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The Last Soldier of Nava
In this Korean mythology inspired sapphic fantasy, a young woman with shadow magic is awakened after a thousand years to heal her nation and her own troubled memory, even as she falls for the sister of a saint she killed in her past life.
According to legend, the Soldier drowned entire kingdoms in darkness.
Yet, the Soldier was only a girl, robbed of her will and raised as a weapon for her power-hungry father. When she awakens years later, freedom takes the form of a hidden life and a new name: Shadow.
As war brews and magical dead zones devour the natural world, Shadow is captured and pulled back into court life by her immortal father’s new prodigy, Scarlet, a diabolical woman obsessed with her sister’s murder. A murder Shadow herself committed in a past life.
Shadow’s control over darkness holds the key to restoring the balance of their world, but a serpentine court hides greed, corruption, and her father’s new plot to resurrect his fading magic.
If she’s to survive and save her nation, Shadow will have to hide her past and rely on the woman who captured her—even as they unwind the legends that brought them together and face their growing attraction.
According to legend, the Soldier drowned entire kingdoms in darkness.
Yet, the Soldier was only a girl, robbed of her will and raised as a weapon for her power-hungry father. When she awakens years later, freedom takes the form of a hidden life and a new name: Shadow.
As war brews and magical dead zones devour the natural world, Shadow is captured and pulled back into court life by her immortal father’s new prodigy, Scarlet, a diabolical woman obsessed with her sister’s murder. A murder Shadow herself committed in a past life.
Shadow’s control over darkness holds the key to restoring the balance of their world, but a serpentine court hides greed, corruption, and her father’s new plot to resurrect his fading magic.
If she’s to survive and save her nation, Shadow will have to hide her past and rely on the woman who captured her—even as they unwind the legends that brought them together and face their growing attraction.
370 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 19, 2025
17 people are currently reading
1180 people want to read
About the author
Yejin Suh
1 book12 followersYejin Suh is a Korean-American author based in New Jersey.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews
July 15, 2025
I honestly loved this weird and whimsical novel. Review to come! 🌙
(FINAL REVIEW:)
This was a wonderfully weird and whimsical fantasy standalone that is inspired by Korean mythology. Again, there’s something about being thrown into a book with little to no idea of the world and its mechanics that I love for some reason. Maybe I enjoy the extra work it takes to understand the world and its characters, maybe I’m masochistic and like torturing myself trying to come up with answers that the book is most likely not going to answer for me. Either way, I still loved my time with this even though I was admittedly confused here and there. 😅
The story follows Shadow, a young woman who finds herself with little to no memory of the last 1,000 years other than she has power over shadows, is an ancient being, and killed a rather important person. She’s what I like to think of as a reluctant villain because of her past and is determined to not go back to those days. Her backstory reminds me so much of a specific character from the Marvel Universe (who I won’t name here because it will reveal too much of the plot), and it just made this character even more devastating because of her past and the thing that she has done. 😔
Her interactions with Scarlet, the primary love interest, were heated and provided great banter for the story. I liked how prickly Scarlet was compared to the more gentle Shadow. I do wish we could’ve gotten more time with the women though so that you could see the growth in feelings and warmth between the two so that it doesn’t feel as sudden when their chemistry starts to shift in the plot. 🤔
I don’t really know what else to say about this book because I don’t want to spoil it for potential future readers. I can see why some people might not like it, but if you are like me and don’t mind being shoved into a confusing world with little to no explanation as to the ins and outs of it, then I think you’d have a good time. That and the wonderful dark whimsy feelings that in it are definitely worth it in my opinion. It also reminds me of the Korean folktale of The Brother and Sister Who Became the Moon and the Sun, so if you are interested in that, then this might be a good read too. ☀️
HUGE thank you goes out to Harper Voyager UK and NetGalley for accepting my request to read this in exchange for an honest (and late) review; and to the author, Suh, for writing such a atmospheric read to get lost in. ❤️
In other words, I’m so excited to get my special Locked Library copy that I defined as a “necessity” in order to make myself feel better about getting it shipped all the way from the UK; and no, I won’t reveal how much it cost me because it’s was such a stupid thing to do three times now. . . 🙃
Publication date: June 19!!
Overall: 4.75/5 ⭐️
(FINAL REVIEW:)
This was a wonderfully weird and whimsical fantasy standalone that is inspired by Korean mythology. Again, there’s something about being thrown into a book with little to no idea of the world and its mechanics that I love for some reason. Maybe I enjoy the extra work it takes to understand the world and its characters, maybe I’m masochistic and like torturing myself trying to come up with answers that the book is most likely not going to answer for me. Either way, I still loved my time with this even though I was admittedly confused here and there. 😅
The story follows Shadow, a young woman who finds herself with little to no memory of the last 1,000 years other than she has power over shadows, is an ancient being, and killed a rather important person. She’s what I like to think of as a reluctant villain because of her past and is determined to not go back to those days. Her backstory reminds me so much of a specific character from the Marvel Universe (who I won’t name here because it will reveal too much of the plot), and it just made this character even more devastating because of her past and the thing that she has done. 😔
Her interactions with Scarlet, the primary love interest, were heated and provided great banter for the story. I liked how prickly Scarlet was compared to the more gentle Shadow. I do wish we could’ve gotten more time with the women though so that you could see the growth in feelings and warmth between the two so that it doesn’t feel as sudden when their chemistry starts to shift in the plot. 🤔
I don’t really know what else to say about this book because I don’t want to spoil it for potential future readers. I can see why some people might not like it, but if you are like me and don’t mind being shoved into a confusing world with little to no explanation as to the ins and outs of it, then I think you’d have a good time. That and the wonderful dark whimsy feelings that in it are definitely worth it in my opinion. It also reminds me of the Korean folktale of The Brother and Sister Who Became the Moon and the Sun, so if you are interested in that, then this might be a good read too. ☀️
HUGE thank you goes out to Harper Voyager UK and NetGalley for accepting my request to read this in exchange for an honest (and late) review; and to the author, Suh, for writing such a atmospheric read to get lost in. ❤️
In other words, I’m so excited to get my special Locked Library copy that I defined as a “necessity” in order to make myself feel better about getting it shipped all the way from the UK; and no, I won’t reveal how much it cost me because it’s was such a stupid thing to do three times now. . . 🙃
Publication date: June 19!!
Overall: 4.75/5 ⭐️
July 31, 2025
RTC
Thank you Netgalley and Magpie, Harper Fiction from Harper Collins UK for providing copy of this ebook. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Expecting release date : 19 June 2025
Thank you Netgalley and Magpie, Harper Fiction from Harper Collins UK for providing copy of this ebook. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Expecting release date : 19 June 2025
May 20, 2025
3.5* rounded up.
Thank you to the publishers for the arc.
Okay, so I enjoyed the read, I really did. I loved Scarlett and Shadow's interactions and the slow burn romance that they shared, but what was with that ending? I was so confused and had no idea what the heck was going on. Did they all decide to change their names?? Zero ideas on what was going on.
Other than that, it was a great read with some unexpected twists and turns. I'll very likely read another of Yejin's books.
Thank you to the publishers for the arc.
Okay, so I enjoyed the read, I really did. I loved Scarlett and Shadow's interactions and the slow burn romance that they shared, but what was with that ending? I was so confused and had no idea what the heck was going on. Did they all decide to change their names?? Zero ideas on what was going on.
