This started with such an intriguing plot right from the get go and I quite enjoyed this new world that this author created. Kai was a character that I really enjoyed and I loved her inner monologue. I’m not certain how I feel about the MMC as he was quite closed off with the FMC —- was that created by design? Only time will tell, especially with that mega cliffhanger ending. I will say things kind of dragged in the middle for me, it felt a touch too long, and repetitive in parts. However, the author created some good bones with the plot and I find myself intrigued enough that I would pick up book 2.

This book hooked me from the very first page with its incredibly interesting concept, and wow, what a ride it was!

The story plunged me right into the chaotic journey of the FMC, who has so much going on as she tries to figure out who she is and what she's even supposed to be doing. This internal struggle added a fascinating layer to the unfolding mystery.

Once the narrative started to unravel, it became utterly impossible to put down. Each revelation pulled me deeper, leaving me desperate to know what was going to happen next. There was so much suspense and mystery woven throughout that it truly kept me guessing all the way through.

This was a really good read – thrilling, unpredictable, and completely immersive. I finished it buzzing with anticipation, and frankly, I'm ready for the next installment right now!

I dnf. I couldn't even get past chapter 3. This to me is not written very well. I feel like I'm being told whats happening and I'm not feeling it. I'm not connecting to anyone. I honestly felt like a child was telling me this story. I had high hopes and it fall so flat it was almost concave. I just couldn't read anymore and I feel awful for putting this review out but I don't know what to say was good about it. Nothing to me besides the blurb to be honest.

So I did a bit of back and forth as I read The Last One; while I'm not usually an audiobook girl I think maybe that would've help me get through it a little quicker. It has some scenes that seem like they're filler in the moment, but do actually evolve into something more important to the story.

The MMC seems weak to me in a way I'm not the biggest fan of. The decisions he makes come across as harmful and cruel, and his resolve seems to waver throughout the story.

I absolutely love the voice of our FMC. It was refreshing to have that zest in a fantasy book. Her attitude, her perspective, and just her overall personality help with connecting to her as a character.


It's a different take on a romantasy that what's often popular right now, but I definitely think it's worth a read.

A huge thank you to Entangled for the copy before getting into book 2!

I was given a free copy of this book to understand the ARC for the upcoming release. There were parts of this storyline that felt familiar to When the Moon Hatched between Kai and Raeve. I think this book is a solid 3 star read, it wasn’t boring and held my attention, but I wasn’t blown away by any part of the storyline. However, the book ending really makes you look forward to the sequel and what it holds for Kai and the blacksmith.

3.5 stars ⭐️ I love the premise and the book started off so strong! BUT I hated Jadon 🫠 The rest of the story was dragged out and that ending?! I’ll for sure read book 2 so I guess I did enjoy it despite Jadon!

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the ARC. All opinions are my own 🫶🏼

DNF @ ~10%

I unfortunately realized very quickly that this book would not be for me. The premise seemed interesting but within the first few chapters of the book, I found I wasn’t enjoying it at all.

What didn’t work for me:
The writing is very choppy and feels quite juvenile. Despite this being marketed as an adult romantasy, Kai’s inner monologue reads something like a young teenager. The sentence structure was very simple and often repetitive in the first part of the book which didn’t appeal to me.
Kai thinks she’s hilarious. I disagree. That made reading from her POV a bit difficult.
Kai’s mind reading abilities took away a lot of the initial mystery her amnesia could have created. For example: within the first chapter or two, she knows Jadon is incredibly attracted to her and, to me, this hurt the believability of their relationship as reluctant allies.
Similarly, Jadon’s inner monologue that Kai is able to discern is also juvenile which didn’t endear me to either character.

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC | Entangled: Red Tower Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have never been more intrigued by a book before, it was a little slow in the beginning for the set up but the pay off was SO worth it. I can't wait to jump into the second book and devour more of this series!

This was an entertaining read that I finished in a few hours.
A well written story that kept me hooked from the very beginning.
The characters draw you in and keeps you flipping the pages.
The characters were all very well developed.
I really enjoyed the writing style. I found myself hooked, turning the pages.

I wanted more out of this book and made myself finish it instead of DNF'ing. I'm glad I finished it. However, as I said I expected more. The writing didn't flow as well as I would have expected from this author.

Thank you to Entangled for providing me a copy of this book, in preparation for ARC reading the sequel. Overall, I wasn’t sure how I would feel about the amnesia trope, not usually my thing but it did allow for us to learn along with the FMC – which is part frustrating, as I like to know everything, but knowing who this author is, she was leaning in to her talents writing in a new genre. It is fast paced, you are thrown right into it from the very start. Overall, I think it’s a fun read if you are a Romantasy fan, and I’m excited to read and review book two!

Kai wakes up without any memories. A thief, Olivia, tries to steal from her but her brother Jadon stopped the theft. Together they travel to the Sea of Devour to uncover her memories.

I like Jadon and Kai together. Not entirely sure about Olivia. The ending is a surprise and a pleasant one... Wonder how the next book will start as the book ends in a cliffhanger.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

I'm on the fence with The Last One.
It starts off really promising with Kai waking up with no memories, no idea where she is or who she is. I really enjoyed Kai's character and experiencing getting to know who she is at the same time as her.
Now, the other characters, I didn't connect with any of them. And honestly, hated most of them. Jadon has zero redeeming qualities and gaslighting Kai every chance he had was annoying.

I enjoyed the world, the magic, and all the different creatures and people we meet. I think my biggest complaint aside from the characters is the pacing. It felt very slow and bogged down through most of the story making it hard to get through. Then all of the twists and turns come to fruition in the last 30 pages.

I'm not sure if I'll continue the series.

