The Last Bloodcarver by Vanessa Le

Title: The Last Bloodcarver

Author: Vanessa Le

Genre: YA Fantasy

Publisher: Rock The Boat

Pages: 384

Release Date: 21 March 2024

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Hello fellow booklovers! I'm back today with my review for The Last Bloodcarver by Vanessa Le. A thoroughly insatiable, dark YA fantasy that merges science, magic and Vietnamese culture in such a unique way!

The tone is a little macabre (which is to be expected with a blood-based magic system.) But thanks to the pacing and unputdownable plot twists, Le’s remarkable prose is almost guaranteed to leave you breathless, if not a little emotionally scarred.

Synopsis

 Nikha is a bloodcarver. She has the power to alter human biology – to heal or to harm with just a touch. In the industrial city of Theumas, she is seen as a monster that kills for pleasure. But her abilities are prized as well as feared, and the wealthy Congmi siblings want her to heal the only witness to their father’s murder. As Nikha delves deeper into the mystery, she begins to uncover secrets of her own dark past. For there is an evil dwelling in Theumas that runs much deeper than the murder of one man, and Nhika must decide where her heart and her allegiance truly lie. But is she prepared to become the dreaded monster the city fears to save herself and secure the future of her kind?

Review

I absolutely loved reading this and was incredibly impressed by the ease and skill with which Vanessa Le tackles some of the plot’s heavier themes (identity, grief, generational trauma, medical ethics and colonialism.) And also in building a vivid, compelling and character driven narrative that I was fully invested in.

The characters were exceptionally well written and full of depth which had me eager to see where their journeys would take them. Especially Nhika whose initial, morally grey demeanour (and badass take no prisoners outlook) slowly reveals a compassionate and tender-hearted young woman determined to honour her family’s legacy.

Her experiences as part of the Yarongese diaspora was explored with such incredible nuance and emotion that really tugged on my heartstrings. Given what’s currently happening right now in the world, it’s hard not to resonate with Nhika’s story and her yearning to recapture the heritage lost through violent occupation (and the destruction of her ancestral homeland and it’s people.)

It may be a tough read for some (and will most certainly emotionally devastate you) but it’s an absolute must read that fantasy lovers and fans of anti-colonialism or stories that explore themes of overcoming adversity should definitely consider to checking out — just be sure to check TWs and prepare to SOB an unprecedented amount.

We do also get a delicious, but fairly swift, enemies to lovers-style relationship between Nhika and love interest, Kochin (which I loved) that does break up some of the more emotionally intense scenes. But I do have say I was completely unprepared for THAT ending!

Overall, a beautifully thrilling new YA fantasy from a phenomenal new voice that has me eager to get my hands on the sequel immediately!

Also, a huge thank you to Rock the Boat for the gorgeous proof.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5

About The Author 

Vanessa Le is a Vietnamese American author from the Pacific Northwest. She graduated from Brown University with a concentration in Health and Human Biology. She loves anything science fantasy. Nowadays, you can find her writing or gaming when she should really be studying.

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