Other than that, it was a great read with some unexpected twists and turns. I'll very likely read another of Yejin's books.
June 17, 2025
I am very sad to say that I cannot rate this any higher than a 2 / 5 stars. When I originally came across this book on goodreads and saw «Korean mythology inspired sapphic fantasy», I was sold already. I love stories inspired by real-world mythologies, and having it also be sapphic is nothing short of a dream come true. So, you can imagine my excitement when I saw this book up on Netgalley, requested it, and got approved.
Let’s start with the two selling points that first got me interested in this book; I don’t know anything about Korean mythology, so I won’t comment on that, but I will talk about the sapphic aspect of the book. ‘The Last Soldier of Nava’ is essentially an enemies-to-lovers romance between Shadow, who is also the protagonist and POV character, and Scarlet. Shadow kinda accidentally killed Scarlet’s sister - Scarlet knows it was ‘the soldier’ who killed her sister, but does nit know that the soldier and Shadow are the same person. But even without that knowledge, Scarlet spends the first half of the book hating Shadow.
The issue with this romance storyline, however, is that there is almost 0 indication that any kind of attraction between these two characters exists. I get that with an enemies-to-lovers setup you have to slowly build up that relationship for either end of the trope to be believable. And while the enemies part was fine, the lovers aspect never really reached that believability threshold. It is around 55% through the book, when Shadow first begins to show signs of any kind of romantic interest in Scarlet. I mean, it was clear from the beginning that Scarlet was going to be the love interest, based on the blurb and the simple fact that this is not the first romance story I’ve read, but that was the first instance where the text itself indicated that this was in fact the case. Only introducing the romantic attraction halfway through the book on its own is not an issue though. The issue is that it was combined with a very slow and clumsy build-up that never once felt organic or believable, and never managed to get me emotionally invested in the story. There is a big love confession moment at one point, where Scarlet tells Shadow «I’ve never met anyone else like you, in all my life», and it left me completely cold.
This is part of a larger issue of unearned moments that show up time and again throughout this book. Repeatedly, the reader is told things about a character, a setting, a relationship, etc. that was in no way set up by the writing up until that point. In one instance Scarlet is told by a side character that she is «incapable of love» and «a weak imitation of [her sister]» whose memory she dishonours every day. The way it is written makes it clear that this moment is supposed to have an emotional impact on the reader, but it doesn’t because up til that point we were never shown that this is even remotely true or something Scarlet struggles with.
In another instance Scarlet describes the landscape around them as choking and suffocating everything underneath, and gardens as «bare imitations of real nature». And again, if this was in anyway implied or shown previously, it might have hit emotionally. But none of the previous descriptions of the cities and countryside around them ever evoked a picture like that, so it just ends up feeling hollow.
There’s also the fact that Shadow originally lived in a city called Nava that was destroyed a long time ago, which is kinda implied to have been almost a utopian society. Shadow repeatedly mentions Nava, and that it was somehow better than what the present-day can offer, and yet we never actually learn much of anything about the place. Nostalgia, especially the kind that ignores all of the bad things about the past so that you can enjoy thinking of ‘the good old times’, is a great topic to include in a fantasy book. But the readers actually needs to know stuff - however distorted by time it may be - about the place in order for this to work. Just saying ‘this place used to exist and it was better than now’ doesn’t cut it.
Additionally, there are a bunch of weird style choices that didn’t much help improve the story either. There are so many instances of direct speech being interrupted by non-speech halfway through for no apparent reason. I’m not doing a good job of describing this so I’ll just insert an example: «‘Then what do you want? I had thought you came here,’ the Emperor said, ‘to ask about your sister.’» Why is «the Emperor said» inserted in the middle of the speech bubble, completely disrupting the flow of the text?
I was also frequently re-reading paragraphs because I thought I’d missed a sentence, only to realise that no, the passage was just written really weirdly, so that it felt as if a sentence was missing.
There’s more I could talk about, from the final battle being so low-key and underwhelming that I didn’t even realise it had happened until like 2 pages later, to the incredibly weirdly pace at which essential world-building elements were introduced, but this review is already way too long.
There are interesting elements in this book, and theoretically the story sounds really interesting, but the execution is just… not great. I will be keeping my eyes open for future works from this author, because this is her debut novel and I have high hopes that she will improve, given time.
---
Thank you HarperCollins UK for the ARC!
Let’s start with the two selling points that first got me interested in this book; I don’t know anything about Korean mythology, so I won’t comment on that, but I will talk about the sapphic aspect of the book. ‘The Last Soldier of Nava’ is essentially an enemies-to-lovers romance between Shadow, who is also the protagonist and POV character, and Scarlet. Shadow kinda accidentally killed Scarlet’s sister - Scarlet knows it was ‘the soldier’ who killed her sister, but does nit know that the soldier and Shadow are the same person. But even without that knowledge, Scarlet spends the first half of the book hating Shadow.
The issue with this romance storyline, however, is that there is almost 0 indication that any kind of attraction between these two characters exists. I get that with an enemies-to-lovers setup you have to slowly build up that relationship for either end of the trope to be believable. And while the enemies part was fine, the lovers aspect never really reached that believability threshold. It is around 55% through the book, when Shadow first begins to show signs of any kind of romantic interest in Scarlet. I mean, it was clear from the beginning that Scarlet was going to be the love interest, based on the blurb and the simple fact that this is not the first romance story I’ve read, but that was the first instance where the text itself indicated that this was in fact the case. Only introducing the romantic attraction halfway through the book on its own is not an issue though. The issue is that it was combined with a very slow and clumsy build-up that never once felt organic or believable, and never managed to get me emotionally invested in the story. There is a big love confession moment at one point, where Scarlet tells Shadow «I’ve never met anyone else like you, in all my life», and it left me completely cold.
This is part of a larger issue of unearned moments that show up time and again throughout this book. Repeatedly, the reader is told things about a character, a setting, a relationship, etc. that was in no way set up by the writing up until that point. In one instance Scarlet is told by a side character that she is «incapable of love» and «a weak imitation of [her sister]» whose memory she dishonours every day. The way it is written makes it clear that this moment is supposed to have an emotional impact on the reader, but it doesn’t because up til that point we were never shown that this is even remotely true or something Scarlet struggles with.
In another instance Scarlet describes the landscape around them as choking and suffocating everything underneath, and gardens as «bare imitations of real nature». And again, if this was in anyway implied or shown previously, it might have hit emotionally. But none of the previous descriptions of the cities and countryside around them ever evoked a picture like that, so it just ends up feeling hollow.
There’s also the fact that Shadow originally lived in a city called Nava that was destroyed a long time ago, which is kinda implied to have been almost a utopian society. Shadow repeatedly mentions Nava, and that it was somehow better than what the present-day can offer, and yet we never actually learn much of anything about the place. Nostalgia, especially the kind that ignores all of the bad things about the past so that you can enjoy thinking of ‘the good old times’, is a great topic to include in a fantasy book. But the readers actually needs to know stuff - however distorted by time it may be - about the place in order for this to work. Just saying ‘this place used to exist and it was better than now’ doesn’t cut it.
Additionally, there are a bunch of weird style choices that didn’t much help improve the story either. There are so many instances of direct speech being interrupted by non-speech halfway through for no apparent reason. I’m not doing a good job of describing this so I’ll just insert an example: «‘Then what do you want? I had thought you came here,’ the Emperor said, ‘to ask about your sister.’» Why is «the Emperor said» inserted in the middle of the speech bubble, completely disrupting the flow of the text?
