The girl didn’t care.Under the cloak of night, she crept over rooftops and snaked through abandoned streets. She sneaked out of the city and into the Rift, where she told the dragons story after story aloud. (c)
Q:
They were the wingbeats in the night. They were the fire that rained from the sky. They were the last sight you saw. (c)
Q:
... when darkness falls, the Old One lights a flame. (c)
Q:
The deeper into this cavern she went, the more familiar her surroundings became. It wasn’t that she’d been here before. It was more like she’d been dreaming of this place all her life. (c)
Q:
Elorma smiled at her. It made her uneasy. Like the smile of a slave plotting rebellion. (c)
Q:
But the day he found Lillian in the orange grove, Rayan felt like the First Namsara laying eyes on his hika—his sacred mate, his holy match, fashioned for him by the Old One. (c)
Q:
The ring was a reminder: people hadn’t always been scared to touch her.
Or love her.
The weight of her mother’s ring on her finger comforted Asha. (c)
Q:
Which was when he turned the knife on himself. (c)
Q:
He was sharp and sure. Like her favorite axe. (c)
Q:
In truth, though, there was one more way out.
A secret way. (c)
Q:
Asha raised her eyes to the shelf, where hundreds more scrolls were carefully piled. She pulled more down, unrolling them to discover just what she feared: more stories. Each and every one of them forbidden. (c)
Q:
On one side rose Firgaard, walled and cobbled and refined. On the other sprawled the scrublands, wild and fierce and free. (c)
Q:
“Honestly? If I were a dragon, I wouldn’t come anywhere near you either.” (c)
Q:
She’d thought standing armorless before a watching dragon would make her feel vulnerable and exposed. And she did feel those things. But she felt something else too.
Unfettered.
Wild.
Free. (c)
Q:
“He’s a wild creature, Iskari. And you’re a hunter. You can’t expect him to come when you call. You have to earn his trust.” (c)
Q:
He didn’t want to be responsible for clapping a bird in irons and forcing it into a cage. (c)
Q:
She was unmoved.He sent a sweeping cold to freeze the love in her heart—but Willa didn’t budge.
He sent a raging fire to burn away her memories—but Willa held them fast.
He sent a wind as strong as the sea to force her through—but Willa grabbed hold of the bars and wouldn’t let go. (c)
Q:
Force isn’t the only way to strike a blow (c)
Q:
“Has anyone told you about Moria and the fourth king of Firgaard?” Her angry gaze met his. “It’s an old story about a man who took what wasn’t his and the girl who put an end to him. Shall I tell it to you?” (c)
Q:
But as the guards marched Moria past them, her people raised a fist over their hearts. And Moria held her head high all the way to the chopping block.Unafraid. (c)
Q:
The sound of cascading water chimed from the fountains as mist evaporated in the heat of the sun. (c)
Q:
When darkness falls, the Old One lights a flame. (c)
Q:
Naming a thing endears you to it. (с)
Q:
Once there was a girl who was drawn to wicked things! (c)
Q:
All her life, she’d thought of herself as wicked, corrupted, in need of redemption.
A shocking thought occurred to her. What if I’m not any of those things? (c)
Q:
She felt Kozu not just beneath her, a dangerous creature moving from wind current to wind current, but in her mind too. Like a dark shadow. An ancient presence. Fixed and fierce and hers. (c)
Q:
“You’re beautiful and precious and good,” he whispered. “And I love you.”Asha looked up at him, there beneath the stars, and found herself starting to believe these things were true. ...
Maybe everyone did have a song in them—or a story. One all their own. If that were so, Asha had found hers.
And here she stood at the beginning of it. (c)

[jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

warriors, and magic, and dragons; oh my!

cant really say anything bad about this, if im honest. it had all the makings of a wonderful fantasy novel - dragons, magical old stories, rebellions against a wicked kingdom, a savage warrior princess and her romantic fling. all good in my book!

the reason this wasnt a 5 star read for me was, even though i thought it was an entertaining story, i just couldnt shake the feeling that i had read it before? it honestly felt like nearly every other YA fantasy novel - it had a very formulaic plot line that was familiar and the writing didnt feel like it had its own voice. like, if you had told me ‘enter some other YA authors name here’ wrote this, i would believe you. and im not saying these are bad things, because obviously i enjoyed the book, but it was definitely noticeable.

still, this was pretty good and i will most likely pick up the next book in the series when it comes out!

