A review by crothe77
The Last Phi Hunter by Salinee Goldenberg

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.

 
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