A review by literatehedgehog
The Last Sun by K.D. Edwards

adventurous dark funny 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? It's complicated

5.0

I can see how this is a recommendation for fans of Everina Maxwell's romantic space sci-fi - there is banter, there is sexual tension, there is rollickin adventure with things-are-more-dangerous-than-they-appear plot twists. However, this is a much darker story, both with people's cruelty towards one another, and with the ghoulishly grotesque. I wish there had been a content warning (like Maxwell's and other books), since the abuse and PTSD is horrifying. The ghoulish grotesquerie read like an adult version of Garth Nix's Sabriel books, if you have an active imagination it is going to be a disgusting visual read in your mind, but if you can handle that, or blur the goopy gore, it's manageable. Plus the action is so thrilling you might just be turning the pages too fast. PLUS, the key words are just too fun: Tarot themed lords and thrones, Atlantis (surprise, humans, magic has been here all along and it's TERRIFYING, like Robin McKinley's Sunshine), sigils and tattoos, "oh there's just the one bed"  (because you need to throw the romance fans a trope bone). Apparently this could be a long series?? Normally I wait for series to be completed (I forget things, I can't be rereading too many books at each pub date), but for this, I will read whatever comes next as it comes. Although only when I have the hours to stay up late reading and when my heart can handle the trauma.

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