Actual Rating: 3.5 stars

Set in a world lush with Thai mythology, Buddhist concepts, and magic, The Last Phi Hunter is an action-packed standalone fantasy book that mainly follows Ex, the youngest Phi hunter who’s determined to make a name for himself by hunting the elusive Shar-Ala, a true demon of nightmares and madness, and to a lesser extent, Narissa, a phi seeking atonement so that she may be reborn as a human again.

Ex’s story is one we’re all familiar with: he comes across a (rather capable) damsel in distress while working on his main quest of slaying Shar-Ala, gets tangled up with whatever’s going on with her and ultimately, they get together. Truthfully, despite liking the relationship between Ex and Arinya, I was also the least interested in their romance. It felt a little forced and cringe, especially since it feels more fueled by physical attraction than anything else.

Moreover, it could be just me but I felt that Ex’s part of the story was too convenient at times. Like, the parts where Shar-Ala was involved. Ex has been hunting the true demon for two years, unable to find more than its footprint but just when he and Arinya are only given one day left to live by the swamp’s guardian, Shar-Ala finally shows up? I mean, sure, I had expected something like this to happen but not so quickly and easily. Plus, the ending of the book was too neat — satisfying, but still too neat.

Narissa’s story, on the other hand, was intriguing and filled with emotion. After accidentally eating the only man she has ever loved, she sets out on a painful and difficult journey of redemption, hoping that by abstaining from eating humans and thus, starving herself for 30 years, she will be born again as human. She meets Ex and Arinya later in the story and I greatly appreciate how her character (and Astrama’s) added a different dimension to the entire human VS monsters aspect of the story.

Aside from the above, since I listened to the audiobook, I think the narrator did a good job of bringing the story to life. Although I had some trouble understanding some of the words due to the accent (I’m from Southeast Asia), the flow of the narration was steady. The distinction between the voices of different characters, particularly the females, was done well too. I was absorbed in the story and rarely realised how much time had passed while listening. However, I must admit that the sound effects the narrator did for the creatures were…I’m incredibly sorry to write this, but they had me burst out laughing. It would’ve been better for those parts to have been done with proper sound effects.

All in all, The Last Phi Hunter is a solid debut. I loved the representations here and can’t wait to read more of the author’s books!

Thanks for including me in the tour for Salinee Goldenburg's (@gosalgo) "The Last Phi Hunter" @angryrobotbooks!

Hunting spirits, ghosts and demons is a rough job. Especially when the kingdom you live in doesn't really care for the Phi (pronounced Fee) Hunters and their brand of magic. Gets even more awkward when you are the youngest member of the guild and trying to make a name for yourself. Enter Ex, tired of hunting small fry he has spent years trying to find a demon with a name, Shar-Ala. With his skills, some stubborn horses, and a hound that seems too mocking, what could go wrong? Apparently a lot, because Ex's path crosses with a heavily pregnant woman named Arinya who saves him from a beating. She just needs him to escorts her through the spirit filled forest...who all want to eat the unborn child.

Might have also snuck the audio, Narrated by David Lee Huynh because I wanted to check my pronunciation and the idea that a certain character came off the way they did in my head. Very happy.

Reasons to read:
-I didn't know the myths behind any of the creatures in the story and not knowing means I can be surprised
-All three of the protagonists are great
-Great ending
-Comeuppance, love to see it
-An organization that has plans

Cons:
-Maybe don't eat when some of the spirits are doing their thing

Thank you to Netgalley and Salinee Goldenberg for the audiobook version of "The Last Phi Hunter." Overall, I enjoyed this book, it was definitely more up my alley with it being geared towards adults as opposed to young adults, something that I greatly appreciate.

I enjoyed the Thai folklore, I've been trying to breach into different lore from other parts of the world, and I think this book offered a good introduction to that sort of thing. Learning about the Phi, and listening about the hunter, Ex, fight them was my favorite part of the book. I almost wish that this wasn't a romance book, as I'd like to learn more about the Phi themselves, as opposed to watching Ex fall in love with the prince's consort. The romance felt..forced almost like it wasn't there one moment and the next it was. It could use some more development then Ex going straight to being in love with her, but maybe that's the life and love of a hunter? Either way, I'm not sure, and I definitely enjoyed the end of the book less, especially when it became a rescue-the-consort deal instead of defeating cool ghosts that are plaguing the world and village.

