This was so interesting. I had no idea I needed the Witcher, but make it Thai. I really enjoyed all of the Thai demons and spirits and also the food. I liked how determined the main character was, how cheeky all the side characters were and how much they had their own agendas. I really liked a pregnant character just existing as a person rather than being defined by the fact that they were about to give birth.

The whole thing was very enjoyable and I liked all the twists and turns.

⭐️: 2.5/5
🌶️: 1.5/5
Format: 📱

This was extremely middling for me. I read it as an ARC, but it ran so slowly for me.

Things I struggled with:
- The plot didn't flow very well. It really felt like there was like, two main plot events, and the build-up felt bigger than the event itself.
- The romance was very hot and cold. I didn't see any true development, just a yo-yo between "she loves him" and "she's mad at him."

Things I really enjoyed:
- The world-building was really cool! Descriptions were strong so I could easily picture everything!
- The magic system was really unique, and relatively fleshed out, so I enjoyed that!

Overall, I don't think I'll read again, because I needed more to drive the book forward, but just because it didn't work for me doesn't mean it won't work for others!

Not for me unfortunately. I was intrigued in the first couple of chapters but was let down after that. I really disliked the characters, and honestly, the way women were written and discussed was not it. Had potential and a pretty cover but was ultimately disappointed

So initially I was having trouble getting into this book but that amazing cover kept pulling me back so I decided to follow along with the audiobook and I'm so glad I made that decision. This is a Thai inspired fantasy that I’d compare The Witcher because of some of the monster hunting elements that are present. We have a character who is traveling through the human world and spirit world and encountering demons and spirits. The writing style is definitly different but having it read aloud and just sinking into it really helped. Highly recommend the audiobook!

A stunning cover with an extremely interesting concept based on Thai mythology and folklore that fell really flat for me. The biggest issue I had with this was that the presentation of the characters seemed extremely prejudiced against women. Which is quite surprising as based on my research the author is a cis, bisexual Asian-American author.

Both the MMC and the love interest (and the world?) seemed to lean into the absolute misogyny of it all. There's just so much of this I didn't like.
- He out of the blue tries to kiss her cause she was.... looking in his direction.
- One moment they're traveling and the next she's offering him oral sex in exchange for his services. While I don't have a problem with sex work, there was no reason for this to come out of the blue when she could've like... asked?
- The love interest also throws a tantrum when at one point the MMC turns her down then proceeds to constantly lie and manipulate the MMC and he just took it for no reason while simultaneously looking down at her and judging her choices.
- The love interest also lies about her abusive past and manipulates the MMC to transfer the soul of the fetus in her womb.
- There was also this scene where the MMC was looking back on his first time having sex, which happened to be in a brothel. He goes in and changes his mind and doesn't want it anymore but the lady grabs him goes for it cause she's like, already paid so he just sits there waiting for it to end.... like bruh????

There's honestly so many other instances but it's been months since I read this. At the end, I didn't understand any of their motivations and couldn't empathize with their characters. He's presented as a himbo but not a lovable one just a clumsy, incompetent fool. Their interactions gave me the serious ick and their characters as a whole have me worried about how someone can write people like this.
I did enjoy the world building and the prose. Everything else. idk. Personally, a disappointment.

A really solid standalone fantasy that was equal parts quest, love story, and kind of a coming of age? Or coming into… Hunter?

I love the Thai elements in the story, particularly the mentions of food had me lowkey hungry. Xe is such a ridiculous but endearing main character, and I loved his sense of humor in some very untimely and slightly gross moments. He was very easy to root for!

I am always on the lookout for a good ghost/demon hunter fantasy story and I am thrilled to have finally found a good one.

The worldbuilding was rich and interesting. The narrative was interesting with the right amount of action. I liked the characters but did not find them quite as compelling as they could have been. The magic, monsters and world were easily the best parts.

This is currently listed as a standalone on Goodreads but I really hope there is more to come in this universe. I would recommend this one to anyone looking for a fresh fantasy story.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Ambitious Phi Hunter and perpetual lone wolf, Ex, finds his road to glory interrupted when a heavily pregnant runaway enlists his help to escape through the ghost-infected forest…

Really well-written. I loved the characters and the dynamic between them. The world building was also really well-done. Loved it!

Thank you, NetGalley, for the early arc! I know very little about Thai folklore, and this is the first time I've read a book about it, but I'm eager to hear and read more. Pretty fast-paced plot with some good action scenes involving demon slaying. I really enjoyed this novel, and Ex's inner monologue was extremely entertaining. Really Arinya as character and she was funny as well.


#NetGalley #Arc

What a book, full of magic and action. I really enjoyed this novel. Full of lavish descriptions and nothing left to the imagination, this book was not only pleasing storyline wise but pleasing aesthetically too. The descriptions and world building created such imagery it was a fantastic read.
I loved the direction of the story too and the character developments had me hooked. It was a thrilling read that immensely enjoyed

Ex, the youngest member of the Phi Hunters Order. The Order kills ghosts and demons within the Suyoram Kingdom, and Ex has spent much of his life doing so. He's is good at what he does, returning the bones of people killed to their villages/families, but he's not satisfied. He wants to kill Shar-Ala, a powerful demon who can evoke nightmares and madness in humans. (Others in the Phi Hunters Order are convinced that Ex is deluding himself that this demon even exists.)