4 stars

[Tomi Adeyemi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most simple thing I can say is this is the best book I have ever read and Kristen Ciccarelli is now my favorite author.

Her story and her words have so much beauty, and love, and passion, and adventure. By the end I gasped every 5-10 pages and got goosebumps every 10-20 pages.

There are not many books I would say this for, but pre-order this now because your soul has been waiting for a story this beautiful.

[megs_bookrack · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the kingdom of Firgaard, Asha has been raised on the old stories. At it's heart, her kingdom's lore is one of duality.

The stories of the Namsara, the bringer of love and light, and their opposite, the Iskari, the harbinger of death and destruction.



To her people, Asha is the current embodiment of the Iskari.

A fierce warrior and dragon slayer, Asha is treated more as a weapon than a daughter by her father, the King of Firgaard.



Asha is lonely and feels helpless to control her fate.

She's engaged to be married to a ruthless commandant in her father's forces. She feels no love for this man and would do anything to escape that commitment.



When her father offers her a chance of gaining her freedom, she takes it. All she has to do is kill the First Dragon, Kozu. A dragon to whom she is inextricably linked.

Enter her fiancé's handsome slave, who shows Asha a kindness like she has never known, and you have the perfect mix for disaster.



Going into this novel, I had no idea what to expect. I have owned this book for years and hadn't really heard any buzz about it.

I was so pleasantly surprised by the fluidity and engaging nature of this narrative.



I was hooked from the very first chapters, falling in love with Asha and her dark, tumultuous life.

In addition to my connection with Asha, I found the side characters and lore of the entire world to be extremely interesting. I loved how Ciccarelli included entire sections dedicated to telling the old stories that Asha had learned in her childhood.



The Last Namsara has romance, action, political intrigue, family drama and more than a few jaw-dropping reveals. In other words, it has everything necessary to keep you fully engaged throughout.

I haven't read a lot of Dragon Fantasy, but to me, this was incredibly well told. The world felt complete. I could picture it all.



Overall, I was just so impressed with this and tickled pink that I happen to already own the entire trilogy.

I am hoping to start the next novel, The Caged Queen, soon. I cannot wait to return to this world and find out more about this intriguing cast of characters!!

[♛ may · Rating 4 out of 5]

i was hella pleasantly surprised with the turnout of this one.

Likes
- asha is a butt kicking star
- the writing is really fast paced and v easy to read
- a prince who isn't an a*shole (hes a precious boy)
- very action packed
- dragonssss 😍
- stories within stories
- it ties in really nicely together
- the mc is a savage, honestly i love this axe wielding beast


Dislikes
- the political building is weak
- the pace was really quick but it made for many plot holes/too quick turn of events
- the romance wasnt stellar for me
- they be cute but....too quick my dude, give us some build up

that be it for now. good book, definitely a refreshing read


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buddy read with my girl, maggie

I HAVE SO MANY EXPECTATIONS FOR THIS ITS NOT GONNA BE FUN IF I DONT LIKE IT (or i continue to slump for the rest of my life)

[B · Rating 5 out of 5]

The plot!!! The characters!!! The DRAGONS!!! This story really has all the Elements I love best in fantasy, a heart wrenching story with a main character who’s villainized (is that a word?) there are plot twists and an unlikely romance, all while maintaining a very bad ass main character. She’s vicious and ruthless but with a heart of gold and a secret she needs to hide from everyone who protects her. This review is a mess but this book has quickly climbed its way into my favorites and my mind is all over the place trying to pin point what exactly made it so phenomenal. (I think it was the dragons)

[Ishmeen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars!! Okay so I can’t say I wasn’t a bit hesitant about picking this book up since I am not a big fan of dragons and the plot just didn't sound like my cup of tea. But boiiii was I surprised at the badass protagonist and the mythical side of the story! Didn't really enjoy the political bits but the romance made up for it ~ it was a slow burn and I just loved it ❤️ I would have liked some more plot twists since I wasn't really shook by any of them but I liked the 'old stories' concept and I am looking forward to finding out more about it in the next book.