Overall though, this was a great debut novel and I'd love to read more by this author!

I wasn't expecting this book to go the way that it did. In fact, I wasn't sure where I thought it would go, but this was still a story that I enjoyed. It had a different cadence to it than most fantasy stories. It also featured a strong FMC who relies on the MMC, but then she goes and shows she doesn't need the help. I wasn't expecting the entire story to focus on pregnancy or feature it heavily - it wasn't too off-putting. I would say that I would have loved this to go deeper than it did when it came to the culture, the magic, the tattoos, the phi... it felt like this was more character-driven than plot or story, though that was strong on its own. I think I want more cultures featured and more in-depth about them. Overall, this was a really good book and I really enjoyed listening to it. I definitely would suggest it to people, especially with the narrator doing an extremely good job. He made it engaging and there wasn't much of a range of voices, it made up for the emotion that could be conveyed.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Lore for this ARC Audio Copy!

This was an interesting book, interesting story and idea but I just wish there had been more of the world and the reasonings behind the Phi. There were multiple different kinds of Demons and Spirits in the world and they were all so interesting and I really just wanted to know more about them and I just wish there had been more detain in the world building.

I also understand that the character was a hunter and raised a certain way to perform his duties but I just never found a way to connect to the characters throughout the book and for that reason I don't think it was able to keep me as invested as I would have liked.

All in all it is a great story and though maybe it was not for me, it is still definitely going to be loved by many.

I went into this book fairly blind, as I just absolutely loved the cover. Also, demons and folklore are buzzwords for me, making it an easy decision to pick up.

I loved the lore and the world-building in this novel. It was so cool to encounter creatures that I've never seen in fantasy before.

I did have some issues with this book though. Mainly, the relationship that is established in this book seems to come from nowhere. Randomly, our main female character decides she wants the main character and it leads to a very awkward, spicy scene that didn't fit the narrative to this point.

I also felt like some of this book was rushed. Things happened so quickly that it made the ending feel a bit lackluster.

There were also times where the characters and the writing felt quite juvenile, yet a good majority of the book is gory. It was weird to try and reconcile the two.

Overall, I did like this book but it's not one I'd recommend.

3 out of 5 Star

It was the worst thing in the world but it could have been way better than it actually was. Also hated the the way Phi was pronounced in the audiobook.

📣📖 Pub Week Review: The Last Phi Hunter by Salinee Goldenberg 📖📣 🐲💎🐊👑

I had the fortune of combo-reading an e-ARC and an advanced copy of the audiobook via Netgalley, thanks to Angry Robot Books and Dreamscape Media. All thoughts in this review are my own.

The Last Phi Hunter is a fast-paced, action-packed fantasy novel rooted in Thai mythology. Our main character, Ex, is a hunter who can transcend to a spirit realm to pursue the phi, a sort of demon. Ex has special abilities as a hunter trained by the guild, and he is focused on tracking and taking down a legendary demon, which would elevate him to a master demon hunter. He is accompanied by The Hound, a large wolf-like creature. He encounters Arinya, the royal consort to the prince, on the run from trouble, as she hires him to escort her. The two encounter Narissa, a phi who is working to reform herself and become human. Hijinks, adventure, comraderie, magic, and even romance ensue.

💙 What I enjoyed 💛

🐲 The world-building and being immersed in Thai mythology. I have never read a fantasy novel with Thai mythology and the creatures and landscapes and imagery were captivating.
💎 The main character Ex is a fun character and his personality and motivations are well-developed.
🐲 The casual and lil bit snarky narrative style was engaging, entertaining, and worked well for the tone of the book.
💎 The ending is satisfying and I would read more if this becomes a series.
🐲 The audiobook narrator David Lee Huynh's performance is excellent! His voice is deep and clear and brings the vivid imagery to life.
💎 The cover art! TBH, it's what inspired me to request the book in the first place.

Other thoughts:
🐊 Arinya's character was not as well developed and I struggled to get a solid grasp of her personality and motivations.
🐊 I would not have minded more chapters from The Hound's perspective! He was a beloved character.
🐊 It takes a little time to build at first, but then by the last third it is hard to put down.

Highly recommend for fantasy readers looking for something fun and to explore a different realm.

Stopped reading at 1%.

It sounds like this might be a great book, but there is a level of graphic description in this book that turns me off immediately.

