Thoughts on : The Last Namsara by Kristen Ciccarelli
The Last Namsara by Kristen Ciccarelli
Genre : YA, Fantasy
Series : Iskari, book 1
About the Book :
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.
In a way, I feel the summary does a poor job of describing the story and the world of The Last Namsara. It’s a story with an extraordinary worldbuilding that feels rich and ancient. There are dragons, yes, but it’s also a book about stories and their compelling power, as the first lines of the book will tell you:
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.
Simply put, I absolutely loved that book. And I didn’t expect to like it this much. The reviews I’d seen for it were all over the place, and it seemed people either loved it or felt it was absolutely boring. I can see both sides, really, but the parts I enjoyed were so good, I absolutely fell in love with it.
Like many other fantasy readers, I love a book with dragons, and this one is no exception. I loved what the author did with them, weaving the usual tropes with her own magic, adding stories and history. I never tire or reading about people taming wild animals, especially when it’s about strong and wild fantasy creatures. There were a few moments in there that really reminded me of How to Train Your Dragon (in a completely different setting) and I completely adored it.
I also loved the world and the worldbuilding. Fantasy as a genre offers so many possibilities, and while I enjoy worlds inspired by medieval Europe, I really love when books step out of the box to offer something different. Here Kristen Ciccarelli offers us a new and unique mythology which, coupled with a world rich in history, creates a novel that feels different from a lot of other YA fantasy novels I’ve read.
There’s so much more I’d like to talk about, but this review can’t go on forever, so I’ll mention a few more things I liked, and what I think were a few flaws.
Prejudice is deeply explored here, as a story with slaves should, and I thought it was well done. I also really enjoyed the romance, which reminded me a bit of The Winner’s Curse, one of my favorite YA fantasy books. I did feel the relationship was a bit forced at times, especially in the beginning where it feels a bit “insta-love”, but I really grew to enjoy it. And I really liked the cast of characters, but I wish some of them had a bit more depth.
I also felt the book needed a few more scenes with the taming of the dragons, not only because I would personally enjoy it, but because the progression there felt a bit too sudden for me.
All in all, it’s quite clear I loved The Last Namsara. I get why some people thought it was boring or didn’t connect with the writing, but I personally absolutely connected with it, and it was one of my favorite books this year. The last book of the series will be out really soon, so I’ll be reading the second book in the coming weeks!
(Also, that cover is gorgeous!)
