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The Last Great Heir
The female heirs of two opposing families must duel to rule the land for the next generation in this dazzling fantasy adventure debut!
Merriment Feast's life is one constant party, complete with dazzling gowns and delicious pastries. Well, except for her aunt's physically grueling training. Merri believes it's her responsibility to protect her family's traditions and the power they've held for generations.
Rue Famine knows that only Feasts benefit from Feast rule. As the heir of House Famine, she spends her days studying potion-making in an enormous, dusty library and learning how to use her magic to help others.
Custom dictates that the heirs of Feast and Famine must duel on their thirteenth birthday. Only one family can rule the land of Fauret, and Merri and Rue have been raised as rivals. But as the contest draws near and dangers escalate, their true enemy may be a shared one…
Merriment Feast's life is one constant party, complete with dazzling gowns and delicious pastries. Well, except for her aunt's physically grueling training. Merri believes it's her responsibility to protect her family's traditions and the power they've held for generations.
Rue Famine knows that only Feasts benefit from Feast rule. As the heir of House Famine, she spends her days studying potion-making in an enormous, dusty library and learning how to use her magic to help others.
Custom dictates that the heirs of Feast and Famine must duel on their thirteenth birthday. Only one family can rule the land of Fauret, and Merri and Rue have been raised as rivals. But as the contest draws near and dangers escalate, their true enemy may be a shared one…
1 pages, Audio CD
Published January 28, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
February 25, 2025
4.5⭐️
amazing!! what the heck?!? the magic, the twists and turns, the different stories all coming together to form an entire storyline.. incredible! this book was so fun and so cool, i loved it!
amazing!! what the heck?!? the magic, the twists and turns, the different stories all coming together to form an entire storyline.. incredible! this book was so fun and so cool, i loved it!
March 6, 2025
Thank you Sourcebooks Kids for gifting me a copy!!
While I found this book to be very below my reading level, I still found it to be a great book. It is so well written and a perfect book for a younger audience. The magic is so fun and captivating. I know a youth would love every bit of it.
The “twist”/ending needs to be developed more, so I hope to see that in the coming books. I’m not sure if I will continue the series, but I know it has such great potential!!
While I found this book to be very below my reading level, I still found it to be a great book. It is so well written and a perfect book for a younger audience. The magic is so fun and captivating. I know a youth would love every bit of it.
The “twist”/ending needs to be developed more, so I hope to see that in the coming books. I’m not sure if I will continue the series, but I know it has such great potential!!
January 28, 2025
The land of Fauret was once united until a rift was caused by a demon leading the land to divide into two distinct houses: the Feast and Famine's. The demon was contained within the spiral tower of Helix and since then, the custom in Fauret has dictated that the heirs of Feast and Famine engage in a duel. The victor will retain rule over the land of Fauret and ensure that the demons are unable to break loose from the tower and inhabit Fauret.
Merriment "Merri" Feast has always known a life of parties and fine pastries, gold bracelets with a sword charm and elaborate skirts of emerald. Rue Famine, on the other hand wears an all-black dress and stockings, and a silver bracelet with a tiny skull. She's never indulged in the frivolity of pastries or parties. Instead, her house creates the potions and elixirs that help the people of Famine.
Yet, on the girls thirteenth birthday, which is quickly approaching, they are set to participate in a duel. Rue would like nothing more than to be a great heir, but her mother hasn't been proactive with her training, so how is she to be successful? Merri is being trained by her Aunt Ambrosia, and the Feasts haven't lost a duel in three generations, placing considerable pressure on her to ensure that the trend continues. While she is naturally gifted with charms, Merri begins to experiment in Famine magic and one of her potions accidentally causes her twin sister, Abundance "Bun" to fall into a deep slumber.
Rue and Merri have always been curious about one another, wanting to learn more about the person who they've been brought up to view as their rival. Each feeling weighed down by the responsibility and what the consequences of them possibly losing the duel will mean to themselves and their house. As they get closer and closer to their birthday, they begin to realize that they don't feel prepared to do battle and suspicions begin to form that their families have been holding a valuable piece of information from them.
The Last Great Heir is the debut novel from Carina Finn, a food writer, critic and content creator. Finn began writing The Last Great Heir while she was working in NYC as a restaurant critic, stating "living a life of “unfathomable abundance.” She says, “In many ways, it was a dream. But sometimes my dream life felt physically awful, and it was impossible not to think of all the people who went without basic necessities while I spent my days writing about the previous night’s twelve course dinner. The world of Feast and Famine was born out of this dichotomy." She can be found at @sheneedsasnack (Instagram, TikTok).
