Rachel Howzell Hall knows what she's doing when writing a story! I had the opportunity to interview her and she's a joy!

The blurb for this book was very intriguing and drew me in, not to mention the cover! The story follows Kai, who wakes up in the middle of the forest with amnesia as she navigates getting her memory back as well as her possessions. She meets up with a blacksmith and his sister and they decide to assist her and travel with her as she attempts to learn who she is. Unfortunately, this book fell flat for me as there was a lot of telling, not showing happening throughout. The travel sequence felt repetitive - get attacked, fight, run away to next destination, find out a little bit more about who Kai is through a conversation with someone, repeat. I wish it had been broken up a little by something else.

For it being a medieval/historical setting, there was a ton of modern language usage that felt jarring to me and didn't fit with the overall plot. The love interest felt insta-lust/love and the constant sexual innuendos felt repetitive and I had hoped the relationship would be established a bit more.

Thank you Entangled Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC.

I'm trying out Romantsy in 2025 and kicked off with this. It wasn't much of a hit with me.

Kai wakes up, practically naked and robbed. Robbed of more than clothing, missing special items but remembering why. We are brought on a journey with Kai and Jaden through realms, plagues and war.

This ready very YA trying to be adult if that makes sense. The back and forth between main characters was exhausting and anticlimactic. The pacing was strange and the book far to long. I'm still trying to figure out if it was left on a cliffhanger or not?

It is always fun seeing an established author tread into new territory like Rachel Howzell Hall with The Last One. Best known for her mystery/suspense work we now get to see a brand new side of her writing chops and her take on the blossoming romantasy genre! Even with the new settings and worlds you still get that same core of a strong and powerful lead who is a genuine delight to follow! Can't wait for the sequel!

Really wanted to like this book more but it was slow and frustrating. Reader spends too long not understanding the premise and getting misled.

To start off, I’d really loved the concept of this book and felt like the storyline was really cool. However, I had multiple points during the book where I had to reread things to fully understand them. The writing is very conversational and back and forth rather than story telling and plot line moving. I felt like somethings got easily missed.

Kai was a really fun and outgoing character and I loved discovering new powers or things about her but literally everything by kept tracing back to the memory loss and I understand that that’s important but I felt like a good portion could have been skipped if she just lived her new life rather than constantly worrying about the lost memories. Like it’s okay to love someone even if you loved another before ma’am.

Overall, I enjoyed reading the story and had a great time with the characters. I think if you were used to the writing style and you enjoyed the memory loss trope, you’d easily rate this book 4-5 stars.

I'll admit, I found it a little confusing at first as the start was chaotic however having pushed through, it all came together eventually and truly made sense. What a great way to start a book, a story, and I bet it would make an amazing show or movie! I really enjoyed this book, the plot twists, the action, the opposites attracts, and well just everything!

Target audience best suited for teen borderline young adult, the writing was simplistic without taking away from the content and connection to the characters. There's some good humor, angst against some character and event development, but overall it was a very good story. Different than what you find out there right now which was enlightening. I will definitely read book 2 whenever it comes out.

Thank you to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for the e-Arc, it was quite a nice read and wonderful to discover a new author (to me)!

A woman wakes up disoriented and unsure where or who she is and realizes that she is in the middle of being robbed. She ends up being indebted to her attacker by way of punishment from a corrupt jailer in the town she chased the attacker into. She then goes on a journey with said attacker and acquaintances to try and go to the place everyone is saying she probably came from so she can try to get answers as to who and what she may be, but keeps finding trouble along the way.

Kai is a complicated character in that she has amnesia, and so her growth throughout the story is more about her rediscovering who she is and what her purpose is. Jadon and Olivia are also complicated chatacters in that they seem to help but also hinder Kai's progress. The author did a good job with the world building and keeping the story moving along. Some of the plot didn't quite blend well from scene to scene, though. It seemed like all the character's emotions were quite exasperated and didn't flow with the story the best.

The writer threw in some plot twists, and the story ending left it open for a book two. Overall, it was a good plot line, though, and I look forward to reading the next book in the series. I'd rate it 3.5, rounded up to 4 stars.

I had high hopes for this book, but it ultimately fell short. The writing feels quite juvenile and lacks a smooth flow. Many sentences come across as repetitive, and the author's frequent reliance on vague terms like "something," "this," or "that" diminishes the imaginative quality of the narrative. The romance is particularly cringeworthy, with characters pining for one another just five minutes in. There's no real buildup, making it feel forced. Additionally, the characters lack depth, and the female main character gives off strong "pick me" vibes.

