Thank you to BHC Press and Netgalley for an e-arc of this book! The following review is given freely and all my own thoughts.

Firstly, check the triggers for this and please take them in stride. The warnings are there for a reason and definitely are needed for this story. With that being said, this book is dark and that is definitely what the author sets you up for with the cover and blurb. We have the Victorian era basically doused in blood and full of gore. It's an atmosphere that is thick, heavy, and almost oppressing. The gothic-horror genre is definitely alive and well in this book, which I applaud the author for achieving.

While I wanted to love this book, I just couldn't. The pace of this book was too far off for me. It felt like a majority of this book dragged, and then the ending was sped up and rushed. I would have loved to have things explained more in the end, but instead the beginning was just over-explained and confusing at times.

The characters weren't bad, but I found it hard to really be invested in Ramillia. She was interesting, but at the same time her thought processes and her chararacter arc throughout the book didn't pace out well.

Overall, I wanted to love this book, but it didn't live up to what I was expecting.

First off, I did NOT expect the warnings at the start of the book. Tread lightly. Next, I DNF’d at 25%. I’m going to be honest, I wish I had stopped when I saw the warnings. I thought I could handle it, but clearly, I couldn’t. Even though I didn’t finish it, there were still some things I had an opinion about.

First, this was a pretty dark read. I was excited when I requested this book. Its description was intriguing, but I did not expect the content present in the book. It deals with quite a few traumatic topics, all on different levels. If you choose to read this book, be sure that you can handle the topics referenced and more, along with in-depth dives into them.

Second, I could have been more into the plot. I reached around 16 and a half chapters in, but I still couldn’t tell exactly what world this was in. Everything was a bit glazed over regarding world-building, things were stated in one part, then explained halfway around 5 chapters later. While other readers may enjoy that, it wasn’t my favourite.

Last, is the writing style. The book was written as a narrative experience of the character’s life, and I must say, I quite enjoyed it. It was an easy style to read, and had it been about a different topic, I may have enjoyed it more.

Overall, it boils down to me being unprepared for the book and its themes. If other readers are prepared for it, they may enjoy it far more than I did. After all, it states in the warnings that it was dark, and you can’t blame a book for being too dark. Thank you Netgalley, BHC Press, and Natalie Gibson for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This book was an absolute treat for me personally.
To describe this book as dark would be an absolute understatement, it dives into a person's deepest, darkest place and brings stuff to the surface you would think you haven't got.

Please Please!!!! Read the trigger warnings, they are there for a reason and Natalie Gibson was not joking about them!

Story:
Lady Ramillia, the heroine of this book, at first young and naive locked away and ill-treated, to be set free and experience as something very special the deepest and darkest places in her mind and in the world. Set in the Victorian era, its beautiful dresses and parties, but there is a very dark side behind in secret rooms and places.

It's the idea that as soul and a body is not one for those immortals called "Incula" they can switch places with a so-called "Carrier" a "gene" trait or mutation if you will, they can "ride" for a short time, or they can switch bodies forever, but there are rules that must be applied to switch permanently.

Writing:
The style of writing made it easy for me. I love this style! The details that were placed could trigger my imagination and when I closed my eyes I could have been there, even though trust me you don't want to go where our Lady Ramillia went.

What I loved/didn't like
Everything, I can't find one bit that I found boring or so that I could lay that book down. The only thing is that it could have been longer or ended with a cliffhanger so we could have had a part two. Sadly, there is none.

***SPOILERS***

****It is important for me to point out that I thought this novel was well constructed, and that the themes used weren't done flippantly to further the plot. Rather they were used carefully and with respect, to create an indepth character, and her personal journey. That being said, I personally have not experienced the themes (or triggers), and therefore saying it was done "well" would be doing a disservice to those who have. Please read the trigger warnings carefully, and if you're unsure about the triggers included ask someone who has read the novel.****

Thanks to Netgalley and BHC Press for providing me an ARC of this book!

Readers be warned, the tale you're able to read is not one for the faint of heart.

This book was... a lot. Now that isn't to say it was a bad novel, in fact for the most part I enjoyed the story it told. However, there is a lot going on, and it is easy to get lost. The novel is best seen as "three" seperate books within the one. It is segmented into parts, and definitley should be read that way to simply digest and understand what is going on.

Written as a "flashback" or journal, the reader gets to learn the things that make Ramillia, Ramillia, at the same time she does. This leads for a breadcrumb tale, with plot twists and carefully placed "wow" moments throughout.