[Sydneroo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listen to everyone who’s been saying that this story is underhyped. They’re all right. What a shame. I hope this story gets the attention it deserves one day...

[Dannii Elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

First Read: August 2017, Rating: 4 Stars
Second Read: September 2018, Rating: 4.5 Stars

The book opened with the intriguing line, "Asha lured the dragon with a story", and I was pretty much sold from this point forward.

Asha is the daughter of The Dragon King. Responsible for the dragons that burned her city, murdered her mother, and left her with a disfiguring scar, she is both feared and loathed by her people. It is only her closeness to the throne that keeps her from becoming openly ridiculed, or worse. By once bringing the destruction of the dragons to her city, she now devotes her life to riding her lands of the ferocious and fearsome mythical beasts. And nothing can alter Asha from continuing on this quest. Not even her impending marriage to the cruel Jarek. Not even her brother who has returned to her, waning from a mysterious illness. Not even an ancient prophecy that seems to be haunting both her dreams and nightmares. But maybe in the face of the slave who doesn't seem to know his place beneath her.

I was never not going to be interested in a book about dragons! But what I didn't expect was how much more this book had to deliver. Whilst the dragons continued to play a major theme throughout this book, this fantasy also dwelt on the harsh treatment of the slaves who serve this story's focus. The slaves are subjected to both harsh cruelty and casual degradation, and the protagonist is provided with a steep learning curve of the equally as devastating effects of the two when confronted with one who will not conform to this treatment.

Through the immersion of these deeper themes the reader is provided with a broader insight to these mystical lands, as all levels to the social hierarchy are covered and explored. This enhanced my understanding of these realm and added an authenticity to, what was clearly, a well-thought out and well-built world.

The magic system used, in where words can summon myths and stories can drain a human of their health, I initially found a little overwhelming, however. I struggled to understand the particulars of this but, as the story progressed, all my questions were answered. It slowed my pace of reading during the first quarter, as I personally prefer my fantasies to have a solid foundation before the story advances, but didn't continue to impact my enjoyment once I realised all would be revealed in the book's own, sweet time.

My only slight point of contention was with how large a part the budding romance, between Asha and her unintended, played in the story. I found Asha to be such an independent and feisty female who, in my opinion, could have remained just as strong without the additional complications of love. It wasn't an over-blown or hastily written romance, but a slow-building and believable one. But one, nevertheless, that added not much to the story for me, as sweet as it was.

In all, this was a thrilling kingdom fantasy that provided a unique world, an intriguing magic system and a story-line I am interested in seeing continued in the series' following instalments. Now, if the romance would only take more of a back-seat to the action, this would become perfect!

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Kristen Ciccarelli, and the publisher, Gollancz, for this opportunity.

[Anniebananie · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 Sterne

Nicht vollkommen perfekt aber so so gut und anders! Etwas vergleichbares habe ich noch nie gelesen, die Geschichte hatte für mich so viel Neues in sich. Immer wenn ich dachte "meh ja ok und jetzt?" kam eine geniale Wendung, das Tempo der Geschichte war zum Glück auch echt rasant, obwohl ich mir manchmal etwas mehr Zeit/Seiten gewünscht hätte. Wie gesagt die Idee mit dem Drachen und den alten Geschichten fand ich klasse und auch innovativ umgesetzt (nebenbei: dieses Buch ist auch von innen so hübsch gestaltet 😍) und der Schreibstil der Autorin hat auch einfach perfekt zur Geschichte gepasst. Unsere Protagonisten konnte ich auch gut leiden und Leute jetzt kommt meine größte positive Überraschung des Buches: ich liebe unser Shipping in diesem Buch, ich war direkt voll mit dabei bei den beiden 🙈😅🤷🏼‍♀️
Ihr merkt: ich bin ziemlich begeistert von dem Buch und freue mich, dass hier mal nicht gilt "außen hui, innen pfui" 👏🏻

[sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Iskari let others define her because she thought she didn't have a choice. Because she thought she was alone and unloved.”

