Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel. 3.5/5 stars.

Please ignore 1) how long it took me to read this and 2) how long it's past publication. I really really really loved the first book in the duology, but this just felt...meh? I don't know if it's the lack of mysteriousness from the first one or the fact that our MCs are separated until well into 80% of the novel? It just....dragged. I loved the world in the first one and the hearth soothing and the science elements and the steam punk, but it just didn't have the same appeal with this one. I enjoyed the war/industry focus of this one, but like I said, it didn't compare to the 1st one.

His Mortal Demise is an excellent conclusion to Vanessa Le's Ya Duology that began with The Bloodcarver. After a cliffhanger ending in which Nhika sacrifices herself to save Kochin, only for Kochin to vow to resurrect her, this second volume opens six months later with Nnika doing exactly that, waking up.

This story is masterfully written and quite unique for the YA fantasy genre. Le does a great job of blending Vietnamese culture into an entirely new fantasy world with a magic system that is part tradition and part science. The book shifts chapter by chapter, rotating Nnika's point of view in the present with Kochin's POV over the previous six months. Therefore, while Nnika must deal with the reality of her second chance, we see this alongside Kochin's journey to make good on his promise, no matter what it may have cost him.

I didn't expect the novel to take on a far more sweeping plot of war, what drives us to war, and the cost of doing so in the midst of a story that centers one couple and their love for each other, but Le is also able to finesse this well. Kochin must confront the limits of what is willing to do with his power to save the girl he loves, and reckon with the collateral damage that could result. How far is too far that he will lose himself.

I loved both of these books! They are strong stories that deeply invest you in in the characters while asking much bigger questions that gets the reader to think. I highly recommend this for readers of all ages!

Full of twists, turns and lots of action this was a superb ending for this unique ya fantasy. It kinda felt like divine rivals, but much better.

Having the opportunity to read His Mortal Demise pushed (forced) me to read The Last Bloodcarver, which I had on my TBR for such a long time. Being able to read these book back to back was great because there was no gap in the storyline.

His Mortal Demise was a great conclusion to the series. It is a well written YA fantasy which includes themes of romance, found family, and heavier concepts of colonialism. This book incorporated Kochin's (the MMC) story line with Nhika's, which was different from the first book. I enjoyed being able to see his journey intertwined and impacted Nhika when (small spoiler) they were separated. The book had great pacing, leading to a quick read full of action. And I would agree that this is a bit of a star crossed, enemies to lovers romance, sort of reminiscent of These Violent Delights where there is a world that is facing industrialism and modernism amidst political clashing.

His Mortal Demise by Vanessa Le gets a very solid 4 stars out of 5 for me! I recommend this great duology with great magic and world buildling, and a witty FMC.

Thank you Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Roaring Brook Press and Netgalley for the opportunity in exchange for an honest review.

I will be posting to socials.

I was very interested to see where this sequel would go and how Nhika would come back to life. I was surprised by how much I liked that arc and how Kochin and Nhika's connection was integral to its success. Overall a good sequel that answered questions and tied up loose ends. I found Kochin's story very compelling and Nhika's a little less so, which was a bummer because I really liked her POV in the first book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the first book of this duology and I think I liked this one even better.

Having the story unravel with Nhika and Kochin telling their stories in parallel from 2 different time periods was so satisfying and engaging.

I think Kochin’s story and arc are so well-written and developed. Reading his journey through grief and having him finally find acceptance was like finally being able to take a full breath. I am so glad he honored Nhika by not sacrificing someone for her.

The other aspect of this story I loved was the little found family Nhika developed. Her relationships with Mimi, Andao and Trin really stood the test of time. So much so that they offered to permanently make her a part of the family, which is so wholesome.

Trin is an all-star of a side character and I honestly wouldn’t mind getting to see more of him… and Kochin would’ve never achieved bringing Nhika back without him. His dynamic with both Nhika and Kochin is just so good.

In conclusion, I loved this duology and highly recommend it.

Unfortunately, I have to put this book down, but I do plan on coming back to it at a future date. I think I'm just not very in the mood for YA fantasy, and the time jump threw me for a loop. I did really enjoy the first book and still want to give this sequel a chance though!

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Roaring Brook Press, Macmillan Audio, Macmillan Young Listeners, Vanessa Le, Jason Vu (audio narrator), and VyVy Nguyen (audio narrator) for the opportunity to read and listen to the audiobook of His Mortal Demise in exchange for an honest review.

His Mortal Demise follows The Last Bloodcarver and completes the duology. The description is somewhat off-putting, making it seem like we will see Kochin's quest to bring Nhika back to life with his heartsooth abilities. Rather, the story starts with Nhika, revived, waking up months after the events of the first book. The story is told in alternating perspectives with Nhika in the present attempting to find out what happened to her and wonders where Kochin went. Kochin shares his perspective from the past and his journey and quest to bring Nika back and where that journey leads him.

