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skienight's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Violence
Moderate: Body horror and Sexual content
lavdisy's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This book is a fresh and new Asian-inspired fantasy that I’ve finally read. It’s based on Thai mythology, featuring a world of whimsical fantasy that includes action and spirits. The plot itself has elements that I liked, such as the ghosts and spirits that are part of the folklore. The journey and friendships along the way kept my interest and made me continue reading. The world-building is well-written; I adore how the author immaculately portrays the forests, caves, and other settings.
Although I enjoyed all the action, I feel that the character development, especially for the main characters, is lacking. They are likable, but I didn’t deeply feel their emotions or relationships. By the end, one of the main characters left me with many unanswered questions. The romance subplot was not really to my liking either. It’s as if you could remove the romance from this book, and the plot would still hold up.
The ending left me a bit surprised because it hinted at a possible sequel, or maybe the author just wanted to finish it that way. Still, I liked the book overall, and considering this is a debut novel, it’s a really good start.
Although I enjoyed all the action, I feel that the character development, especially for the main characters, is lacking. They are likable, but I didn’t deeply feel their emotions or relationships. By the end, one of the main characters left me with many unanswered questions. The romance subplot was not really to my liking either. It’s as if you could remove the romance from this book, and the plot would still hold up.
The ending left me a bit surprised because it hinted at a possible sequel, or maybe the author just wanted to finish it that way. Still, I liked the book overall, and considering this is a debut novel, it’s a really good start.
Content Warnings
Minor: Gore
snowwhitehatesapples's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Also on Snow White Hates Apples.
Set in a world lush with Thai mythology, Buddhist concepts, and magic, The Last Phi Hunter is an action-packed standalone fantasy book that mainly follows Ex, the youngest Phi hunter who’s determined to make a name for himself by hunting the elusive Shar-Ala, a true demon of nightmares and madness, and to a lesser extent, Narissa, a phi seeking atonement so that she may be reborn as a human again.
Ex’s story is one we’re all familiar with: he comes across a (rather capable) damsel in distress while working on his main quest of slaying Shar-Ala, gets tangled up with whatever’s going on with her and ultimately, they get together. Truthfully, despite liking the relationship between Ex and Arinya, I was also the least interested in their romance. It felt a little forced and cringe, especially since it feels more fueled by physical attraction than anything else.
Moreover, it could be just me but I felt that Ex’s part of the story was too convenient at times. Like, the parts where Shar-Ala was involved. Ex has been hunting the true demon for two years, unable to find more than its footprint but just when he and Arinya are only given one day left to live by the swamp’s guardian, Shar-Ala finally shows up? I mean, sure, I had expected something like this to happen but not so quickly and easily. Plus, the ending of the book was too neat — satisfying, but still too neat.
Narissa’s story, on the other hand, was intriguing and filled with emotion. After accidentally eating the only man she has ever loved, she sets out on a painful and difficult journey of redemption, hoping that by abstaining from eating humans and thus, starving herself for 30 years, she will be born again as human. She meets Ex and Arinya later in the story and I greatly appreciate how her character (and Astrama’s) added a different dimension to the entire human VS monsters aspect of the story.
Aside from the above, since I listened to the audiobook, I think the narrator did a good job of bringing the story to life. Although I had some trouble understanding some of the words due to the accent (I’m from Southeast Asia), the flow of the narration was steady. The distinction between the voices of different characters, particularly the females, was done well too. I was absorbed in the story and rarely realised how much time had passed while listening. However, I must admit that the sound effects the narrator did for the creatures were…I’m incredibly sorry to write this, but they had me burst out laughing. It would’ve been better for those parts to have been done with proper sound effects.
All in all, The Last Phi Hunter is a solid debut. I loved the representations here and can’t wait to read more of the author’s books!