I was also frequently re-reading paragraphs because I thought I’d missed a sentence, only to realise that no, the passage was just written really weirdly, so that it felt as if a sentence was missing.
There’s more I could talk about, from the final battle being so low-key and underwhelming that I didn’t even realise it had happened until like 2 pages later, to the incredibly weirdly pace at which essential world-building elements were introduced, but this review is already way too long.
There are interesting elements in this book, and theoretically the story sounds really interesting, but the execution is just… not great. I will be keeping my eyes open for future works from this author, because this is her debut novel and I have high hopes that she will improve, given time.
---
Thank you HarperCollins UK for the ARC!
June 19, 2025
I have to admit that my main reason to request a review copy through Netgalley was the cover. I loved the atmosphere, I loved how curious it made me. And since Magpie granted me a copy and the release date was getting closer, it was time to dive in.
It's clear that this book and I didn't click. Something about the book just didn't work for me and I can't completely put into words what. I'm gonna give it a try though. The main issue was that I was confused throughout the entire book. I had a hard time understanding the world, the characters and their goals and motivations and the kind of story I was actually reading. I couldn't grasp the direction, I couldn't understand why this story was told.
I think it's the writing that just didn't work for me. Maybe it's because I don't see anything while reading. I just feel. And while reading this book I didn't really feel anything. I also had issues connecting with the characters. Even after finishing the book it still feels like I don't really know them. Everyone is hiding so much, everyone is keeping so many secrets. I don't know much about their desires and wants and their unique personality traits.
Maybe I should have not finished this book at some point, but there was also enough to keep me reading. I liked the concept of the magic. I liked the hidden identity of the heroine of the story. I liked the political banter. At times I didn't understand what was going on, but I kept on hoping that at some moment things would just click and everything I read before that would make sense. However, it didn't happen. Even after finishing the book, I still don't really get what I've been reading.
However, I'm sure a lot of people will like this book a lot better than me! I'm pretty sure that this review says more about me than about the objective quality of the book. If you think you'll like it, give it a go! After all, I did keep on reading, didn't I?
It's clear that this book and I didn't click. Something about the book just didn't work for me and I can't completely put into words what. I'm gonna give it a try though. The main issue was that I was confused throughout the entire book. I had a hard time understanding the world, the characters and their goals and motivations and the kind of story I was actually reading. I couldn't grasp the direction, I couldn't understand why this story was told.
I think it's the writing that just didn't work for me. Maybe it's because I don't see anything while reading. I just feel. And while reading this book I didn't really feel anything. I also had issues connecting with the characters. Even after finishing the book it still feels like I don't really know them. Everyone is hiding so much, everyone is keeping so many secrets. I don't know much about their desires and wants and their unique personality traits.
Maybe I should have not finished this book at some point, but there was also enough to keep me reading. I liked the concept of the magic. I liked the hidden identity of the heroine of the story. I liked the political banter. At times I didn't understand what was going on, but I kept on hoping that at some moment things would just click and everything I read before that would make sense. However, it didn't happen. Even after finishing the book, I still don't really get what I've been reading.
However, I'm sure a lot of people will like this book a lot better than me! I'm pretty sure that this review says more about me than about the objective quality of the book. If you think you'll like it, give it a go! After all, I did keep on reading, didn't I?
June 29, 2025
I try very hard to not be negative in my reviews and look for the positive, but I think this might be my first 1 star review - I really should have DNF’ed it but I was truly hoping the sapphic romance was going to redeem it. It did not!
This book was marketed as F/F romance fantasy. It be sapphic and romance, it needs two things. Two characters who are female and a romance happy ever after or happy for now ending - neither of which this delivered on! There was two moments, a total of 1 full page, where there was romance. This is not slow burn, because there was no burn to begin with.
In short, the marketing of this book does not align with the contents, which is unfortunate because if you in expecting a sapphic romance and you do not get that, it’s a huge let down.
I’ve read other books where marketing fails that I’ve given 5 stars, so why the 1 star. Because of the prose, it was tough to read and follow along. Suddenly there would be a flashback within a flashback without any warning, I am convinced the timeline doesn’t add up.
1000 years ago The Solider was born but then we get a ‘one year ago’ in the first chapter, which means Shadow was awaken after a 1000 years? Or after how long? And then the White Ice was 10 years ago, where she was around too?
I spent most of this book utterly confused, repeatedly hoping for the romance to kick in and save the day. But no, instead I get an ending I still do not understand which left me utterly confused.
It’s a shame because the premise sounds so good!
This book was marketed as F/F romance fantasy. It be sapphic and romance, it needs two things. Two characters who are female and a romance happy ever after or happy for now ending - neither of which this delivered on! There was two moments, a total of 1 full page, where there was romance. This is not slow burn, because there was no burn to begin with.
In short, the marketing of this book does not align with the contents, which is unfortunate because if you in expecting a sapphic romance and you do not get that, it’s a huge let down.
I’ve read other books where marketing fails that I’ve given 5 stars, so why the 1 star. Because of the prose, it was tough to read and follow along. Suddenly there would be a flashback within a flashback without any warning, I am convinced the timeline doesn’t add up.
1000 years ago The Solider was born but then we get a ‘one year ago’ in the first chapter, which means Shadow was awaken after a 1000 years? Or after how long? And then the White Ice was 10 years ago, where she was around too?
I spent most of this book utterly confused, repeatedly hoping for the romance to kick in and save the day. But no, instead I get an ending I still do not understand which left me utterly confused.
It’s a shame because the premise sounds so good!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 13, 2025
⭐️⭐️,5
June 6, 2025
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for approving me to read this, I’m rating it 3.75 - 4.0 stars.
God the main character deserved better and that’s not to say the character is a victim, I love an imperfect character. Our FMC is complex and has a dark kind of aura and mystery surrounding her, she thrives in survival mode it seems. Things start unravelling quickly for the FMC with bargains and war on the horizon with her at the centre of it all, but feeling like a pawn.
I would like to see what happens next because of where this book leaves off, I feel like there’s still a lot to go wrong and our FMC still despite everything remains at the centre.
God the main character deserved better and that’s not to say the character is a victim, I love an imperfect character. Our FMC is complex and has a dark kind of aura and mystery surrounding her, she thrives in survival mode it seems. Things start unravelling quickly for the FMC with bargains and war on the horizon with her at the centre of it all, but feeling like a pawn.
I would like to see what happens next because of where this book leaves off, I feel like there’s still a lot to go wrong and our FMC still despite everything remains at the centre.
April 21, 2025
The Last Soldier of Nava started off strong, with an intriguing premise. A thousand years ago, the city of Nava flourished in the land now known as Ik-Song. It was ruled by the Bearer of the Moon and the Bringer of the Dawn, light and dark keeping one another in balance. Until the Moon Bearer grew power hungry, creating a dangerous weapon known as the Soldier. The City fell and the Dawn Bringer was lost.
In the present day, we follow Shadow, a young woman with shadow magic who awakens with the memory of having killed a Saint, the Desert Rose, in her previous life as the Soldier. She is captured by Scarlet, also known as the Keeper, a woman who is both royalty within Ik-Song and the Desert Rose’s sister. Scarlet’s focus is on finding her sister’s killer and, recognising Shadow’s power (but not her identity), she plans to use Shadow to help her enact vengeance. For Shadow, she hopes that being in the palace will bring her closer to the Moon Bearer, the father who created her and whose ongoing need for power is having a detrimental effect on the land. While navigating court politics and an impending war, Shadow and Scarlet grow closer, and it becomes increasingly hard for Shadow to maintain the secret of her identity.
