Nhika is from a family of bloodcarvers. Her people are healers, but that's not how society sees them. Instead, they are evil beings who have the power to kill with just a touch. Nhika is captured and held for sale in an illegal market, where she is sold into a powerful and wealthy family who has found her out of desperation. They believe their father was murdered, and the only person who witnessed his death is in a coma.

As she works to learn more about her abilities, Nhika uncovers dark secrets that put her safety at risk.

This audiobook was captivating, and the narrator did an excellent job conveying the emotions of the characters. I look forward to more in the series!

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

Reading the Last Bloodcarver was an interesting dive into Young Adult Fantasy. In general it wasn’t a bad audiobook. The story was interesting, and I was invested through the story to the mystery elements. I also thought that the narrator did a good job adding emotion, but also giving the characters a very distinct voice to differentiate through the characters.

I am not a big mystery reader myself, but if you enjoy fantasy with a touch of murder mystery this might be the story for you. The story follows Nhika after they get caught and sold for being a the last of a people that are able to use a skill which would allow someone to heal internal organs without needing medial equipment.

In general I felt like the plot was okay. Again I don’t enjoy the typical who done it type of story telling. I was more interesting in how the magic system worked, and also in the characters of the plot. Specifically, I really loved Mimi and the story with her family. There were parts that broke my heart in relation to the story, and that is where this book shined through for me. I loved the relationships and the realistic feeling of wanting to bring someone back so much they would go to bigger lengths to do so.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Young Listeners for the ARC!

The Last Bloodcarver by Vanessa Le grabbed me right from the start, and I didn't want to put it down. The Vietnamese-inspired world and the unique magic system, which mixes science and human physiology, were fascinating. The story makes it clear that magic has limits and consequences, which adds depth and makes every decision feel important.

The book follows Nhika, a bloodcarver who can change human biology with a touch. After being caught using her powers, she's captured and sold to an aristocratic family to heal the last witness of their father’s murder. Nhika is an amazing main character—strong, determined, and connected to her family's heritage. She's fierce and filled with rage but is also drawn to heal, even when it puts her life at risk.

I loved the world that Vanessa Le created. It’s rich with culture and feels fresh and different. The characters are interesting and complex, and there’s just enough suspense to keep you hooked. I saw some of the plot twists coming, but one scene near the end really surprised me. It left me feeling both heartbroken and excited for the sequel, even though I wished the ending wasn't such a big cliffhanger.

The audiobook, narrated by VyVy Nguyen, is expressive and engaging. Although her delivery seemed a bit choppy at first, I quickly got used to her style, and she did a great job bringing the story to life.

Overall, The Last Bloodcarver is a great read for fantasy fans who like a unique magic system and a strong, compelling main character. The mix of twists, cultural elements, and dynamic characters makes this a story worth reading.

Ok I didnt love the audio much but that has to be more with me than the audio itself, this book was quite unique. Different. The plot is quite interesting. I like some of the oarts and some got my stomach in bad shape. I hate explanations of human body related to medicine. But overall it was ok

I very much enjoyed this book. Vanessa Le has brought into literature a type of magic and mythology that I had not previously experienced. I found myself on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen next. I will definitely be recommending this story to my students and asking the school librarian to add it to our shelves so that students can access it.

🩸THE LAST BLOODCARVER🩸 by Vanessa Le was a very average read for me. I didn't hate it, but I didn't really love it either. Thank you to the author, @netgalley and the publisher, @macmillankidsuk for the e-ARC.

This story started off as a pretty typical YA book where the protagonist lives in a fantastical land and has a secret they must keep for fear they will be cast out if others discover them. At first I was enjoying the world building and the MC was flexing some pretty awesome energy, but it all kinda lost its vibe for me when the story seemed to devolve into a romantic obsession instead of the empowered young woman I was hoping for.

As usual, I struggle when a story starts out with strong agency for a character and then that agency seems to become less important as they get distracted by a love interest. This is not going to be a problem for everyone though so if you like YA books with interesting world building, life-changing secrets and a good whopping of romance, this one could be for you!

💥💥💥

I realized this week that I have mostly been focusing on reading ARCs this year and have kind of ignored my backlist. I don't see that stopping here soon as there are so many good books coming out this year!

Do you mostly read backlist books from years past or are you hopelessly devoted to shiny new 2024 titles like I currently am?

💚SMASHBOT💚

#bibliophile #netgalley #netgalleyreviewer #bookreviewer #bookreview #booksta #booknerd #bookstagram #bookish #

A suspenseful, fast paced fantasy duology opener with a really fascinating Vietnamese-inspired world building. I really liked how this book tackles the themes and questions of heritage, justice, and value. Nhika is a scrappy survivor and is jaded by the lack of kindness she has received from society yet she yearns for a place to call home and a community of friends. Along with fantasy elements there is also a bonus murder mystery that ties everything quite nicely. The ending ends on a cliffhanger so I'm eager to see what happens in the next book.

