The Last Namsara by Kristen Ciccarelli

Pages: 416

Intended Audience: Teens and up

Genre: Fantasy

Notes for Parents: Contains violence and mature scenes.

The Back Cover

In the beginning, there was the Namsara: the child of sky and spirit, who carried love and laughter wherever he went. But where there is light, there must be darkness—and so there was also the Iskari. The child of blood and moonlight. The destroyer. The death-bringer.
These are the legends that Asha, daughter of the king of Firgaard, has grown up learning in hushed whispers, drawn to the forbidden figures of the past. But it isn’t until she becomes the fiercest, most feared dragon slayer in the land that she takes on the role of the next Iskari—a lonely destiny that leaves her feeling more like a weapon than a girl.
Asha conquers each dragon and brings its head to the king, but no kill can free her from the shackles that await at home: her betrothal to the cruel commandant, a man who holds the truth about her nature in his palm. When she’s offered the chance to gain her freedom in exchange for the life of the most powerful dragon in Firgaard, she finds that there may be more truth to the ancient stories than she ever could have expected. With the help of a secret friend—a slave boy from her betrothed’s household—Asha must shed the layers of her Iskari bondage and open her heart to love, light, and a truth that has been kept from her.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This is the first book in the Iskari series.

What’s good?

In Firgaard, enemies are kept as slaves, telling stories has been banned, and hunting dragons is the job of Asha, the king’s daughter. Asha is powerful and feared, with a reputation for slaying even the most ferocious of dragons. But not everything is as it seems. Asha begins to see through the lies and betrayals that have shaped her father’s city. The plot is strong and the pace is fast and steady. There is a treasure trove of interesting secondary characters that drive the story’s twists and turns. This is good versus evil with deceit, oppression, sacrifice, grief, loyalty, and a struggle for power. There is romance, but it’s tentative and appropriate, not distracting the more difficult story being told.

Best Part: Kozu the Dragon and the book’s cover.

What isn’t good?

The world-building is a bit weak. The premise is that telling stories is banned because the king’s wife died of a sickness caused by storytelling, but aren’t most conversations stories? What do people talk about? There are definitely a few holes in the world-building and even in the plot itself, but nothing too serious. I would have loved to know more about some of the secondary characters, especially Dax and Safire.

Worst part: Nothing is terrible.

Recommendation ☺☺☺☺ (4/5)

This is a fantasy adventure that has it all – action, romance, epic battles, family drama, secrets and lies, a kick-butt heroine, and, of course, dragons. It had a few minor weaknesses, but overall I found it a compelling read. Recommended.

Ciccarelli, Kristen. The Last Namsara. New York: HarperTeen, 2017