The Last Namsara (Iskari, #1) by Kristen Ciccarelli

Series: Iskari

Release Date: October 3rd, 2017

Rating: 4/5

A story of betrayal and discovery, of adventure and courage; The Last Namsara reminded me a lot of Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas. Both heroines are blind to the consequences of her actions… or at least doesn’t want to acknowledge them since all she is focused on–and wants–is freedom.

Now, this type of heroine–one who is badass but naïve–is a double edge sword for me. I love badass heroines (who doesn’t), especially ones with a destiny or “greater calling.” But when their naïvity is introduced into the picture, it gives me pause since their once “badass” actions now appear to be reminiscent of a child acting out. What I found interesting about Ciccarelli’s heroine is that while she made Asha (the heroine) a dragon slayer, she was more an executioner–she didn’t know how to fight or defend herself against people.

The Last Namsara is also a romance and does employ the trope of forbidden love, where Asha’s love interest, Torwin, is a slave. The difference in Asha and Torwin’s social standing could not have been larger or more forbidden: the princess (and owner of slaves) and a slave. However, Ciccarelli applies her own twist to the trope so that the romance seems more realistic. Torwin is actually the slave of Asha’s betrothed, Jarek. And while Torwin was quite captivated by Asha (for reasons you find out later in the book), Asha went out of her way to avoid him, at least in the beginning. What I appreciate about their relationship was that it took Asha time to see Torwin as someone other than a slave, which is realistic, seeing as how Asha grew up with slaves being less than. While Asha knew it wasn’t necessarily fair (her cousin, Safire, was treated like an outcast since her mother was a slave), Asha never questioned it because she accepted that ways the way things have always been (I know, not very hero-like but this is the beginning of the novel).

Watching Asha fall for Torwin was beautiful but painful. Growing up the way Asha did–with very minimal human contact and people cringing away in fear (and treating her with hatred)–meant that she didn’t have as full a grasp or understanding of emotions as most people. However, that being said, I loved seeing Asha fall for Torwin–who is such a fantastic person. Torwin made Asha more aware of her kingdom and the social injustices that existed in it. He helped her realize that she didn’t have to be and didn’t want to be a weapon but a protector.

Just from reading the title, you can kind of guess what the plot twist is, however, that is only a small part. Ciccarelli did a fantastic job of completely immersing the reader in Asha’s perspective so that I was just as shocked as she was by some twists. My one complaint about The Last Namsara was the small roles of the secondary characters: Asha’s cousin, Safire, and Asha’s brother.

I liked Safire, but she didn’t get to play a huge part (which I didn’t cry about too much because I didn’t love her). Safire never seemed to grasp or even understand Asha’s situation. This is both a product of Safire’s lower position in the court–her mother was a slave which meant she was forbidden from touching Asha on pain of death–and also Asha’s own secrets. However, for how much Asha went out of her way to protect Safire, I really felt that their relationship should have been more equal.

Asha’s brother was mentioned a lot but again didn’t have that large a role (although he did play a considerable role plot-wise, despite his small “page time”). Every time he was mentioned–or showed up–he seemed to be a constant problem and was consistently putting Asha’s life at risk. I think her brother was a good guy who meant well, but I found him easily manipulated and idealistic, especially when contrasted against his sister. I can’t really discuss his character that much without mentioning more significant spoilers, but for how few words he got in the book, Ciccarelli definitely made the most of them, and he is vital to the plot.

I loved how each chapter began with one of the forbidden stories from Asha’s culture. This contributed to the understanding of the forbidden culture, magic, and religion that heavily influenced The Last Namsara. It also gave the reader a better understanding of the magnitude of the reveal towards the end of the book. The dragons were also incredibly descriptive and felt as if they had their own personalities; one of the dragons reminded me of Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon. 

Jarek was a convincing villain because he was a product of his culture. Jarek looked down on women (saw them as something to be dominated and dominating Asha–the kingdom’s dragon slayer and Iskari was the ultimate domination) and perceived himself to be superior to everyone, including the Crown Prince (Asha’s brother). I do have to admit that it took me a while to get used to the writing style and even Asha’s character, but I’m so glad I pushed through. The Last Namsara is a unique and fantastical world to get lost in, and I’m incredibly excited to read the 2nd book and continue this adventure with Asha (and Torwin).

Preview the Books I Mentioned on Amazon Kindle