The narrator does a great job in giving each of the characters a distinct voice and bringing them alive for the reader. It was also quite easy to follow and the story flowed very well. I hope the same narrator will be used for the second book.

I liked it. I truly did...until the ending. I did not like how this book ended. I can see why but I still don't like it. If there is a second book, I don't know if i will read it or not. I'd have to see what the blurb says. *sigh* The romance was good, I love rivals to lovers, and I loved the twist of it all. However, that too was ruined. Overall I feel disappointed when I think about this book. Its just the ending though. I loved the world and the magic. Some of the characters I could do without.

Spoilers about the ending without saying exactly what happened: the ending is very similar to allegiant. So if you're like me and hate that, give this one a pass. If you don't mind go for it. I suppose there is more to the story but this is the kind of thing that makes me quit reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ALC!♥

I really enjoyed the opening of this book. I felt like I was drawn in quickly and immersed in the magic system. But then my interest fizzled out throughout the following chapters. I set it aside for a few days to take a break and then didn't feel compelled to return to it.

A dark and gritty Vietnamese inspired YA Fantasy that had me hooked from the start!

As the last of the hunted Yarongese people, a "Bloodcarver" as an insult, Nhika must hide her power of Heartsoothing, her ability to manipulate the human body through her power over blood. The book opens with her disguised as an ordinary physician with her attempting to heal the sick when she's discovered, chased, and captured by people who wish to dissect her of parts and study her magic, and then suddenly embroiled in a murder mystery.

This was a fantastic debut that had me on the edge of my seat eager for the next chapter. The most interesting of premises was backed by excellent pacing, brilliant execution, stunning audio narration, The deep yearning of such a strong female main character in search of her heritage had me clutching my pearls. I loved the themes of anti-colonization, diaspora, propaganda, discrimination, classism, grief, and generational trauma.

Highly recommend.

(+) queer secondary characters

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

I knew this was going to be a thing for me as soon as I heard about it. I’m usually not a fan of fantasy books because my imagination is too big for the book. Does that make sense? I’m usually like asking for too much backstory or too much world-building. And while this one was good, it didn’t give me all of those things and it bothered me because of it.

Now I will say, if there is some better world building in this, I might have missed it. I fell asleep A LOT in this audio. And I know it’s probably my own fault, but I did. I tried going back to make sure I didn’t miss anything, but I just could not get into this one. I don’t know what it was. Maybe the narrator? Or the writing style? Idk it just wasn’t for me.

The rest of the book was really just ok to me. I figured out who the person was, but I didn’t know about who they roped in to get it done. That one threw me for a loop. And the ending was absolutely the best part of this book. I think this is where I lost it. I don’t usually keep reading stuff when it just doesn’t hit for me, but I was reading this for work and I had to keep reading it.

Now the magical stuff was cool. I hate to say this, but I liked the way she had to find ways to overcome what she is just because people don’t approve of it. But it definitely mirrored real life society, because it was very reminiscent of racism. They’re usually just mad because its something that they don’t understand. And it’s ridiculous. They were literally scared because they didn’t know about it. They were scared for nothing. But I did love that the villain at least understood what they actually were. But the rest of the world-building was basically non-existent. I wanted more of the world to be up front and center. Idk I like to know descriptions and know how this world looks and so on and so forth.

I don’t see myself shouting about this from the rooftop, but I more than likely will read the second book. It seems that this first one was the filler one since its a duology, so I’m sure the second one will have everything that I thought was missing in this one. I can’t wait to talk about this series as a whole. I hope everything will come together cohesively!

Beautiful written Vietnam inspired fantasy that tells the story of Nhika who is a blood carver. She is ostracized by her ability and risks her life to be a healer when she’s thought to be a monster. I adore Nhika as a character, she is witty and compassionate even when she’s given reasons not to be. The plot revolves around a murder mystery and simultaneously explores themes such as genocide, trauma and grief.

Thank you NetGalley for the ALC.

There's much to love about this book besides the main story of a girl who has to conceal her identity because she has a forbidden healing ability. While this fantasy is inspired by her Vietnamese heritage, the author brings her medical expertise into the writing. I read the elements of Theumas, an industrial city and its automatons, where Nhika is criminalized, as a commentary on the opposition between modern medicine and holistic medicine, when an integrative approach could possibly better serve patients. Similarly, this book is both fantasy and sci-fi, not one or the other, but hand in hand.
I also appreciate how the author addresses diasporic issues of colorism and standards of beauty, and weaves classism into Nhika's journey of reclaiming her identity. The one thing that unites all characters is grief, which is portrayed in such a varied and relatable way throughout.