One example is when the main character is trying to kill some gross creature and then talks about having intrusive thoughts about delicious food. It feel like gratuitous description to just gross out the reader, not something necessary to move the story along.

My stomach is turning and I just can't stand reading this.

Just when I was boasting about my experimental readings going well, this happened. I picked this up because of my interest in Thai folklore and anticipation to see a unique angle to the Phi.

The story started out well with a magical feel and urban setting, though it claims to be in a provincial one, that gradually diluted into multiple plot twists which somehow lost the essence of the story. For a very long time, this just felt like a travel adventure with conversations. Even after pushing myself through the end, I only feel I should have DNFed this book.

There is also an underlying love angle that's slowly brewing which was slightly bearable. I gave this 2 stars for the following two things that went through well in this story:
• The narration style
• Ex's character buildup

Genre: #fantasy #thai
Rating: 2/5 ⭐️

this was such a great read and i really enjoyed coming back into this as i first read an e-copy last year. i really liked the narration on this and it definitely added more to the atmosphere and i was easily immersed!

the world inspired by thai folklore was so interesting and i loved learning more and more about it. there are different kinds of magic and i found myself wanting to learn more about it, but this book is more character driven and plot driven, which isn’t at all a bad thing and i loved this book.

i really enjoyed getting to know the world and learning about the different creatures and how everything working. i loved Ex as a MC as he's fun and sarcastic and just so great to follow! i think he's quite the straightforward character and it was fun learning about him. Arinya, our other MC, was such an interesting character. i really liked her personality and getting to know about her. i really did not know what to expect when she first showed up but i loved it all!

would highly recommend if you want a good fantasy read that is thai-inspired and amazing characters!

For me, The Last Phi Hunter is the Thai version of The Witcher, but done significantly better. (I am a Witcher book hater but Witcher concept lover) The Last Phi (that's pronounced "fee") Hunter follows Ex, who is a (shocker!) hunter of Phis, which are essentially demonous monsters. He is looking to kill the lengendary Sharala when he comes across Arinya, a pregnant woman who needs his help. Their fates become tied, and he must complete her mission to complete his.

I compare this to the Witcher because (shocker) he kills monsters for money. A lot of people hype the Witcher for being funny, and this really hits that mark well. I laughed out loud quite a few times, which I don't normally do when reading. Also, because this is written by a woman, the women are not written in a gross way! I thoroughly enjoyed Arinya and when Ex began lusting over her it was written in a way that wasn't disgusting to me as a woman!!! Gotta love that.

For some reason I read this thinking it was the beginning of a series, and my biggest disappointment is learning it is a standalone. I really loved this world and the characters. I know very little about Thai mythology, but this got me so interested in it. The creatures were so interesting, and the magic felt so unique. I thoroughly enjoyed this!

The audio was really well done. The narrator did a great job of doing multiple voices without being ridiculous (as is typical with male narrators doing the voices for female characters), and his cadence was fun and interesting. I would recommend this format!

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an interesting debut. Not perfect, 3.5 stars, but I enjoyed myself!

Before I talk about the book itself, regarding the audio, I wish I had done the hard copy instead. The narrator wasn't bad necessarily, but he didn't bring anything to the narrative, either. It was a pretty meh listening experience, and I'm pretty sure he negatively affected my enjoyment of the book, so keep that in mind as I continue the review.

<i>The Last Phi Hunter</i> is an adult fantasy debut that is set in a world based on Thai folklore and religion (Buddhist themes are prevalent). Our main character is Ex, a Phi (Thai demon) hunter, who is currently on a mission to hunt and kill a True Demon (a soul that is so entrenched in evil that it cannot be reborn to a better life) named Shar-Ala when his life is sidetracked by a heavily pregnant muay-thai fighter who needs his help. Well, first she saves him from being beaten to a pulp, then she asks him for his help. She needs someone to escort her to the witch that lives next to the lake, the same witch that Ex is on his way to see in order to sell her goods collected during his hunts.

From there, the plot goes lots of other places, and I was surprised several times by the pacing and some reveals that I've seen other books do in different places, and a couple of things that I've never seen in fantasy before! This is most likely because I've never read anything by a Thai author that features Thai folklore, customs, or mythology. I'm not sure actually that I've ever read anything by an author that has Thai ancestry at all (although, I probably have). So there's a possibility that's why this felt so fresh. It could also just be that the author has a great imagination. I'm sort of in the dark as to which it is, but either way I liked it.

