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fallingdownrabbitholes's review
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Sexual harassment, and Sexism
Moderate: Kidnapping and Pregnancy
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
crothe77's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
The Last Phi Hunter by Salinee Goldenberg is a Southeast Asian fantasy inspired by the phi of Tai folklore. Ex is a phi hunter who travels around to kill monsters when he meets Arinya, the companion of the crown prince and carrying his child. When Arinya needs to hold off on giving birth as the crown prince’s wife-to-be hunts her down, Ex needs to help her escape from those trying to kill her and her child.
I fell in love with Ex as a character when he blurted out that Arinya was beautiful when they first met. There was something earnest and endearing in his openness and I’m a sucker for guys falling first every time. He also recognizes that Arinya is a badass in her own right and he doesn’t coddle her or try to shield her from blood.
Arinya was pretty easy to love as well. A fighter who will do whatever she can for the child she wants, she also is quickly attracted to Ex but has her own duties. Her past as a fighter is an interesting spin on the ‘consort of the prince is on the run’ trope and gives layers for her character.
The magic system has some ties to nature, with forests appearing out of nowhere when a hunter needs to speak to a guardian and vast swaths of land can be crossed quickly. Ex’s hair turns white and his eyes become red when he uses his magic, making the magic tangible and noticeable.
Several of the chapters are from the POV of Narissa, a krasue from Southeast Asian folklore. I really liked her chapters and found her to be sympathetic and a different view on phi because she has to refrain from killing a human for thirty years in order to achieve redemption. Years ago, she killed the only man she loved and it haunts her.
I would recommend this to fans of Asian fantasy looking for explorations of Southeast Asian mythology and folklore, fans of fantasies about monster hunters, and those who are interested in multi-POV fantasies where monsters are POV characters.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pregnancy
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