The Last Namsara

I loved this book! This story was so great. It was like being around a campfire while someone told me the old stories. I love Asha and Torwin and all the characters really. And dragons, I love dragons.

You should definitely check this out if you haven’t yet! It’s awesome and I can’t wait for the next book.

Loved the story and the narrator! Gave me some How To Train Your Dragon Vibes.

This is a hard hitting story about a woman and her nations' slow journey to healing, growth, new perspectives and beauty of self love. The flawed and fierce protagonist is compelling, heartfelt, and profoundly conflicted by everything from her heritage to the world around her - not to mention her role in it. Brilliant in a dazzling array of ways!

Her voice is exquisite ♥️

I’d recommend to a friend.

Another great book! I love the way this author unfolds the story. It flows so well.

It was entertaining: interesting characters and an interesting plot twist

One of the best books I’ve ever read ! The plot was amazing and kept you guessing ! The romance was so great and the characters really all are well developed. Lots of character development which is hard to find in books. I wish there was a second that continued this story of the Main character. The narrator is so good, it is very hard to find books on here that have good narration that won’t make you leave cringing. I really would enjoy more books by the author and narrator. Good pairing !

I started listening to this on a whim but I’m glad I did. What a beautiful story!

In The Last Namsara, the main character Asha grew up being hated by her people. She was the daughter of the Dragon King, a princess, but it also was because of her that her city was burned, her mother was killed, and she was disfigured. It was because of her that the telling of stories became forbidden. For to tell a dragon a story gave it the power of fire, without the stories dragons were left without dragonfire. Asha had spoken stories to the Dragons and this folly, that was since outlawed, brought on all the destruction. Or so she was told. Her recollection of the events that took place are fuzzy in her memories. What she clearly remembers is the burning of her flesh and her barely surviving the poisoning she received from the dragonfire. Although she survived, she was left with a reminder, a burn scar that started from her forehead and ran all the way down her left side.I really enjoyed the story of how this world was created and how Namsara and Iskari came to be. It is beautiful and tragic. In this world, there needed to be balance. So, in the beginning the Old One created Namsara, beloved by all, who brought laughter and love. He also created Iskari who brought only destruction, death, and life taker. Or so the legend goes. After being badly burned and barely surviving, Asha received the moniker of Iskari and has spent a better part of her life trying to right her wrongs. Over time, Asha took strength from the citizens hate. She was the Iskari – she owned it and makes no apologies. Unfortunately, she made no apologies because she had come to believe that she was corrupt, hideous and horrible.Asha thought she was wicked and no one had killed as many dragons as she had. She thought that killing the dragons was a way to show the people that she was sorry, but no matter how many she killed it never made a difference to them. Asha was reviled by all but her cousin and brother and even they were not allowed to interact with her that often. The only person who dared openly touch her was her betrothed, Jarek, and he was a real piece of work. I loathe this character entirely! Asha’s marriage to Jarek was impending and she wanted nothing more than to be freed from her contract with him.It was the desire to escape her soon-to-be marriage that made Asha desperate enough to take on a task that was suicidal. If she was successful in her quest then there was a chance that she could escape marriage to Jarek and to Asha that itself was worth all the risks. It was no easy task though and her chances seemed doomed from the start. Nothing went the way Asha had anticipated and soon she found that she had an unlikely friend, someone with whom she should have never had any type of relationship with, a slave from her betrothed’s household. When it seemed as if nothing was going to plan and the odds were stacked against her, Asha found the courage to face the truth of her past. A truth that would change everything that Asha believed to be right and with this knowledge she would change the course of history.The Last Namsara is a thrilling fantasy filled with dragons, political subterfuge, slavery, and a budding romance. The romance was more like a sweet little puppy dog romance, nothing too in-depth. Honestly, I could have done without it, but it was nice nonetheless. There were prophecies that came into play and I always enjoy that. I loved the dragons throughout this story. Amazing! It was not just that there were dragons but that they were an integral part to the story and their part was written so well. Age-old stories played a big role and speaking the stories out loud lured the dragons while giving them the power of dragonfire. So very cool! The magic system in this world is also fabulous, it revolves around the power of words and stories, what bibliophile doesn’t love that?! The ending of this story was emotional and at the same time was out of this world and I cannot wait for the next installment in this series! All I can say about this debut novel is whoooo hooooooooo!!This review is based on a complimentary book I received from Edelweiss+. It is an honest and voluntary review. The complimentary receipt of it in no way affected my review or rating.