The Last Great Heir is a light middle grade fantasy that focuses on classism, familial ties, the expectations that are placed on us or that we place upon ourselves, and the aspirations of being a kind and just heir who "understands the world beyond the confines of one's inheritance." Rue and Merri have two very different lived experiences yet have more in common than they even know. Feasts have a lavish life and vigorish magical training while Famine study history, alchemy and develop elixirs to stave off hunger. Both families have been keeping secrets from the girls, and I enjoyed watching how their shared hidden past lead them closer and closer toward one another and a final understanding of how and why the duel began in the first place. Through the alternating narratives of Merri and Rue the author fills in some of the key details and helps the reader to understand these girls better. What motivates them and who is most important to them. Fauret is an interesting world of demons, ancient magic, talking cats, an adorable puppy and two houses that have long been divided over social class. The story includes LGBTQIA+ representation with Rue having two mothers and two gay uncles and that final twist will have the reader eager for the next book in the series.
**A huge thank you to Sourcebooks for Young Readers for the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review**
Merriment "Merri" Feast has always known a life of parties and fine pastries, gold bracelets with a sword charm and elaborate skirts of emerald. Rue Famine, on the other hand wears an all-black dress and stockings, and a silver bracelet with a tiny skull. She's never indulged in the frivolity of pastries or parties. Instead, her house creates the potions and elixirs that help the people of Famine.
Yet, on the girls thirteenth birthday, which is quickly approaching, they are set to participate in a duel. Rue would like nothing more than to be a great heir, but her mother hasn't been proactive with her training, so how is she to be successful? Merri is being trained by her Aunt Ambrosia, and the Feasts haven't lost a duel in three generations, placing considerable pressure on her to ensure that the trend continues. While she is naturally gifted with charms, Merri begins to experiment in Famine magic and one of her potions accidentally causes her twin sister, Abundance "Bun" to fall into a deep slumber.
Rue and Merri have always been curious about one another, wanting to learn more about the person who they've been brought up to view as their rival. Each feeling weighed down by the responsibility and what the consequences of them possibly losing the duel will mean to themselves and their house. As they get closer and closer to their birthday, they begin to realize that they don't feel prepared to do battle and suspicions begin to form that their families have been holding a valuable piece of information from them.
The Last Great Heir is the debut novel from Carina Finn, a food writer, critic and content creator. Finn began writing The Last Great Heir while she was working in NYC as a restaurant critic, stating "living a life of “unfathomable abundance.” She says, “In many ways, it was a dream. But sometimes my dream life felt physically awful, and it was impossible not to think of all the people who went without basic necessities while I spent my days writing about the previous night’s twelve course dinner. The world of Feast and Famine was born out of this dichotomy." She can be found at @sheneedsasnack (Instagram, TikTok).
The Last Great Heir is a light middle grade fantasy that focuses on classism, familial ties, the expectations that are placed on us or that we place upon ourselves, and the aspirations of being a kind and just heir who "understands the world beyond the confines of one's inheritance." Rue and Merri have two very different lived experiences yet have more in common than they even know. Feasts have a lavish life and vigorish magical training while Famine study history, alchemy and develop elixirs to stave off hunger. Both families have been keeping secrets from the girls, and I enjoyed watching how their shared hidden past lead them closer and closer toward one another and a final understanding of how and why the duel began in the first place. Through the alternating narratives of Merri and Rue the author fills in some of the key details and helps the reader to understand these girls better. What motivates them and who is most important to them. Fauret is an interesting world of demons, ancient magic, talking cats, an adorable puppy and two houses that have long been divided over social class. The story includes LGBTQIA+ representation with Rue having two mothers and two gay uncles and that final twist will have the reader eager for the next book in the series.
**A huge thank you to Sourcebooks for Young Readers for the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review**
March 27, 2025
That was one hot mess.
I am stunned that there are aspiring and indie authors out there who can’t find an agent to represent them and at the same time, this sort of book gets published, and picked as a B&N book of the month, no less!
I didn’t hate this book. It started off fun and the author had some really unique, creative ideas. But it was TOO many ideas, in too-little, if any, editing that resulted in a convoluted, confusing book that should not be identifying as a middle grade novel. I read this as a buddy read, which was the only way either of us could find some semblance of plot and required multiple check-ins to accumulate an accurate cast of characters.
The ending was rushed and confusing and didn’t answer any of our questions (who is the actual mother? The father? How did they pick which one to separate from the other two and why? What do Silas and Nichol have to do with the Centurion and how does Wort factor into it all? How are there doubles of the triplets? Why do some demons look like cats? etc etc )
This is clearly meant to be book one of a series, but I will not be continuing.
Gorgeous cover, though!
I am stunned that there are aspiring and indie authors out there who can’t find an agent to represent them and at the same time, this sort of book gets published, and picked as a B&N book of the month, no less!
I didn’t hate this book. It started off fun and the author had some really unique, creative ideas. But it was TOO many ideas, in too-little, if any, editing that resulted in a convoluted, confusing book that should not be identifying as a middle grade novel. I read this as a buddy read, which was the only way either of us could find some semblance of plot and required multiple check-ins to accumulate an accurate cast of characters.