Kochin keeps Nhika's body after her death, hoping that, as a heartsooth, he can find some way to bring her back to life. There MUST be a way to make his power work to that favor. He knows it might be futile, but he certainly won't give up on the woman he loves. Even though the kingdom is on the verge of war, Kochin ventures to the original homeland of the heartsooths, hoping someone can offer him answers. Hopefully he doesn't die (or worse, get drafted!) due to the war in the meantime!

Nhika awakens in a very familiar mansion wondering what happened. She has been "asleep" so long, she wakes into a war-torn world. Trying to figure out what happened to her as well as to Kochin, she follows a trail seeking answers she may never find.

I enjoyed this duology. I liked the freshness of the romance between the two characters in the first novel more, and the betrayals and twists that happen. The alternating perspectives of this novel made for a very interesting structure. I wasn't expecting to get Nhika's perspective so early on, but it made the two aspects of story just such a draw for the reader, that the joining together of storylines was ultimately satisfying. This novel is everything it needed to be, and the duology is riveting, dark, and romantic.

Wonderful conclusion to the duology. I really enjoyed how it explored morally gray areas of what the main characters can do. Especially on how their gift can be used to do good, but at what cost. I also liked how the POVs and timeline was written and how it all came together. It gave the story more urgency. I look forward to reading more from this author.

His Mortal Demise is a perfect sequel to The Last Bloodcarver. After the dramatic ending of the previous book, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was not disappointed.

In the second instalment, we are given a second point of view, which not only expands the romantic subplot but also creates a fascinating structure for this narrative. The novel begins with confused Nhika waking up, vaguely remembering saving Kochin and trying to determine what had happened to him. Then, the POV shifts to Kochin, months prior, as he desperately searches for a way to save Nhika. The two timelines connect towards the end. I found this structure creative and captivating.

I was fully invested in this story and found the book hard to put down.

I really liked this series and this was a great sequel and conclusion. It took me a little time to get back into the series, I feel like I should have reread the first book before I read this one. But I still really liked this. I really like the two main characters and I liked seeing the flashbacks and the present and how everything melted together. The plot was great, the characters were great and I'm so excited about whatever Vanessa Le will write next! Also, I definitely want to reread this series sometimes.

DNF at 30%

Similarly to The Last Bloodcarver, His Mortal Demise suffered from poor pacing and an unlikable main character. I just found myself struggling to care about the plot and the questions I should have had. I felt like I could predict where the story would go, which left me so apathetic and bored.

If you loved the first installment, then this might be a win for you, but unfortunately this was a DNF for me around the 30% mark.

Rating: 4.5/5
I received the eARC for my honest opinion.

This book is the sequel for The Last Bloodcarver, and wow this book blew away how much I liked the first book. So much more action, drama, YA fantasy, mystery and suspense and so much more. This book picks up a few months after book 1 and the readers will get to see what has happened to Theumas since Nhika gave her life to save Kochin and he could live on…. Except we all know that love can be a powerful thing.

I loved how we got to see more of Kochin in this book, and I know that it’s told in Dual POV with Nhika but you will see what I mean when you read it. You will notice that this book is told in different points of time, but the characters and their timeline do meet up in the present time later in the book. I loved that throughout the book I was getting feelings of hope, loss, fearfulness, and joy. You will get those feelings from all the characters that you will meet in the book, but I love that our main characters really get to understand those feelings and use them to help take down their enemies. I enjoyed getting to understand what heartsoothing means across the whole country and understanding why people are fearful or envious of it. With the world building it was done so well, and the pace of the book was perfect for me.

The characters in this book are what really make this book shine, with their growth across the book and from being main characters – side characters. I loved that we got to understand Kochin’s POV better and see more of his internal thoughts, I liked that he would still talk to Nhika even if it was just her hallucination. You will see how Heartsoothing was different for him and trying to understand and love the gift that Nhika left him with but also getting to understand how he can use this gift now to change the world for the better or to at least bring back Nhika from the dead. (and nope I won’t tell you how). I was heartbroken for Kochin and I could understand his reasons that he had that took him on the adventure/path back to Nhika. With Nhika I loved that she was still so strong through everything, having the knowledge that Kochin was gone and then the horrible news about him you will see how she handles all those emotions. I loved getting to see how these two handled their lives after they met up again and to the ending. The author did a wonderful job wrapping up the plot, giving us readers what we needed/wanted.

I also received the audio of this book, I got it after I read the book but that was okay for me because I got to experience this book all over again, and this time with it being told by these amazing narrators. I loved that they did an amazing job with ensuring that the readers get all the emotions that the characters are feeling.

