The Last Namsara
Ratings30
Average rating4
[Listened to the audiobook narrated by Pearl Mackie.]
Paused ~20%
I was interested in this because of the narrator, Pearl Mackie, who plays Bill Potts in Doctor Who. However, I didn't really have much interest in this story and it wasn't really drawing me in as I listened. I may revisit this if I feel like it though.
Ini adalah buku pertama dari trilogi Iskari dan berkisah tentang seorang pembunuh naga bernama Asha, yang juga dikenal sebagai Iskari—pembawa kehancuran.
Asha, sang tokoh utama, adalah putri raja yang tumbuh dalam kebencian terhadap naga karena percaya bahwa mereka telah menghancurkan kehidupannya dan keluarganya. Tugasnya adalah memburu dan membunuh para naga untuk menebus dosa-dosanya. Namun, semakin dalam Asha terlibat dalam perburuan, semakin dia menyadari bahwa tidak semua yang ia ketahui tentang masa lalu dan tentang naga adalah kebenaran.
Tema utama dari novel ini mencakup pemberontakan terhadap takdir, perlawanan terhadap kekuasaan yang tiranik, dan bagaimana cerita atau mitos dapat membentuk serta mengubah dunia nyata. Hubungan antara manusia dan naga di novel ini tidak hanya didasarkan pada pertempuran, tetapi juga pada narasi tentang kisah-kisah kuno yang dapat mengikat atau melepaskan makhluk-makhluk ini.
Novel ini mengeksplorasi konsep dualitas antara terang (Namsara) dan gelap (Iskari), kehidupan dan kematian, serta kebaikan dan kejahatan. Asha, sebagai seorang Iskari, harus bergulat dengan sisi gelapnya dan menemukan kekuatan untuk menjadi lebih baik.
Trope untuk romance-nya adalah forbidden love, favoritku. Kisah cintanya, walau hanya sedikit, terasa natural dan tidak dipaksakan, bukan pula insta-love. Aku merekomendasikan novel ini untu para penggemar fantasi.
This book is very captivating! The author has created a unique mythology that draws the reader in from the very beginning. The inclusion of dragons and a magic system based on telling forbidden old stories creates a rich and immersive world that is impossible to resist.
The main heroine's journey is both heart-wrenching and inspiring, as she discovers her own agency and inner strength. The way the author handles her growth throughout the story is masterfully done, and readers will find themselves completely invested in her character arc.
The writing itself is simply breathtaking. The prose flows effortlessly and the descriptions are vivid and evocative, transporting the reader straight into the heart of the story.
My first serious foray into the fantasy genre (Harry Potter doesn't count!). And I'm glad it did not disappoint. The story itself is simple and uncomplicated for a fantasy newbie like me. No characters with weird, unpronouncable name.
The author weaved an almost realistic world, where dragons and magic exist. It almost felt like How to Train Your Dragon but with a darker undertone, with heavier storyline and with more complex main character.
Though being the first book of a series, this one stood well as a standalone. I am now looking forward to read the second book of this series.
DNF @ 40% ugh I hate to even say this but I just completely lost interest. I was really hopeful since it had dragons but I just don't care enough to keep reading.
Adfgjfjsksk! This was amazing! I liked the fantasy elements a lot, the dragons were awesome. Shadow reminded me of Toothless! I even liked the romance!
Hope less dragons get killed in the next book though.
The audiobook narration was on point. Loved it.
Book lovers will know that feeling you get when you read a very special book, that breathlessness as it leaves you just fulfilled and emotional and often a little heartbroken that it is over. It has been a little while since I've had a book that has touched me quite as much as The Last Namsara did.
I am such a lover of Fantasy as a genre and this book had it all for me, dragons, royal and political intrigue, people fighting for their right to rise and be free, romance and intense friendships. The blurb on the book hinted at what was inside but it couldn't even scratch the surface of the amazing story that would unfold within its pages.
The story of Asha, daughter of the dragon queen, she has always been known as the Iskari the King's dragon slayer. Since dragons turned against her people it has been her job to lure them and kill them. She uses the forbidden old stories that are outlawed to lure them and no one must find out that she still tells the old stories. She is betrothed to her father's commandant of his armies a cruel and vicious man who everyone lives in fear of, she has only days till her wedding and no sign of escape until her father tells her that the oldest dragon of all has returned and if she can kill him it will break the promise of betrothal and give her freedom from her fiance.
As Asha fights to gain her freedom she meets a slave boy who will change her world. He will help her to learn things about herself and her destiny she never thought possible. He will lead her into an uprising by the slave people and show her a world she never could have imagined.
This book truly gripped me from the outset. The characters are incredible. Asha is wonderful to read from the perspective of, she is fierce and loyal and at the start of the book very driven by the rules and status she follows in her home. Throughout though she takes all of the twists and turns that are thrown at her and grows so much and rises to meet those challenges in a strong, brave and intelligent manner. The book itself is full of amazing characters, some of which we get only small glimpses of in this novel but which I'm sure we are going to get to see much more of in the second book in this series The Caged Queen.
The format of this book really worked for me, you'd get a few chapters of the action of the story then it would break away to tell one of the old forbidden stories of Asha's people and through these we learn a huge amount about the history of the world and the political landscape and how we arrived at the current state of play. It helps to outline Asha's history and relatives and helps to build the world immensely for the reader. These were some of my favourite parts of the book.
This book has a setting which to me felt reminiscent of Arabian Nights. It was full of Eastern culture and references and I love that setting so it also helped me to fall in love with this book. The thing that got me most of all though was the dragons. Oh my, those dragons. They were incredible. I loved them so much. The way that they are used to help Asha's character to develop and grow and the way they communicated with her and became part of her story was beautiful to read. There is a bit at the end of the book that just rips your heart out and Kristen Ciccarelli leaves you weeping as a reader. It was beautiful.
I am so blown away by this book. It has built the world that we are clearly going to split wide open in Book 2, we have many players on the board we as readers are emotionally invested in and I am so excited so see where we go next. The twist on the ending of this book was one I didn't see coming and now we know Asha's future and that she still has much to do to fulfil her destiny means this is absolutely one of the must read sequels for me and this has just become my absolute favourite book of this year so far.
The Last Namsara is clearly a YA book. Young impulsive characters, a little bit of insta-love and overthrowing kingdoms. If you ask me is there anything that makes this book different from tons of YA novels? Nope. Not a thing.
However it isn't bad. I can even say, that it is more than decent. The plot has been devoid from a lot of things that irritate me, for example, no love triangles. What's more, main character can actually listen to others (not often, but still something).
I did like the finale of the book thought. I wouldn't say that it wasn't unexpected. Someone had to die after all. I can see a lot of promise in this trilogy. Actually, if the author will not resurrect any of the dead characters, I'm sure that I will like the next installment in the series.
“The Last Namsara” is the first in a trilogy written by Kristen Ciccarelli. The novel follows Asha, the King of Firgaard's daughter. Asha is a dragon slayer, and she brings the slayed dragon heads back to her father. She is betrothed to a cruel commandant, and when she is offered the chance to gain her freedom from her betrothed in exchange for the life of the most powerful dragon in Firgaard.
There is a romantic relationship between Asha and her betrothed's slave named Torwin. I quite enjoyed the story, there are chapters that are about the old myths that exist in Asha's world. These myths are very interesting. I gave this novel a 3.5/5 stars.