The ending was rushed and confusing and didn’t answer any of our questions (who is the actual mother? The father? How did they pick which one to separate from the other two and why? What do Silas and Nichol have to do with the Centurion and how does Wort factor into it all? How are there doubles of the triplets? Why do some demons look like cats? etc etc )
This is clearly meant to be book one of a series, but I will not be continuing.
Gorgeous cover, though!
February 12, 2025
DNF at 45% was not hitting for me.
January 26, 2025
Cute, middle grade book- hopefully some of my questions will be answered in the follow up!
Read
August 7, 2025DNF-ing at 20%. I think the concept is interesting, I just feel like I've read this story before. Maybe I'll try it again later...
May 6, 2025
Okay first of all, this book is amazing!🤩
It’s super intriguing starting from the first page. At some points I had to sit there and think about what I just read!!
It’s probably one of my favorites!!!
What I’m most excited about is that theirs going to be 3 books!!(author told me that! She’s really cool😎!!)
Lastly, this book confirms my dislike of cats!
This is sooooo good!! Totally think everyone should read this!
It’s super intriguing starting from the first page. At some points I had to sit there and think about what I just read!!
It’s probably one of my favorites!!!
What I’m most excited about is that theirs going to be 3 books!!(author told me that! She’s really cool😎!!)
Lastly, this book confirms my dislike of cats!
This is sooooo good!! Totally think everyone should read this!
April 24, 2025
This should have been a DNF but I had hope it would get better. Nope I was wrong 😑
February 19, 2025
I enjoyed this book! It was easy to follow and I’m looking forward to the second book in the series!
March 1, 2025
“She had simply been left to grow wild among her books, like a weed.” 📖🗡️🍃
This book was so fun! The magic system was whimsical and I’m of course endeared to any story with sentient books. That being said I was a little confused towards the end and the sister dynamic felt like it needed a more development. As for if I’ll continue on with the series I guess only time will tell. 💜
This book was so fun! The magic system was whimsical and I’m of course endeared to any story with sentient books. That being said I was a little confused towards the end and the sister dynamic felt like it needed a more development. As for if I’ll continue on with the series I guess only time will tell. 💜
January 28, 2025
THIS will be THE children’s fantasy, it has beautiful writing and even better atmosphere. It’s a fantastic introduction into a fantasy world that while being lore driven, still maintains an easy read for the age range!
Thank you to sourcebooks kids for my gifted copy!
Thank you to sourcebooks kids for my gifted copy!
September 13, 2024
Rue Famine and Merriment Feast are destined to duel each other to decide which family will reign supreme over Fauret. As they prepare for the battle set for their thirteenth birthdays, they each realize their families are keeping secrets from them that may change their world forever.
An interesting, but somewhat frustrating book where you're left with more questions than answers. Even with series books, I appreciate a series that gives you at least some closure in the individual books, and I'm not sure if I could say that about this. Although the plot is intriguing, some of the character development leaves a bit to be desired. I feel like Rue and Bun (Abundance) aren't really fleshed out as much as they could be, particularly Rue, who is such an integral character.
An interesting, but somewhat frustrating book where you're left with more questions than answers. Even with series books, I appreciate a series that gives you at least some closure in the individual books, and I'm not sure if I could say that about this. Although the plot is intriguing, some of the character development leaves a bit to be desired. I feel like Rue and Bun (Abundance) aren't really fleshed out as much as they could be, particularly Rue, who is such an integral character.
July 5, 2025
DNF at about halfway.
The concept, magic, and the whole Feast and Famine thing is an awesome idea, but the execution isn't quite there for me. There's definitely some cool and interesting parts, but honestly just not enough to keep me going.
I didn't think there was any variety in any of the characters at all. They kinda all followed the same cookie-cutter baseline: curious, gay, magic-oriented, and breaks some rules. That right there can describe pretty much all of them, except the two aunts, who are basically the same person as each other, just mean instead of curious.
The training sessions were basically the same as well: mean aunt does stuff that clearly isn't working -> gets mad there's no progress -> repeat step one.
The concept, magic, and the whole Feast and Famine thing is an awesome idea, but the execution isn't quite there for me. There's definitely some cool and interesting parts, but honestly just not enough to keep me going.
I didn't think there was any variety in any of the characters at all. They kinda all followed the same cookie-cutter baseline: curious, gay, magic-oriented, and breaks some rules. That right there can describe pretty much all of them, except the two aunts, who are basically the same person as each other, just mean instead of curious.
The training sessions were basically the same as well: mean aunt does stuff that clearly isn't working -> gets mad there's no progress -> repeat step one.
July 29, 2025
First, I want to give the cover art a 4/5. It looks so cool with the beautiful white cat, and the items in the corners. I was excited to see what kind of fantasy world awaited me.