While I loved the premise, and the lore and mythology laid out at the start, unfortunately, the execution ended up falling a little flat for me. I liked the descriptive writing but I think this book would have benefitted from being longer because there’s a lot of things that we’re told but don’t really see. For example, at some point it’s stated that Shadow considers Aspis a friend; yet all we’ve seen is Aspis’ involvement in Shadow’s initial capture and then Shadow joining some of Aspis’ training sessions at the palace.
We’re thrown straight into the world, without much initial scene setting. At times, it can work really well being thrown straight into the action; however, at some point, more information is needed to paint a clearer picture of the world. In this case, “remades” are often referenced, as are the “deadzones” but I don’t remember the former ever being properly explained and the latter is only referenced in passing, yet is supposedly an important, adverse side effect of the decline in the land. Another example is when Scarlet is talking about her stag and says that they met in their childhoods and are now too weak to part - there’s no explanation as to what that means and what would happen if they did part. Or maybe she just meant they’re emotionally too weak to part 🤷♀️.
I think if the book had been longer, it would also have allowed for the side characters to be better fleshed out. As it was, I didn’t feel a connection to any of them. And while enemies to lovers is one of my favourite tropes, I didn’t feel the chemistry between Shadow and Scarlet, and so the shift to lovers felt like it came out of left field.
So, overall, the book felt like it had a lot of promise but I was left wanting more. More world building, more character development, more tension.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC of this book.
In the present day, we follow Shadow, a young woman with shadow magic who awakens with the memory of having killed a Saint, the Desert Rose, in her previous life as the Soldier. She is captured by Scarlet, also known as the Keeper, a woman who is both royalty within Ik-Song and the Desert Rose’s sister. Scarlet’s focus is on finding her sister’s killer and, recognising Shadow’s power (but not her identity), she plans to use Shadow to help her enact vengeance. For Shadow, she hopes that being in the palace will bring her closer to the Moon Bearer, the father who created her and whose ongoing need for power is having a detrimental effect on the land. While navigating court politics and an impending war, Shadow and Scarlet grow closer, and it becomes increasingly hard for Shadow to maintain the secret of her identity.
While I loved the premise, and the lore and mythology laid out at the start, unfortunately, the execution ended up falling a little flat for me. I liked the descriptive writing but I think this book would have benefitted from being longer because there’s a lot of things that we’re told but don’t really see. For example, at some point it’s stated that Shadow considers Aspis a friend; yet all we’ve seen is Aspis’ involvement in Shadow’s initial capture and then Shadow joining some of Aspis’ training sessions at the palace.
We’re thrown straight into the world, without much initial scene setting. At times, it can work really well being thrown straight into the action; however, at some point, more information is needed to paint a clearer picture of the world. In this case, “remades” are often referenced, as are the “deadzones” but I don’t remember the former ever being properly explained and the latter is only referenced in passing, yet is supposedly an important, adverse side effect of the decline in the land. Another example is when Scarlet is talking about her stag and says that they met in their childhoods and are now too weak to part - there’s no explanation as to what that means and what would happen if they did part. Or maybe she just meant they’re emotionally too weak to part 🤷♀️.
I think if the book had been longer, it would also have allowed for the side characters to be better fleshed out. As it was, I didn’t feel a connection to any of them. And while enemies to lovers is one of my favourite tropes, I didn’t feel the chemistry between Shadow and Scarlet, and so the shift to lovers felt like it came out of left field.
So, overall, the book felt like it had a lot of promise but I was left wanting more. More world building, more character development, more tension.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC of this book.
June 21, 2025
This was a very interesting book that delves a lot into Korean mythology, creating a unique and engaging world filled with fascinating magic.
Shadow is an immortal soldier who upon being awaken again, kills a beloved saint. She tries to live a normal life, hiding from anyone who might know about her past, but the Moonbringer, her immortal father, wants her back under his control. She's captured by his new prodigy, Scarlet, the sister of the woman Shadow killed, who will do everything in her power to find out who killed her sister.
I thought this book was a little hard to get into at first. It's really usual for most fantasy books, you need to understand the world before you can really get into the story. But this book came with a lot of mysteries within the plot, and while I was excited to find out what would be the resolution, it made it slightly harder to understand what was going on. Once the book sets the world a little though, the story becomes extremely enjoyable. It's easy to get invested in the palace intrigues and the characters are enjoyable so it's easy to root for them.
Shadow is such an interesting protagonist because even though she's this immortal weapon, she feels like just a lost young woman who doesn't want to be what other people made her. Scarlet though is certainly my favourite. When we meet her she seems so cold and unfeeling, and as Shadow gets to know her, we get to see the real person hiding behind that mask.
I'm immensely curious whether this book will become a series, because I think it works as a standalone but I would happily be pulled back into this world for more adventures.
Shadow is an immortal soldier who upon being awaken again, kills a beloved saint. She tries to live a normal life, hiding from anyone who might know about her past, but the Moonbringer, her immortal father, wants her back under his control. She's captured by his new prodigy, Scarlet, the sister of the woman Shadow killed, who will do everything in her power to find out who killed her sister.
I thought this book was a little hard to get into at first. It's really usual for most fantasy books, you need to understand the world before you can really get into the story. But this book came with a lot of mysteries within the plot, and while I was excited to find out what would be the resolution, it made it slightly harder to understand what was going on. Once the book sets the world a little though, the story becomes extremely enjoyable. It's easy to get invested in the palace intrigues and the characters are enjoyable so it's easy to root for them.
Shadow is such an interesting protagonist because even though she's this immortal weapon, she feels like just a lost young woman who doesn't want to be what other people made her. Scarlet though is certainly my favourite. When we meet her she seems so cold and unfeeling, and as Shadow gets to know her, we get to see the real person hiding behind that mask.
I'm immensely curious whether this book will become a series, because I think it works as a standalone but I would happily be pulled back into this world for more adventures.
October 4, 2025
I was excited for this book. I’m really interested in Korean mythology, but honestly I’m kind of disappointed. I felt a strange sense of detachment when reading and my mind kept drifting off. It’s like I couldn’t really engage with the text.
It was a good story with good characters, but there were a few things that I could pinpoint that I didn’t like. Firstly, it was kind of unclear what Shadow could remember and what she couldn’t, especially towards the start. I kept having to stop and try and piece things together and often I forgot that she couldn’t remember at all and was taken out of the story by a reminder.
The other thing was there was a strange lack of emotion to Shadow, even when she was fighting against becoming the soldier again, I didn’t feel that she really expressed what she felt. Especially in a story like this, I would have liked to feel her emotion and her utter devastation that they were trying to control her.
I don’t think this will be one that really sticks with me for those reasons, even though I really liked the cast of characters and the settings. It just wasn’t captivating for me.
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Cross-posted to thewhisperingofthepages.co.uk
It was a good story with good characters, but there were a few things that I could pinpoint that I didn’t like. Firstly, it was kind of unclear what Shadow could remember and what she couldn’t, especially towards the start. I kept having to stop and try and piece things together and often I forgot that she couldn’t remember at all and was taken out of the story by a reminder.