Set in a world lush with Thai mythology, Buddhist concepts, and magic, The Last Phi Hunter is an action-packed standalone fantasy book that mainly follows Ex, the youngest Phi hunter who’s determined to make a name for himself by hunting the elusive Shar-Ala, a true demon of nightmares and madness, and to a lesser extent, Narissa, a phi seeking atonement so that she may be reborn as a human again.
Ex’s story is one we’re all familiar with: he comes across a (rather capable) damsel in distress while working on his main quest of slaying Shar-Ala, gets tangled up with whatever’s going on with her and ultimately, they get together. Truthfully, despite liking the relationship between Ex and Arinya, I was also the least interested in their romance. It felt a little forced and cringe, especially since it feels more fueled by physical attraction than anything else.
Moreover, it could be just me but I felt that Ex’s part of the story was too convenient at times. Like, the parts where Shar-Ala was involved. Ex has been hunting the true demon for two years, unable to find more than its footprint but just when he and Arinya are only given one day left to live by the swamp’s guardian, Shar-Ala finally shows up? I mean, sure, I had expected something like this to happen but not so quickly and easily. Plus, the ending of the book was too neat — satisfying, but still too neat.
Narissa’s story, on the other hand, was intriguing and filled with emotion. After accidentally eating the only man she has ever loved, she sets out on a painful and difficult journey of redemption, hoping that by abstaining from eating humans and thus, starving herself for 30 years, she will be born again as human. She meets Ex and Arinya later in the story and I greatly appreciate how her character (and Astrama’s) added a different dimension to the entire human VS monsters aspect of the story.
Aside from the above, since I listened to the audiobook, I think the narrator did a good job of bringing the story to life. Although I had some trouble understanding some of the words due to the accent (I’m from Southeast Asia), the flow of the narration was steady. The distinction between the voices of different characters, particularly the females, was done well too. I was absorbed in the story and rarely realised how much time had passed while listening. However, I must admit that the sound effects the narrator did for the creatures were…I’m incredibly sorry to write this, but they had me burst out laughing. It would’ve been better for those parts to have been done with proper sound effects.
All in all, The Last Phi Hunter is a solid debut. I loved the representations here and can’t wait to read more of the author’s books!
Thank you so much Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this in exchange for an honest review! The Last Phi Hunter by Salinee Goldenberg is available at all good bookstores.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, and Gore
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Pregnancy and War
allemala's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
Thank you Angry Robot and NetGalley for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review.
What drew me in immediately was the stunning cover and the premises of a fantasy inspired by Thai mythology. Being a debut novel the story is overall well crafted, the mythology is very interesting and the world-building is well done, even though I would have loved if the author let us explore more of the history of the Phi hunters and the country they live in. Unfortunately, what didn't work for me was the romance: I didn't feel any chemistry between Ex and Arinya, so every romantic interaction felt very forced (especially the beginning of chapter 12, it was unnecessary and it didn't move the plot forward).
Having said that, I enjoyed it and I would recommend it if you're looking for a fantasy with a unique setting.
What drew me in immediately was the stunning cover and the premises of a fantasy inspired by Thai mythology. Being a debut novel the story is overall well crafted, the mythology is very interesting and the world-building is well done, even though I would have loved if the author let us explore more of the history of the Phi hunters and the country they live in. Unfortunately, what didn't work for me was the romance: I didn't feel any chemistry between Ex and Arinya, so every romantic interaction felt very forced (especially the beginning of chapter 12, it was unnecessary and it didn't move the plot forward).
Having said that, I enjoyed it and I would recommend it if you're looking for a fantasy with a unique setting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Pregnancy
Minor: Sexual content
bookwormpersephone's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
70% into the book, I got anxiety.
Now, given that this book has a fair amount of gore as it has fantastical elements, it would have been understandable. I squirm during horror movies and could not finish a Last Destination movie without getting actual nightmares. But no, this time it wasn't due to its quite descriptive violent scenes. I realized just when I was about to finish through the epilogue... that it was because the book was ending. It was going to be over, finished.
I got so attached to this book without realizing it. I LOVED THIS BOOK.