Rating: 4.5⭐

I really this book. Like..I didn't really know what to expect from it at first but it surprised me. I absolutely love Asha. I mean, even though she's a dragon slayer. This story captured me from the very first line. There wasn't a lot of romance in this book and it wasn't forced either so i'm pretty satisfied. The world building was so fantastic too. I really enjoyed Safire's character in this book and her need to always put Asha's safety first was so touching.

In the book everyone expects Asha to act in a certain way in order to uphold her title and responsibilities. She is both hated and feared throughout the kingdom. Its as the quote suggests - she felt alone and unloved. Her character growth throughout the book from being a fearsome iskari to a warrior is remarkable.

I enjoyed the writing style of the book and it had me hooked from the very first line. I don't really know when the next book is coming out but I can't wait to read it!

~Samhita

[Nadhira Satria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh wow oh wow oh wow 4.50 Stars!!!!
Can I just say that it’s been awhile since I’ve read a ya fantasy book with such rich world building and complex history??? I mean shit the world building is as rich as Bill Gates I am SHOOK
I was instantly drawn to the story and the world by the first few pages.


✨What I loved✨

-THE STORIES!!!!
In this book, stories are illegal and deadly. Every once in awhile we get these beautiful short stories in the book and can I just say that they are just absolutely mesmerizing. I lived for the stories and the history of this complex and intricately well made world.

-ASHA
A queen. It’s no secret that I have a thing for hating on main characters lmao but Asha oh my she is everything I ask for a main character to be: flawed, unemotional, strong, and don’t give two shits about hurting other people’s feelings. Her growth and development is just 👌🏼

-THE WORLD
I told y’all this is one of the most well written, richly imagined, complex world I came across to in YA. This is not for people who are not into high fantasy because iss rich .com

-THE TWISTS
BOYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY IT GOT ME SHOOKETH

💫What I didn’t like 💫

-Pacing
It can get a bit slow in the middle of the book but boy was it fucking worth it tho because damn

-Dax and Roa and nice side characters
Meh. Meh to all boringly nice side characters from every book in the world like get a personality and be more appealing

-Lack of details
I NEED MORE DETAILS! more boom boom pow kaboom tshhhh and less asha ran asha do this asha do that.

So overall: 4.5 fiery stars because I LOVED IT AND I WANT MOREEEEE.
Thank you Fairyloot for the exclusive cover and this brilliant book!
Honestly guys, you should get this from a bookstore / library/ or wherever you get your books and read it nowwwwww

[Maggie ☘ · Rating 5 out of 5]

*4.75/5 stars*

“The old heroes were called Namsara after a beloved god, he said. So she would be called Iskari, after a deadly one.”

This is such a strong debut fantasy novel! I loved basically everything about it! The characters - especially Asha and her character arc, the slow burn romance, the world building was rich and beautiful, the compelling storyline and the dragons!! I also loved the little stories in-between chapters. It's still a debut book so I think that in terms of the overall plot it could get a bit more gripping and daring, but all in all I loved this book so much! It deserves as much hype as it can get!

“It reminded her of a story of two siblings: one formed out of sky and spirit, the other out of blood and moonlight.
Where Namsara brought laughter and love, Asha thought, Iskari brought destruction and death.”

“Once there was a girl who was drawn to wicked things.
Things like forbidden, ancient stories.
It didn’t matter that the old stories killed her mother. It didn’t matter that they’d killed many before her. The girl let the old stories in. She let them in eat away at her heart and turn her wicked.”

[Zoe Stewart (Zoe's All Booked) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Updated December 3, 2018

I liked it just as much the second time around, but I still kind of hate Asha? She's an awful person for most of the book, but she does redeem herself by the end. On to the next one!

--------------

For the love of all that is holy, I need the next book now! This was perfection. There were only tiny things I felt could be better, but that's not enough to bring it down for me. I'm hoping her writing continues to get better with each book. I'm so excited to see what she does next!

[Book Roast · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was just not for me. I loved the idea behind it but I felt completely separated from the world and the characters, as if I wasn’t given enough information or reason to feel part of it, or feel some type of suspense. I also felt like there were quite a few plot inconsistencies and underdeveloped elements.