The other thing was there was a strange lack of emotion to Shadow, even when she was fighting against becoming the soldier again, I didn’t feel that she really expressed what she felt. Especially in a story like this, I would have liked to feel her emotion and her utter devastation that they were trying to control her.
I don’t think this will be one that really sticks with me for those reasons, even though I really liked the cast of characters and the settings. It just wasn’t captivating for me.
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Cross-posted to thewhisperingofthepages.co.uk
June 20, 2025
A really well written standalone! Both the plot and the world is super engaging, and I became really invested in the main characters! Now I just want to research the myth this is based on!
June 29, 2025
This book caught my attention with its stunning cover and interesting premise. Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC!
The legendary city of Nava is a myth from a long-ago past, just as its mythical heroes. Except for the Moonbearer, everyone else has been wiped out when his weapon, the Soldier: a woman with tremendous destructive power, was put to sleep. Now, one year ago, the Soldier awoke again with her own will. She assumes the name Shadow and goes into hiding. When Scarlet, whose sister Shadow has killed after awakening, finds her, however, she can’t stay uninvolved. Their country is threatened with an impending war, the spread of deadzones, unnatural weather and the Moonbearer’s bid for more power. Shadow and Scarlet have to work together to stop the catastrophes from happening.
The main point of interest for me was the inspiration by Korean mythology. And I really liked the intriguing parts of the world building, the different creatures and concepts strewn throughout. We see a variety of locations ranging form a lively market in the city, the strict Stronghold of the ruling class and the mysterious forests with their deadzones.
Unfortunately, the descriptions never went deep enough for me. Most things in the world were left unexplained and confusing, which was a bit frustrating considering how excited I was to learn more about the details from the premise. Those details seem to be entirely missing and I still have many unanswered questions. Who is the Desert Rose, the supposed Saint that Shadow killed after awakening, and what made her into a Saint? How exactly is Shadow connected to her identity of the Soldier - has she stayed in the same body and only now formed a consciousness, or did she somehow reincarnate? What are the Moonbearer’s motives, that never seem to make any sense and that Shadow only assumes she knows?
The plot itself also left me confused a lot. I did understand what was happening, but never why. Some of the characters’ decisions made sense, but most of the time, I just couldn’t figure out what kind of reasons they had. It felt random at times, and it doesn’t help that I was never able to connect to Shadow or Scarlet. They don’t have the depth I would have wanted. Scarlet switches between arrogant and childish, mean and suddenly understanding. I could forgive Shadow’s lack of characterization considering her lack of memories, but even with that it never felt consistent. It might be my own fault, because after the premise I was hoping for a thousand-year-old character who acts that age, not a vaguely young woman who can’t decide who she wants to be.
Because of my issues with the characters, I couldn’t enjoy the romance aspect of the book either. The delicate build-up required of enemies-to-lovers simply didn’t happen, or at least I couldn’t see it. I didn’t really care about Shadow’s and Scarlet’s relationship, neither as enemies nor as lovers.
In the end, I can’t shake the feeling that this book feels incomplete. There are so many details that could have been fleshed out, and added character interactions that could have filled the blanks for me. Unfortunately, I don’t think changes of this caliber would have been made between this ARC and the finished copy. Someone with less interest in the worldbuilding might enjoy this book, but it sadly wasn’t for me.
The legendary city of Nava is a myth from a long-ago past, just as its mythical heroes. Except for the Moonbearer, everyone else has been wiped out when his weapon, the Soldier: a woman with tremendous destructive power, was put to sleep. Now, one year ago, the Soldier awoke again with her own will. She assumes the name Shadow and goes into hiding. When Scarlet, whose sister Shadow has killed after awakening, finds her, however, she can’t stay uninvolved. Their country is threatened with an impending war, the spread of deadzones, unnatural weather and the Moonbearer’s bid for more power. Shadow and Scarlet have to work together to stop the catastrophes from happening.
The main point of interest for me was the inspiration by Korean mythology. And I really liked the intriguing parts of the world building, the different creatures and concepts strewn throughout. We see a variety of locations ranging form a lively market in the city, the strict Stronghold of the ruling class and the mysterious forests with their deadzones.
Unfortunately, the descriptions never went deep enough for me. Most things in the world were left unexplained and confusing, which was a bit frustrating considering how excited I was to learn more about the details from the premise. Those details seem to be entirely missing and I still have many unanswered questions. Who is the Desert Rose, the supposed Saint that Shadow killed after awakening, and what made her into a Saint? How exactly is Shadow connected to her identity of the Soldier - has she stayed in the same body and only now formed a consciousness, or did she somehow reincarnate? What are the Moonbearer’s motives, that never seem to make any sense and that Shadow only assumes she knows?
The plot itself also left me confused a lot. I did understand what was happening, but never why. Some of the characters’ decisions made sense, but most of the time, I just couldn’t figure out what kind of reasons they had. It felt random at times, and it doesn’t help that I was never able to connect to Shadow or Scarlet. They don’t have the depth I would have wanted. Scarlet switches between arrogant and childish, mean and suddenly understanding. I could forgive Shadow’s lack of characterization considering her lack of memories, but even with that it never felt consistent. It might be my own fault, because after the premise I was hoping for a thousand-year-old character who acts that age, not a vaguely young woman who can’t decide who she wants to be.
Because of my issues with the characters, I couldn’t enjoy the romance aspect of the book either. The delicate build-up required of enemies-to-lovers simply didn’t happen, or at least I couldn’t see it. I didn’t really care about Shadow’s and Scarlet’s relationship, neither as enemies nor as lovers.
In the end, I can’t shake the feeling that this book feels incomplete. There are so many details that could have been fleshed out, and added character interactions that could have filled the blanks for me. Unfortunately, I don’t think changes of this caliber would have been made between this ARC and the finished copy. Someone with less interest in the worldbuilding might enjoy this book, but it sadly wasn’t for me.
April 27, 2025
~~Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for the ARC!~~
2.5/5 stars rounded down.
Man, this is my third two-star ARC with a super intriguing premise I've read in the past week or so. I cannot catch a break, can I?
Anyway, this started out perfectly well, with the mysterious setup behind Shadow's backstory and the state of the book's world when it began. But the more I read, that interest gradually devolved to confusion and boredom to the point I was falling asleep.
Even though the worldbuilding held much promise, the expansion on those details were simultaneously overexplained and not really explained, whatsoever? It just felt like Suh was hype focused on somethings but rushed through others. Like, it was said the Last Soldier fell asleep a thousand years ago and woke up as Shadow about a year before the book started. But then it's also explained Shadow was reincarnated? So, which is it? Her part in Scarlet's sister's killing isn't really explained, either, specifically if it was before she fell asleep or in recent times. It really didn't help that we never got any details about Scarlet and her sister's relationship. Besides the fact they were sisters, it's never explained why Scarlet was so obsessed with getting revenge for her sister's death. There were also other miscellaneous details that never were fully detailed, like dead zones, 'remades,' Bone Soldiers, the relationship between Shadow and her father, it was just so many pages of the narrative telling us things, expecting us to care, but never really telling us things at all. It was just so numbingly frustrating.
It is because this lack of showing depth that made the characters so weak and stiff. Shadow doesn't have much going for her, and we never really learn anything about her due to her memories never being properly restored. Scarlet is mean, spoiled, and aggressive to Shadow throughout 70% of the book til she kisses her??? There were only bare bone romance vibes between them; that kiss came out of nowhere. The side characters are primarily useless and boring, with most of their motivations, again, not really being laid out clearly. I just didn't care about anyone.