But then my overall rating of the book is 2/5. The story started out good, the introduction to the world, the family fued, and meeting Rue and Merri got me hooked. But as I got half way through, I started getting a bad feeling. The pacing of the store went from slow, to rushing to the final dule and the ending.
And that's when the story started to fall apart. All of a sudden the character development stopped, new plot points were being introduced every chapter, but they were not give time to be developed into something that felt important.
Then there were the things that did not make sense. 1) When Merri abandoned Wort and him family in demon space, without even acknowledging she was leaving them or if she intended to try to get them back. 2) Merri was shown to be good with swords and charms (her families weapons) but for some reason Rue was so self douting that she could barely make the simple potions of here family. It would have been better if both girls were skilled in their family magic and questioning the destiny of the duel in their own ways. 3) The twist where Rue, Merri, and Bun end up being sister could have been a cool plot point, but they never explained how it happened that they were born triplets but then separated. 4) Merris waa too accepting of Rue telling her they were sisters. They hadn't even met before that point, and she was so calm about the whole thing There was no internal struggle of her learning to like her as a person and them coming to accept her as a sister. 5) Many points of the story were not ever explained. Some of them being: how the duels actually started, what happened to Merri's mother, what was the deal Rue's mother made with the demon, what happened to the old gods, why do the sweets have ingredients like caramelized beetles and worm jelly????? It was so infuriating at the end. 6) All three girls were the key to ending the duels, but Bun was hardly in the story till all of a sudden she is narrating the last chapter and basically just confused about everything that happened in the book.
I had such high hopes when I picked this up, thinking it would be a book that people overlook or underestimate, and I was discovering a hidden gem. But I was sadly disappointed.
But then my overall rating of the book is 2/5. The story started out good, the introduction to the world, the family fued, and meeting Rue and Merri got me hooked. But as I got half way through, I started getting a bad feeling. The pacing of the store went from slow, to rushing to the final dule and the ending.
And that's when the story started to fall apart. All of a sudden the character development stopped, new plot points were being introduced every chapter, but they were not give time to be developed into something that felt important.
Then there were the things that did not make sense. 1) When Merri abandoned Wort and him family in demon space, without even acknowledging she was leaving them or if she intended to try to get them back. 2) Merri was shown to be good with swords and charms (her families weapons) but for some reason Rue was so self douting that she could barely make the simple potions of here family. It would have been better if both girls were skilled in their family magic and questioning the destiny of the duel in their own ways. 3) The twist where Rue, Merri, and Bun end up being sister could have been a cool plot point, but they never explained how it happened that they were born triplets but then separated. 4) Merris waa too accepting of Rue telling her they were sisters. They hadn't even met before that point, and she was so calm about the whole thing There was no internal struggle of her learning to like her as a person and them coming to accept her as a sister. 5) Many points of the story were not ever explained. Some of them being: how the duels actually started, what happened to Merri's mother, what was the deal Rue's mother made with the demon, what happened to the old gods, why do the sweets have ingredients like caramelized beetles and worm jelly????? It was so infuriating at the end. 6) All three girls were the key to ending the duels, but Bun was hardly in the story till all of a sudden she is narrating the last chapter and basically just confused about everything that happened in the book.
I had such high hopes when I picked this up, thinking it would be a book that people overlook or underestimate, and I was discovering a hidden gem. But I was sadly disappointed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 9, 2024
Merriment (Merri) Feast and Rue Famine have never met, yet they have grown up knowing about each other their entire lives. Because Merri and Rue know that when they turn thirteen, they will need to duel each other for guardianship of the land of Fauret. If they fail in fulfilling their duty, they may lose access to their magic and their land will be overrun by demons. As their thirteenth birthdays approach (and they realize the education and training they’ve been receiving for the duel has not actually prepared them), both Merri and Rue begin to wonder if what they’ve been raised to believe about their opposing families is actually true. But can they uncover the truth before it’s too late? Most characters present as White. There is open LGBTQIA+ representation, with Rue raised by two moms and having gay uncles.
The Last Great Heir is a good, light middle grade fantasy to get readers interested in the genre that does not have a romance subplot and is mostly violence free. As with many fantasies, the book pulls from real life themes of classism, right and wrong, and what it means to rule wisely and fairly for ALL citizens. The text would work well at opening discussions between an adult and their t(w)een reading this book about current politics, along with acknowledging that history texts are often biased, based on who is writing them.
I really enjoyed Merri and Rue as protagonists and the dichotomy between them. The mystery that both girls stumble upon (and then are determined to solve) is interesting. I loved Rue's uncles and while I know the story will continue in book two, I'd be very happy to get a spinoff focusing on side characters, Wort and Sage. Lastly, I adored how books/libraries play into the narrative and Poppy (every young person making good trouble needs a trusty dog by their side). Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...
