The Last Tiger is a captivating blend of history, magic, and romance. Set against a backdrop of Korean folklore, the story of Seung and Eunji’s forbidden relationship is both emotionally charged and thrilling. The world-building is rich, and the character development keeps you hooked. While some parts are a bit predictable, it’s still a compelling read for fans of fantasy and historical fiction.

I am beyond honored to have received an ARC. I’ve been excited for this book since Julia first posted about a magical retelling of her grandparents’ story, and this didn’t disappoint. It’s a sweeping, fantastical tale firmly rooted in the reality of colonial Korea, focused on two people of vastly different backgrounds with the same yearning for freedom. Real excerpts from her grandparents even feature at the beginning of each chapter, dovetailing neatly with Seung and Eunji’s story while emphasising the real struggle.

The character work was what really stood out to me. None of them are cardboard cutouts - even Bomi, who we see for maybe five pages, has her own personality, her own drive. Captain Nari might be my personal favorite outside our main group; she is a hardened warrior, but she doesn’t blindly follow the Empire like so many do. Her questions are part of what saves Eunji, convinces her there could be another way if you make the right choice early enough.

This book very artfully shows that no one is truly free under an empire’s heel. Seung is clearly oppressed - viewed as lesser by everyone. But Eunji’s oppression is revealed more slowly - yes, she has a nice house and plenty of food, but she’s locked inside, forced to follow the path made for her. Finally, slowest of all is Kenzo. He’s unlikeable in the beginning - a Dragon man who excels at everything, cocky to a fault, uncaring about Eunji’s shattering future. But he unwinds as the story does - he has his own dreams and nightmares, his own goals. He can’t be free of the Dragon Empire any more than Eunji or Seung can, not until it’s entirely dismantled. (Even if I’m not his biggest fan, I understand his motivations.)

Another thing this book excels at is the reality of propaganda. It crushes people like Seung under its heel by means of misinformation, erasing anything that may give them hope and forcing them to internalize the idea that their conquers are simply better, more deserving of their power. It traps families like Eunji’s by giving them enough power, but always hanging the threat of its violent removal over their heads. One misstep, and they’ll fall right back to the lowest level. Even Jin, a self-proclaimed rebel, falls prey to the Empire’s propaganda - her rage at Eunji, even when she knows Eunji is ignorant instead of willfully malicious, prevents her from teaming up with people just as oppressed as she is to take down the bigger enemy.

This story swept me up and didn’t let me go until the very last page. Maybe not even then - there seems to be enough room for a sequel or spin-off (or maybe that’s just my hope). Julia and Brad did her grandparents proud.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars

On the whole I have mixed feelings about this novel. I'm clearly not the target demographic, as this is a YA fantasy novel, which means that there are some very predictable plot points. The part where Seung snuck Eunji out to show her 'the world' had me going, "A whole new world~~" and imagining a magic carpet ride. Having said that, it did veer off the standard YA script after a while by throwing in some twists and turns.

Personally the best part of this book were the excerpts written by Changkiu and Hyunsoo, which appear at the start of every chapter. Through these excerpts you can get a glimpse of their personalities. At one point, Hyunsoo talked about avoiding her mother's attempt at matchmaking by purposely being late! On the whole, these excerpts were informative, touching, and heart-warming. Unfortunately, Changkiu "Keith" Riew passed away in 2020, so he was unable to see this novel come into print.

Anyway, back to the novel. As this novel is based on the Japanese occupation of Korea, the commentary on colonialism and destruction of one's culture is very prevalent. There was a whole segment about the Dragon (Japan) Empire collaborators. Do they deserve sympathy? Are they just trying to survive, or should they be punished harshly for aligning themselves with the enemy? Without giving anything away, I particularly like how the Exam was used to control the Tiger (Korean) people.

The characters are fine, although I'm rather ambivalent about Seung and Eunji. In fact, Eunji started annoying me towards the end; girl, her singleminded insistence on doing things her way grated on my nerves. Instead, I was more fascinated with the side characters. Kenzo, Eunji's fiance (can't say I didn't see the love triangle coming) turned out to be more than just a standard villainous third wheel. In fact, I was sort of rooting for him towards the end, to the point that I thought that he could do better than Eunji, whose brain cells seemed to be dying as time goes by. I also love Jin, the leader of the resistance who had a painful past of her own. And while Hoyoung, Seung's little brother, didn't have much screentime, he was the one I worried about the most, and a scene where he was caught for theft broke my heart.