All in all, I'm kinda sad this disappointed me. I just really hate when books don't live up to their good premises.
2.5/5 stars rounded down.
Man, this is my third two-star ARC with a super intriguing premise I've read in the past week or so. I cannot catch a break, can I?
Anyway, this started out perfectly well, with the mysterious setup behind Shadow's backstory and the state of the book's world when it began. But the more I read, that interest gradually devolved to confusion and boredom to the point I was falling asleep.
Even though the worldbuilding held much promise, the expansion on those details were simultaneously overexplained and not really explained, whatsoever? It just felt like Suh was hype focused on somethings but rushed through others. Like, it was said the Last Soldier fell asleep a thousand years ago and woke up as Shadow about a year before the book started. But then it's also explained Shadow was reincarnated? So, which is it? Her part in Scarlet's sister's killing isn't really explained, either, specifically if it was before she fell asleep or in recent times. It really didn't help that we never got any details about Scarlet and her sister's relationship. Besides the fact they were sisters, it's never explained why Scarlet was so obsessed with getting revenge for her sister's death. There were also other miscellaneous details that never were fully detailed, like dead zones, 'remades,' Bone Soldiers, the relationship between Shadow and her father, it was just so many pages of the narrative telling us things, expecting us to care, but never really telling us things at all. It was just so numbingly frustrating.
It is because this lack of showing depth that made the characters so weak and stiff. Shadow doesn't have much going for her, and we never really learn anything about her due to her memories never being properly restored. Scarlet is mean, spoiled, and aggressive to Shadow throughout 70% of the book til she kisses her??? There were only bare bone romance vibes between them; that kiss came out of nowhere. The side characters are primarily useless and boring, with most of their motivations, again, not really being laid out clearly. I just didn't care about anyone.
All in all, I'm kinda sad this disappointed me. I just really hate when books don't live up to their good premises.
June 15, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review! I rated this 2.5 stars (rounded up here).
In The Last Soldier of Nava, we follow Shadow, a magically gifted warrior, as she awakens after a long time, only to find the world she left behind full of secrets, shifting loyalties, and buried histories. having been captures, Shadow is pulled into a conflict that threatens both her people and her understanding of who she is. As she navigates political tension, old rivalries, and mysterious powers, it becomes clear that the fate of the whole kingdom may now be at stake.
The premise really drew me in: a fractured world, a soldier with a heavy past, and a magic system rooted in legacy and mythology. The opening was intriguing, with promising characters and glimpses of a unique magical world. But while the foundation was solid, the delivery didn’t quite land.
Much of the story felt rushed or underexplained. Shadow’s relationships, especially those at the Stronghold, were described rather than developed, so the emotional payoffs didn’t feel earned. Important elements from the past were referenced without enough clarity, and several in-world terms were introduced with little explanation. The magic system was compelling but underutilised, leaving too many questions unanswered.
The romance subplot also fell flat for me. Scarlett was simply mean to Shadow for most of the book, and then the shift toward romance happened so abruptly that I had to double-check if I’d missed something. There was very little buildup or emotional progression to make the development feel believable.
I genuinely think this would have worked better as a duology. There’s a lot of potential in the world-building and themes, but the story needed more room to breathe. With more space, the relationships, lore, and emotional arcs could have landed with much more impact.
In The Last Soldier of Nava, we follow Shadow, a magically gifted warrior, as she awakens after a long time, only to find the world she left behind full of secrets, shifting loyalties, and buried histories. having been captures, Shadow is pulled into a conflict that threatens both her people and her understanding of who she is. As she navigates political tension, old rivalries, and mysterious powers, it becomes clear that the fate of the whole kingdom may now be at stake.
The premise really drew me in: a fractured world, a soldier with a heavy past, and a magic system rooted in legacy and mythology. The opening was intriguing, with promising characters and glimpses of a unique magical world. But while the foundation was solid, the delivery didn’t quite land.
Much of the story felt rushed or underexplained. Shadow’s relationships, especially those at the Stronghold, were described rather than developed, so the emotional payoffs didn’t feel earned. Important elements from the past were referenced without enough clarity, and several in-world terms were introduced with little explanation. The magic system was compelling but underutilised, leaving too many questions unanswered.
The romance subplot also fell flat for me. Scarlett was simply mean to Shadow for most of the book, and then the shift toward romance happened so abruptly that I had to double-check if I’d missed something. There was very little buildup or emotional progression to make the development feel believable.
I genuinely think this would have worked better as a duology. There’s a lot of potential in the world-building and themes, but the story needed more room to breathe. With more space, the relationships, lore, and emotional arcs could have landed with much more impact.
July 10, 2025
“𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵, 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘧𝘶𝘭. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘦. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘰 𝘱𝘢𝘸𝘯. 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦.”
Set in the once-glorious city of Nava (now Iksong), this YA fantasy follows a memory fractured shadow warrior and the girl who captures her. As secrets unravel and loyalties are tested, the two must navigate political schemes, corrupted power, and a prophecy that could restore their broken world,if they can learn to trust each other first.
Tropes & Themes you might enjoy:
🗡 Enemies to lovers (but more rivals-to-reluctant-allies-to-lovers)
🌙 Sapphic romance
🌸 Korean mythology-inspired world
🎭 Hidden identities & double lives
⚔️ Magical fight scenes
🫂 Found family vibes (though a bit underdeveloped)
A strong start with a compelling premise, but the second half lost steam. Pacing issues, rushed revelations, and underdeveloped character arcs made it harder to stay emotionally invested. Still, the romance had spark and the world had promise,this might be a hit for fans of atmospheric YA fantasy with a side of slow burn queer romance. I think this would have been fantastic as a duology. Nonetheless I love that I now have another standalone recommendation.
Set in the once-glorious city of Nava (now Iksong), this YA fantasy follows a memory fractured shadow warrior and the girl who captures her. As secrets unravel and loyalties are tested, the two must navigate political schemes, corrupted power, and a prophecy that could restore their broken world,if they can learn to trust each other first.
Tropes & Themes you might enjoy:
🗡 Enemies to lovers (but more rivals-to-reluctant-allies-to-lovers)
🌙 Sapphic romance
🌸 Korean mythology-inspired world
🎭 Hidden identities & double lives
⚔️ Magical fight scenes
🫂 Found family vibes (though a bit underdeveloped)
A strong start with a compelling premise, but the second half lost steam. Pacing issues, rushed revelations, and underdeveloped character arcs made it harder to stay emotionally invested. Still, the romance had spark and the world had promise,this might be a hit for fans of atmospheric YA fantasy with a side of slow burn queer romance. I think this would have been fantastic as a duology. Nonetheless I love that I now have another standalone recommendation.
May 11, 2025
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. - Freya, arc & monthly book box pick reviewer (athenafreyag on Instagram)
I am a queer reviewer who is obsessed with Korean mythology, culture, and language, so this book felt like it was made for me. It was one of my most highly anticipated releases, but unfortunately, it wasn't for me, and no one is sadder than I am.
The gist of the problem was uncertainty for me. Multiple worldbuilding elements were unclear for me. How and why are some characters "remade"? What does it include? If they keep their memories, what are they remade into? The mc's timeline is also unclear. She was the last soldier of Nava, but she woke up as Shadow, and a year ago, she woke up in a room with blood and a body? I'm not even sure if this is the case. Lastly, the sentence structure made it hard for me to immerse myself.