I did care about the dragons though! 🐉

But this was part of the Book in a Jar read and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing what other people thought; some really loved it!

Full Book Diary video with my in depth thoughts will be up soon.

Will not be continuing with this series but might try another book by this author sometime in the future ♥️

[n a t]

1 read: 2018
reread: 2021
•••••

" The old heroes were called Namsara after a beloved God, he said. So she would be called Iskari, after a deadly one."

things that happened while reading this book:

* loss of sleep
* a lot of crying
* half the time I didn’t know why I cried
* but I did
* I sighed. A LOT
* headaches because like I said crying
* wishing I had my own dragon
* and sad because I don’t
* and never wanting this book to end

with a kickass MC. a heart-palpitations-kind-of-romance, a breathtaking world building and DRAGONS! this was ahh-mazing

//////////

for someone who loves dragons, I don’t read nearly enough about them.

so here’s me redeeming myself.

[Emily May]

Tried to read this three times and it isn't holding my attention.

[Mel (Epic Reading) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absolutely amazing first book in a debut YA fantasy trilogy! Hunger Games, Graceling, Incarceron and other favourite YA fantasy of mine have a new friend because The Last Namsara deserves a spot next to those gems on my print bookshelf!
I'm not going to tell you what this is about because you can read the blurb. Instead let's talk about things that make this such a wonderful read; but first I have to do some national pride gushing...

Canadian YA Fantasy
It makes me so proud that Kristen Ciccarelli is Canadian! As a fellow Canadian I try to read a few authors a year that are Canadian. I have never ever read a young adult fantasy book by a Canadian that was this amazing! Don't get me wrong there are some wonderful books and authors out of Canada but it's rare to find a teen author with this kind of talent anywhere in the world; never mind my own country!

An unusual, yet genuine love interest
My number one complaint in YA books is love interests. The insta-love, triangle, stunningly handsome boys, and over-the-top 'he's so hot' descriptions get boring after a while. Besides the real world is not like that! At 35 with a husband ( yes - I love him more than anything) I can say that you might have chemistry when you first met someone but that doesn't mean it's insta-love or even your life partner. So it's nice to read teen fiction that is realistic, and yet still sweet and romantic in a real life way.

In addition our main gals love interest is seemingly a very random character. Not someone super special or a prince or any of that crap. Just an average person dealing with the cards in life they've been dealt; just like a real life partner is bound to be.
Even though it maybe a fantasy world and story I still appreciate characters who are honest and realistic (magic aside) to what real people are like.

The Last Namsara has everything!
Seriously everything is in this book. Including betrayal, sketchy family, forbidden love, female warriors, dragons(!), magic, 'old' religion, poison, death, double crosses, loyal friends, gorgeous settings, elaborate architecture, cool weapons and so much more!
It's rare to read a YA fantasy that has all the elements of an amazing adult fantasy series. Yet Ciccarelli manages this without even needing 800+ pages.
While The Last Namsara is not overly complex, like Sanderson or Martin are, it doesn't need to be. With a full list of 8-10 characters who are all unique and complex, alongside simple yet awfully disturbing politics; I didn't feel like I was reading a 'lesser' novel at any point.

Still YA writing
Just like Hunger Games, the writing in The Last Namsara is for a teen audience but elevated enough that adults will still love it. If I have one critique of the writing it's that the first 20% or so of the novel is very YA feeling (but hey that is it's genre). However it quickly turns more to showing over telling and eventually the YA voice was irrelevant because I just wanted more! Given this is Ciccarelli's debut novel I'm more than forgiving of the slightly cliche YA sounding beginning.

In a league of its own
For those who remember earlier this year (2017) there was a ton of hype for: The Bone Witch, Mask of Shadows (both which I thought were decent 4 star books) and Caraval (which is awful!); it appeared early on we might have a stellar YA fantasy year. Yet none of these YA fantasy books really lived up to the hype they had. Luckily just as the year is ending I read the book that deserves all the hype of 2017 and more!
The Last Namsara could have had huge hype (which it didn't) and still have blown me away!! Proof that having a large marketing budget or bigger publishing house behind your book doesn't mean it's the best of the best. At the end of the day writing, plot, atmosphere, lore and characters are what really counts. Dragons help too!