Set in the gothic-era, Ramilia is no stranger to violence and pain in her life, or is she? Having suffered from "black outs" for the majority of her life, she slowly begins to learn what these black outs actually mean for her, and tghe unfortunate circumstances that caused them. Once Ramilia begins her path of understanding, knowledge, and power, she slowly begins to see what has been around her, the entire time. She is not "normal". Natural, yes. But "normal", she is everything but. Having a genetic variation to the regular human, Ramilia is immortal. But that isn't all. She is a "carrier" and an "incola", meaning she can *ride around in peoples heads and bodies, if she so chooses*, but unfortunatley, that means the same can be done to her. She learns this the hard way, and loses a piece of herself and her husband - thus setting off the plot for the rest of the novel.

This novel becomes a story of reclaiming ones power, through whatever means necessary, and redeeming what perception one has of themsevles - the rest of the world be damned. Unfortunatley for our protagnist, the "be damned" ends up resulting in her swaying from the very things she fought so hard to obtain. Family, Power, Wealth, Life.

What I liked:
- The reclamation of power from Ramilia
- The way those around her didn't see her "splinters" as making her "crazy", and rather respected her, her power, and that she was still HER regardless of the things that "afflicted" her beyond her outward self.
- The writing was beautiful. Gibson has an amazing way with words
- The world building, utilised enough of the known past to make the novel relatable whilst still creating and "underworld" heirarchy on a global scale.

What I didn't like:
- When Ramilia manages to leave the facility in which she is held, only to become *enamoured* with a strange man, enough to flippantly gloss over the disappearance (and death) of her friend, and the gaslighting of her brothers death. I understand after reading further this was a key plot point to the development of Ramilias character, but I still thought it was too teenage dream romance for the overall vibe of the novel.
- The ending.. DID SHE MANAGE TO KILL THE OCTOPUS OR NOT MAN.. (I don't like a cliff-hanger, sue me)

Would I read this again:
Yes, but not for some time. I think it's such a detail dense novel that it would be easy to DNF the first time around, let alone the second.

Awesome book! The writing and the story were both great. The characters were very well developed and memorable.

This book is incredibly dark, to an extent that may be discomforting for some readers. It explores numerous challenging themes in a way that can be difficult to digest. The author, Natalie Gibson, successfully creates a gothic ambiance that complements the narrative well, but overall I was left feeling disappointed.

The initial half of the book was disappointingly slow-paced, with an overload of confusing world-building details. Important elements of the plot were introduced too late, causing the first portion to feel unnecessarily puzzling. While certain aspects were intriguing, the disturbingly dark elements of the book overshadowed them.

This was a hard book for me to read. But thank you netgalley for sending me this copy. Took me a while to get into it so beware of the trigger warnings before you guys go in

2 ★ stars.

❝Violence is only horrifying when it is done to those who don’t deserve it.❞

➽ DNF at 70%

First of all, thanks to Netgalley and BHC Press for providing me an ARC of this book.

I have never been so conflicted over a book. I'm even conficted whether it's in a good way or a bad way. It was the toughest read I had in a while. My thoughts are so messed up right now, I'll try my best to sum it all up.

[spoiler free]

Before reading this, I strongly request you to check the content warnings so you have an idea what you're getting into. The author wasn't joking with the content warnings; it it serious. If you're skipping that part, be prepared to greet the unexpected, it won't be pretty.

➽ Vibes of this book:

Shatter me meets A Dowry of Blood in the world of the Bridgertons and gets rained on, only leaving behind the darker and twisted parts.

↳ Haven't read those books? I've got you.
Imagine a heavy mixture of science fiction with blood, gore and horror in a Victorian setting. Imagine putting on pretty ballgowns, twirling around scandalous social seasons; just blink and all the lights get sucked out of the room, the daze of glee is gone and the pretty gowns get stained with blood as the pitchblack darkness kicks in.

➽ Theme & Plot:

↳ Saying this book is dark would be an understatement. You can't blame a dark book for being too dark. I don't read books of this genre often, so I'm not sure I can compare it's levels of darkness. It deals with a lot of problematic issues I thought I could handle but ended up feeling terribly uncomfortable half the time. Other than that, I really liked the gothic atmosphere Natalie Gibson created here. I played some dark academia soft piano playlists from yt while reading this and it was amazing. It's the kind of slow-paced, gothic-horror read that'd be perfect for gloomy days.

↳ In this book, we are taken back to the dark age of the Victorian period. In the midst of evolution, creatures of nightmares and evil powers are taking root, infesting darkness within the land. Ramillia Winmoore, a child locked in an asylum far away from civilization for the murders she doesn't remember committing, is well on her way to becoming the monster that lives inside her. She doesn't understand the lethal power that hums beneath her skin and the endless voids in her head.

