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A review by bittennailbooks
The Last Phi Hunter by Salinee Goldenberg
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
"The Last Phi Hunter" is a delightful and violent surprise that will keep you engaged from start to finish. Snarky, quick-witted, and brimming with Thai mythology, this release is one to anticipate.
The story centers around our Phi hunter protagonist, the young and high-hoped "Ex," who hunts the vengeful and restless spirits called Phi. It's a dying profession losing respect day by day, thanks to a religiously radical monarchy responsible for the murder of his family. Ex spends his days hunting in the spirit world for Phi that terrorize villages through the Everpresent spirit realm. He hacks up his kills to sell to local hedge witches, hoping to one day sink his blade into the monster he's been hunting since his initiation into the Hunters. Hot on its trail, he meets Arinya, the very pregnant prince's consort, who saves him in a local dive with one request: "Save me and this unborn child before the queen's minions get us both." With a demon to catch and a woman Ex is resisting falling in love with, he must decide between the respect of his clan or a future brighter than he could have imagined.
"The Last Phi Hunter" achieves incredible feats in its writing. The injection of Thai mythology is a delight, with maidens and monsters clashing in epic battles filled with magic and great dialogue. Goldenberg excels at making readers laugh, cringe, and devour the pages through epic battle scenes. The side plots are well-executed, and the chapters with side character POVs are engaging without feeling like one is "missing" the main storyline. The Narissa/Arinya's cabin chapter, shiver, grossed me to my core. Overall, it reminded me of the vitality and enjoyment of standalone fantasy novels.
However, much of the book revolves around the relationship between Ex and Arinya developing, which, at times, felt a little lackluster. The romantic plot didn't resonate with me, and I believe that having them develop a friendship would have sufficed. The attempt to build a blossoming relationship under fire lost some marks for me as I found it hard to buy into.
In conclusion, "The Last Phi Hunter" is a fun book that pulled me out of a slump. I would rate it 4/5 stars!
The story centers around our Phi hunter protagonist, the young and high-hoped "Ex," who hunts the vengeful and restless spirits called Phi. It's a dying profession losing respect day by day, thanks to a religiously radical monarchy responsible for the murder of his family. Ex spends his days hunting in the spirit world for Phi that terrorize villages through the Everpresent spirit realm. He hacks up his kills to sell to local hedge witches, hoping to one day sink his blade into the monster he's been hunting since his initiation into the Hunters. Hot on its trail, he meets Arinya, the very pregnant prince's consort, who saves him in a local dive with one request: "Save me and this unborn child before the queen's minions get us both." With a demon to catch and a woman Ex is resisting falling in love with, he must decide between the respect of his clan or a future brighter than he could have imagined.
"The Last Phi Hunter" achieves incredible feats in its writing. The injection of Thai mythology is a delight, with maidens and monsters clashing in epic battles filled with magic and great dialogue. Goldenberg excels at making readers laugh, cringe, and devour the pages through epic battle scenes. The side plots are well-executed, and the chapters with side character POVs are engaging without feeling like one is "missing" the main storyline. The Narissa/Arinya's cabin chapter, shiver, grossed me to my core. Overall, it reminded me of the vitality and enjoyment of standalone fantasy novels.
However, much of the book revolves around the relationship between Ex and Arinya developing, which, at times, felt a little lackluster. The romantic plot didn't resonate with me, and I believe that having them develop a friendship would have sufficed. The attempt to build a blossoming relationship under fire lost some marks for me as I found it hard to buy into.
In conclusion, "The Last Phi Hunter" is a fun book that pulled me out of a slump. I would rate it 4/5 stars!