Take a photo of a barcode or cover
jpanslabyrinthofbooks 's review for:
The Last Soldier of Nava
by Yejin Suh
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?