'They fear her so they lock her up. They loathe her so they inflict pain. They don't understand her so they destroy her.'

Until her noble betrothed, Sir Julian Lawrence, the man she only knows in letters, comes to claim her, promising her great things she never dared dream of. Soon she realizes she escaped one hell for another as she learns more about her husband and the evil that is his kind and comes to terms with her own powers she spent all her life afraid of.

➽ Characters & Writing:

↳ The characters of 'The Last Immortal' were twisted in their own ways while still maintaining individuality. It felt like they were eerie, empty and hollow from inside out and as we go further into the storyline along with the details we learned, they turn into more than words on paper and we slowly get a grasp on their personalities.

No moral. No judgement. No remorse. No redemption.
It took me a long time to sync with their thought process and understand what they were working towards; even then, I couldn't connect with them, couldn't feel anything for them. They were just another fictional character stuck in books who couldn't reach out to me. Honestly, Remillia was the only one with real developments here, though it was one of those that didn't feel like a development at all.

↳ The writing was beautiful, don't get me wrong. It was just difficult to get through. I didn't like the narrative, especially Ramillia's point of view. You need to be partially fond of a character to be invested in their thoughts, while I found Ramillia interesting, I wasn't fond of her; she actually made it super hard to be. I don't know if it's just me but I would read through a page, reach the ending and realize my mind went completely blank and I didn't catch a single detail. I had to go back and read that page again, that's why it took me much longer to reach the 70% mark than I thought it would. The story was intriguing but the writing style and pace couldn't keep my attention grounded for more than a few minutes.

➽ What I liked:

• The overall atmosphere of this book.
• FMC pushed her love interests in the backseat and was a force of nature all on her own.
• She made the right choices most of the time.
• The original idea of Carriers and Incolas, it was refreshing to read about.
• FMC knew where to project her rage and not being cautious of it.
• She embraced her deadly powers and violent nature.
• Despite being morally corrupt, she protected the ones who needed her protection.

➽What I didn't like:

• More intrigue than explanation.
If you're going to put together a bunch of complex things, you need to back it up with sufficient explanation. I loved the idea of genetic disorders/ genetic superpowers that make a human invincible, immortal; the idea of Carriers and Incolas, carefully choosing and breeding to create more of their own. A lot was lacking in the build up, it could've been laid out a lot better.

• Character development or more like Ramillia's development.
I was completely thrown off guard by the huge leaps her personality was taking when it should've been a rather slow process. I know the book is already slow-paced, but it should've slowed down with the things that actually come first and foremost. Besides, I didn't get the chance to get to know the other characters better; they didn't get enough spotlight or much-needed details.

• The first half of the book was super slow, nothing important happening and a bunch of detail dumps on the world building that made little to no sense. The main plot and explanations came in later in the book but it was kind of too late; the first half was almost spent in confusion.

I'm so sorry, I really wanted to like it but it was way too confusing and a letdown in so many ways. There were interesting bits, yes, but it's dark elements overcrossed it many times. The level of darkness just goes up and up until it turns straight out horrifying. This book had no romance and no scope for romanticizing anything even. I didn't get the justification I needed and I'm thoroughly disappointed.

I dnf’d it cause it was great at the beginning but quickly turned very weird very fast without anything being explained what was going on

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This was gruesome, heavy and dark as hell. I wish I was able to write a more intelectual, long review but the most I’m able to say about this book is that I’m gonna be thinking about it for a while. Not sure if in a bad or good way.

3.5 stars for now.

thank you to NetGalley and BHC Press for the advanced reader copy!
*spoiler free review*

wow, this book was really something. it was truly unlike anything I've ever read. it was very dark, and contained a lot of triggers, so read with caution! the whole book made my skin crawl (in a good way) and definitely lived up to its tag as a gothic. I loved the style that it was told in, with the sort of "unreliable narration" and it being told as a story from the future MC. does that make sense? fans of horror and the paranormal would be all over this.

it is definitely a heavy read so it required some breaks, but i was sucked in immediately and needed to know what happened, so it was easy to keep turning the page. i might not recommend this for the beginners of this genre, but those established and familiar with the triggers and vibe will burn through this book. thank you again!!

This book proved to be quite a challenging read for me, evoking a complex blend of affection and aversion. The trigger warnings, while beneficial, felt a bit overwhelming at times, despite my anticipation of the content. The narrative's memoir-like structure and captivating writing style were highlights for me, making it a compelling recommendation for enthusiasts of dark gothic literature with a touch of horror.