Thank you to Entangled and Red Tower for the earc. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Rachel Howzell Hall is a successful mystery and thriller author however, she is new to me. With The Last One, the first book in her Kai Megidrail series, she takes on the romantic fantasy genre.

For me, The Last One had a very slow start. Told in first person, it’s the story of a young woman named Kai who awakens in a strange place, with no memory of who she is and someone trying to steal from her. She quickly discovers the thief’s name is Olivia, but a misunderstanding results in Olivia and her brother Jadon being ordered to be responsible for her. When the town they’re in is attacked, Kai joins Jadon in defending it. Soon Kai finds herself, along with Jadon, Olivia, and Olivia’s friend Philia, journeying to find a sage and possibly traveling to the Sea of Devour, in an attempt to uncover Kai’s identity. Along the way, they encounter otherworldly creatures set on destroying them, while at the same time trying to evade enemies.

Rachel puts you in Kai’s shoes, where you as a reader learn things just as Kai does. I found that frustrating because I wanted to know everything up front, but this strategy kept me glued to the pages. So much happens within the pages of The Last One. I think Rachel leaned heavily on her mystery writing ability. There were twists upon twists upon twists. Just when you thought you had things figured out, something new happened or was revealed.

I found the romance between Kai and Jadon to be lacking, at least physically. They have great banter and the scenes between them were fun, engaging, at times a little sweet and endearing. You sense their attraction, but I’m not actually sure if things went further than that. For me, I didn’t care. I don’t think the romance makes or breaks this story. I would have loved for the story to actually have been told from at least the dual POV of Kai and Jadon. There were many times when I wished I knew what he was thinking. The Last One contains a lot of action/fight scenes. These definitely made the story. The ending was surprising and has me anxiously waiting for the next book, The Cruel Dawn.

~ Favorite Quotes ~

“Be gracious. There’s always something to compliment.”

“I’ll always listen. Know that.”

“You are more cherished and respected than you think.”

“Don’t trust anyone to bring you that which makes you whole. They may not want you whole.”

“Stop pouring worry into your bowl. You have plenty on your plate.”

“You are in charge of your destiny.”

“I can’t do anything with ‘shouldn’t have.’ Only ‘should.’”

There are some book that change your brain chemistry and stick with you forever, and this is one of them. It is always refreshing to get a unique take on fantasy, especially where there is so much sameness. The unique world and the unique pantheon and magic systems were a breath of fresh air. It can be such a risk to do this, however, it really paid off. And the cliffhanger at the end? Immediately need book 2.

It is also refreshing to get such a diverse read. For a debut fantasy in a space that is growing in diverse writers, this was a fantastic addition. The writing was complex, but didn’t lose me, and the world building was really good. Readers are immediately thrust into the action of the story through the lens of the FMC, and while at some points we are just as clueless as she is, the twists and finale really fill in those gaps. Sometimes having plot holes along the way can be frustrating, but given the premise of our FMC, those gaps make total sense. Overall, the characters are complex, the world is unique and the story has me wanting more. I highly recommend it if you are looking for a fantasy with diverse characters, a lot of uniqueness and a great cliffhanger that will have you wondering how book two is even going to go. I cannot wait for book two and to read more of Rachel’s writing!

Thank you Entangled and Red Tower for allowing me to read this one early!

The pace of this book was perfect, the plot twist were twisting, there was mystery and intrigue. The only negative I have to say is that I can’t believe she left us on that cliff hanger while waiting on book 2. This is a GREAT FANTASY read.

The Last One by Rachel Howzell Hall is the first book in The Last One fantasy series.
 
This story is about Kai who wakes up one day without memories and in an unfamiliar setting. This was really interesting because the reader and Kai have the same knowledge in the beginning, and you can follow this story easily. I really wanted to know what was going on with Kai but sometimes I couldn’t understand her actions mainly because the world was so different and unclear, and I had a difficult time grasping the story.
 
Her journey to the Sea of Devour was actionpacked and filled with twists and turns. And she meets the blacksmith Jadon who agrees to help her, and sparks fly between them. They were cute together but sometimes I couldn’t take them seriously because the dialogue was so cheesy, and I cringed several times. At the same time their connection felt a bit predestined because of Kai’s mind reading power.
 
The premise of this book was really unique and intriguing, but I’m still left uncertain and have a lot of questions regarding the ending and the characters motivation. This is definitely not your typical romantasy and I really liked the representation. 3,5 stars.
 
(Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an arc.)

The Last One by Rachel Howzell Hall is a fantasy novel about Kai, who has no memory of her past and is trying to survive in a dangerous, dying world. This story is full of action and mystery, with Kai struggling to uncover secrets about who she really is. The world building was initially interesting but became muddled and confusing making it hard to follow along and engage with the story. The characters often had erratic behavior and inconsistent motivations, making it difficult to connect. Overall, this story fails to deliver on its potential.

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the eArc in exchange for my honest opinion. These thoughts are my own.

Overall this book is a good read. If you can get past the cringe worthy flirting and the same issues plaguing the FMC & MMC. The creatures feel well thought out and so do elements at the end of the book.

The spice build up was decent and had me wanting more. Overall, I've definitely read worse books.

If there's another book, I will probably read it as well at some point.

DNF at 5%. This book is not for me. The writing felt heavy handed and forced. It had a weird mixture of more modern language thrown in too and was extremely repetitive. Everything was choppy and the whole story felt like juvenile. Like her nickname for someone she didn’t know “night star sparkle”. It should be exciting because you get thrown right into the action of the story. The main character lost her memories and is woken up by a thief and chases her to this town filled with rot/death.

I appreciate the arc but this book is not for me, sadly.