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3.23 AVERAGE
3.23 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
This one left me with a bit of a mixed bag of thoughts. The premise was genuinely intriguing—a reincarnated immortal soldier haunted by her past, a crumbling world on the brink of collapse, and political tension simmering beneath the surface. It had all the makings of something I’d love. And while there were parts I really enjoyed, I can’t help feeling like the worldbuilding tripped over itself more often than not.
I was frequently confused about the setting and structure of the world—terms like remades, deadzones, and even certain roles and relationships are mentioned without much context. It made it hard to explain the plot to anyone else, and that’s usually a red flag for me. I kept wishing the book had taken a little more time to flesh out the rules of the world and let me sit with the atmosphere a bit longer.
That said, I still found it an enjoyable read. There’s something refreshing about a story that isn’t quite like anything else on your shelf. The Korean mythology elements and the unique magic system kept me turning pages, even when I was occasionally scratching my head. The character dynamics were also a highlight—Shadow and Scarlet are very different people, and seeing their growth (and friction) unfold was satisfying, even if their relationship development felt a little abrupt at times.
Some character arcs ended in ways that felt jarring—there’s one in particular that left me blinking at the page, wondering if I’d missed a chapter. But at the same time, I appreciated the ambition of this story. It tried to do a lot, and while not all of it landed smoothly, I’d rather have something bold and slightly messy than overly polished and forgettable.
A story with sharp edges and plenty of ambition—if the world had been given a bit more breathing room, this could have been a standout. 3.75/5
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
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
Romantasy mixed with Korean Mythology swirls in the Kingdom of Nava as Shadow - The Soldier - awakens from a slumber years later to a land of turmoil, subject to war, and with lingering regrets.
Shadow has a darkness residing in her, concealing the manipulating hands of The Moonbearer and his prowess of control over her psyche, that inevitabley forces its way to the surface upon the meeting of Scarlet; the sister of The Desert Rose; a Saint killed by The Soldier in a previous life. Shadow must live with the regret, and succumbs to a deal of helping Scarlet find the killer, attempting to keep her true identity hidden. But with her paradoxical position, and the brink of War between the Kingdoms, the two headstrong warriors impassion themselves with subtle romance.
Although there is only a brief glance into the worldbuilding and the characterization of characters such as The Desert Rose, Moonbearer, Sae, Yo-Han, and Crow; the narrative is fast paced and comforting as a debut romantasy novel. Suh delivers Korean mythology and introduces readers to creatures from Asian heritage remarkably well with descriptions that allude to realistic imagining. There is not much to be said about the landscape and terrain of the world, except the difference between the desert and the ice realm; where Bone Warriers and Asanai reside.
Shadow was a remarkably complex character that was in a position of being the deadliest weapon of mankind; to not utilizing her power to inflict turmoil or pain. The companion of Scarlet - bloodthirsty and pessimistic - the unlikely duo made a great pairing for rife and passion. There are lovely moments of truth shared between the characters that bring out their human side, rather than that of weapons, which is emotionally heartwarming to read.
The only thing that had me confused about the book was the final chapter - are we witnessing another remade Shadow? Or rebirth? Or is the timeline still the same?
Shadow has a darkness residing in her, concealing the manipulating hands of The Moonbearer and his prowess of control over her psyche, that inevitabley forces its way to the surface upon the meeting of Scarlet; the sister of The Desert Rose; a Saint killed by The Soldier in a previous life. Shadow must live with the regret, and succumbs to a deal of helping Scarlet find the killer, attempting to keep her true identity hidden. But with her paradoxical position, and the brink of War between the Kingdoms, the two headstrong warriors impassion themselves with subtle romance.
Although there is only a brief glance into the worldbuilding and the characterization of characters such as The Desert Rose, Moonbearer, Sae, Yo-Han, and Crow; the narrative is fast paced and comforting as a debut romantasy novel. Suh delivers Korean mythology and introduces readers to creatures from Asian heritage remarkably well with descriptions that allude to realistic imagining. There is not much to be said about the landscape and terrain of the world, except the difference between the desert and the ice realm; where Bone Warriers and Asanai reside.
