Scan barcode
A review by bookwormpersephone
The Last Phi Hunter by Salinee Goldenberg
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
5.0
70% into the book, I got anxiety.
Now, given that this book has a fair amount of gore as it has fantastical elements, it would have been understandable. I squirm during horror movies and could not finish a Last Destination movie without getting actual nightmares. But no, this time it wasn't due to its quite descriptive violent scenes. I realized just when I was about to finish through the epilogue... that it was because the book was ending. It was going to be over, finished.
I got so attached to this book without realizing it. I LOVED THIS BOOK.
Ex is a 24 year-old Phi hunter. I won't go into details about what the Phi are but know they are dark spirits that often cause grief in the mortal plane, so phi hunters exist to eradicate them. Phi hunters are "morally gray", one would say. They hunt and kill phi, yes, but only do so when the Phi actively causes strife in an area of the kingdom. They (or at least our MMC) never kill humans and are not considered murderers. They hunt efficiently by scavenging phi parts to sell to witches and apothecaries who need the phi parts.
Ex is on a journey to take our FMC, Arinya, to a well-known witch for... a ritual. It all starts there, the adventure, the romance, and Ex's journey to hunt the True Demon (greater Phi), Shar-Ala.
This book, I realized when I jumped into the audiobook at Chapter 1, is so similar to a game my significant other and I enjoy playing: Monster Hunter. The game requires you to hunt monsters and "farm" for parts for your armor. Usually, monsters that have caused trouble to the Village you belong to. Because of this connection, it was easy for me to imagine most of the fighting in the book, the appearances of the phi, and even the guild of the Phi hunters. Oh, and he has a best friend, who is a Hound, that I think is a cross between Cerberus and a Palamute.
The dash of romance was also very cute. I LOVED Ex and Arinya's dynamic, with him being a younger, more naive boy than his older counterpart (8 years apart, if I recall correctly), chaos and funny moments were likely to ensue. Though there are times when Ex would make decisions about his feelings and relationship with Arinya that would lead you to think he has 5 different layers of stupid in him, it was all understandable because he had no experience with love. All this guy thinks about is Shar-Ala, hunting Shar-Ala, and Spicy Bami noodles.
Until Arinya came.
I won't reveal more about their romance because it only gets better and better, just like their character development. Their love becomes so pure and sweet that it just makes me ache with happiness and envy. Oh, and I should add right now that this is a semi-clean romance, and I'm glad it is.
I'd like to share a quote that made me scream into my pillow, when the master asked Ex about his feelings for Arinya:
"It is a force of nature, boy. Sometimes it swells like a tsunami, and drowns you. Sometimes it grows as slow as a tree, and blooms like a flower. Which was it?"
Ex exhaled as his will faded into slush. "How the sun rises. And the stars come out."
Like??? I CANT!!! To him, their love is slow but inevitable!!!
Anyway, I digress.
A LOT happens in this book. After achieving one goal, you'd think the villain is defeated. Alas, there is not one villain, but TWO. The real one, being the second, is such a character. Think Jafar from Aladdin or Tzekel-Khan of El Dorado. THOSE VIBES.
The story touches briefly on other planes of existence, reincarnation, ambition, Karma, and all that good stuff. This is the first novel I've read with a background in Thai culture and mythology, so most of it went over my head, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I love elements of reincarnation--or an implication of such a phenomenon.
All in all, Goldenburg has weaved a new and exciting prose, not despite Thai culture and mythology, but because of it. The way each character is flawed and finds peace with those flaws is so achingly human despite half of them not being one. The political and social issues, such as the fading of magic and the declining need for phi hunters have not been resolved at the very end simply because it is inevitable. Their world, much like ours, will simply move on and progress, and myths and legends will soon cease and become superstitions until finally, they become pages in a storybook.
With how the story ended, it might be true that Ex is indeed THE LAST PHI HUNTER... it is inevitable. And that's okay.
Dear author, if you're reading this, I'm asking for HELP. What in the 5 realms was THAT ENDING?! Can we have a long, nice chat over coffee or tea while I interrogate you about it and all the other theories that have kept my mind occupied for the last 8 hours!? Please and thank you!
