Mixed feelings here. At times I found this a wondrously lush recreation of landscape and era. The author has done considerable research and it shows.
At others, I felt frustrated by the structure and narrative-less-ness of it all. The reader is constantly forced to endure twin journeys as the two white characters forge ahead to Tibet, while the bulk of the focus is on hinterland, emotional baggage and colonial matters. This can be frustrating and repetitive.
Then there’s the opacity. Little is concluded definitively. Perhaps that’s in keeping with the author’s view of place and philosophy but I wasn’t really satisfied.
Nevertheless, there’s plenty here to relish if historical fiction is your thing and you don’t mind overwritten-ness.

I was invited by the publisher to review this book. Set in 1869 Tibet, the book follows a schoolteacher spy for the British and an English lady explorer. Tibit is closed to Europeans, which angers the British Empire as it looks to expand. As a response, Britain trains Indians who can cross their own borders to spy. Balram, a schoolteacher, and his friend, Gyan, both spy for the British. But Gyan is now missing and feared captured. Balram wants to find his friend, and in an effort to do so, agrees to escort an English captain who wants to personally chart a river in Tibet. The captain disguises himself as a monk to do so. It is then that they encounter another Westerner - Katherine, who is 50 years old and wanting to prove women can explore, too. Going through Tibet brings all sorts of trials to Balram and Katherine's journey, from natural to man; it becomes an arduous journey.

The author did an excellent job of writing very compelling and greatly detailed characters. They not only have to work against nature and outside forces, but also learn to work through their internal issues. I really enjoyed being transported to a different time and place that I knew little about; the author brought these details to the pages wonderfully.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Last of Earth" by Deepa Anappara is a historical novel set in 19th-century Tibet, a kingdom closed off to most Europeans during a time of intense British imperial expansion. The story follows two unlikely outsiders: Balram, an Indian schoolteacher trained by the British to conduct clandestine surveying expeditions into Tibet, who embarks on a dangerous mission to rescue his missing friend, and Katherine, an English "lady" explorer determined to be the first European woman to reach Lhasa, disguised to avoid detection. As they navigate the treacherous Tibetan landscape, facing natural perils, political intrigue, and personal demons, the novel explores themes of colonialism, identity, the human desire to leave a mark on the world, and the enduring power of friendship and family, all told through a "polyphonic" narrative that offers multiple perspectives on this complex historical moment. A great read!!

The Last of Earth proved to be a gripping experience as I followed its cast through the mountains and watched them deal with struggles both external and internal. Deepa Anappara crafted his characters with such a vivid richness that by the end it made me feel as if I had known these fictional women and men closely in real life. It was with equal skill that he made the landscape and inhabitants of 18th century Tibet come so fully to life that his words were practically a time machine that transported my directly there.

An absolutely top-notch historical read overall - and I would not hesitate to call that an understatement.

If you are looking for an adventurous historical fiction novel set in the nineteenth century then this is the story for you. The setting is setin Tibet who have put an embargo on Europeans from coming into the country. This is mostly because of the British Empire colonizing India. However, the British end up being very crafty because with the colonization in India they have started training the Indians to sneak into Tibet to engage in illegal survey expeditions.
Again it is just so interesting how one country feels the need to interfere in the livelihood of another country just so they can get ahead for themselves not caring who they hurt in the process. Overall it's a very lovely read because it gives you the opportunity to go there without having travel there yourself. The plot and the characters are so wonderfully written.
One of our characters is a man from India who is a spy for the British named Balram is trying to find his friend who went missing. He goes there with a ship captain in hopes that they will both find what they are looking for. Along the way they meet Katherine who is traveling in disguise who wants to be the first accomplished woman to travel across the globe alone. From there all three will embark on the adventure of the lifetime.
I received an arc copy from Netgalley and all opinions are of my own.

A beautiful book and very pleasant read! The prose is gorgeous and entertaining - although a large portion of the book is understandably dedicated to descriptions of the landscape it was never boring and thanks to the detail each scene was very easy to imagine. Every character in this book was distinct and fleshed out, even those with minor roles. Anappara clearly has a talent for building a human character in just a few sentences. The pacing of the book was good and I enjoyed how tension was built throughout the entirety of the narrative. I also appreciated the more untraditional aspects of the writing, such as Durga and Gyan speaking through Balram and the strikeouts in Katherine's journal. These admittedly were overplayed at times and came off a little cliché, which is my only real criticism of the book, as these moments interrupted the otherwise impressive sensitivity with which Anappara told a story principally about rebellion and duty.

"The Last of Earth" proved to be a gripping experience as I followed its cast through the mountains and watched them deal with struggles both external and internal. Deepa Anappara crafted his characters with such a vivid richness that by the end it made me feel as if I had known these fictional women and men closely in real life. It was with equal skill that he made the landscape and inhabitants of 18th century Tibet come so fully to life that his words were practically a time machine that transported my directly there.

An absolutely top-notch historical read overall - and I would not hesitate to call that an understatement.

One mission. One map. Three lives forever altered in the shadow of empire. Colonialism, friendship, obsession, and survival—this sweeping historical novel had me trekking across forbidden Tibet alongside spies, scholars, and snow leopards. 4 stars for the tension, the heart, and the history.

*The Last of Earth* is a captivating historical novel that immerses readers in the breathtaking, treacherous landscape of nineteenth-century Tibet. Balram, an Indian schoolteacher turned British spy, embarks on a perilous mission to rescue his missing friend while guiding an English captain into the forbidden kingdom. Alongside him is Katherine, a determined explorer aiming to be the first European woman to reach Lhasa. Together, they navigate storms, bandits, and personal demons in this gripping tale of colonial ambition, friendship, and survival in a world on the brink of change.