Reviews with content warning for Medical trauma - The Last Bloodcarver

This was awesome! It's like Nina Zenik from Six of Crows lived in the post-industrial world of Legend of Korra. It was really amazing to see how the author's own experience as a medical practitioner influenced her world and character-building. Although I'm not a med student, I did receive a course on bioethics, and was able to catch a lot of the same principles on the Heartsoother's tenets. I really like how the magic system follows some basic principles of conservation of mass and energy, plus having the need to study anatomy and the many complex paths and connections throughout the human body. It felt really grounded, yet it was also fantastical.
The story is told through the lens of a refugee, and her family having to leave their home due to persecution and an ongoing war. We see her having to hide her gift, the many prejudices society has against her people, and the overall inequality that's rampant in a city that prides itself in "progress". And though she is mad at the city and its people for all the harm that she's endured, she never loses her empathy, and her desire to use her gift to heal and make the world better. She was truly and admirable character, and I so wish to learn more about her.

That ending broke me! I can't believe it was left as a cliffhanger like that. I can't wait for the sequel!

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linhsreadinghour's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Finally a fantasy book inspired by Vietnamese culture and written by a Vietnamese author.

I loved this, the representation and worldbuilding was so easy to understand. It was great to see my culture represented in a fantasy world, I loved it. Very apt homage to Vietnamese culture in so many ways.

Inspired by Vietnamese culture, this book has such a unique medical/biological magic system, murder mystery, tension and small romance subplot. It’s underpinned by themes of continuing one’s family legacy and identity.

I enjoyed this so much, a great YA fantasy novel. I was gripped and intrigued throughout the story. Need the second book soon because cliffhanger is HANGING 😫

Check TW warnings though, lots of medical content - if you’re squeamish, take care reading this!

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runealin's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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roseleebooks's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

I really liked this book. Nhika is my favorite type of MC, someone doing what they have to to survive, but still holding to certain ideals. Her POV was really great to read.

The plot is part mystery/thriller, part medical drama in a fantasy setting and I am impressed by how well it all worked in this book. Kochin also was a great counter to Nhika. Their relationship does seem to develop and change very quickly, I was wishing there were more interactions between the two of them.

I would love to read another book in this world. The ending was phenomenal and the characters well developed. A great read!

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elee2013's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

This really missed the mark for me. It’s nearly a bully romance, which I can’t get behind. I can’t forgive deliberate cruelty.

And the ending was oddly drawn out… and then everything all at once! And then the book is over! Artificial suspense with no falling action. For all the explaining the book does (I do think it came across a bit heavy handed) we get to the end and there’s no reflection whatsoever.

It’s disappointing because so much of the rest of the book is so good!! The “magic”, the steampunk, the colonialism, the hints at the upcoming conflict with Nazi-ish standins (don’t think I didn’t notice the Mengele reference), the medical mystery Nhika is working to solve in the first half. Awesome start! But it lost me in the final act. I won’t be continuing with the series.

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natashaleighton_'s review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

A thoroughly insatiable, dark YA fantasy that merges science, magic and Vietnamese culture in such a unique way! The tone is a little macabre (which is to be expected with a blood-based magic system.) But, thanks to the pacing and unputdownable plot twists, Vanessa Le’s remarkable prose is almost guaranteed to leave you breathless, if not a little emotionally scarred.

In a world where a rare, blood based magic allows its practitioners to alter the human body, (and the fear of such power leading to colonisation, oppression and the mass genocide of those who wield this unique ability.) We follow the orphaned Nhika, who has lived in hiding her whole life; unable to get close to anyone for fear of ending up on a mortuary slab.

After a job leads to her capture by black market dealers (known as The Butchers) Nhika is sold to the highest bidder, (the heirs of one of the wealthiest families in Theumas) and finds herself set an impossible task— to help solve a murder, by saving the life of it’s only witness.

I absolutely loved reading this was soo impressed by the ease and skill with which Le tackles some of the plot’s heavier themes (identity, grief, generational trauma, medical ethics and colonialism.) And building a vivid, compelling and character driven narrative that I was fully invested in.

The characters were exceptionally well written and full of depth which had me eager to see where their journeys would take them. Especially Nhika whose initial, morally grey demeanour (and badass take no prisoners outlook) slowly reveals a compassionate and tender-hearted young woman determined to honour her family’s legacy.

Her experiences as part of the Yarongese diaspora was explored with such incredible nuance and emotion that really tugged on my heartstrings. Given what’s currently happening right now in the world, it’s hard not to resonate with Nhika’s story and her yearning to recapture the heritage lost through violent occupation (and the destruction of her ancestral homeland and it’s people.)

It may be a tough read for some (and will most certainly emotionally devastate you) but it’s an absolute must read that fantasy lovers and fans of anti-colonialism and stories that overcome adversity should definitely consider to checking out — just be sure to check TWs and prepare to SOB an unprecedented amount.

We do also get a delicious, but fairly swift, enemies to lovers-style relationship between Nhika and love interest, Kochin (which I loved) that does break up some of the more emotionally intense scenes.

Overall, a beautifully thrilling new YA fantasy from a phenomenal new voice that has me eager to get my hands on the sequel immediately!

Also, a huge thank you to Rock the Boat for the gorgeous proof.

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allapaz's review

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4.5

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.

Thank you to BookishFirst for the ARC; all opinions are my own!

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paracosim's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I read this book in a single sitting, because I absolutely could not put it down. It had me hooked from the moment I read the first page. It was predictable, and I had most of the plot figured out by the 20% mark, but that didn’t make it any less enjoyable. The second the sequel is released, I’m getting my hands on it right away. I’m desperate to know what happens next.

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