While stopping in a village after a successful hunt, and getting his ass kicked, Ex is saved by Arinya, a muay-boran champion, who also is close to delivering her baby. Arinya convinces Ex to escort her through the dangerous, spirit-filled forest, to Mali, a midwife and magic practitioner. Arinya knows that her unborn child is a powerful lure to the undead, and wants a way to prevent the corruption of her baby's soul.

Though unwilling to perform the powerful magic initially, Mali convinces Ex to protect the baby temporarily using a mystical birth gem. As they continue to travel after, Ex discovers Arinya has assassins after her, and they are attacked repeatedly. Also, he gets the strong sensation that Shar-Ala is near.

Meanwhile, we meet Narissa, a phi who has been keeping her urges to eat a human in check for many years as she wants the god Indrajit's pardon, which entails transforming her back into a human.

Ex, Arinya and Narissa are all looking for things, whether a powerfully improved reputation in Ex's case, safety for herself and her baby for Arinya, and a return to life for Narissa. These three characters, despite the many problems and dangers they face, have a lightness to them, which was a little surprising but welcome. I assumed that this story would be filled with darkness and grim purpose, which it is, but there is also so much humour amid the terrifying monsters and scheming, evil humans.

Ex is somewhat callow at the start of the novel, and he also loves being alone. But he is forced to contend with things that make him uncomfortable once Arinya enters his life. Her societal status, while a surprise to Ex, causes him to vow to keep her safe. Their travels together are critical to changing their minds about each other, and this really helps Ex develop. He never loses the urge to be flippant in the face of most situations, including deadly ones, but now he's taking on threats for a reason greater than just getting a fancy new badge from his Order.

The worldbuilding was nicely done. There is a tremendous amount of history and stakes to deliver over the course of the novel, and author Salinee Goldenberg keeps things moving well. I never felt that I had to take a periodic 5-page stop just to learn about phis, or the Order, or what was at stake if Ex could not keep Arinya and the baby safe. Also, Narissa's situation and needs were clearly laid out, and though her quest was personal, unlike Ex's eventual, larger pursuit, I felt great sympathy for her, and never felt like the story stalled each time the story cut to her.

I had a lot of fun in this world and with these characters. I was surprised, amused, worried about the fates of the characters, intrigued by the phi and the mythology of the world, and overall entertained by this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Angry Robot for this ARC in exchange for my review.

This was my first Thai mythology/fantasy book and let me tell you, it hooked me right from the first hunt scene! The action was paced so well and allowed the reader to digest the world with a perfect balance of show and tell. Loved this one!! Such a refreshing voice in fantasy too.

An absolutely fantastic thrill ride of a fantasy novel! I found myself fully immersed in this story and I love the way the dragons were used in it. This book grips you from the first chapter and has you looking forward to the next one~! I would absolutely recommend this for anyone who is looking for a fantasy book that will completely take you into it's world!

This was such an excellent read! I genuinely enjoyed this book so much.

It was great to see an SEA culture represented in a fantasy novel with folklore, religion, and mythology, together with the clashing of progress and advancement. As a teacher of Religious Studies, I really valued seeing how Hanuman and his people were represented, for example. The richness of the worldbuilding is what really tips this book into 5 stars for me. There was just so much going on, and I would love to see more of this world!

The main character, Ex, did some growing up throughout the book, which was great to see. I loved the progression. Even when he met one phi that tried to impart a lesson to him, he did not take it to heart, which led to some of his later troubles. But as the book progressed, his maturity began to show.

The pacing was pretty good, especially for a debut novel! There were a few instances where it was a bit slow, but overall it captured my interest, and I didn't want to stop reading.

I really do highly recommend this book, especially if you want to breakaway from traditional Western style fantasy.

The Last Phi Hunter is a demon-slayer fantasy inspired by Thai folklore and is equal parts engaging, epic, and entertaining.

My favourite aspect of this book is definitely the main character, Ex, who is a demon hunter on a mission to kill a legendary Phi, Sha-Ala, to earn his hunter badge and increase his position in the Order. He was so funny and was always getting himself caught up in trouble, which, alongside reading about his epic journey and abilities, made this book super engaging! This book is definitely character driven, but not at the expense of the interesting magic system and mythology!

I also really enjoyed the inspiration from Thai folklore in The Last Phi Hunter! It was interesting to learn about all of the different demonic creatures; it was seamlessly embedded into the story and well explained! I would definitely be interested in reading more Thai-inspired stories!

The romance was perhaps a little rushed. I think it could either have been more developed, or just left out altogether! The world and plot was interesting enough to stand by itself without the romance!

I’m unsure if this is supposed to be a standalone or if there are plans for any further books; I think the ending was left so that there was potential for more and I would definitely pick up the next book if that was the case!