For the most part, this book hovered between 3.5 to 4 stars for me. Unfortunately, I found the story to have wrapped up too conveniently, in a manner too simplistic even for a YA novel. The big climax was messy, and wait, that's it? I was expecting more somehow. Hence, 3.5 stars it is.

All in all, this is a book that's worth reading, if only out of respect for the badasses that are Changkiu and Hyunsoo (honestly I'll read an entire book just about them).

Inspired by true stories of the authors’ grandparents’ lives of one of the darkest periods in Korean history. The Last Tiger is a debut, YA Fantasy about the power of love and giving a voice to a broken people. In this novel, two star-crossed teens join forces to try and reshape their fates.
Filled with forbidden romance, oppression, and liberation, Seung and Eunji set out on separate quests to find the last tiger, whilst finding the power to make their own destinies. 🐅✨


This book was a surprisingly delightful time. The entire premise and concept were compelling, plus the book cover, bahaha. I had a great time reading this, and the fact that it is inspired by true stories of the authors’ grandparents makes it even more heart-wrenching. I also enjoyed the entries that were included before each chapter. While I didn’t cry, I still felt that emotional feeling (I did tear up, though). While this does draw on that, along with history, it is not super historical, so it doesn’t feel like an information overload.

The world-building was easy for me to follow. For newer fantasy readers, this would be a great starting point! I truly enjoyed this story and would recommend it to those looking for a nice YA Fantasy.


Thank you to NetGalley & Penguin Teen for providing me with a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. 💕

4.5⭐️

Expected publication July 29, 2025
Genres : SciFi & Fantasy, Teens & YA

It was a fun read, well written, and full of adventure. I loved the little transcripts of real events written by the authors grandfather. I had a lot of hope for the characters and it was really fun to see them grow into themselves and start believing in their powers.

Thank you to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for the ARC!!

I was really excited to read The Last Tiger, as I absolutely love reading historical fantasy books. I learn so many new things about different cultures through them, and it also has the fantastical element, which I enjoy a lot.

“They don’t just want to colonise us. They want to erase us. They’re actually trying to wipe us out.”

This book was a gripping, emotional and heart-wrenching experience. From the little paragraphs about the author’s grandparents’ love story to the experiences of living through colonisation, how the colonisers provide false hope to the rightful people of the land – EVERYTHING was truly amazingly written.

I loved Choi Eunji and Lee Seung. I liked how the authors portrayed their hopes and struggles. I liked how their love story was slow-paced because I feel like a fast-paced love story would not have gotten along with the story the authors told. Jin and Kenzo were also great characters, and I would love to know more about them.

I liked how the colonisation aspect of the plot was intertwined with the Ki aspect of the plot. I think it definitely made the book more enjoyable and gave it a lot of jaw-dropping moments.

The only thing I struggled with while reading this book was the pace. At the start of the book, it was way too slow, and then suddenly it got very fast. I would have liked the book more if the pace had been consistent.

(Actual: 3.75⭐, rounded up) I really, really enjoyed this book and especially how it's inspired by the true story of the authors' grandparents! Fantasy reads can be a bit difficult for me at times due to all the world-building and overall commitment I know must be had in order to fully immerse oneself in the story, but I honestly found this one to actually be right up my alley! THE LAST TIGER is an emotionally-charged YA romantasy, its narrative deeply steeped in Korean history, colonialism & the oppression that tends to follow not too far behind it (along with all its many consequences. TLT utilizes the tropes of Class Differences; Friends-to-Enemies-to-Lovers; and Forbidden/Star-Crossed romances (alongside the more standard Fantasy tropes) in a way that feels both organic & genuine to both of our MCs and their individual arcs/motivations; the Riew duo also places a lot of symbolism & deep meaning in its eponymous animal [the tiger] regarding the power of resilience and the fight we all within us when it comes to achieving freedom, which I thought was very powerful and beautiful. Overall, an amazing read!

Fast paced
Beautiful world building
Characters to cheer for (and despise)
Unputdownable
The perfect fit for YA fantasy fans

A retelling of the author’s grandparent’s love story? In a world with ki powers granted by different animals? Let’s be so honest, this was great.
To be completely honest i did request the arc in spite because i got an email from goodreads telling me i did not win the giveaway, but however i got to read this, i am so thankful.
The characters were very fleshed out, and it was amazing watching their growth from the first half to the second. It almost felt like a prequel and a sequel because of how spaced out the parts of the story were.
The plot was VERY character driven, but it worked well for the story.
Plus, the setting was just beautiful.
The pacing was a little off for me, and I couldn’t tell if it was going too fast or too slow, but something definitely didn’t feel right. Also, the conversations felt a little juvenile for YA, but it did make it easy to understand.
The story itself was very well written, and i enjoyed it thoroughly. I just loved the little excerpts at the beginning of each chapter, and the connection to real life is really what put the finishing touches on the story as a whole.

