Rachel Howzell Hall’s The Last One is an immersive fantasy that follows Kai in the dangerous and unpredictable world of Vinevridth, where survival is a never-ending battle and secrets are more abundant than the truth. From the first scene, the story pulled me into Kai’s struggle to uncover who she is and how she ended up in a desolate land filled with disease, suspicion, and cruelty. Despite the dangers and uncertainty, Kai’s strength and determination shine through. She refuses to give up her quest for answers, even when facing potentially painful truths about her past and deadly supernatural creatures threatening her and those she cares for.

I love a broody, mysterious MMC, so Jadon, the blacksmith who offers to help Kai, quickly became a favorite of mine. A complex and dynamically developed character, he’s strong and loyal, but he’s also got this mysterious and guarded side that kept me guessing. There was definitely more to this leader and warrior than met the eye. Amd the romance between Kai and Jadon is one of the highlights of the book. They had such great chemistry! Their banter alternates between fiery and tender, creating a pretty swoon-worthy romance even though it was a bit insta-lovey.  The push-and-pull dynamic between them, combined with moments of vulnerability and some amazing scenes when they fight together, made me root for the pair as individuals and as a couple. 

The entire cast of characters is diverse and morally complex, with nearly everyone hiding secrets or grappling with difficult choices. One of my favorites is Jadon’s sister, who brings another layer of intrigue to the story. Feisty and opinionated, she often speaks her mind without hesitation, even when it’s not in her best interest. Her interactions with Jadon, Kai, and others sometimes add levity and other times tons of tension, but she always kept me guessing.

I also thought the world-building and lore were pretty vivid and immersive, with a unique land filled with magic, supernatural monsters, and a society bound by history and religious beliefs. Each place Kai and her friends travel is vivid and easy to visualize. The creatures they encounter are equal parts intriguing and terrifying, but if I had to battle any of them, I’d definitely want to do it with Kai and Jadon by my side because they are FIERCE in battle. 

Overall, The Last One delivers an intriguing mix of action, romance, and mystery. The pacing slows a bit in the middle of the story and feels a little rushed at the end. Also, the mix of modern and fantasy language is an interesting choice, but it sometimes took me out of the story to question the time period. And while not all elements completely resonated with me, the strong characters and their relationships kept me engaged. I would suggest checking out the content warnings before starting because the book doesn’t shy away from some heavier themes.  Special thanks to NetGalley and Redhook Books for providing me with a copy of the book.  All thoughts are my own.

In the opening chapter of The Last One by Rachel Howzell Hall, a young woman named Kai wakes up with no memory of who she is or where she came from. She also finds herself robbed of her possessions by a petty thief. Upon finding the person who stole from her, she fights her for her belongings, only to piss off the entire town she has wandered into. Kai cannot tell why everyone is so hostile towards her, since she was stealing back her own stuff. Things only continue to become more confusing for her as the story goes on.

After Kai’s life is threatened by soldiers, Olivia the thief and her brother Jadon end up taking Kai in. Jadon is heavily flirting with Kai but is also incredibly hot and cold, constantly sending mixed signals. However, there isn’t time to focus on that—Kai must remember who she is, how she got here, and why so many people are after her.

The Last One is a high fantasy novel, Howzell Hall’s first. This is the second book I have read by this author (the other was What Fire Brings, which I reviewed earlier this year). Although it is heavily marketed as romantasy, I would say it has very light romance comparatively to others in the genre. This is, however, the first in a series so I’d imagine we will get more romance as it continues. That is not a critique for me, though—I would rather have romance as a subplot anyway.

As someone who is not typically a high fantasy reader, I definitely found myself confused by some of the complex names for things, but the magic system was fairly simple to follow for me, which is a win. Some of the scenes felt like they meandered, while others felt really fast, and I definitely think Howzell Hall could focus more on consistent pacing in future books in this series.

One thing I loved about this book is how Kai, while incredibly strong and confident, had doubts and insecurities that the story dealt with really well. I think a lot of fantasy authors have difficulty making their heroines well-rounded, and Howzell Hall hit it out of the park with this one. I also really enjoyed reading about the magical creatures present throughout the realm this book takes place in, even if I kept getting them mixed up (there are a lot!). I love mystical, odd creatures and this book delivered in that aspect.