The Last Great Heir is a good, light middle grade fantasy to get readers interested in the genre that does not have a romance subplot and is mostly violence free. As with many fantasies, the book pulls from real life themes of classism, right and wrong, and what it means to rule wisely and fairly for ALL citizens. The text would work well at opening discussions between an adult and their t(w)een reading this book about current politics, along with acknowledging that history texts are often biased, based on who is writing them.
I really enjoyed Merri and Rue as protagonists and the dichotomy between them. The mystery that both girls stumble upon (and then are determined to solve) is interesting. I loved Rue's uncles and while I know the story will continue in book two, I'd be very happy to get a spinoff focusing on side characters, Wort and Sage. Lastly, I adored how books/libraries play into the narrative and Poppy (every young person making good trouble needs a trusty dog by their side). Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...
January 16, 2025
Content Warnings:
Thank you Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Representations: https://trello.com/c/0g8YKmS4/129-fea...
I really loved the characters!! They were super fun, the feasts were really different to the famine's so despite there being quite a lot of characters they *mostly* were pretty easy to tell apart. I mainly just mixed up the mums and the uncles but that didn't really cause that many issues tbh. The main characters had super interesting POVs and I really loved how they played off of each other and especially how their chapters contrasted. Very nice use of essentially 2 different class brackets and how the families interact with the town!!
The plot and world-building was genuinely super interesting. It felt a tad "2 warring families" generic at the start but then evolved into something really lovely! It did remind me a lot of the Witch's Duel in S1 of Owl House lol, but that might also just be my brain being too obsessed with TOH 😂 The lore though is written in a very lore-dumpy way, which does make sense due to how the kids learn about things and the fact they also kinda have to learn it all, but yeah it is largely just told to you. There is some really nice things around showing how the 2 families interact with the town but even then those things end up being just explicitly told to you as well. I didn't find it was as bad as other things I've read, but it did knock the quality down a little.
Another thing I absolutely loved about this is the descriptions! Food and clothes specifically were so vibrant and vivid it was fantastic! And the recipe at the end? Honestly might have to make those they sound absolutely delicious 🤤 Reading the authors note at the end to see the author is a food writer honestly didn't surprise me haha, they sure used those skills very well here!!
Graphic:Disassociation, Classism
Thank you Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Representations: https://trello.com/c/0g8YKmS4/129-fea...
I really loved the characters!! They were super fun, the feasts were really different to the famine's so despite there being quite a lot of characters they *mostly* were pretty easy to tell apart. I mainly just mixed up the mums and the uncles but that didn't really cause that many issues tbh. The main characters had super interesting POVs and I really loved how they played off of each other and especially how their chapters contrasted. Very nice use of essentially 2 different class brackets and how the families interact with the town!!
The plot and world-building was genuinely super interesting. It felt a tad "2 warring families" generic at the start but then evolved into something really lovely! It did remind me a lot of the Witch's Duel in S1 of Owl House lol, but that might also just be my brain being too obsessed with TOH 😂 The lore though is written in a very lore-dumpy way, which does make sense due to how the kids learn about things and the fact they also kinda have to learn it all, but yeah it is largely just told to you. There is some really nice things around showing how the 2 families interact with the town but even then those things end up being just explicitly told to you as well. I didn't find it was as bad as other things I've read, but it did knock the quality down a little.
Another thing I absolutely loved about this is the descriptions! Food and clothes specifically were so vibrant and vivid it was fantastic! And the recipe at the end? Honestly might have to make those they sound absolutely delicious 🤤 Reading the authors note at the end to see the author is a food writer honestly didn't surprise me haha, they sure used those skills very well here!!
Read
April 19, 2025I wasn't sure what to expect. I thought it would be a not-as-well done version of Three Dark Crowns but it wasn't that at all!
For generations, the 13 yr old heir of Feast must battle the 13 yr old heir of Famine in order to determine who will win the rule of the kingdom until the next generation comes along. Feasts have always been told that Famines appreciate darkness, sobriety, and no food of any sort. All doom and gloom thank you very much. Famines have always been told the reason the people of the land are starving is due to Famine excess. Feasts are only frivolous beings who don't value reason or thought.
Both are somewhat right and both are somewhat wrong.
As the day of the duel gets closer and closer both girls start to find out there is MUCH more to the story than they initially thought...
I liked that this serves as a an obvious metaphor of where we are at in the United States. Dems on one side, Reps on the other. Many on both sides believing the other must be pure evil. But, as often is the case, it's more complex than that.
I did think the world building was a bit convoluted but that might shake out in the next book. This is Finn's debut afterall!
----
Content Notes:
Swearing/profanity: None
Sex/sexual references: None
Religious references: Yes, mentions of old gods or gods before the Feast/Famine dynamic came into play. Demons are very much present in this story. They aren't the same as those in the Bible or other religious texts though so maybe it's more like Howl's Moving Castle type demons?? Like you could just call them some other word -- monsters? fae? --to describe them and it would be the same?