This book for me was 4 1/2 stars it was good to have a decent Dragon story again.

Definitely a slow one but the story is quite amazing. I feel like the protagonist should have been given more opportunities to show her skill other than her storytelling. I also did not like that her cousin was the one to kill the commandant. He deserved a slower, more painful end.

Beautiful story. Beautiful narrator. Perfectly paired. Honestly this story had a little bit of everything. It was so sweet and painful. I wish we got more of the side characters stories like what happened with her brother. I feel like if this was a multi POV story it would have really took it that much further but I understand that the story really lied in our main character. Her lack of faith in herself and obliviousness to what is really going on can be frustrating but considering her upbringing it makes sense and really all comes together at the end of the book. The story line seems almost slow but everything is significant to the core of the story. Overall, I would recommend this to a younger audience, there is no spicy besides 1 or 2 kissing scenes and would be a good transition into more mature story telling.

I'm really glad I picked the audiobook instead of the actual book. I really enjoyed the narrative...

I did not expect to enjoy this book so much as it isn’t my usual genre. I couldn’t put it down. I want to introduce to you the NovelStar app, a new platform for authors where you can publish your stories with great benefits. For more info, you can email our editors hardy@novelstar.top, joye@novelstar.top, or lena@novelstar.top.

This book is very good. Just listen to it. It will not be a waste of time. Non at all!

Dragons, magic, intrigue, dragons, treason, families, dragons, legends, adventure, dragons...
Really liked it and can't wait for the next one in the series.

I will be honest, I am not sure if I confused myself from going back and forth from the physical read to the audiobook, but I was so confused and lost. This was very slow paced that by the time a point was made I had no idea why the point needed to make sense. To be fair I google a break down of this book to see if maybe it was just my comprehension that lacked the understanding and following of this story line and it might very well be but at the same time if this was originally intended for UK children - Ya chart I'm scratching my head how could a child follow this. It was so much going on and so long winded in some areas that I literally would just blank out. I really wanted to love this book but unfortunately it is a no for me and I will not continue with the series.

However I am a firm believer that just because I didn't like something that someone else might not like it. If you like tales of dragons and defiant princesses and slaves falling for royalty then check this out, maybe it will be for you.

Never forget: you are not what you’ve been told you are, you are what lies within you.


Oh, I took my sweet time before picking this book up and let me tell you I did not regret it. Why? I'm kinda in a reading slump right now and this The Last Namsara just burned right through it? I feel like I read this book in just a day? It's fast-paced but well done. It didn't like anything was rushed you know. The world-building was awesome. It didn't pour out all the information in one go or a page by page info dump. It was gradual and left me wanting to learn more about this new world and its myths. The characters? Good. Asha was multi-faceted. She's confident, stubborn and could stand on her own but at the same time she was also in self-doubt, thinks she's unworthy and is a monster. You've probably read a character like this before but with her, it's well done. Other characters were also interesting! Like her brother Dax, Roa, Safire and Torwin too. I know in the next books we get to learn more about the first three but hopefully more of Torwin too. I hope he doesn't fall into the just "the love interest" role.
Anyone looking for a good book about coming of age, feminism, and good lore, this one's a good read.

Spoiler free description:
MC- female, white, 18, straight
World: somewhere between Merlin and GOT
Spice 0.5/5
Angst: 4/5
trigger warnings: pet death, daddy issues, mommy issues, mentally abusive partners, natural disasters (kinda?) fire.
Major plot hinges on misunderstood intentions. Not sure if this is a standalone novel but it can be read as such if not.
Sort of spoilers: MC is a bigot for a lot of the book and I’m not sure if I feel like she was given much growth in the way of actually seeing the fault in her world view, just that she developed empathy for two individuals among the things she looked down upon and poof her systemic beliefs all disappeared.