P.S, my boyfriend is dying to read your book. :)
Now, given that this book has a fair amount of gore as it has fantastical elements, it would have been understandable. I squirm during horror movies and could not finish a Last Destination movie without getting actual nightmares. But no, this time it wasn't due to its quite descriptive violent scenes. I realized just when I was about to finish through the epilogue... that it was because the book was ending. It was going to be over, finished.
I got so attached to this book without realizing it. I LOVED THIS BOOK.
Ex is a 24 year-old Phi hunter. I won't go into details about what the Phi are but know they are dark spirits that often cause grief in the mortal plane, so phi hunters exist to eradicate them. Phi hunters are "morally gray", one would say. They hunt and kill phi, yes, but only do so when the Phi actively causes strife in an area of the kingdom. They (or at least our MMC) never kill humans and are not considered murderers. They hunt efficiently by scavenging phi parts to sell to witches and apothecaries who need the phi parts.
Ex is on a journey to take our FMC, Arinya, to a well-known witch for... a ritual. It all starts there, the adventure, the romance, and Ex's journey to hunt the True Demon (greater Phi), Shar-Ala.
This book, I realized when I jumped into the audiobook at Chapter 1, is so similar to a game my significant other and I enjoy playing: Monster Hunter. The game requires you to hunt monsters and "farm" for parts for your armor. Usually, monsters that have caused trouble to the Village you belong to. Because of this connection, it was easy for me to imagine most of the fighting in the book, the appearances of the phi, and even the guild of the Phi hunters. Oh, and he has a best friend, who is a Hound, that I think is a cross between Cerberus and a Palamute.
The dash of romance was also very cute. I LOVED Ex and Arinya's dynamic, with him being a younger, more naive boy than his older counterpart (8 years apart, if I recall correctly), chaos and funny moments were likely to ensue. Though there are times when Ex would make decisions about his feelings and relationship with Arinya that would lead you to think he has 5 different layers of stupid in him, it was all understandable because he had no experience with love. All this guy thinks about is Shar-Ala, hunting Shar-Ala, and Spicy Bami noodles.
Until Arinya came.
I won't reveal more about their romance because it only gets better and better, just like their character development. Their love becomes so pure and sweet that it just makes me ache with happiness and envy. Oh, and I should add right now that this is a semi-clean romance, and I'm glad it is.
I'd like to share a quote that made me scream into my pillow, when the master asked Ex about his feelings for Arinya:
"It is a force of nature, boy. Sometimes it swells like a tsunami, and drowns you. Sometimes it grows as slow as a tree, and blooms like a flower. Which was it?"
Ex exhaled as his will faded into slush. "How the sun rises. And the stars come out."
Like??? I CANT!!! To him, their love is slow but inevitable!!!
Anyway, I digress.
A LOT happens in this book. After achieving one goal, you'd think the villain is defeated. Alas, there is not one villain, but TWO. The real one, being the second, is such a character. Think Jafar from Aladdin or Tzekel-Khan of El Dorado. THOSE VIBES.
The story touches briefly on other planes of existence, reincarnation, ambition, Karma, and all that good stuff. This is the first novel I've read with a background in Thai culture and mythology, so most of it went over my head, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I love elements of reincarnation--or an implication of such a phenomenon.
All in all, Goldenburg has weaved a new and exciting prose, not despite Thai culture and mythology, but because of it. The way each character is flawed and finds peace with those flaws is so achingly human despite half of them not being one. The political and social issues, such as the fading of magic and the declining need for phi hunters have not been resolved at the very end simply because it is inevitable. Their world, much like ours, will simply move on and progress, and myths and legends will soon cease and become superstitions until finally, they become pages in a storybook.
With how the story ended, it might be true that Ex is indeed THE LAST PHI HUNTER... it is inevitable. And that's okay.
Dear author, if you're reading this, I'm asking for HELP. What in the 5 realms was THAT ENDING?! Can we have a long, nice chat over coffee or tea while I interrogate you about it and all the other theories that have kept my mind occupied for the last 8 hours!? Please and thank you!
P.S, my boyfriend is dying to read your book. :)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, and Body horror
Moderate: Blood