LGBTQIA + rep? Yes, casual representation indicating that one's sexual identity is not up for debate in this world. Rue has two mothers and two uncles. There are some same sex couples in the Feast court.
For generations, the 13 yr old heir of Feast must battle the 13 yr old heir of Famine in order to determine who will win the rule of the kingdom until the next generation comes along. Feasts have always been told that Famines appreciate darkness, sobriety, and no food of any sort. All doom and gloom thank you very much. Famines have always been told the reason the people of the land are starving is due to Famine excess. Feasts are only frivolous beings who don't value reason or thought.
Both are somewhat right and both are somewhat wrong.
As the day of the duel gets closer and closer both girls start to find out there is MUCH more to the story than they initially thought...
I liked that this serves as a an obvious metaphor of where we are at in the United States. Dems on one side, Reps on the other. Many on both sides believing the other must be pure evil. But, as often is the case, it's more complex than that.
I did think the world building was a bit convoluted but that might shake out in the next book. This is Finn's debut afterall!
----
Content Notes:
Swearing/profanity: None
Sex/sexual references: None
Religious references: Yes, mentions of old gods or gods before the Feast/Famine dynamic came into play. Demons are very much present in this story. They aren't the same as those in the Bible or other religious texts though so maybe it's more like Howl's Moving Castle type demons?? Like you could just call them some other word -- monsters? fae? --to describe them and it would be the same?
LGBTQIA + rep? Yes, casual representation indicating that one's sexual identity is not up for debate in this world. Rue has two mothers and two uncles. There are some same sex couples in the Feast court.
January 25, 2025
DNF.
The premise of two feuding families with 13 year olds dueling on their birthday for control of the kingdom sounded intriguing, especially when magic, potions, demons and talking cats plus a locked up and mysterious Centurion made it start out even better. But the shifts between the two duelers, Rue of the family Famine and Merriment from the Feast family, were clunky, too many family members that were not well-developed enough to keep straight or truly care about and way too much unexplained aspects to the Helix, Centurion and what exactly was supposed to happen during this duel. I kept reading because I was anxious to find out if the Famine family would win this generation and if her rule would solve the probably of so many in the kingdom starving while everyone close to the Feasts reveled in luxury and plenty. Merriment and Rue both were beginning to work out all the mysteries and although they both have been kept in the dark everything for their whole lives, they both were beginning to see some truths about where they lived and wonder about this whole duel situation.
As of page 125, there was no profanity, sexual content and no violence although there was a duel with weapons, spells and potions coming. Race of the characters is left ambiguous, but same sex relationships are common and family, at least among the ruling class, is important.
The premise of two feuding families with 13 year olds dueling on their birthday for control of the kingdom sounded intriguing, especially when magic, potions, demons and talking cats plus a locked up and mysterious Centurion made it start out even better. But the shifts between the two duelers, Rue of the family Famine and Merriment from the Feast family, were clunky, too many family members that were not well-developed enough to keep straight or truly care about and way too much unexplained aspects to the Helix, Centurion and what exactly was supposed to happen during this duel. I kept reading because I was anxious to find out if the Famine family would win this generation and if her rule would solve the probably of so many in the kingdom starving while everyone close to the Feasts reveled in luxury and plenty. Merriment and Rue both were beginning to work out all the mysteries and although they both have been kept in the dark everything for their whole lives, they both were beginning to see some truths about where they lived and wonder about this whole duel situation.
As of page 125, there was no profanity, sexual content and no violence although there was a duel with weapons, spells and potions coming. Race of the characters is left ambiguous, but same sex relationships are common and family, at least among the ruling class, is important.
February 5, 2025
I love a cute, middle-grade book with magical families and opposing forces.
I am glad I picked up this book and dove into this eagerly. On one side of the fence we have Rue Famine who's family has taught her that living a fairly minimal life and avoiding indulgence is what is best for the land of Fauret. However, Merri and her sister Bun, grew up in the Feast household and were taught that a lavish lifestyle doesn't affect anyone. However, the land of Fauret is experiencing hard times and the people are going without in a lot of ways.
Rue knows on her 13th birthday, she will have to face off against Merri in a battle of magical abilities to see who's family will be the custodians of the land. But the girls do not want to fight and each has her own reason for why she would rather escape her family than try to be the next to oversee Fauret.
The book is not without flaw but I think it is a great middle-grade read. There are a couple of twists and turns which makes it pretty exciting and I enjoy the way this story plays out. I certainly hope there will be more as I think it could make a good series.