Thanks to Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a book I found really hard to get into. It did not seem to be written by a professional author at all. Despite that, I found the plot and setting compelling and interesting enough. I grew to care about the fate of our main characters. It was just written so clunky and stilted I was frequently taken out of the moment. Could benefit from heavy editing in my option.

Set in a vividly imagined colonized Korea, this YA fantasy blends historical inspiration, folklore, and rebellion into a story that feels both deeply personal and epic in scope. The plot follows Lee Seung, a servant longing for freedom, and Choi Eunji, a noble girl defying expectations. What begins as a partnership of necessity spirals into a powerful friends-to-enemies-to-lovers journey with the fate of their country—and the last tiger—hanging in the balance.

The writing is lyrical, cinematic, and emotionally charged. You can feel the heart and history the authors poured into it, drawing from their own grandparents' stories during a painful era in Korea’s past. It’s a book about resistance, identity, love, and the lengths we’ll go to reclaim what's been lost.

In this historical fiction retelling mixed with mythology, is of when Korea is occupied by Japan, it follows the story of star crossed lovers who find themselves on opposite sides with the sole purpose of finding the last tiger.

The Last Tiger is a fictional story based off of the authors' grandparents who fought their ways to have their love marriage in the midst of colonized Korea. Each chapter started with a snippet/quote from the correspondence between the grandparents. I wish the quotes that started the chapters had a better tie in/cohesiveness to the content and plot development. It was a hard and kind of forced placement. I think if you separated the two, The Last Tiger may have come across as a better story. I mean, this could have been two books in general: one magical realism, historical/mythological retelling, and the other as a fictional romance in the same time period. It was a very try hard.

If The Last Tiger still has the chance to be edited and have a little more finessing as this is an ARC review, I hope it gets the attention it deserves. 2.5 rounded to 3 for GR.

Thank you Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | Kokila for the opportunity in exchange for an honest review.

Will be posting to socials.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

The Last Tiger is an immersive, adventurous YA fantasy with a beautiful love story and a compelling world.

I had a blast with this one. Seung and Eunji were fantastic main characters, and I adored their character development, personalities, and determination. Their love story was lovely, filled with high stakes, obstacles, hope, and a delightful slow burn. I loved that this story was inspired by the true stories from Julia and Brad’s grandparents’ lives; Julia and Brad incorporated their grandparents’ history, love, and stories wonderfully with their captivating prose. The world-building was excellent, presenting an atmospheric tale. The magic system was intriguing and well-developed, and I enjoyed the many adventures and journeys the characters embark on throughout the novel. The plot was powerful and propulsive, and the ending was satisfying and sweet. I highly recommend this special YA fantasy!

Thank you to the publisher for the free ARC!

The Last Tiger follows Seung and Eunji as they explore their feelings for each other while also fighting against Dragon Empire rule in the Tiger Colonies.

I loved how this book is based off of a real life love story just with magic added. This was very intense at parts but the story was very good. I saw the promo for this book a while before I got the ARC and i'm glad I got the opportunity to give it a read. 4.75/5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

The cover is gorgeous and the premise is awesome, but the execution fell a little short for me. Props for a unique magic system and a interesting story, but the writing style felt a little disjointed. The setting and time period would have weird modern day slang, or phrases that would pull me out of the story. It's not a deal breaker, it's just not something I love. I really enjoyed reading the snippets of the grandpa/grandma love story at the beginning of each chapter and I am bummed I didn't love this as much as I hoped I would. I'm the problem here, not the story itself.

Thank you to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for the eARC!


The Last Tiger at its core is a retelling of the love story of the authors' grandparents meeting within a Japanese-occupied South Korea with fantasy elements woven in.

I enjoyed the magic system implemented within the story, although some of the Korean mythology-inspired creatures felt more like quick blips within the narrative of the story. The focus is definitely on the two main characters Seung and Eunji - from meeting happenstance during a Slaying Ceremony to uniting their efforts against various tasks. While reading, you can feel them come to life as well fleshed out protagonists. Motivations for certain actions are sometimes told rather than fully shown.

In front of every chapter is a snippet of the true thoughts and feelings of the authors' grandparents. While I really enjoyed these, it was sometimes difficult to join these with the fictional representations of them as the fantasy element causes a huge difference in what occurs between real life and the fictional story. I'd be interested in a fictionalized or historical retelling of their love story without the fantasy interwoven.