This was such a fantastic read! I loved this world and the magic, and I just wanted to know more. Nhika, who can't help but help heal others, even when she knows it's going to cause her trouble, who has a prickly exterior to help hide her inner softie, I just loved it!

That her natural abilities are looked are looked at that make her out to be inhuman, that people would consider eating her body because they don't think of it as cannibalism, that there's such a fear that gloves became the norm to prevent skin to skin contact, it's awful. That she helps heal this lady that traditional medicine wouldn't be able to help, and then is accused of hurting her...that hurt.

This family that she kinda joins on the periphery, that they don't fully trust her, but she's one of them, I loved that for her. Watching them deal with this potential murder, meeting a heart soother who wasn't related to her, Nhika deals with a lot in this book!

The wait for the next book is going to be long. I've already read book 2's synopsis multiple times, and all I want to know is what he's going to do, that she's going to follow his trail to figure out what he did. Because I need to know!

Loved reading this book and I can't wait to read more!

From the start of this novel, the reader is thrown into a world of betrayal, repression and suspicion. Nhika tries to help others with her non-traditional healing methods, but winds up being betrayed at every turn. She winds up in a human trafficking situation as a result of the betrayal from saving a life. Caught between a an elite rich girl and a masked mysterious man, Nhika doesn't know which fate will be worse. After she's "sold", she's thrown into a world torn apart by scandal, more betrayal, and murder. Can Nhika navigate this rich world with all its issues?

What I loved most: The world building is top class, the medical knowledge poured into this novel is impressive and vast, I like all the masks upon masks, the ending is soooo intense, great cliffhanger

"The Last Bloodcarver" is an excellent debut novel by Vanessa Le. The story includes Southeast Asian mythology, unique magic, political intrigue, and provides commentary on inequality, prejudice, and discrimination.

I absolutely loved Nhika, a bloodcarver who has to keep her talents secret. She is rightfully angry but also wants to live up to her parents and ancestors ideals, using her gift to heal to help those in need. As she is bought/hired by Mimi Congmi, an heiress trying to solve her father's death and a close friend's injuries, Nhika gets more involved than she intended. While getting involved with the Congmi's and trying to better understand and use her own gift, Nhika meets Ven, Dr. Santo's assistant. Along with the supporting characters in Andao (Mimi's older brother), Trin (bodyguard, and more), and Hendon, the book forms an excellent dynamic of individuals from various backgrounds and how individual goals, and betrayals, have brought them all together.

This is the first book in the duology and I am excited for the next. I recommend this book for fans of mythology-based fantasy, fantasy with mystery, and unique magic systems. If you enjoyed "Threads that Bind" by Kika Hatzopoulou, "Garden of the Cursed" by Katy Rose Pool, or "Bonesmith" by Nicki Pau Preto, this book is for you.

The Last Bloodcarver presents a unique world and magic system. The narrator did a great job of bringing the characters to live and I fully believe I would not have enjoyed this book as much if I had read instead of listened.

The Last Bloodcarver (Hardcover)
by Vanessa Le
A creative new look at colonization, exploitation, and the oppression of culture. The book has hints of Japanese mythology, but in a new twist. You find the book leads you through a world in transition. When something substantial is lost because of roomer and oppression. The obsession of grief, and loss mixed with the ideology of social contracts and perceptions. The idea that you can heal with thought is fundamental in native practices but is over looked and abused by colonization. The book has many layers to it, with an intriguing mystery at its heart. It shows the understanding that family can give, and the betrayal of trust that greed brings out. Its a great middle school young adult text that will help children see more than their own point of view.

All I knew about Vanessa Le’s THE LAST BLOODCARVER was that its tantalizing romance was similar to THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS, which I absolutely adored. Add in the cover that I keep staring at; it’s a fantasy I want to read. I was super happy that it was as excellent as I hoped!

THE LAST BLOODCARVER is a truly unique fantasy tale. I read a good portion of it before I had access to the audiobook. Typically, I will switch back and forth when I have both, but I found that I really enjoyed the audiobook more. VyVy Nguyen is an exceptional narrator. I appreciated the different voices. This unique audiobook experience made me connect with the story more deeply.

Vanessa Le’s creativity in this book knows no bounds. The different characters are interesting, and you always learn more about them. The setting and magical system also differ from what I’ve read before, and I enjoyed that immensely.

I enjoyed this book and can’t wait to reread it before the sequel comes out!

Thanks, Macmillian Audio, for the ALC!
Thanks, Roaring Brook Press, for the ARC!