I am glad I picked up this book and dove into this eagerly. On one side of the fence we have Rue Famine who's family has taught her that living a fairly minimal life and avoiding indulgence is what is best for the land of Fauret. However, Merri and her sister Bun, grew up in the Feast household and were taught that a lavish lifestyle doesn't affect anyone. However, the land of Fauret is experiencing hard times and the people are going without in a lot of ways.
Rue knows on her 13th birthday, she will have to face off against Merri in a battle of magical abilities to see who's family will be the custodians of the land. But the girls do not want to fight and each has her own reason for why she would rather escape her family than try to be the next to oversee Fauret.
The book is not without flaw but I think it is a great middle-grade read. There are a couple of twists and turns which makes it pretty exciting and I enjoy the way this story plays out. I certainly hope there will be more as I think it could make a good series.
April 5, 2025
4.75/5
"The Last Great Heir" is a fantastic middle grade novel about a duel, demons, and magic.
Every generation the heir of the Feast family and the heir of the Famine family must duel. Whichever family wins rules over their land and keeps the evil locked away. This generation's duel is nearing and both Merriment Feast and Rue Famine feel unprepared for what awaits them. But as each delves into the tales that prop up this ritual they discover more about themselves and the past than they had bargained for.
"The Last Great Heir" reminds me of the books I devoured as a child. There is magic, fantastical characters, a world filled with fables, and things aren't as they seem. Finn does a great job of creating a believable world with that extra something that makes it feel like absolute magic. The magic itself is part of it but I think it is also the library and the cats and the classic way the story is structured. Despite feeling very classic in its telling, the unique characters and Finn's writing make it feel new and exciting. If you're looking for a middle grade fantasy with a fabulist bent then I highly recommend "The Last Great Heir."
"The Last Great Heir" is a fantastic middle grade novel about a duel, demons, and magic.
Every generation the heir of the Feast family and the heir of the Famine family must duel. Whichever family wins rules over their land and keeps the evil locked away. This generation's duel is nearing and both Merriment Feast and Rue Famine feel unprepared for what awaits them. But as each delves into the tales that prop up this ritual they discover more about themselves and the past than they had bargained for.
"The Last Great Heir" reminds me of the books I devoured as a child. There is magic, fantastical characters, a world filled with fables, and things aren't as they seem. Finn does a great job of creating a believable world with that extra something that makes it feel like absolute magic. The magic itself is part of it but I think it is also the library and the cats and the classic way the story is structured. Despite feeling very classic in its telling, the unique characters and Finn's writing make it feel new and exciting. If you're looking for a middle grade fantasy with a fabulist bent then I highly recommend "The Last Great Heir."
June 29, 2025
This was such an interesting world. I liked learning about the magic; it definitely seems like there’s still so much more to learn about it. The ending felt rushed - for example, there was a lot of lore delivered with a twist, but it was the reader’s first time being introduced to some of these stories. It would have felt more like connecting the dots if they were teased earlier, then brought full circle. Some moments flew by like a crucial character being affected by events at the end, occurring off-page. The realization of this isn’t really explained well, but it is a pivotal moment for one of the girls. Instead of it carrying the emotional impact it needed, I was confused and going back to see if I missed something. Something I really enjoyed about this book was Merri and Rue working through their misconceptions about their world. They were compelling main characters and complement each other well.
September 18, 2025
I’m a sucker for this premise because of how much I loved Three Dark Crowns, and I really do think this has potential to be really great. If it was edited. Because, genuinely, I don’t think it was? I don’t mean this in a mean way, I mean this in a “there are very normal amounts of mechanical and content consistency issues that would normally be present in a draft of a manuscript” way. Quite a few typos, lots of cliche, awkward dialogue, no explanations for things we needed explanations for and over-explaining things we didn’t. Lots of telling instead of showing in regard to character traits, and then having characters say and do things outside of the character traits the author told us they possessed. Really inconsistent lore as well.
I think this reads like a great draft of a manuscript, and I believe it could have been a great published novel, had it been given the polishing it needs.
I think this reads like a great draft of a manuscript, and I believe it could have been a great published novel, had it been given the polishing it needs.
January 28, 2025
I wanted to start off by saying that I appreciated how easy the world building and magic system was to follow.
The writing was very enjoyable, I found that my reading journey was seamless and everything flowed nicely together. The descriptions of all the food in the series made my stomach grumble a few too many times 😂 I’m definitely going to have to try to replicate the recipe mentioned at the end of the book!
Lastly, I really appreciated the way that serious topics were introduced in this book for this age group. Carina did a great job explaining classism in clear, simple terms, providing a foundation for future discussions about the world we live in.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story! I will warn you though that this book is going to make you want a bookcase demon 😂
Thank you so much Sourcebooks Kids for sending me a copy of this book!
The writing was very enjoyable, I found that my reading journey was seamless and everything flowed nicely together. The descriptions of all the food in the series made my stomach grumble a few too many times 😂 I’m definitely going to have to try to replicate the recipe mentioned at the end of the book!
