Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance read of this title. The opinions contained are my own.

The cover was what originally drew me to this book, and I’m so glad it did. I loved the melding of magic and biology in this world!

The characters are lovable, though not as fleshed out as I want. I feel like I could read more details about this world for a long time. I can only hope she will have more.

All in all a quick read with just a little slow section in the middle. Definitely will be recommending to my fantasy reading friends.

An incredible story combining science and magic in a way I've never seen. With a subplot revolving around the subversion of indigenous culture set against an alternate history high-tech world, this book kept me guessing up until the end. Excellent characters who are not necessarily likable, but you still want to know if they are going to be okay in the end. Totally unique and one of the upcoming releases I'm most looking forward to this year.

I have extremely mixed feelings about this one. Despite its somewhat slow pacing, I absolutely loved most of this book--the complexity of what it means the be a bloodcarver/heartsooth, the found family elements, the fascinating world, the wonderfully accurate biological details. This is a powerful book with a compelling main character.

But! That ending! It made me want to slam the book against the wall, and not in a good way--because with an ending like that, I don't see how the sequel could possibly be as appealing when ****spoilers**** the book ends with losing the character I found most compelling.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! Opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed the worldbuilding and setup for this. The magic system is really interesting and unique — almost a combination of magic and biology. For the first 20%, I thought I would give it 4 or 4.5 stars. But around the halfway point, it started to take a turn I didn’t like. It felt too insta-lovey and I really, really disliked the ending. But the writing was good, so I’ll definitely give this author another try when she writes another book!

This was a great fantasy murder mystery!
3.5 stars, round to 4!

I wish we had seen more world building because this world has the absolute potential to be AMAZING.

The pacing was overall pretty decent, and while I did find myself interested in the story, the book was a tad on the predictable side. Had the author spent a bit more time exploring other side characters, this likely wouldn't have been the case though. Our main character didn't really interact with any of the other possible suspects at all, so when it came down to the big reveal, there was no surprise.

This is still a solid YA story, and I'd recommend it to any YA Fantasy/murder mystery fans!

Very interesting concept and a promising start for a debut author. Looking forward to what Le writes next.

A smart and imaginative novel that has good pace and character development. The ending left me ready to know how the story will continue.

Looking for good YA read alouds with diverse characters/authors that uniquely approach magic/fantasy in a novel way--this book is excellent! The cover is stunning. The characters are fantastically written. The idea of heartsoothing/bloodcarving is fascinating. I am still thinking about the ending and hoping there may be a sequel!!! An excellent addition to any YA collection! Highly recommend for fans of Marie Lu, Xiran Jay Zhao, and Rin Chupeco.

I wanted to enjoy this book. The magic and world were really interesting but the plot was a little too all over the place and I felt the pacing was inconsistent. I kept finding myself getting bored with the plot whenever it slowed down.

Thank you to Vanessa Le, Netgalley, and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group/Roaring Brook Press for the eARC!

This is one of those debuts that feels rocky, but also I'll be keeping an eye on the author because I feel like there is a lot of potential there for great things. I will start by saying that I loved the Vietnam-inspired worldbuilding and although it wasn't fantastic--debuts are rarely the best with worldbuilding--it felt much more solid and realized than the last YA fantasy I read, HEARTLESS HUNTER. The magic as healing concept was very interesting and decently well fleshed out.

THE LAST BLOODCARVER has a premise I feel a lot of people have seen before, but also one that a lot of people gravitate toward, including myself. The biggest letdown, I have to say, was the romance. Obviously not being a teen anymore, I do acknowledge that what I see in a YA romance is different to what a teen see and enjoys, but here, I felt none of the chemistry and authenticity that I was supposed to be feeling, particularly in pivotal moments. My other big piece of criticism lies at the fifty percent mark, where we suffer from the tired, boring middle stretch before being thrust into a heart-pounding (and pretty great) ending sequences. I put this book down for weeks, mostly because I felt no drive to continue, and if this were not an ARC, I might have DNF'ed.

The lack of interesting tension and plot really dragged the rating of this book down for me.

My final note is on the prose. It was not as polished or as well-written as I'd have liked (subject to change as this is an ARC) and pretty basic. A more lush, interesting writing style really could have elevated this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Actual Rating: 4.25 (rounded down for goodreads’ sake)

A sweeping debut that blends magic, science, and familial ancestry in a Vietnam inspired fantasy world, The Last Bloodcarver is definitely worth the read.

By far, my favorite part of this book was the magic system. The way in which medicine is blended with magic is so fascinating and truly so so creative in a way I haven’t seen in a long time. I may be biased as I’m a pre-med student but it was still so cool. The pages long descriptions of Heartsoothing and the intimate connection with the body were gripping and engaging to read. I also enjoyed the hints at a larger society, with mentions of a technocracy, automatons, and a looming war based around colonization. The line level writing was quite beautiful at times and I truly felt that Nhika’s character development was both realistic and well handled.

The plot provided a solid anchoring to carry you through the book, and I felt that in many parts, tension was adequately maintained, although I did guess what I’ll call one of two twists that are revealed about 60% through. That’s nothing against the author, however.

I think my only complaint lies in the development of the romantic relationship. I won’t spoil much, but the ending for me fell a bit flat as I did not fully believe in the relationship in relied on. I wish we could’ve seen more establishment of that. However, I did enjoy the development of platonic relationships although I also would’ve wished for a bit more set up from those. I also slightly wish we could’ve seen more about the world and the greater issues going on that I mentioned above.

All that is to say, this was a very good book. If you’re looking for a diverse fantasy that blends magic, medicine, and murder mystery in a technocratic society, then this book is perfect for you. I enjoyed it, and I hope you will too.