Overall
In case you haven't figured it out I absolutely loved this book. I'm desperate for the second book; but will be patient because I want the next book to be as wonderfully put together as this one and it looks like the proposed publishing dates aren't too far away!
If you want to read a YA fantasy that isn't your average everyday YA story then pick up The Last Namsara. I finished it three days ago and can't stop thinking about it and replaying scenes in my head. Something I only have happen with books that are special and will have staying power. So do yourself a favour and read The Last Namsara; then purchase copies for everyone you know because you want the whole world to appreciate it like you do (wait maybe that's just me). I do know what everyone I buy gifts for is getting next (whether they like to read or not!).

To read this and more of my reviews visit my blog at Epic Reading

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

[Mel Anie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 5 stars of amazement

This book was amazing. I've loved her from the very first paged till the very last one. No, this is not an exaggeration. This book is ultimate happiness in my opinion. The happiness of reading something awesome. Something that features dragons, kickass heroine, beautiful story of love and loss. A story which sucked me in that I was barely able to put down my smartphone (only time I've put it down was to charge the battery).

Story:
Story and all those little stories at the end of chapters were enthralling. Those little bits of history gave this book so much more depth. So much wider perspective on the main plot.

World Building:
The world building in this book is perfect. I couldn't ask for more from this book. Simple perfection. All those descriptions and historical details. Amazement.

Characters:
Asha : She is simply awesome. Daughter of king. Badass. Scarred. Dragon-Slayer. She isn't afraid to stand for herself.
Torwin : Chases the love of his life. Caring. Smart and talented. Want to be free. Not afraid to die for his values.

Romance:
The slow-burning love between two people which cannot be more different. Two people who aren't meant to be together by the rules of society.

Dragons:
Did I mention that this book has dragons? I loved stories about them and the flip of plot about Kozu.

I cannot wait for the next book and more amazing moments.

[Nenia ✨ I yeet my books back and forth ✨ Campbell · Rating 3 out of 5]

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THE LAST NAMSARA was ... okay. I liked it, but I'm not in love with it, which I guess puts this book in the reader equivalent of the "friend zone." It's better than a lot of the YA fantasy that's been coming out lately, but falls short of reaching that level that would put it on my favorites list or make me truly invested in reading the sequel. Which is a shame, because it contains a lot of things I love, like court intrigue, dragons, forbidden love, and curses. It could have been amazing but the execution and world-building failed it.



Asha is the Iskari, or the death-bringer. A cursed god for a cursed girl, after she brought fire to her kingdom by telling the forbidden stories that lure the dragons who cause wanton destruction. The same stories that killed her mother with their power. Everyone in her kingdom despises her, except her father, who sees her value as a dragon-slayer despite the scars that mar her face and body - oh, and her super creepy fiance, Jarek, who sees her as an interesting conquest that might be fun to overpower.



Knowing her reluctance to marry Jarek, Asha's father gives her an ultimatum. If she can kill the most powerful dragon of all - the same dragon that scarred her face and body - before the date of her wedding ceremony, the engagement is off and she will be free. Asha agrees and sets out on her quest, only to experience a vision from one of the older gods instead, who has different plans for her. And this time, when she meets the dragons, she's in for a surprise.



So there were many things this book did right. Asha is a powerful heroine, scarred and not particularly beautiful - it's her personality and her strength that make her attractive. That's a refreshing change from heroines like those from - shudder - THRONE OF GLASS, who double as super-models when they're not incompetently trying to defend the kingdom. Ciccarelli also just has her characters swear instead of making up cutesy fake swear-words for her characters, which I'm sure the pearl-clutching parents of YA readers love but actual YA readers would much rather just see the swear-words. Otherwise it feels like your parent grabbed her book from you and censored out all the good stuff (take note, fuddy-duddy YA authors). The political intrigue was also really well done. There were a couple twists in here that I didn't see coming, and as a jaded reader, I appreciated that.