Lastly, I really appreciated the way that serious topics were introduced in this book for this age group. Carina did a great job explaining classism in clear, simple terms, providing a foundation for future discussions about the world we live in.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story! I will warn you though that this book is going to make you want a bookcase demon 😂
Thank you so much Sourcebooks Kids for sending me a copy of this book!
April 25, 2025
I picked this up not realising it was actually a children’s book but decided to go with it anyway, the cover was so pretty and it was in the wrong section at the book store haha
The book itself was interesting and made a good breather in between some intense books I had been reading recently.
The storyline had some twists, many that I expected but the crux of the plot was good. The only downfall was the incredibly abrupt end. It didn’t even feel like a cliffhanger? It just felt like the author had given up writing and just left it there…will there be more book? Who knows but I should hope so as it was really unclear.
Some of the final chapters were slightly confusing, it felt like too much was going on and not enough detail was being given to paint a picture.
Overall, a nice step into the fantasy genre for people or like I said, a nice breather from heavy books!
The book itself was interesting and made a good breather in between some intense books I had been reading recently.
The storyline had some twists, many that I expected but the crux of the plot was good. The only downfall was the incredibly abrupt end. It didn’t even feel like a cliffhanger? It just felt like the author had given up writing and just left it there…will there be more book? Who knows but I should hope so as it was really unclear.
Some of the final chapters were slightly confusing, it felt like too much was going on and not enough detail was being given to paint a picture.
Overall, a nice step into the fantasy genre for people or like I said, a nice breather from heavy books!
May 31, 2025
Rue Famine and Merriment Feast have been taught their entire lives that they are enemies and that they are required to duel each other on their 13th birthdays to determine who will rule Fauret for the coming generation--the Feasts, whose lives are spent luxuriating, or the Famines, whose lives are spent in abstention in order to serve the poor. However, each discovers they have not been told the whole story, or even a story close to the truth. In the end, they discover a way to dispense with the dueling, and set up a way to their next story. I enjoyed parts of the book immensely, but found I was having trouble reconciling information provided with the storyline. Still, the characters are engaging and I will likely read the next story, since I expect from the ending that there will be another.
December 31, 2025
Close third-person limited narration gives a rich view on the interior lives of Rue Famine and Merri Feast as they draw closer to their impending duel to determine the next ruler of Fauret. Despite intense socialization into the virtues of their respective clans and against the vices of the other, each girl has an irrepressible curiosity about the other's strengths, and they begin to learn that their rival clan is not the evil they were portrayed to be. The other's experience is a lot closer to our own than we might first imagine. Strong themes of social justice and courage.
Unfortunately, the book ends rather abruptly, and the resolution to the primary conflict was a bit unsatisfying in execution, but the rich characterization and compelling themes make up for weaknesses in the ending. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more in this series.
Unfortunately, the book ends rather abruptly, and the resolution to the primary conflict was a bit unsatisfying in execution, but the rich characterization and compelling themes make up for weaknesses in the ending. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more in this series.
February 11, 2025
The Last Great Heir is an atmospheric middle grade fantasy novel following the perspectives of Merriment Feast and Rue Famine, the heirs of their respective houses. The girls are meant to duel on their thirteenth birthday, however, they have been left in secrecy regarding the nature of the duel for their entire lives. In the days leading up to their duel, the girls uncover a great deal about the land that they reside in as well as the secrets that have been hidden from them by their families.
I loved the magic system of charms and potions, the delightful animal and demon companions, and the delicious descriptions of food throughout the story.
Thank you to Sourcebooks Young Readers and Carina Finn for the copy of this book that I received through Goodreads Giveaways!
I loved the magic system of charms and potions, the delightful animal and demon companions, and the delicious descriptions of food throughout the story.
Thank you to Sourcebooks Young Readers and Carina Finn for the copy of this book that I received through Goodreads Giveaways!
February 14, 2025
My 9 year old and I read this one together and really enjoyed it. Filled with magic and adventure, this is a story of family dynamics and expectations. Two girls are expected to duel one another to rule the land and by working together, they find a way to work around that and choose their own paths.
This book imparts some really great messages on the reader like the importance of kindness, believing in yourself and others, and accepting people for who they are. It’s a light and easy read for the target audience, and it’s not too difficult to navigate the fantasy elements which can be tricky for some readers. My 9 year old gave this one a solid 4.
Thanks so much to @sourcebooks and @sourcebookskids for the gifted copy!
This book imparts some really great messages on the reader like the importance of kindness, believing in yourself and others, and accepting people for who they are. It’s a light and easy read for the target audience, and it’s not too difficult to navigate the fantasy elements which can be tricky for some readers. My 9 year old gave this one a solid 4.
Thanks so much to @sourcebooks and @sourcebookskids for the gifted copy!
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