Thank you again to Netgalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Last Bloodcarver is a wonderful blend of science and fantasy. I couldn’t put this book down! Nhika is a young bloodcarver, the last of her kind with the ability to heal or hurt by inserting herself into another’s physiology. Hunted by those who think consuming parts of her will give them power she finds herself bought and used by a wealthy family to help solve a murder. Dark and brutal Vanessa Le weaves a story that will keep your attention right up to the surprise ending.

Finished it days ago and finally have my thought together. The Last Bloodcarver is a fenominal debut! I ended up having so much fun reading it.

The world that Le created was so vivid and the magic system was so unique. Nhika is the last of her kind carrying on the tradition of her healing magic. The story explores how strongly one must fight to keep their heritage when they are displaced. The diaspora perspective is so important to have in fantasy and this book is a wonderful addition to that conversation.

The world that Le created is so vivid and the magic system is so unique. I loved reading her descriptions of it. The characters were well rounded and the romances were satisfying.

Le with great care tackled how it can be when POC enter spaces that were not created for them. I found it so powerful to see that represented. In academia or prestigious professions there's a lot of self doubt for POCs and I definitely have experienced feeling imposter syndrome while I was in a university and later at one of my jobs.

I can't wait to read more from this author!

A very unique book with an interesting cast and a strong protagonist. I hesitate to say it has a unique magic system, as the book itself is uncertain of whether to call bloodcarving - or heartsoothing - magic, and I don't necessarily want to pigeonhole it either, but the love and care given to this system of healing is really breathtaking. Every scene in which Nhika uses her gift to heal feels so visceral and vivid, really showing that sense of connection she makes with those she helps. Her journey to accept herself, her gift, and her desire to care for others in a world that wants to punish her for it is really touching.

While I found the romance aspect a bit quick, I also don't know how else I would have managed it and still reached the same emotional cues the story wanted to hit, so this is less of a critique and more of an observation. I do wish we'd gotten maybe a little more time with the Congmis, but I always felt a bit distant from them. While this fits in with Nhika's initial feelings, I feel like as time went on we should have felt some of that wall come down, and to be completely honest, the Congmis never felt like much more than window dressing for most of the story.

That in mind, this was an excellent story and I'm looking forward to the sequel to deal with that shocking twist!

Nhika is a heartsoother - although in the terminology of the conquerors of her nation, she is a bloodcarver, a person to be feared rather than a healer to be welcomed and thanked. As far as she knows, she is the last of her kind, and, due to her grandmother's untimely death when Nhika was only 12, only partially trained. Her status as a bloodcarver could get her killed at any time; her kind is both legally prohibited and sought by those wealthy enough to ignore legal issues. Caught by the Butchers, infamous traders who will buy and sell anything, including people with gifts like Nhika who are considered subhuman, at best, Nhika has only one choice: to go with the well-dressed young woman who pays far more than any other bidder has offered her captors. But once she's been removed from the Butchers, Nhika finds that her circumstances may have disimproved even more than she thought.

A thought-provoking novel that invokes the dangers of prejudice and stereotype, The Last Bloodcarver is a fascinating look into a society that has, as a whole, decried a subsection of itself as evil because of its genetic heritage, an issue that has plagued history for at least as long as it has been recorded in print. By choosing a special ability that does not exist within humanity at this time, the author separates the issue from any existing prejudices and examines it apart from the historical issues that impact the investigation of discrimination. In addition to its thought-provoking investigation into prejudice, The Last Bloodcarver is a mystery contained within a fantasy novel, and fulfills its various roles well.

This story intrigued me by the cover and synopsis. I do enjoy a good morbid anatomy based story. This started off really great. Nhika is a compelling character and I enjoyed her character growth throughout the story. The plot was interesting for awhile with the murder mystery and her trying to learn how to use her ability better. It started to drag around 50% though, and I felt myself skimming a lot of what Nhika was learning and the interactions she was having. I felt like the romance wasn't very genuine. It felt like she loved him because he was the only person she ever met who had something in common with her. I wish it would have just stayed platonic. The ending while great, gives me the impression this is going to have a sequel and undo what the ending did. I think it would be more impactful to stay a standalone. With that ending it would leave more of an impression. All in all this is a unique story with some fascinating lore but it won't stand out to me in the long run. 3 stars.

I flew through this book! Nhika's abilities were really interesting and the murder mystery plot kept me guessing until the end. I loved Nhika's connection to her heritage and the Vietnamese representation. Overall, this was a fast-paced and enjoyable read.

The tantalizing romance of These Violent Delights meets the mechanical wonders of Cinder in The Last Bloodcarver , the first in a two-book debut - with a riveting medical magic system and lush Vietnam-inspired fantasy world.

Gorgeous prose, wonderful plotting, intriguing characters--I really loved this book!

This book would be perfect for an older crowd such as 8-12 grade. I believe it would hook reluctant readers-everything from the beautiful cover illustration, to the character development and the quick-moving plot, would engage them and hold their interest.

I can see class discussions going beyond the typical plot and main idea/details to how does the world in The Last BloodCarver reflect the world we are living in? Have you ever been treated like Nhika? How did/would you deal with this treatment? Would you still heal others? Would you have made the same final choice as the main character, Nhika? Why or why not? I’ also would be interested in discussing what plot points could be developed in a potential sequel?

I enjoyed this book and would recommend that fans of suspense and fiction read it as well.

The Last Bloodcarver is a fast paced book that I couldn’t stop reading once I picked it up. I absolutely adored these characters.

Our MC is a badass and I was rooting for her from the beginning. I loved how her character developed and how we get to see her grow into herself. I loved the romance and the found family trope. I also really enjoyed the mystery aspect, although I did call the bad guy from the start.

The ending really took me by surprise and I can’t wait to see where the story goes.