The plot was good. Though I wished more it had more details and descriptions about the dragons. The love story was subtle yet touching.

*I received an ARC from the publisher through Edelweiss. This does not affect my review.*

This one really grew on me. When I started it, it was kind of slow, and I wasn't completely sure what was happening, but the more I read, the more it started to make sense. And like many of the books I've read lately, this is one of those books that it's best to go in knowing next to nothing, allowing the story to unfold as you read.

The characters were well written, and I really enjoyed reading their story. Where Asha and Roa had to grow on me, I instantly liked Dax and Torwin, and Safire. I also loved the dragons and the stories. The lore is so beautiful, and entrancing.

The only thing I didn't care for was the fact that the story took about 30% to really draw me in. While I was interested before that, I was kind of meh in parts, and didn't really understand what was going on, which as I read on, made sense, but made it hard to really care for anything that happened up to that point, even though the beginning was laying the groundwork for the rest of the story.

I loved this book! This story was so great. It was like being around a campfire while someone told me the old stories. I love Asha and Torwin and all the characters really. And dragons, I love dragons.

You should definitely check this out if you haven’t yet! It’s awesome and I can’t wait for the next book.

This story captured a legendary feeling. The characters seemed to be part of a story larger than themselves.

In the beginning, there was the Namsara: the child of sky and spirit, who carried love and laughter wherever he went. But where there is light, there must be darkness—and so there was also the Iskari.

Asha, daughter of the king of Firgaard,has been brought up on the legends about dragons since she could first listen. But the stories of the Old Ways still have great power, they were responsible for her mother losing her life and even when she whispers them, they still have the power to draw dragons to the city causing murder and mayhem.

The child of blood and moonlight. The destroyer. The death-bringer; Iskari

If she could kill the ancient dragon Kozu, the Old Ways will no longer have the grip that they currently do. Every dragon she conquers she brings it's head to her father, but Kozu is the prize that may release her from her betrothed, Jarek, a horrid man who almost has her in his grasp and keeps a secret over her and her family. Little by little she feels that she has become the Iskari. Dabbling in the Old Ways brings dangers that she won't be able to control, but she knows she may have no other choice other than to release them.

This is Kristen Ciccarelli's debut novel and apart from the odd minor flaws, it is pretty accomplished overall. It is fairly fast paced at times, only slowing at the points where the story needed it. She has written a good backstory to the book which gives it the depth that a fantasy needs and I liked the way that it is revealed slowly through the book as the Old Way stories, and unlike some flashbacks they didn't really intrude into the story, just added a certain gravitas. Looking forward to the next book in the series.

Starting this book when you want to go to sleep early, Bad Decision. Read it through when I should have been trying to sleep but it was an excellent read.

Asha is a Dragon slayer, she's trying to atone for the death of many people when her stories drew a Dragon into the city, her father manipulates her and his general wants her as his wife. that day is coming and she dreads that, now her life is about to change and things will never be the same again.

As I said I found it a compelling read.

This book was such a slow burn it was agonizingly delicious. I was impatient for the story as well as Asha’s and Torwin’s relationship to progress but at the same time I never wanted it to end. The flow of the book is pretty fast, there is always something happening but it also feels like it is moving at glacial speed. This is the first book where I have actually liked and appreciated how long it took these characters to accomplish something because we had to see their character development happen before they could start to exact some change in the storyline.

I loved the stories that explain the past, explain the history of his world. It was like getting little insights into unspoken part of this world. It was especially precious because of the importance that stories play into this fantasy world. Stories are forbidden because they corrupt souls and destroy people so it was like I was sharing a secret with the book. The role stories play and the power they contain is a recurring theme in this book which I thoroughly appreciated. When we start the book stories are for Asha to use to lure dragons, they are this destructive force that corrupt and kill people (her mother included). As Asha changes and begins to question her surroundings and long held beliefs she realizes that stories are not evil, but people are and the power they hold is merely the knowledge that are contained within them. I’ve personally always thought stories have immense power to change people after reading them and I am glad to see this in a book for the first time.