Though The Last One was not my favorite fantasy read of the year, I am excited to read the second installment in this series, especially because this one ends on quite the cliffhanger. Marketed as perfect for fans of N.K. Jemisin and The Witcher, this book is perfect for anyone looking to get into high fantasy who enjoys a decently well-crafted romance subplot and angst. If you really don’t vibe with high fantasy, or like your romances light and fluffy, this will probably not be up your alley.

The Last One releases on December 3rd, 2024. Thank you to Taylor at Spark Point Studio for sending me an Advanced Reader Copy of this title. All opinions reflected here are my own.

I enjoyed how simple this was for a fantasy book. It was easy to read without the normal confusion of a typical fantasy book. The character building was perfectly paced due to her not having any memories. I was a little disappointed that it didn't include the characters typically included in a romantasy, but it was still pleasant to read. I look forward to the next book and am so thankful to have had the opportunity to read this one.

Started off a little slow and lots of mystery but found its legs as it continued. Enjoyed this book and can’t wait for the special edition to show up.

Despite the intriguing synopsis, THE LAST ONE by Rachel Howzell Hall was unfortunately a book I did not finish (DNF). I made it to the 30% mark, or about 150 pages of an approximately 500-page book. The reader begins just as confused as the main character, whose name we later learn is Kai. This is understandable since she awakes while being robbed and then realizes she doesn't know who or where she is. Kai then chases her accoster into a nearby village and spends the next 140 or so pages there. (And possibly longer--I DNF while still in the village.)

Despite a lot of action, I was not a huge fan of the narrative voice, which is in the first person point of view. I felt like I was reading an unedited diary of events. Rather than trusting the reader to form their own questions by showing them what's unfurling, Kai strings together a slew of them at once, written in the text. This conveyed panic, but not in a way I prefer. Kai also lacked a lot of forethought and everything felt rather surface level. For someone who doesn't know what's going on, I'd expect a little more stealth and caution. Instead, she often barely assesses a situation before launching into a course of action. This does not serve her well at the beginning, though it serves her well in battle against mythical beasts.

There are also just some inconsistencies with how someone might act given their knowledge of current events. For example, there is a drought. Yet when provided drinking water, the blacksmith, a respected village leader and someone Kai is drawn to, pours it over the back of his neck after battle. There are multiple small things like that that just felt incongruous.

THE LAST ONE also has a smidge of budding romance in the first 30% I read. It is very obvious Kai and the blacksmith find each other attractive. Thankfully they kept it to flirting filled with lots of dirty puns. Normally I'd find this entertaining, but it felt out of place within the context of events. They barely know each other, but Kai quips a bunch of dick jokes despite underdeveloped chemistry.

Ultimately, the combination of the writing style/voice and a lack of plot movement after 150 pages led to a DNF by me. I know I received an advanced copy of THE LAST ONE, but I felt like and hope it receives another round of edits. Surely there is a set of readers who will enjoy this, but I do not fall within that group, which is a shame because the premise sounds interesting.

Thanks to the publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book.

I really liked the beginning and thought it had a lot of promise, but the longer I read, the more I felt like something was missing from the overall story. The pacing dragged a little; I found myself at the 60% mark and was surprised because I thought I was near the end. I liked the characters, but there was a plot twist about 50% of the way in that I didn't think worked that well. The plot also felt a little repetitive yet also random, and I wasn't really sure where it was going or what Kai's motivation was. I did like the worldbuilding and thought the world's lore and religion was interesting, but overall, unfortunately, The Last One didn't work as well for me as I hoped.

This is probably the most refreshing fantasy book I've read this year. It wasn't really like any fantasy book I've read this year, and I'm very happy about that. The writing in this was good to me. I always love it when fantasy books mix modern and fantasy language, though I'm not sure what setting this book was in. This first book is more fantasy with a smidge of a romance subplot with the fmc Kai and the love interest Jadon.

I loved the fmc so much, her banter and wit were great especially in the first half of the book when she wakes up and has no memories or ideas of where she is. The world, cities, moths, and amulet stuff was interesting. Some parts were confusing because the fmc was confused but everything made sense by the end. I think the characters are complex and I loved the diversity, especially with the fmc. This is the author's first fantasy romance, I love it when Black authors write fantasy romance because they aren't popular in this genre and I'm excited for the next book! Thanks to Red Tower for this arc!

Read for:
- Unique worldbuilding
- Fantasy romance
- Slow burn
- Memory loss