DNF!

I couldn’t get into this. The writing was choppy and I couldn’t get into the rhythm.

The story itself has so much potential and maybe if it was rewritten I would try it again.

This debut romantasy absolutely slayed for me! Kai wakes in a desolate realm with no memory, trying to reach the Sea of Devour- or everything dies. Then there’s the brooding blacksmith who can freeze her body with a touch and ignite it the next breath… insane magic dynamics and tension. It’s got mystery, high stakes, and a simmering hate-to-love kinda vibe that gave me serious romantasy fan energy.

Mood: dark magic meets desert wanderlust with heat and power plays. Can’t wait for book two.

Huge thanks to NetGalley for the edition to read. I’m majorly hyped for more from this world!

I had to DNF this book. the writing was just not for me unfortunately. Kai’s narration was annoying me. It made it really hard to get into the story. It’s disappointing as the plot seemed right up my alley.

The Last One is a poignant and thought-provoking collection of interconnected short stories that explore the impact of war, displacement, and memory across generations. Centered around a Jewish family fleeing France during World War II, the stories follow the lives of the mother, daughter, and granddaughter as they navigate identity, survival, and the weight of inherited trauma.

Rachel Hall writes with clarity and sensitivity, capturing both the historical scope and personal struggles of her characters. Each story stands alone but also contributes to a larger narrative arc, making the collection feel cohesive and emotionally resonant. The writing is understated yet powerful, with vivid imagery and a deep sense of empathy

While the description of this book sounded really interesting, to be honest, if I hadn’t read the description, I would have had no idea what was going on in this book.

I truly struggle to say what the overall plot was of this story. It felt like new elements were regularly introduced, but then not addressed or explored. While of course some amount of open threads is to be expected from the first book of a series, this felt beyond typical series set up, but rather a matter of too many ideas and a lack of clarity of what matters to the story.

A lot of this book is dialogue, which I typically enjoy. Unfortunately, in this instance, nearly all of the characters seem to speak in the same voice. As a result, it was difficult to follow along with which character plays which role in the story or to connect with any of them in particular.

Similarly, I did not understand the motivations or goals of any character. Unfortunately, without this, it was impossible to be engaged or immersed in this read.

Rounded up from 3.5 stars.
This book has an interesting plot with some surprising twists. The magic system is pretty unique and the banter is on point. I did feel like it was slow to start and I had a hard time connecting with the characters, though some of that is part of the twist at the end. I felt like the narration was decent, but the dialog was a bit underdeveloped. Overall, while relatively interesting as a whole, I don't know that I will continue the series.

Lovely cover art and there's a map. Gotta love a book with a map on the inide. :D

This is more of a mystery book than I uually go for, but the promise of fanastic worlds and meemory loss romance have me giving it a read.

The writing feels a litle more like a young adult style. There is a lot of conversation, The opening is really good at making the reader feel as confused as Kai, the main character.

They are really human characters with faults and don' always make the best choices. Too many times in books, the characters are always making the perfect descisions to solve the plot.

I really wanted to love this book, and I did find the premise interesting and overall I was intrigued about what was going to happen in the end.
But there were unfortunately a lot of things I didn’t like. The main character was okay, I didn’t dislike her, but I didn’t find myself rooting for her. But I actively disliked the main male character and their interactions didn’t make much sense to me.
The pacing felt inconsistent, some parts very slow, with no real information and then others very fast paced with a lot of info being thrown in.

I feel like there is SO much potential in this book, but it just didn’t hit the mark for me

If you’re drawn to emotionally charged fantasy with romantic tension, and are open to a narrative that prioritizes inner turmoil and intrigue over elaborate worldbuilding, you’ll likely find The Last One compelling.

However, if you prefer deeply developed magical settings, poetic writing or sensitive handling of trauma, you may feel it falls short in those respects.

so my views on this book differ from most, because i think Hall crafts a tense and thrilling narrative in this book.

It is a relentless ride, full of suspense and unexpected turns that will keep you guessing at every moment.

The characters are sharp, the stakes are incredibly high, and the mystery unfolds with a gripping intensity that makes it impossible to put down. A truly exhilarating read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Entangled Publishing, and Red Tower Books for a temporary e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was an interesting fantasy book. It has a good premise about it but I don’t wasn’t able to get into it very much. Not a DNF but I’ll reread it later to see if I can get into it more.

Book: The Last One
Author: Rachel Howzell Hall
Series: Vallendor Series, Book One
Length: 496 Pages
Publisher: Entangled, Red Tower Books
Overall Rating: 4 Stars

This was a preview but luckily I already owned the complete book which I enjoyed but I do think it was over hyped on social media.