Ex is a 24 year-old Phi hunter. I won't go into details about what the Phi are but know they are dark spirits that often cause grief in the mortal plane, so phi hunters exist to eradicate them. Phi hunters are "morally gray", one would say. They hunt and kill phi, yes, but only do so when the Phi actively causes strife in an area of the kingdom. They (or at least our MMC) never kill humans and are not considered murderers. They hunt efficiently by scavenging phi parts to sell to witches and apothecaries who need the phi parts.
Ex is on a journey to take our FMC, Arinya, to a well-known witch for... a ritual. It all starts there, the adventure, the romance, and Ex's journey to hunt the True Demon (greater Phi), Shar-Ala.
This book, I realized when I jumped into the audiobook at Chapter 1, is so similar to a game my significant other and I enjoy playing: Monster Hunter. The game requires you to hunt monsters and "farm" for parts for your armor. Usually, monsters that have caused trouble to the Village you belong to. Because of this connection, it was easy for me to imagine most of the fighting in the book, the appearances of the phi, and even the guild of the Phi hunters. Oh, and he has a best friend, who is a Hound, that I think is a cross between Cerberus and a Palamute.
The dash of romance was also very cute. I LOVED Ex and Arinya's dynamic, with him being a younger, more naive boy than his older counterpart (8 years apart, if I recall correctly), chaos and funny moments were likely to ensue. Though there are times when Ex would make decisions about his feelings and relationship with Arinya that would lead you to think he has 5 different layers of stupid in him, it was all understandable because he had no experience with love. All this guy thinks about is Shar-Ala, hunting Shar-Ala, and Spicy Bami noodles.
Until Arinya came.
I won't reveal more about their romance because it only gets better and better, just like their character development. Their love becomes so pure and sweet that it just makes me ache with happiness and envy. Oh, and I should add right now that this is a semi-clean romance, and I'm glad it is.
I'd like to share a quote that made me scream into my pillow, when the master asked Ex about his feelings for Arinya:
"It is a force of nature, boy. Sometimes it swells like a tsunami, and drowns you. Sometimes it grows as slow as a tree, and blooms like a flower. Which was it?"
Ex exhaled as his will faded into slush. "How the sun rises. And the stars come out."
Like??? I CANT!!! To him, their love is slow but inevitable!!!
Anyway, I digress.
A LOT happens in this book. After achieving one goal, you'd think the villain is defeated. Alas, there is not one villain, but TWO. The real one, being the second, is such a character. Think Jafar from Aladdin or Tzekel-Khan of El Dorado. THOSE VIBES.
The story touches briefly on other planes of existence, reincarnation, ambition, Karma, and all that good stuff. This is the first novel I've read with a background in Thai culture and mythology, so most of it went over my head, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I love elements of reincarnation--or an implication of such a phenomenon.
All in all, Goldenburg has weaved a new and exciting prose, not despite Thai culture and mythology, but because of it. The way each character is flawed and finds peace with those flaws is so achingly human despite half of them not being one. The political and social issues, such as the fading of magic and the declining need for phi hunters have not been resolved at the very end simply because it is inevitable. Their world, much like ours, will simply move on and progress, and myths and legends will soon cease and become superstitions until finally, they become pages in a storybook.
With how the story ended, it might be true that Ex is indeed THE LAST PHI HUNTER... it is inevitable. And that's okay.
Dear author, if you're reading this, I'm asking for HELP. What in the 5 realms was THAT ENDING?! Can we have a long, nice chat over coffee or tea while I interrogate you about it and all the other theories that have kept my mind occupied for the last 8 hours!? Please and thank you!
P.S, my boyfriend is dying to read your book. :)
Now, given that this book has a fair amount of gore as it has fantastical elements, it would have been understandable. I squirm during horror movies and could not finish a Last Destination movie without getting actual nightmares. But no, this time it wasn't due to its quite descriptive violent scenes. I realized just when I was about to finish through the epilogue... that it was because the book was ending. It was going to be over, finished.