I think what dropped this book down a couple stars for me was 1) the characters didn't really feel fully fleshed-out to me. I kept comparing this book to THE WINNER'S CURSE, which has a similar plot and similar forbidden romance between a noble and a slave, but in my opinion did it a lot better with more character development, higher stakes, and more emotion. 2) the world-building was not very developed and it kind of felt like you could have picked up this world and plopped it down in virtually any other fantasy novel, and still had it make sense. The best fantasy novels have worlds so strong that they're practically characters in and of themselves. This book didn't have that.



All in all, THE LAST NAMSARA was a pleasant surprise. My expectations are pretty low when it comes to YA these days, but NAMSARA gets more things right than it does wrong and that has to count for something. Plus, dragons. I'm a sucker for dragons. (And if you're also a sucker for dragons and dragon-riding, I highly recommend you read Mercedes Lackey's JOUST, if you haven't, already.) This wasn't a bad debut, and even if I might not continue the series, I anticipate her other works.



3 to 3.5 stars

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Once there was a girl who was drawn to wicked things...

I ended up really, really enjoying this. The Last Namsara follows Asha - the daughter of the dragon king of Firgaard, as she tries to atone for her sins of the past and embrace the role of dragon slayer, warrior and weapon. The Iskari. Betrothed to the high commander, trapped in a cycle of death and hate from all around her, when she's offered the chance of freedom by destroying the First Dragon Kozu, Asha seizes the opportunity. Forming an unlikely bond with her commander's slave, Asha comes face to face with the beast that haunts her dreams, and uncovers some truths along the way.

At first glance this seems like a straight forward fantasy YA novel with dragons, but on reading it's so much more than that. At the heart it's about a girl overcoming the beliefs and prejudices instilled in her by her father, and a fight for the rights of the slaves and people of her county. It's really about freedom.

Interlaced with this plot is a magical world and a mythology that is well crafted and detailed. The idea that speaking old stories can draw dragons and power to the wielder is a rather unique and a wonderful idea. I loved the interjections of the old stories throughout the text which interweave and support the main story. They felt almost lyrical in their presentation, and I was actually craving for more of them. The dragons themselves also have wonderful personalities, and I really felt a bond with them - especially Shadow. Asha's relationship with them is also great to see unfold - from her initial mistrust (mutual) and her growing love and respect for them. I did cry at one point.

Asha, The Iskari, was a wonderful main character. She's feisty, and powerful yet vulnerable to the men who ultimately hold her in their power. It's her journey that really makes her character so strong however. She starts the novel as a hated warrior, feared by all with no love for anything besides her brother and cousin. She has no respect for the dragons or slaves, yet as we progress we see her begin to warm to others and realize that she might have more in common with these people and creatures than she first thinks.

Jarek is a wonderfully mean character. He's loathsome, mean spirited and resentful with a lust for power and domination over Asha. This is displayed perfectly in the passages about Asha's wedding gown, which Jarek has designed so that she can't get out of it herself and must resort to having someone else do it for her - an ultimate act of submission and humiliation for Asha.

I felt the only weak link in the story was Asha's love interest. It starts out strong, with a 'forbidden love' element that builds slowly, but as the story progresses it becomes a little bit cumbersome to the plot and slows down the pace as we spend time with Asha mooning over him and repeatedly stating that she needs to keep away from him 'for his own good' and 'to keep him safe'. Many times I just wanted her to realise that he could look after himself and get on with the adventure.

I really believe this is a wonderful fantasy novel, with generally good pacing and plenty of action. I look forward to the next installment.

[Caitlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

You know what? I enjoyed this book but I also was really bored by this book. There were about 150-200 pages of complete boredom but then the other 200 pages were pretty interesting. I skimmed this book a lil bit so I couldn’t give it a 4 like I wanted to. Look, it was good but it’s not anything amazing.

[Μaria Vrisanaki · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A dead heir is more useful tha a traitorous one"

H Asha είναι Iskari. Είναι δηλαδή η κυνηγός δράκων του βασιλιά. Σκορπάει τον θάνατο και όλοι τη μισούν και τη φοβούνται. Εκπαιδεύτηκε με αυτόν τον σκοπό, ενώ τα τελευταία χρόνια σκοτώνει δράκους και φέρνει τα κεφάλια τους στον πατέρα της. Μεγάλωσε μαθαίνοντας παλιές ιστορίες που πλέον απαγορεύεται να προφέρει φωναχτά, επειδή οι ιστορίες αυτές δίνουν πίσω στους δράκους τη φωτιά και τη χαμένη τους δύναμη.