Thanks to Netgalley for the arc of this book!

As a warning to all who would read this book, this book deals with heavy, HEAVY subject matter. I believe there was an incident where all of the appropriate trigger warnings were noted. I believe this has been corrected; however, there are still issues of racism, sexism, abuse, and gore contained in this book. As the reader, you know your triggers and limits, and if this feels like something that may trigger you, I highly suggest reading something else.

Now, that being said, I did truly enjoy this book. It was delightfully dark, witty, and had some spice in it too. It definitely felt on an Anne Rice level for the gothic and sensual themes that it held.

Ramillia is an orphan, a tragedy of which she cannot remember, and is currently imprisoned in an old, European mental asylum. While there, she learns that she is to be bethroed to a gentleman named Julian. After he manages to secure her freedom, she and Julian begin a whirlwind courtship with each other and he lets her know his secrets, secrets which then change the course of her young life.

I enjoyed how Gibson made the book so exhilarating and almost a whirlwind with how fast the pacing is. Despite this being a fairly long book, I found myself devouring it. Gibson's habit of placing the most shocking part of the next part at the very beginning and leading the reader up to it was very exciting to me. I found myself trying to follow the mystery and the plight of The Last Immortal.

However, as much as I did enjoy this book, I did feel that some of the gore could have been toned down, as well as some clarification of the ending parts and characters. I'm not pleased with how one of the signature characters that Ramillia gains, is just abruptly ended. I felt that that could have been more fleshed out for me. I also would have liked the ending to be fleshed out a bit more than it was. I felt that there was so much more that could have happened in the last third of the story than what did occur.

Overall, this was a good book and if you're not someone easily squicked, I would highly suggest it. It's a pretty good one!

Unfortunately, I had to DNF this book. I stopped at only 16%, and by 16% I mean 1249 or 7660 pages. I made it twelve chapters. And my Kindle was telling me I still had over nine hours to go. I've read some 800-900+ page books before, and they never felt as long as this. Twelve chapters is too long to still not have have any idea what's going on, or who anyone is. I don't even certain I know how old this poor girl is. I got bored very quickly, or not very quickly because it felt like it took forever to get where I go, and just interest. I appreciate the opportunity to read this ARC.

The Last Immortal by Natalie Gibson is a gothic horror/ historical fiction that follows a young girl Ramillia Winmoore through her life as an immortal. She is one of the few female Incola that is highly sought ater due to her ablility to breed other carriers like herself. Ramillia finds herself soon married to Jullian, a very powerful Incola who has lived for thousands of years and wants to have as many children he can with her to build his empire of carriers. This premise of this book is very interesting as they are not vampires and can still live forever. I felt that the book could have been cut down some since the author repeated some of the same facts in previous chapters. Other than that I thought it was good a read. Read a likes I would recommend would be The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling, Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas and House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson

The archive date for this book says its in Jan, but my app says my time has run out to read it so sadly I didnt finish. What I did read was a REALLY dark gothic thriller with a great voice. I preordered the book on amazon so I could complete it.

This was a particularly difficult read; as much as I wanted to love it, the violence often got to me in extreme ways and made me set the book aside and come back to it when I was ready to again. It is a harrowing tale of feminine rage, sexuality, and the brutality of being a woman. You definitely need to go in prepared to read this book. All in all, I did enjoy it.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of this book.
Dnf'd at 36%

Due to all the negative reviews over the amount of trigger warning this book needed, I went into it expecting something dark and graphic, American Psycho or Off Season level of graphic. Sadly, it was quite average and not nearly as bad as it was made out to be. I have read worse on Wikipedia.
Most of the sexual abuse (both child and adult) happens off the page, it is hinted at, or shown in vague descriptions. But if you are someone that gets easily triggered or hasn't gotten desensitised to horror, blood and gore, definitely check the trigger warnings.

Granted, i only got 36% in, maybe it gets more brutal later on.
Sadly, this ended up as another dnf for me. It's well written, but the story itself didn't manage to grip me. i kept putting it down and do other things and one day I put it down and haven't taken it back up, so it's time to throw in the towel.

This sadly ended up being a DNF for me, I gave it about 100 pages before I realized I had no investment in the characters or story. Maybe it was the setting or maybe I just wasn't in the mood, but I was bored. I also just found some of the writing hard to follow and overly "flowery"- things just jumped around a lot and I didn't want to continue.

First of all the trigger warning were off completely. I pushed through and continued to read and I was just disappointed I've been reading this book for a month if not longer and finally pushed myself to finish it.