This book centers on MMC whose name is Kai. With shock she wakes up in the woods and it is a place she doesn’t recognize. Furthermore she has no memory of who she is and a thief is attempting to steal from her. Although she soon realized this is a misunderstanding and this is how she meets Olivia and her brother Jaden.

I liked this book but it is a little slow paced but the fantasy is fascinating. There are many obstacles and hoops to jump in that kept me fascinated. I enjoyed this story but I don’t think it is for everyone. It has a cliffhanger ending so be prepared.

Thank you for this Netgalley, Entangled and the author Rachel Howzell Hall for this advanced readers copy. I voluntarily agreed to do a fair and honest book review. All word, thoughts and ideas are my own,

While the plot of The Last One had potential, I feel like the writing fell flat. I unfortunately did not finish the book because I couldn't get past the writing style. Despite being an adult fantasy, the main character's inner dialogue felt very juvenile and aligned more with young adult books I've read. The dialogue with other characters was extremely cheesy and predictable. Additionally, I believe the pacing could have been better. Some "fluff" could have been cut out. Overall I'm giving this one 3 stars because I believe the plot is interesting enough, despite the writing challenges.

Unfortunately this one was a miss.
The writing was choppy and I had trouble connecting with the characters.
This wasn’t the easiest to follow & I ended up DNFing about 40% in.

Thank you to entangled publishing for an eARC of this novel. Unfortunately I can’t rate this book higher than a two star because of a few reasons. One, the writing style seemed choppy, immature, and messy. The language was both cheesy and modern in a world that didn’t match. Two, it was hard to connect with any of the characters, they weren’t very likable. The plot was very interesting and I liked the idea of this novel, but I wasn’t very impressed with how it was executed.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A dark, atmospheric fantasy with mystery, tension, and sizzling slow-burn chemistry.

From the first page, this story throws you headfirst into a world that’s as eerie as it is intriguing. Kai’s journey through the desolate, danger-filled kingdom of Vinevridth is both disorienting and captivating—in the best way. Her memory loss adds to the tension, and the stakes only grow higher as she inches closer to the Sea of Devour.

The blacksmith? Total scene-stealer. Broody, mysterious, and maddening in a way that makes you want to throw the book... then immediately keep reading. Their dynamic is electric—equal parts attraction and aggravation—and it builds beautifully over time.

The only reason this isn’t a full five stars is because some plot points felt intentionally vague, and the worldbuilding could’ve been a little clearer earlier on. But that said, the writing is strong, the tension is real, and the twists definitely kept me guessing.

If you love slow-burn romance, morally gray characters, and fantasy worlds that blur the line between nightmare and fairytale, this one will absolutely pull you in.

I found this book a bit confusing to follow at times, and while overall pulled in & intrigued by the story, I felt that the worldbuilding was lacking. I can understand that this is due to her amnesia and we're learning along her, but it got overwhelming at times. Overall , I enjoyed this book- but probably wouldn't read it again. I will however continue the saga and read a Cruel Dawn as I am still intrigued enough to learn what happens next!

I listened to this book. I had my phone read it to me. I listened to it while doing chores and cooking.
There’s a lot of world building.
Kai has amnesia and doesn’t remember anything when she first wakes up. Then slowly throughout the book things or people she meets along the way get her to remember things about who she is.
I didn’t feel the connection or chemistry between Jadon and Kai. They each thought the other was extremely gorgeous but no real pull between them.
Kai is someone who throughout the book spends her time going after Olivia or complaining that her things were taken. She really needed to just go after her things and quit complaining.
There was too much chasing and blaming others. Once she finds out who she is she’s not any better. For being who she is she spends a lot of time saying what she is and not acting. Kai is a strong female. She’ll fight alongside Jadon. She won’t hide or anything like that.
There are twist and turns and a heck of a cliffhanger but not sure what direction this is going.
This is my opinion. I’d give the next book a chance to see how it goes.
Give the book a chance and form your own opinion. It’s not a horrible book. It’s just got a lot going on.

From the beginning I was hooked on the mystery of Kai’s origins. I found myself frantically turning the pages so that I could find out what would happen next.

I cannot state enough how brilliant the world building was. I was completely swept away in this unique world and mythology.

The characters were rich and engaging. Kai is one of my favorite FMCs that I’ve read in a long time.

While I was not a fan of this series, I think that the author did a really great job with character and world building. The overall premise of the book was good and all of the different creatures added to the story.