I feel like Asha was the only character that was truly fleshed out in this book and I wanted to know more about the other characters, her twin brother, Roa, Safire, Torwin, etc. I know that this book’s main character is Asha, but the side characters felt a little lacking because they weren’t explored enough characterwise and storywise as Asha was. Maybe this will change in the sequel but based on how the book ended I don’t know if it can.

The only thing I disliked about Asha is the fact that she is so small minded for lack of a better word. She blindly believes and thinks it is right to believe in the old ways and everything that has come before. Asha doesn’t question the world around her and the right or wrong of it unless it affects her directly. She is quite selfish in that regard, at least at the beginning of her story. It is wonderful to watch her change as she grows to care about a certain few. She turns from a selfish girl who never questions her father to one who loves the beasts she once slaughtered, a slave who she thought was beneath her, and questions everyone and everything.

You also get to understand how she became the person she was; that she was raised that way specifically by her father to make her easier to control. She was so focused on her supposed guilt for what she did to her people and trying to right that wrong that she willingly believes in everything her father tells her to do (since he was the only one not to shun her or be afraid of her). She thinks and believes her father is correct in everything so she blindly follows him which is why she grew up the way she did. The changes that she made to herself were small and took time which is very realistic. Very rarely do people do an about face overnight, it is slowly and gradually which is how it is depicted in the book. So while I liked how badass Asha was at the beginning, I much preferred the person she became by the end.

I knew Asha was going to turn out to be the Namsara cause it is literally in the title. I know she is supposed to be Iskari, and at one point I thought Roa or Safire might turn out to be the Namsara but I realized it when Asha was given the dragon. It is also ironic for her people that the person who they thought brought destruction actually was chosen to be their saviour. I don’t think Asha was ever the Iskari or the Namsara, I think she is a combination of both; she is both destroyer and saviour. I was so sad that after everything Asha had sacrificed for her own people, they still feared her and hated her. The people are ignorant of how far the Dragon King and his mother deceived them but I do hope one day Asha can be received happily and not like seeing her is a curse. I would love to see how she reacts to it and I am hoping to see it in the sequel since it is now known that she is the Namsara.

Torwin was an interesting character and I found that he kind of reminded me of Finnick from The Hunger Games. I really wanted his character to be explored more. I want to know more of his history and his backstory because I feel like there is more to it. Why was he out of all of the slaves in the castle chosen to be a part of the uprising? How did he know how to play an instrument? He was too knowledgeable, too outspoken, too strategic and good with a bow to be just a common slave. There had to be more of a reason why Torwin wanted to escape the kingdom to the West. I really liked Torwin as a character because he was very upfront, honest, caring, brave, level headed and at times endearingly arrogant. I feel like his character has a lot of unexplored potential that will hopefully come out more in the second book. Also, this is kind of insignificant but on page 331 Torwin’s name changes to Torwyn? A missed old version of the name that was changed? It is kind of odd but it stuck out to me and I would like to know why. Personally I like the spelling of Torwyn better.

I never suspected her father was the true villain of the book. I was so surprised to find him truly heartless and willing to sell out both of his children. That he was a greedy power monger. I kind of knew something was up with him but I never expected him to be as horrible, greedy and evil as he turned out to be. After I found out though I knew the Dragon King was going to die and I knew Asha was going to kill him. She would’ve killed her father to save her brother or Safire from having to do it and face the death penalty. Let alone how he manipulated and deceived her and destroyed her life. If she wanted Dax to rule, Safire to live, then it had to be her. It was also a surprise to find that this wasn’t just her father but also possibly her grandmother who committed seriously grievous acts as well. It just goes to show that the victors truly get to write history.