Shadow was a remarkably complex character that was in a position of being the deadliest weapon of mankind; to not utilizing her power to inflict turmoil or pain. The companion of Scarlet - bloodthirsty and pessimistic - the unlikely duo made a great pairing for rife and passion. There are lovely moments of truth shared between the characters that bring out their human side, rather than that of weapons, which is emotionally heartwarming to read.
The only thing that had me confused about the book was the final chapter - are we witnessing another remade Shadow? Or rebirth? Or is the timeline still the same?
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reading this book felt like a waste of time
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
⭐⭐⭐⭐ = 4 stars!
The Last Soldier of Nava is a YA sapphic fantasy steeped in Korean mythology, following a young woman, known only as Shadow, who awakens after a thousand years. Once a legendary soldier forged from the death of a dragon and wielding shadow magic, she remembers almost nothing of her past life. What she does know is unsettling: she was a weapon, a puppet of the Moonbearer, created for destruction. But beneath the immortal power and fractured memories, she feels like a lost girl trying to figure out who she really is and who she wants to be.
I really liked Shadow. She’s not your stereotypical ‘badass’ female lead. Yes, she’s powerful and mysterious, but what made her compelling was her vulnerability. She doesn’t want to be the thing others made her into. She’s thoughtful, introspective, and often unsure, and that made me root for her even more.
Scarlet, on the other hand, is sharp-edged: blunt, cold, often abrasive. I didn’t warm up to her right away. Honestly, I found her kind of unpleasant at first, but as the layers started peeling back, she became one of my favourite parts of the story. Her complexity, her unapologetic boldness, and her banter with Shadow made for some of the best character dynamics. There’s real fire between them, but also tenderness and moments of vulnerability that made their connection feel earned. The fact that Scarlet wasn’t immediately likable made their growing relationship feel even more satisfying. Being a YA fantasy, I expected this element to be a sprinkle to the overall torrent of the story.
Suh’s writing is direct, accessible, and flows really well. I found myself flying through the pages. The worldbuilding is also beautifully handled: immersive without being overwhelming, filled with fascinating magic and touches of Korean mythology that gave the story a fresh, distinctive flavour.
What to Expect:
✨ Fierce FMCs
🦌 Enemies to Lovers
☁️ Slow Burn Romance
🌈 Sapphic Representation
✨ Korean Mythology
🦌 Light & Shadow Magic
☁️ Court Intrigue
🌈 Deer Riders
✨ YA Fantasy
🦌 A Cliffhanger Ending
My only gripe was that the Saint, Scarlet’s sister, ‘The Desert Rose’, wasn’t given much backstory. We didn’t really learn who she was, how she became a saint, or what her connection to the Moonbearer was. All we really got was that she was Scarlet’s sister and that Shadow killed her. That aside, though, everything else was explained pretty well.
Fair warning: the book ends on a pretty vague cliffhanger, so prepare yourself. But overall, this was such a fun, compelling, and heartfelt read. I loved being immersed in this world and can’t wait to see what comes next.
Huge thanks to HarperCollins Australia (Harper Voyager AU) for the physical ARC! ❤️✨
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The Last Soldier of Nava is a YA sapphic fantasy steeped in Korean mythology, following a young woman, known only as Shadow, who awakens after a thousand years. Once a legendary soldier forged from the death of a dragon and wielding shadow magic, she remembers almost nothing of her past life. What she does know is unsettling: she was a weapon, a puppet of the Moonbearer, created for destruction. But beneath the immortal power and fractured memories, she feels like a lost girl trying to figure out who she really is and who she wants to be.
I really liked Shadow. She’s not your stereotypical ‘badass’ female lead. Yes, she’s powerful and mysterious, but what made her compelling was her vulnerability. She doesn’t want to be the thing others made her into. She’s thoughtful, introspective, and often unsure, and that made me root for her even more.