Όταν ο πατέρας της, ο βασιλιάς, της δίνει την ευκαιρία να απαλλαγεί από έναν ανεπιθύμητο γάμο και να κερδίσει τη συγχώρεση των κατοίκων της πόλης για ένα λάθος του παρελθόντος, εκείνη δέχεται την πρόκληση.

Σκοπός της είναι να κυνηγήσει και να σκοτώσει τον αρχαιότερο και ισχ��ρότερο δράκο, εκείνον που πριν χρόνια σκόρπισε θάνατο στην πόλη της Asha και που εξαιτίας της βρέθηκε εκεί.



Δίπλα της βρίσκεται πάντα ο Torwin, ο υπηρέτης του μέλλοντα συζύγου της, ενώ κάθε τόσο εμφανίζεται μπροστά της ο Elorma, ο πρώτος Namsara δίνοντάς της ιδιαίτερα δώρα και αναθέτοντάς της αποστολές που την καθυστερούν από τη μέγιστη αποστολή.

Δεν αργεί όμως η στιγμή που η Asha έρχεται αντιμέτωπη με την αλήθεια και τα μυστικά που της έκρυβαν όλα τα χρόνια, ούτε η στιγμή που θα μπλεχτεί σε έναν απαγορευμένο έρωτα που μπορεί να φέρει θάνατο σε εκείνη και τον αγαπημένο της.

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Γενικά μου άρεσε πολύ. Η αρχή ήταν δυναμική -βλέπουμε την Asha να σκοτώνει έναν δράκο- και το όλο κόνσεπτ με μάγεψε. Άργησα λίγο να το τελειώσω επειδή κάπου στη μέση έχασα το ενδιαφέρον μου, αλλά στη συνέχεια η δράση ανέβηκε, οι αποκαλύψεις έφτασαν και δεν μπορούσα να το αφήσω. Ενώ στην αρχή δεν μου είχαν κάνει αίσθηση η Asha και ο Torwin μαζί, τελικά μου ταίριαξαν.

Ανυπομονώ να δω ποια θα είναι η ιστορία της Asha και, μετά την αποκάλυψη στο τέλος, δεν βλέπω την ώρα να μάθω ποιες είναι η καινούριες της αποστολές!

[Jodi Meadows · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll admit, I went in hopeful but skeptical. But within a few chapters, this book really won me over and I ended up really enjoying it. Definitely recommended for people who like face pacing, forbidden romances, and sweet puppydragons.

Though I read the ARC, I'm absolutely going to buy a finished copy of this for my collection.

[Alaina · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS BOOK WAS SO FREAKING AWESOME!

Ever since I saw this while browsing at a bookstore I fell in love. Just with the cover guys. I didn't even want to know what this book was about. All I knew was that I wanted this book more than I ever had. Sadly, I didn't buy it... yet. I did find an audio version though and I felt that I'd rather get it for free from the library right now and if I loved it then I would most definitely buy the book. Lord knows that I wouldn't buy a book that I wouldn't end up eventually loving but there's always that scary moment where that might actually happen.

I freaking loved Asha throughout the entire book. I honestly can't wait until the next book comes out and I really hope I don't have to wait so freaking long for it. I felt so bad for her too. She has like the worst father ever and she was even engaged to a fucking douche bag. God, I don't know how many times I've planned their deaths while reading this book. Then there's the friendship between her and Safira. THEN TORWIN. Then swooning, cheering, shipping, and more swooning.

Plus, a book with dragons in it? HECK YEAH, sign me up. I volunteer as tribute to read that type of book! The dragons were awesome in The Last Namsara and I want to see more of them asap!

I have nothing against this book at all. Yes, it did have some flaws but I obviously overlooked those because I just loved this book. I'm happy that I took my time with it because audiobooks on my laptop are harder to listen to for me because I don't want to lug my laptop around all the time. Now if there is a hoopladigital app for my phone then I would've ate this book up.

Loved it. People should go read it.