What I Liked:
- Korean-inspired mythology
- magic system not typically seen in YA books
- a true/real love story as the basis

What I Wish Was Better:
- conflict of the true snippets of grandparents' story against the narrative and plot of the fictional story
- ending 20% feels a bit rushed to wrap the story up
- wanted to experience more of the journey in the latter half of the book (extend it further)

*The Last Tiger* is a striking blend of fantasy and historical truth, rooted in one of the most brutal and often overlooked periods of Korean history. The authors draw inspiration from their grandparents' experiences under Japanese occupation, and that foundation gives the story a rare emotional gravity. The novel doesn’t flinch away from the violence and erasure of colonization, but it also centers the resilience and spirit of those who lived through it.

The characters are complex and compelling. Seung and Eunji are shaped by duty, grief, and longing, and their shifting relationship, full of tension, betrayal, and uneasy trust, feels authentic and earned. Their internal conflicts mirror the larger question of what liberation costs and who gets to define it.

The worldbuilding is rich with Korean folklore, and the last tiger serves as a powerful symbol of memory, identity, and resistance. The writing is evocative without being overly ornate, and the pacing carries both urgency and emotional depth.

This is a story that stays with you. It’s about love and loss, yes, but also about the fight to hold onto culture, truth, and selfhood in the face of forced silence. A standout debut, both fierce and thoughtful.

If you liked the political depth of An Ember in the Ashes, the rich folklore of The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea, or the emotional intensity of Six Crimson Cranes, you’ll find this equally enjoyable. It’s perfect for readers who want their fantasy rooted in real history, with powerful themes of colonization, resistance, and identity woven through every page.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC copy of this book.

I really appreciated that the authors wrote this story with inspiration from their grandparents. They included quotes at the beginning of each chapter from either the grandpa or the grandma which really added depth to the story. I was engaged throughout the whole story and thought that the fantasy setting which was based on the Japanese occupation of Korea around the time of World War II was written really well.

This book has been everywhere on my feed, and I was beyond excited to get an advanced copy! Knowing it was inspired by the authors' grandparents’ love story made it even more special—and it truly delivered.

The story follows Seung, a servant striving to rise as a Dragon soldier to help his family, and Eunji, a noble Tiger girl tied to the very oppressors her people fear. As they find themselves on opposite sides of a growing rebellion, their paths intertwine in a way that challenges loyalty, identity, and the meaning of freedom.

Set during a dark chapter of Korea’s history, the story is full of emotion and power. The use of ki—spiritual magic tied to ancient animal spirits—adds depth to the narrative and symbolism, especially as Seung’s journey becomes intertwined with the mission to save the last tiger.

Both characters are incredibly well developed. Seung is driven by duty and hope, while Eunji battles with the expectations forced upon her as both a Tiger noble and a woman in a Dragon-dominated world. Their dual POVs give a rich look into their inner worlds, making their growth and struggles all the more poignant.

Their love story was gentle, powerful, and made all the more meaningful knowing its real-life inspiration. It’s not an easy romance—they face constant trials and choices—but that only makes their connection more impactful.

This was a deeply moving, magical, and thought-provoking read. Perfect for fans of character-driven fantasy with historical roots and emotional depth.

Huge thanks to NetGalley for the ARC! 🐯✨

* dual POV
* YA Fantasy
* Korean History & Politics
* Colonialism
* Forbidden Romance
* rich girl x poor boy
* dragons, serpents & tigers

The Last Tiger is a fantasy partly inspired by the Japanese occupation of Korea, and the authors' grandparents -- which makes it a wholesome story with a haunting narrative. It includes snippets from letters exchanged by their authors grandparents which makes it two stories included in one, which I found really really creative. The story felt high stakes from the very beginning, and thus had me glued to the edge of my seat as I devoured it over two days.

Seung and Eunji both have very nuanced interweaving plots that both shed light on the harm caused by propaganda and colonialism, and by those who stay quiet in the face of oppression. The magic system was unique as well, and the side characters were quite well-fleshed which made it so easy to understand their motivations and to root for them. I am so glad this book exists for YA audiences so we can all learn about east Asian cultures/history, and the impact of colonialism and propaganda. More stories about love and hope and survival, please!

Would love to see another story in the same universe although it is quite less likely, just to explore more of the magic systems and the world beyond :) At times the two character voices also seemed to blend into one another and were hard to differentiate. The ending felt quite rushed and could probably have been paced better.

Overall there is a LOT happening throughout the book and it will keep you engrossed. Seung is so so easy to root for and love, and I admire everything about this book. I wholeheartedly recommend this to everyone looking for a new diverse YA Fantasy on their TBR.