I did like the romance!! Their personalities complement each other so well. The pull and push was delightful!!!
I will read the final copy after release and give this another chance because the book may have been edited a lot from its earc stage.
Other than that, please publish more sapphic Asian fantasy, we desperately need it!
This book is the June monthly pick for a certain monthly book box, and I will sadly skip.
I am a queer reviewer who is obsessed with Korean mythology, culture, and language, so this book felt like it was made for me. It was one of my most highly anticipated releases, but unfortunately, it wasn't for me, and no one is sadder than I am.
The gist of the problem was uncertainty for me. Multiple worldbuilding elements were unclear for me. How and why are some characters "remade"? What does it include? If they keep their memories, what are they remade into? The mc's timeline is also unclear. She was the last soldier of Nava, but she woke up as Shadow, and a year ago, she woke up in a room with blood and a body? I'm not even sure if this is the case. Lastly, the sentence structure made it hard for me to immerse myself.
I did like the romance!! Their personalities complement each other so well. The pull and push was delightful!!!
I will read the final copy after release and give this another chance because the book may have been edited a lot from its earc stage.
Other than that, please publish more sapphic Asian fantasy, we desperately need it!
This book is the June monthly pick for a certain monthly book box, and I will sadly skip.
May 11, 2025
ᨳ᭬ ⭑ ⭑ ࿐ྂ
❝ She was tired of the fight, to be truthful. She didn’t want to die. But she was prepared to. She was no pawn. Not anymore. ❞
I have to admit i liked the whole fantasy aspect but i wasn’t a big fan of the love story. At one point so much was happening that i got confused and lost interest because it was so confusing. Also, at some point it was so rushed which really ruined everything. I wish we had seen more of Scarlet and her sister, let alone more information, because the information we were given was clearly not enough.
The first half was ok, a little slow but not bad, then it finally got interesting and then unfortunately all the confusing and rushed stuff happened.
- thank you netgalley & HarperVoyager for giving me this e-arc in exchange for an honest review. -
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 18, 2025
So good. The writing was gorgeous, and the story was pretty unique. A tender, introspective fantasy that manages to create a lot of atmosphere and history in not that many pages. I hope the author expands on this universe in future books because there is so much more that could be explored, but this book was completely satisfying to me in and of itself.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for the ARC!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for the ARC!
dnf-0star
August 13, 2025
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Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the early review copy of this book. These opinions are my own.
Unfortunately, I started reading this and realized that I am not the target audience for this book. While I believe there are a lot of people out there who will love this book, I couldn't finish it. There are aspects to this story that are not enjoyable for me.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the early review copy of this book. These opinions are my own.
Unfortunately, I started reading this and realized that I am not the target audience for this book. While I believe there are a lot of people out there who will love this book, I couldn't finish it. There are aspects to this story that are not enjoyable for me.
November 26, 2025
For such a pretty book (The Locked Library version) I was incredibly bored by this book. It boasts a sapphic fantasy but you barely read of the attraction. The plot line was quite confusing as well. The ending was really bizarre and I didn’t really understand what had happened. I so rarely rate books this poorly but I really did not enjoy this book. I never DNF but I came really close with this one..
Favourite quotes include:
If only you could see yourself through my own gaze.
Favourite quotes include:
If only you could see yourself through my own gaze.
September 24, 2025
I liked the idea of this but I don’t think I had enough details to really connect with the world, the lore or the characters. I also just didn’t think the ending really paid off and felt like if I had more details before I’d care a bit more. It all just felt a bit vague. Like you read a synopsis of the book in high school instead of reading the actual story.
July 26, 2025
bonus point for Korean sapphics bc that's not something I see often
June 21, 2025
The Last Soldier Of Nava by Yejin Suh is a Korean mythology inspired sapphic fantasy that I am always up for.
💚 Here’s what I loved about this book:
- This is an action-packed book with fierce females. So yes please!
- Loved the court intrigue. A lot of it is manipulation of people in power.
- Lush world building with magical characters. The scenes with a huge catfish and whales as rides are some of my favorite.
- That cover is to die for. I have included more images without filters so you can appreciate it better.
- The whole dynamic of light and shadow is very intriguing and ties in with how nature works.
- Loved the slow burn romance between the MCs
- It’s a standalone fantasy.
💔Here’s what could be better.
- I found myself confused and lost a fair few times.
- There are secenes and elements which did not really relate to the story. I still don't understand the significance of animals in the dungeon.
- The last bit was over too soon. I wanted more dragon time 🐲
- I felt the secondary characters were not given enough attention. I would have loved to read more about Crow and Yo-Han.
In all, this was a good fantasy and I would love to read more by the author in the future. 💜🌸
3.5 🌟
💚 Here’s what I loved about this book:
- This is an action-packed book with fierce females. So yes please!
- Loved the court intrigue. A lot of it is manipulation of people in power.
- Lush world building with magical characters. The scenes with a huge catfish and whales as rides are some of my favorite.
- That cover is to die for. I have included more images without filters so you can appreciate it better.
- The whole dynamic of light and shadow is very intriguing and ties in with how nature works.
- Loved the slow burn romance between the MCs
- It’s a standalone fantasy.
💔Here’s what could be better.
- I found myself confused and lost a fair few times.
- There are secenes and elements which did not really relate to the story. I still don't understand the significance of animals in the dungeon.
- The last bit was over too soon. I wanted more dragon time 🐲
- I felt the secondary characters were not given enough attention. I would have loved to read more about Crow and Yo-Han.
In all, this was a good fantasy and I would love to read more by the author in the future. 💜🌸
3.5 🌟
August 31, 2025
3.5 stars
June 19, 2025
Today marks the debut date for The Last Soldier of Nava, and I'm so excited to share this book with you all.
It is a love letter to the Young Adult genre, which was pivotal to my reading experience growing up; and it is also an acknowledgement of the masks and identities we wear.
Thank you for coming with me on this journey! Above all else, I hope you’ll have fun reading this book.
It is a love letter to the Young Adult genre, which was pivotal to my reading experience growing up; and it is also an acknowledgement of the masks and identities we wear.
Thank you for coming with me on this journey! Above all else, I hope you’ll have fun reading this book.
June 20, 2025
This is a fantastic read. It is a thrilling, adventurous, atmospheric enemies to lovers read. I loved Shadow and seeing her relationship with Scarlet develop throughout the book. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC.
June 20, 2025
An absolutely fantastic fantasy with amazing Korean mythology roots, beautifully written characters and an amazing show burn sapphic romance.
May 20, 2025
Asian mythology inspired fantasy novels tend to be a hit with me so when I was offered a chance to read ’The Last Soldier Of Nava’ early I leapt at it. It was set within an intriguing world and had a plot arc that interested me but as you can probably tell from my rating it didn’t wholly work for me although it may fair better within its target young adult audience.
As stated previously the world that this book was set within was an intriguing one. It had a mythology inspired history that sparked my interest and a realm that I���d happily have explored further. Yet it didn’t truly get a chance to shine. What was there was interesting but it lacked the depth necessary to reach its true potential. The history is only really skimmed over, telling enough to lay the bare origins of the worlds past. Which is what I struggled most with when it comes to this novel – a lack of depth and explanation. The world that’s there promises to be a fascinating one but its potential is never truly mined.