I would recommend this one, but not necessarily the audio. I'm interested to see what this author does in the future.

[3.5 stars, rounding up bc it was a debut]

3.5 Stars

In the Last Phi Hunter, we follow an ambitious young demon/ghost hunter, Ex, as he journeys to kill a legendary demon Shar-Ala. His mission soon becomes all the more difficult as he is enlisted to escort a heavily pregnant woman, Arinya, through a spirit-infested forest.

I really enjoyed this - I was highly intrigued by a fantasy novel based on Thai folklore, and this certainly did not disappoint.

Truly, the worldbuilding and magic system is truly where this book shines. The world of phi was so interesting, and I loved learning about all the different spirits, and different plains of existence. I was fascinated by the idea of slipping into the "Ever Present" and by all the different rituals of the phi hunters. I adored how the magic system and world were fundamentally built around the idea of Karma and reincarnation.

My only wish is that I had felt more connected to the characters. I liked Ex well enough, but never really cared about Arinya - thus, I also wasn't the biggest fan of the romance featured in this book. The plot, which I found kind of dull at first, really picked up in the second half. I was also super glad for the audiobook to guide my pronunciation of new words and concepts. The narrator did a great job.

I would definitely read from this author again, and look forward to see more of their work in the future.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for providing me with an ALC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

I love a book with unique (to me) mythology, and this book delivered on that front! I enjoyed the characters, they were very fun, but not exactly developed which is always a hard one for me. The action kept my attention the whole time, but the real star was the world building and the Thai folklore!

I don't know if I'll run out for the next book in the series, but I know I will read it eventually!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

In The Last Phi Hunter we follow an ambitious young demon hunter, Ex, as he tries to slay a legendary demon Shar-Ala. Even though his fellow hunters have long given up tracking Shar-Ala, believing him to be a myth, Ex is convinced he’s still out there. Along the way, to earn some extra money, Ex escort a mysterious pregnant woman, Arinya, through a spirit filled forest. The story features Thai mythology and it was interesting to learn about the various demons and spirits, but not hard to follow. I really liked the magic system and world building but this book could almost do with a prequel to get further into it. The two main characters were interesting and likeable but they both felt a little younger than they were described to be and I was kind of surprised by the romance aspect of the book. I also enjoyed the other characters but would have liked to see more of them. The story was fast paced with a few interconnecting storylines, it was bordering on too much but I think it still worked. I think on a re-read/listen I would find additional details that I didn’t catch the first time around. I liked how the book ended, it was unexpected (at least to me) and I would be interested to read more from this author

Thanks to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media and Salinee Goldenberg for this ALC

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

This had a ton of promise and started out really strong....but it was too long. It felt like it was several stories and plots shoved into 1 book. They were all connected, but it didn't really feel like an individual plot got the depth it should have. He's going after this legendary demon...but he's distracted by this girl and they madly fall in love...but then there is this other lesser demon that gets redemption....and then there was this super interesting other world that barely gets explored.....and then there is a necromancer and political intrigue.....it needed fewer plots and more depth.

The writing was good, just unfocused.

While I loved the idea of this book, I was left wanting with the execution.

While it’s labeled as adult fantasy, this felt much more YA aside from a few more graphic scenes, including an unnecessary addition of SA against Arinya by a demon.

Ex was also a rather petulant protagonist that would have been more understandable if this had been written for a YA audience. Rather, we have a man in his mid-twenties with an astounding level of entitlement and ego. The arguments between Ex and Arinya also felt very teenage rather than sometime between hardened warriors.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and just wish it had been executed slightly differently.

Thank you NetGalley and Angry Robot for this ARC, I DNFed @38% and will post an unrated and shortened review of the following on Goodreads. I was lured by the beautiful cover and Thai-mythology, and was enjoying the adventuring and phi spirits, but I swear this is YA despite it being widely accepted as adult and I *almost* had no issue with that. I was getting by fine enough with the simple writing, kinda surface-level characters, okay quest-plot and threats, and younger-approach to the themes, but I got to a point where the 24yo male MC and 28yo(?) female have an immature as hell spat that includes the *I’m not going to tell you the truth of the situation and everything I’m thinking/feeling and gaslight you* thing and I decided it was time. I did love the phi and another POV character (which was absolutely stronger and more interesting and I wasn’t getting enough time with her) and I can’t say it’s a bad book. Again just not for me.