I want to thank NetGalley and Macmillian for the opportunity to review this book.

I didn’t think it was possible to love Nhika and Kochen even more than I did after the first book…but WOW, they’re character development even while separated (wish they were together for more of the book🥲) is amazing🥹❤️

I don’t usually adore books that switch between perspectives, but I feel like it was necessary for this story and Le did a beautiful job of intertwining the two separate narratives and timelines together.

The plot. The pacing. The ending.
(chefs kiss💋🤌)

5/5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Very enjoyable, and as a duology finale, it was done well. I honestly was wondering if we were going to wrap up everything in two books, but Vanessa Le did and did it perfectly imo. She leaves room open for more stories from this world, but for now, we are complete.

There were a few moments that I felt were a bit repetitive and dragged out; but then BAM everything came together and happened quickly, but without being unrealistic.

In the end, highly enjoyable.

Thanks to Roaring Brook Press for the gifted ARC!

I absolutely loved THE LAST BLOODCARVER, and have been anxiously awaiting the end to this Vietnam-inspired dark fantasy. Again, the use of medical technology mixed with magic is so up my alley, and I love the tragic love story at the center. I think the duology is best read TOGETHER, because I had a hard time jumping into HIS MORTAL DEMISE a year after reading THE LAST BLOODCARVER. I did still enjoy this one, but not quite as much as book one.

Overall, I think this book is nearly perfect. Its the sequel to
the last bloodcarver. Its a YA series that explores both medical science like the human body and a girl who can perform blood magic. Which I found extremely interesting. It perfectly immerses both science and magic seamlessly. It explores dark themes like colonization and dealing with morality. I would make this duology into my top
ten for YA fantasy this year!

I wasn't able to get into this book. I read about 50% in and just couldn't finish. I think if I read it more in the fall then I would of devoured this book. I was so excited for it :(

[Note: His Mortal Demise includes a significant amount of body horror, including summaries of medical experimentation by a colonial power and detailed descriptions of injuries. In addition to this, one character enlists in a war, and there are serious injuries and death that occur in that portion of the book, including a sequence where a character is trapped in a partially collapsed building. There are also repeated, but short, incidents involving animal death.]

I absolutely loved The Last Bloodcarver, so I was very excited to get my hands on its sequel/conclusion, His Mortal Demise. On a structural level, author Vanessa Le’s decision to split the story into past (Kochin) and present (Nhika) made it possible to have two mysteries being investigated simultaneously: how to bring Nhika back to life and what happened to Kochin after he succeeded? Presenting the story strictly linearly would have undercut the first half of Nhika’s scenes as the reader would already know all the answers, but jumping back and forth between the two timelines was a great way to ramp up tension and inspire dread as Kochin’s point of view got nearer and nearer to the present.

I said in my review of The Last Bloodcarver that it took a while for me to warm up to Kochin, and I’m happy to report that I was immediately rooting for him (and his desperate desire to bring Nhika back to life) from the start in this book. It was fascinating to be in his point of view and get to understand his outlook on his life and his power. Following him into actual war as he tried to figure out exactly what he would or wouldn’t do in order to bring her back made for a compelling, if occasionally horrifying, journey. When Kochin found his moral/ethical line, it was a relief, even if it made things so much more difficult for him. In the last book, we spent a lot of time with Nhika making small connections with her family/heritage, and I appreciated that we got to explore Kochin’s relationship with heartsoothing and his family this time.

Nhika’s plotline of trying to figure out what had happened to Kochin and how the world had changed during her death was also a lot of fun. While the Congmi family took much more of a backseat in this book than the previous one, they were still a solid support for Nhika as she tried to track down what had happened to Kochin. I loved the slow reveals from her point of view, many of which provided ominous clues to what would be happening in Kochin’s story. And when Nhika and Kochin’s plots finally reconnected, it was immensely satisfying to see their devotion to each other rewarded.

Recommendation: If you enjoyed the first book in this duology, His Mortal Demise is a worthy sequel and conclusion. The dual narratives allow for two mysterious to be explored simultaneously and keep the suspense high until the plot lines finally converge. While the war isn’t wrapped up by the end of the book, the character arcs end in a satisfying place, and the genuinely hopeful ending leaves a reader believing that all will be well, eventually. The duology was a lot of fun, and I’m looking forward to what Vanessa Le writes next.

I ended up DNFing this book pretty early on, and maybe will revisit it but just could not get into it right now. I enjoyed the first book and its unique magic system and world, and after the cliffhanger at the end, was excited to see (spoiler alert) the MMC slowly go insane while trying to bring the FMC back to life. However, she came back to life in the prologue, and then his POV is set 6 months in the past while hers is present time. I don't really care to read 6 months in the past when I now know that whatever he did worked, so my suspense is gone. Alas.