My experience with the characters was similarly floundered. There are a few individuals who have the bone work of being fascinating people but they lacked finesse and depth at times. Shadow, for instance, had a highly intriguing backstory but I don’t feel like I understand her origins clearly at all. How the soldier came to be, sure, but not how she differs from that side of herself. Not how she survived, and laid dormant, for so long. Not even how she shifted between the two sides of herself in one direction. Crow felt rather disjointed in his attitude towards her and the Moonbearer didn’t really work for me at all. The idea of him, again, was compelling but the execution of him faltered. And I don’t truly understand how he seemed to be trusted by so many given his history. It just didn’t truly add up. Sae was probably the individual who managed to pull me into the story most but even there the answers, when they come, could truly have used more depth.
Then the plot had an interesting arc to it overall but given this lack of depth and clarity in places, was hard to get involved within or take too seriously. It had a good direction to travel in but it missed out on so much of the groundwork and body that it didn’t truly work.
That being said I do think its possible for people to enjoy this still, if they’re happy enough to simply accept the story at face value and not go digging around for answers. If you’re new to fantasy or not looking at this through too critical of a lens you may well be able to get swept up by the story. But if you read a lot of fantasy or think you’re likely to find yourself questioning why and how certain things came to be then I think you’ll come away feeling similarly disappointed.
So ultimately I can’t really say that I recommend ’The Last Soldier Of Nava’ although it may work for you if you can approach it without expecting everything to be entirely clear. Rating it is hard as it felt stronger in some ways than some other disappoints of mine but what it was missing made it incredibly hard for me to invest. It just didn’t truly seem to make sense in places and that’s a pretty major flaw in my eyes and yet with a bit more padding I think it probably could have worked.
As stated previously the world that this book was set within was an intriguing one. It had a mythology inspired history that sparked my interest and a realm that I���d happily have explored further. Yet it didn’t truly get a chance to shine. What was there was interesting but it lacked the depth necessary to reach its true potential. The history is only really skimmed over, telling enough to lay the bare origins of the worlds past. Which is what I struggled most with when it comes to this novel – a lack of depth and explanation. The world that’s there promises to be a fascinating one but its potential is never truly mined.
My experience with the characters was similarly floundered. There are a few individuals who have the bone work of being fascinating people but they lacked finesse and depth at times. Shadow, for instance, had a highly intriguing backstory but I don’t feel like I understand her origins clearly at all. How the soldier came to be, sure, but not how she differs from that side of herself. Not how she survived, and laid dormant, for so long. Not even how she shifted between the two sides of herself in one direction. Crow felt rather disjointed in his attitude towards her and the Moonbearer didn’t really work for me at all. The idea of him, again, was compelling but the execution of him faltered. And I don’t truly understand how he seemed to be trusted by so many given his history. It just didn’t truly add up. Sae was probably the individual who managed to pull me into the story most but even there the answers, when they come, could truly have used more depth.
Then the plot had an interesting arc to it overall but given this lack of depth and clarity in places, was hard to get involved within or take too seriously. It had a good direction to travel in but it missed out on so much of the groundwork and body that it didn’t truly work.
That being said I do think its possible for people to enjoy this still, if they’re happy enough to simply accept the story at face value and not go digging around for answers. If you’re new to fantasy or not looking at this through too critical of a lens you may well be able to get swept up by the story. But if you read a lot of fantasy or think you’re likely to find yourself questioning why and how certain things came to be then I think you’ll come away feeling similarly disappointed.
So ultimately I can’t really say that I recommend ’The Last Soldier Of Nava’ although it may work for you if you can approach it without expecting everything to be entirely clear. Rating it is hard as it felt stronger in some ways than some other disappoints of mine but what it was missing made it incredibly hard for me to invest. It just didn’t truly seem to make sense in places and that’s a pretty major flaw in my eyes and yet with a bit more padding I think it probably could have worked.
April 30, 2025
I tried very hard to like this novel, but it was such a struggle to get through. This book has some very interesting ideas and world building but it is in desperate need of editing.
The prose is unfocused and confusing - a single sentence jumps between 4 locations with no actual mention of the character moving, they are simply here, then there, back in the first place, now doing something completely different. The descriptions are far too long, wasting time on unimportant characters or actions and confusing the reader on what they should be paying attention to. There are flashbacks within flashbacks, and not in a way that make sense, more in the way someone rambling will realise you don’t have the background to understand the first story and immediately jump to explaining a second story, before resuming the first, and then eventually letting you out of the retellings. There are also entirely too many flashbacks and too much explanation so early in the novel - a clear sign that the story has started in the wrong place.
The characters are very flat and we are usually 'told' the very few things we learn about any of them (eg. X and Y become friends) rather than seeing things develop on the page. The romance came out of nowhere, from chapters and chapters of hatred to suddenly kissing. I have no idea how old anyone is - Shadow calls Crow “a boy”, but admits they are the same age, and when Scarlet appears she is said to be the same age as Crow but also calls him “boy”. So all three are the same age, but no indication of what that age is. But Shadow is supposedly also a thousand years old? Maybe?
I’m not sure that blurb is correct about this novel, either. It says this is a novel about two figures in a rebirth cycle, destined to love each other but still kill one another. By over 20% into the novel there is no indication of rebirth at all, only that Shadow was once “remade” into a super-powered weapon, who then killed the sister of the girl who’s clearly the enemy-love-interest. Where is the plot I was promised? If it’s meant to be a late-novel twist, I think it shouldn’t have been spoiled by the blurb.
The politics of the world seem interesting, as does the magic/power system, but when the prose is so confusing and the characters are flat, I simply can't focus enough to care.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free ARC in exchange for a fair review.
Rating: 1 star - In desperate need of editing & a clarified plot
The prose is unfocused and confusing - a single sentence jumps between 4 locations with no actual mention of the character moving, they are simply here, then there, back in the first place, now doing something completely different. The descriptions are far too long, wasting time on unimportant characters or actions and confusing the reader on what they should be paying attention to. There are flashbacks within flashbacks, and not in a way that make sense, more in the way someone rambling will realise you don’t have the background to understand the first story and immediately jump to explaining a second story, before resuming the first, and then eventually letting you out of the retellings. There are also entirely too many flashbacks and too much explanation so early in the novel - a clear sign that the story has started in the wrong place.
The characters are very flat and we are usually 'told' the very few things we learn about any of them (eg. X and Y become friends) rather than seeing things develop on the page. The romance came out of nowhere, from chapters and chapters of hatred to suddenly kissing. I have no idea how old anyone is - Shadow calls Crow “a boy”, but admits they are the same age, and when Scarlet appears she is said to be the same age as Crow but also calls him “boy”. So all three are the same age, but no indication of what that age is. But Shadow is supposedly also a thousand years old? Maybe?
I’m not sure that blurb is correct about this novel, either. It says this is a novel about two figures in a rebirth cycle, destined to love each other but still kill one another. By over 20% into the novel there is no indication of rebirth at all, only that Shadow was once “remade” into a super-powered weapon, who then killed the sister of the girl who’s clearly the enemy-love-interest. Where is the plot I was promised? If it’s meant to be a late-novel twist, I think it shouldn’t have been spoiled by the blurb.
The politics of the world seem interesting, as does the magic/power system, but when the prose is so confusing and the characters are flat, I simply can't focus enough to care.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free ARC in exchange for a fair review.
Rating: 1 star - In desperate need of editing & a clarified plot
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