70% into the book, I got anxiety.

Now, given that this book has a fair amount of gore as it has fantastical elements, it would have been understandable. I squirm during horror movies and could not finish a Last Destination movie without getting actual nightmares. But no, this time it wasn't due to its quite descriptive violent scenes. I realized just when I was about to finish through the epilogue... that it was because the book was ending. It was going to be over, finished.

I got so attached to this book without realizing it. I LOVED THIS BOOK.

Ex is a 24 year-old Phi hunter. I won't go into details about what the Phi are but know they are dark spirits that often cause grief in the mortal plane, so phi hunters exist to eradicate them. Phi hunters are "morally gray", one would say. They hunt and kill phi, yes, but only do so when the Phi actively causes strife in an area of the kingdom. They (or at least our MMC) never kill humans and are not considered murderers. They hunt efficiently by scavenging phi parts to sell to witches and apothecaries who need the phi parts.

Ex is on a journey to take our FMC, Arinya, to a well-known witch for... a ritual. It all starts there, the adventure, the romance, and Ex's journey to hunt the True Demon (greater Phi), Shar-Ala.

This book, I realized when I jumped into the audiobook at Chapter 1, is so similar to a game my significant other and I enjoy playing: Monster Hunter. The game requires you to hunt monsters and "farm" for parts for your armor. Usually, monsters that have caused trouble to the Village you belong to. Because of this connection, it was easy for me to imagine most of the fighting in the book, the appearances of the phi, and even the guild of the Phi hunters. Oh, and he has a best friend, who is a Hound, that I think is a cross between Cerberus and a Palamute.

The dash of romance was also very cute. I LOVED Ex and Arinya's dynamic, with him being a younger, more naive boy than his older counterpart (8 years apart, if I recall correctly), chaos and funny moments were likely to ensue. Though there are times when Ex would make decisions about his feelings and relationship with Arinya that would lead you to think he has 5 different layers of stupid in him, it was all understandable because he had no experience with love. All this guy thinks about is Shar-Ala, hunting Shar-Ala, and Spicy Bami noodles.

Until Arinya came.

I won't reveal more about their romance because it only gets better and better, just like their character development. Their love becomes so pure and sweet that it just makes me ache with happiness and envy. Oh, and I should add right now that this is a semi-clean romance, and I'm glad it is.

I'd like to share a quote that made me scream into my pillow, when the master asked Ex about his feelings for Arinya:

"It is a force of nature, boy. Sometimes it swells like a tsunami, and drowns you. Sometimes it grows as slow as a tree, and blooms like a flower. Which was it?"

Ex exhaled as his will faded into slush. "How the sun rises. And the stars come out."

Like??? I CANT!!! To him, their love is slow but inevitable!!!

Anyway, I digress.

A LOT happens in this book. After achieving one goal, you'd think the villain is defeated. Alas, there is not one villain, but TWO. The real one, being the second, is such a character. Think Jafar from Aladdin or Tzekel-Khan of El Dorado. THOSE VIBES.

The story touches briefly on other planes of existence, reincarnation, ambition, Karma, and all that good stuff. This is the first novel I've read with a background in Thai culture and mythology, so most of it went over my head, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I love elements of reincarnation--or an implication of such a phenomenon.

All in all, Goldenburg has weaved a new and exciting prose, not despite Thai culture and mythology, but because of it. The way each character is flawed and finds peace with those flaws is so achingly human despite half of them not being one. The political and social issues, such as the fading of magic and the declining need for phi hunters have not been resolved at the very end simply because it is inevitable. Their world, much like ours, will simply move on and progress, and myths and legends will soon cease and become superstitions until finally, they become pages in a storybook.

With how the story ended, it might be true that Ex is indeed THE LAST PHI HUNTER... it is inevitable. And that's okay.

SOLID 5 STARS.

Dear author, if you're reading this, I'm asking for HELP. What in the 5 realms was THAT ENDING?! Can we have a long, nice chat over coffee or tea while I interrogate you about it and all the other theories that have kept my mind occupied for the last 8 hours!? Please and thank you!

P.S, my boyfriend is dying to read your book. :)

P.P.S I listened to this as an audiobook but read along with my ebook in netgalley. Kudos to the narrator for making the book 10x funnier, especially with how he voiced Ex.