'The Last Namsara' by Kristen Ciccarelli

Goodreads Novel 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.’

(Click on book cover to go to the Goodreads link)

My ‘The Last Namsara’ Review –

I’m just going to say it, but I loved this book so much! My Goodreads rating was a 5/5 stars. This is a Young Adult Fantasy novel which features the appearance of Dragons living in a dystopian world.

First off, I’m going to talk about Asha who I found to be the most kick-ass character in this novel. So many challenges were thrown her way but I loved how she grew to understand how they changed her world from bad to good.

Secondly, I need to discuss the Dragons! Kozu and Shadow are my fictional babies. The description of the mythical beasts in this novel was so well done as well as the imagery created about Firgaard.

Thirdly and forever more, I have head over heels fallen in love with Torwin and Asha’s relationship. I felt like throughout the novel their relationship was electric. With Torwin being a slave and Asha being a princess, their relationship was fated to destruct.

All in all, I felt like this book really hit my mark in terms of Young Adult Fantasy. Some readers may find this a cheesy read but I would recommend anyone this book whatever your preferred reading genre is. I’m so excited for the next books in the ‘Iskari’ series.