I was really anticipating this one and sadly it kinda got away from me about halfway through. I found myself not really interested in the characters romance subplot as there was little chemistry between them.
I was most interested in the lore and little side pieces we got and wish there was more of that.
The ending set up nicely for a sequel but I'm not sure I'm invested enough to stick around for it.

Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy !

Thank you to @netgalley and @gosalgo for giving me an Arc of this for an honest review!

This is a non-spoiler review:
I gave this 3.5 but added .5 for it being a debut. I'm partial to some compensation when I come across an Authors Debut because support authors! If you're a fan of The Witcher series I think this would be right up your alley, it completely captures it's own original idea and takes Thai mythology to a level I've never come across before - I love seeing different culture mythologies expressed in Fantasy novels and this was a first for me. I appreciate Saline for sharing their knowledge of Thai culture through this book.

I thought it was really well paced throughout, the last 20% felt a tad rushed with a few built up moments throughout the story condensed into 2-3 sentences. An extra 75- 100 pages flushed out the rushed-ness I felt could of made this a solid 4 to 5 star for me!

I felt like the author managed to perfectly capture making an expansive world but writing a self contained story within that world, which I thought was amazing. It's something I love to read when getting to know a world. I would love to learn more about this world and it's systems in another book, not necessarily following Ex and Arinya but would love to see them team up again for sure!

Overall very solid debut though! I would love to see more from S. Goldenberg in the future.

It’s funny; as I was telling my husband about this book and how much I was really enjoying the immersive read, I got curious about the author. I couldn’t help but chuckle as I read her bio because my enjoyment of this book just got an “aha” moment. Come to find out she worked with two of my all-time favorite video games – Fallout and Skyrim. I would totally play a game with her world as the base and it would be vivid, dark, and full of the creatures (and people) of nightmares. Some of my favorite aspects of the book was the Everpresent, how it changed Ex’s appearance and the long history of the Phi hunters that is old & obscure even to their oldest members.

I had a grand time reading Ex’s story and enjoyed the hero of the story not being infallible, a little awkward with people but totally at home in the forest and with animals, and often at the tail end of Arinya’s jests. I would have enjoyed learning more about Arinya from her own POV and a dual POV would have been interesting. The romantic aspect in the book added to the book for once, rather than being a distraction or detracting from world/character building. I wasn’t sure initially how I would feel about Arinya being pregnant in the book because it’s definitely not one of my favorites. In this case, it proved to bring more to the story than I anticipated and in a positive way for the story. I had a lot of fun looking up the Phi that I was unfamiliar with or had seen but didn’t know the name of. Narissa and the Hound were my favorite side characters and I enjoyed learning more about them towards the close of the book. Speaking of the close of the book, I did eventually come to terms with how the fight with the true demon Shar-Ala ended and it had an unexpected twist.

This book reminded me of The Witcher series by Andrzej Sapkowski and if you enjoyed that series (or the show) then I highly recommend giving this book a go. I would like to thank Angry Robot Books for the opportunity to read this stunning Thai fantasy and I can only hope that there is more where this came from. The close of the book could also provide a sequel and if that comes to fruition I would definitely read it. Achievement unlocked for Salinee for this fantastic fantasy debut. Rounded from 4.5 stars.

The Last Phi Hunter by Salinee Goldenberg (@gosalgo), is a mythic dark fantasy, equal parts smart, exhilarating, and delightfully fun. It examines identity, loneliness and forbidden love, in a stunning world with Thai demon folklore.

I really liked reading this book. I loved the Thai & Southeast Asia inspired world building and the lore. The writing was really vibrant and the characters were both dark and funny. I really liked our MC Ex, who is very loveable.

If I had one complain it would be that towards the end I was a little bit confused but thankfully the ending was satisfying.

In The Last Phi Hunter we follow Ex, an ambitious young Phi hunter on his way to slay a legendary demon when he meets Arinya, a pregnant runaway, who hires him for escort through the spirit-filled forest. But she has dangerous secrets, and now he’s fighting not only monsters, but assassins, necromancers and even worse, falling in love.

First off, this cover? Absolutely incredible. I know, I know, "don't judge a book by its cover," but that's hard to do when you have a cover <i>this</i> good.

Was I letdown after putting so much stock into the cover? Well, no. While I didn't love this book, there is a lot of very cool stuff to it and a lot to appreciate, so let's get into that.

Based on Thai mythology, the worldbuilding and the folklore of this book were absolute standouts. The setting was immersive and vibrant, and I loved all of the demons and lore.

And the plot of the story itself was a lot of fun too! It's an adventure novel, a road novel, and there are twists and danger and - it's just a fun ride, I don't know how I can put it better than that.

Where the book fell down a bit for me was in its characters. I get their arcs, but I never felt particularly connected to the characters. I don't know if it was the writing, but I just felt that I could never get a good grasp on their characterizations and motivations beyond the surface level stuff.

Overall, a fun and creative read, and sometimes, that's all you need.

<i>Thank you to the publisher, Angry Robot, and to NetGalley for the ARC.</i>