I got so attached to this book without realizing it. I LOVED THIS BOOK.
Ex is a 24 year-old Phi hunter. I won't go into details about what the Phi are but know they are dark spirits that often cause grief in the mortal plane, so phi hunters exist to eradicate them. Phi hunters are "morally gray", one would say. They hunt and kill phi, yes, but only do so when the Phi actively causes strife in an area of the kingdom. They (or at least our MMC) never kill humans and are not considered murderers. They hunt efficiently by scavenging phi parts to sell to witches and apothecaries who need the phi parts.
Ex is on a journey to take our FMC, Arinya, to a well-known witch for... a ritual. It all starts there, the adventure, the romance, and Ex's journey to hunt the True Demon (greater Phi), Shar-Ala.
This book, I realized when I jumped into the audiobook at Chapter 1, is so similar to a game my significant other and I enjoy playing: Monster Hunter. The game requires you to hunt monsters and "farm" for parts for your armor. Usually, monsters that have caused trouble to the Village you belong to. Because of this connection, it was easy for me to imagine most of the fighting in the book, the appearances of the phi, and even the guild of the Phi hunters. Oh, and he has a best friend, who is a Hound, that I think is a cross between Cerberus and a Palamute.
The dash of romance was also very cute. I LOVED Ex and Arinya's dynamic, with him being a younger, more naive boy than his older counterpart (8 years apart, if I recall correctly), chaos and funny moments were likely to ensue. Though there are times when Ex would make decisions about his feelings and relationship with Arinya that would lead you to think he has 5 different layers of stupid in him, it was all understandable because he had no experience with love. All this guy thinks about is Shar-Ala, hunting Shar-Ala, and Spicy Bami noodles.
Until Arinya came.
I won't reveal more about their romance because it only gets better and better, just like their character development. Their love becomes so pure and sweet that it just makes me ache with happiness and envy. Oh, and I should add right now that this is a semi-clean romance, and I'm glad it is.
I'd like to share a quote that made me scream into my pillow, when the master asked Ex about his feelings for Arinya:
"It is a force of nature, boy. Sometimes it swells like a tsunami, and drowns you. Sometimes it grows as slow as a tree, and blooms like a flower. Which was it?"
Ex exhaled as his will faded into slush. "How the sun rises. And the stars come out."
Like??? I CANT!!! To him, their love is slow but inevitable!!!
Anyway, I digress.
A LOT happens in this book. After achieving one goal, you'd think the villain is defeated. Alas, there is not one villain, but TWO. The real one, being the second, is such a character. Think Jafar from Aladdin or Tzekel-Khan of El Dorado. THOSE VIBES.
The story touches briefly on other planes of existence, reincarnation, ambition, Karma, and all that good stuff. This is the first novel I've read with a background in Thai culture and mythology, so most of it went over my head, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I love elements of reincarnation--or an implication of such a phenomenon.
All in all, Goldenburg has weaved a new and exciting prose, not despite Thai culture and mythology, but because of it. The way each character is flawed and finds peace with those flaws is so achingly human despite half of them not being one. The political and social issues, such as the fading of magic and the declining need for phi hunters have not been resolved at the very end simply because it is inevitable. Their world, much like ours, will simply move on and progress, and myths and legends will soon cease and become superstitions until finally, they become pages in a storybook.
With how the story ended, it might be true that Ex is indeed THE LAST PHI HUNTER... it is inevitable. And that's okay.
Dear author, if you're reading this, I'm asking for HELP. What in the 5 realms was THAT ENDING?! Can we have a long, nice chat over coffee or tea while I interrogate you about it and all the other theories that have kept my mind occupied for the last 8 hours!? Please and thank you!
P.S, my boyfriend is dying to read your book. :)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, and Body horror
Moderate: Blood
aliteraryescape's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore
Moderate: Torture, Death, Murder, and Blood
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