Scarlet, on the other hand, is sharp-edged: blunt, cold, often abrasive. I didn’t warm up to her right away. Honestly, I found her kind of unpleasant at first, but as the layers started peeling back, she became one of my favourite parts of the story. Her complexity, her unapologetic boldness, and her banter with Shadow made for some of the best character dynamics. There’s real fire between them, but also tenderness and moments of vulnerability that made their connection feel earned. The fact that Scarlet wasn’t immediately likable made their growing relationship feel even more satisfying. Being a YA fantasy, I expected this element to be a sprinkle to the overall torrent of the story.
Suh’s writing is direct, accessible, and flows really well. I found myself flying through the pages. The worldbuilding is also beautifully handled: immersive without being overwhelming, filled with fascinating magic and touches of Korean mythology that gave the story a fresh, distinctive flavour.
What to Expect:
✨ Fierce FMCs
🦌 Enemies to Lovers
☁️ Slow Burn Romance
🌈 Sapphic Representation
✨ Korean Mythology
🦌 Light & Shadow Magic
☁️ Court Intrigue
🌈 Deer Riders
✨ YA Fantasy
🦌 A Cliffhanger Ending
My only gripe was that the Saint, Scarlet’s sister, ‘The Desert Rose’, wasn’t given much backstory. We didn’t really learn who she was, how she became a saint, or what her connection to the Moonbearer was. All we really got was that she was Scarlet’s sister and that Shadow killed her. That aside, though, everything else was explained pretty well.
Fair warning: the book ends on a pretty vague cliffhanger, so prepare yourself. But overall, this was such a fun, compelling, and heartfelt read. I loved being immersed in this world and can’t wait to see what comes next.
Huge thanks to HarperCollins Australia (Harper Voyager AU) for the physical ARC! ❤️✨
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adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
I really wanted to like this but it just lost me, which is a shame because the first 20% was great.
challenging
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:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
This was a very interesting book that delves a lot into Korean mythology, creating a unique and engaging world filled with fascinating magic.
Shadow is an immortal soldier who upon being awaken again, kills a beloved saint. She tries to live a normal life, hiding from anyone who might know about her past, but the Moonbringer, her immortal father, wants her back under his control. She's captured by his new prodigy, Scarlet, the sister of the woman Shadow killed, who will do everything in her power to find out who killed her sister.
I thought this book was a little hard to get into at first. It's really usual for most fantasy books, you need to understand the world before you can really get into the story. But this book came with a lot of mysteries within the plot, and while I was excited to find out what would be the resolution, it made it slightly harder to understand what was going on. Once the book sets the world a little though, the story becomes extremely enjoyable. It's easy to get invested in the palace intrigues and the characters are enjoyable so it's easy to root for them.
Shadow is such an interesting protagonist because even though she's this immortal weapon, she feels like just a lost young woman who doesn't want to be what other people made her. Scarlet though is certainly my favourite. When we meet her she seems so cold and unfeeling, and as Shadow gets to know her, we get to see the real person hiding behind that mask.
I'm immensely curious whether this book will become a series, because I think it works as a standalone but I would happily be pulled back into this world for more adventures
Shadow is an immortal soldier who upon being awaken again, kills a beloved saint. She tries to live a normal life, hiding from anyone who might know about her past, but the Moonbringer, her immortal father, wants her back under his control. She's captured by his new prodigy, Scarlet, the sister of the woman Shadow killed, who will do everything in her power to find out who killed her sister.
I thought this book was a little hard to get into at first. It's really usual for most fantasy books, you need to understand the world before you can really get into the story. But this book came with a lot of mysteries within the plot, and while I was excited to find out what would be the resolution, it made it slightly harder to understand what was going on. Once the book sets the world a little though, the story becomes extremely enjoyable. It's easy to get invested in the palace intrigues and the characters are enjoyable so it's easy to root for them.
Shadow is such an interesting protagonist because even though she's this immortal weapon, she feels like just a lost young woman who doesn't want to be what other people made her. Scarlet though is certainly my favourite. When we meet her she seems so cold and unfeeling, and as Shadow gets to know her, we get to see the real person hiding behind that mask.
I'm immensely curious whether this book will become a series, because I think it works as a standalone but I would happily be pulled back into this world for more adventures