There were a couple things in this book that made me angry. The first Namsara pissed me off a bit; I hated how he talked in riddle and basically gave Asha no choice. He didn’t grow on me either the more we saw him too. Finding out a bit more of his past did make him a bit more human. I hated how he knew exactly what and how much he was asking of Asha and expected her to do it anyways. And how he told her with a grin the entire time! I just got more and more frustrated the more she interacted with him. That was nothing compared to what I am going to talk about next though. I AM SO ANGRY THAT SHADOW IS DEAD! I know he turned out to be more Towin’s dragon than Asha’s but I thought that they were supposed to portect Shadow so he was safe. HE WAS JUST A BABY! All that means is that her dragon (Kozu) is now a little cinnamon roll that must be guarded at all costs. While I was angry about Shadow it was soothed a bit by reading about Safire killing Jarek. He most certainly deserved it, but I didn’t think he would go down that easily. It was almost like his death was an afterthought after the King had died. That the author was merely tying up loose ends. i will forgive all that though because I wanted to see that jerk gone.

I thought the book was going to end on a cliffhanger but it ended quite nicely. I’m almost worried at how well it ended… As readers we have all learned that happiness in the first book is fleeting and won’t last long. (Yes, I may be a bit wounded from other books but at this point it is just self preservation). I don’t quite know where the story is going to go from here because there is so much possibility. Asha is the Namsara and it is her job to stitch the world back together, but how is she going to do that? Especially with her brother’s men after her and I am assuming there will be a price on her head. There are so many questions that I need answered and so many more kisses that I need to read!

So overall I really liked this book and I will definitely be picking up The Caged Queen when it come out. I can’t wait to see where the story goes and if the theories I have are correct. If you love YA fantasy, magic, dragons, stories and a badass female character then you definitely have to check out this book.

This book was slow at first, but gosh once it picked up, I couldn’t get enough. Epic Fantasy. Epic Love Story.

Asha was a fierce heroine with so many awesome qualities. She had a dark side, but also a glimmer of light that shone in the background. I loved her grit, but I also loved watching her grow into the Namsara.

I was quite impressed with the story progression. It was well thought out and written in a seasoned Author kind of way. The ancient stories really tied it all together, but the dragons and Torwin were the two factors that left me swooning. It was pure magic. Not insta love... Just slow burn, all consuming, raw romance. I’m pretty sure their story will stick with me forever. Shadow, Kozu, Torwin, and Asha...

Highly recommend to all fantasy lovers!

This is set in a world of black and white and grey all over. This is Good and Evil and the eternal struggle to balance/rectify the two both in the world and in ourselves. In a land where being a recounter of tales, a lover of lore and a spinner of the yarns of old...where words hold the power to seduce even the most Amazing/violent of creatures...they can harm or heal.. they even might have the power to kill (?) What would you do with such power? Who would you be? What is the very nature of said Power and how does it contribute to the timeless battle between Good & Evil?

I wanted to put this down SO many times, to traipse off with another tantalizing book that caught my eye but each time I sat back down and gave it another try I got caught up for hours and was transported somewhere amazing/cruel/imaginative etc...in the end what more can we ask for from a collection of words on a page/screen? The writing was nice and comfy. It did not stretch the mind into uncomfortable positions just to comprehend what was happening. It also was not simple, base or crude. It felt like how I would describe southern cooking feels like on a depressingly cold winter's day, slow, comfortable, like aaaaahhhhhhh.

I liked every aspect of the plotline from the amazing depiction of Dragons to the awful dichotomies of family, court and social prejudice. The author traversed themes such as how much we allow other people's views/actions define who/what we believe ourselves to be? How difficult it is to shuck off negative beliefs about ourselves and become the best version of ourselves. How much do we let predjudices define how & who we interact and connect with? How much must we give up to be true to ourselves? What would some people do to have/keep the Power? Can you be Good if you have done bad things?... and more.

When it comes down to it I really enjoyed the total package and might have even shed a few tears...might I say. I think you'll like this twisty turny tale that will keep you guessing until the very last chapter.

If you are looking for an EPIC dragon fantasy...THIS IS IT! The stories woven into stories was excellently done! Highly recommend for fantasy loves, dragon riders and those interested in a more tame Game of Thrones.

Beautiful writing, beautiful story.