Thank you Entangled for the e-arc! I bought a physical copy for my shelf. The cover is amazing and I cant wait for book 2 and see how this all turns out. I enjoyed the author event with the Facebook Party Room

The Last One offers an engaging combination of romance and fantasy, featuring well-developed characters, with a particular focus on the central figure, Kia. While the pacing in the first half of the narrative may pose a challenge for some readers, the extensive character development renders this story a compelling literary experience. By the conclusion, readers are likely to find themselves fully engaged by Kia and the intricacies of her character.

The exceptional world-building is an additional aspect that enhances this narrative centered on self-discovery and love amidst adversity. For those who appreciate a captivating fusion of romance and fantasy, "The Last One" undoubtedly merits inclusion on your reading list.

Thank you so much to the publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

Better than I expected! I was unsure about the amnesia trope but thought it was done well. It was both surprising and heartbreaking learning about Kai’s past as she did.

Kai wakes with no memory of who or where she is. She’s immediately found herself in trouble and is saved by the handsome blacksmith Jadon. As Kai is thrown into more dangerous situations, they set out to restore her memories and find her purpose.

I loved that the world was unique and full of magical creatures. The plot moves quickly and is full of action. The only part that didn’t really work well for me was the romance. There’s some cute banter between them but the chemistry wasn’t really there and it read more YA than adult.

Those reveals at the end! Wow! It definitely has me looking forward to the next book!

Thank you to Entangled for the advanced copy of this book.

Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This fantasy starts with Kai being awoken being robbed of all her belongings. She has no memory and ends up in a diseased town. Soon she is away she is being hunted but has. O idea what for. The memories are brief and don’t give her a sense of who she really is.

Her amulet seems to be her power but what secrets does it hide? As she tries to uncover her truth she has a band of stragglers that join her on her adventures.

AMAZING BOOK!! I could not put this book down. To the point that I was reading while vacuuming and doing laundry. I absolutely loved the writing style, and the storyline.

3.5 rounded up.

The Last One was an absolute rollercoaster of a ride that kept me guessing until the very last page. When Kai wakes up in a monster filled hellscape with no memories, she finds her only ally in the form of the infuriatingly skilled (and infuriatingly attractive) blacksmith Jadon, who is definitely hiding some deadly secrets of his own. Kai doesn't let the disadvantage of her amnesia drag her down and remains strong and witty despite the circumstances. Full of action and adventure in a unique world that's suffering from a mysterious illness with well rounded side characters that stood out against the backdrop, I am intrigued where the story will go. The cliffhanger and my need to know what happens definitely has me preordering book two already.

I have mixed feelings about this book, on one hand it has potential and so does the series. The characters are well-fleshed out, and their backstories are compelling along with the mystery of Kai throughout this book. The romance being a slow burn was still very insta-love and the focus of the book almost equally with the fantasy plot line, which I don’t mind, but in the case of a slow burn, I almost wish it was more longing and pining rather than admitting their feelings from the get go.

The other thing I wasn’t a huge fan of what the writing style, it flipped from a fantastical type language to modern language back and forth. The names are all old sounding, along with the setting and time period, but the communication between the characters felt like it was written in our current time period. So I was always pulled out of the story when the modern language came up cause it wasn’t consistent the whole time.

The one thing I loved is the complex dynamic between the group of characters, all having their own secrets, backstories, reasons for this journey, but also helping and betraying each other when they can make the story move so fast when they were just hanging in one spot. This also allowed for some great comedic relief moments as well!

I will definitely be reading the second book after that cliffhanger, but I’m curious to see how my feelings change as I read the rest of the series!

Rachel Howzell Hall’s debut into the romantasy was definitely a success. This book is heavy in fantasy with plenty of magic and creatures and an appropriate amount of romance. However, the characters lacked the depth I generally require in order for a book to be truly enjoyable. I just needed more character development and growth. And while the romance is not horrible, it definitely felt instantaneous and really just physical… the dialogue and monologue was tough to read at times.

This has been the most refreshing fantasy book I've read this year, even though I started it last year and wrapped it up at the beginning of the new year. This work truly distinguishes itself from others in the genre, which I genuinely appreciate. The writing is remarkable, skillfully intertwining contemporary and fantastical language in a way that draws the reader in. However, I find myself somewhat uncertain about the intricacies of the setting, as it oscillates between familiar elements and more abstract concepts.

The first installment immerses the reader deeply in a richly constructed fantasy world, where magic and adventure abound, while also introducing a subtle yet compelling romantic thread between the main character, Kai, and her love interest, Jadon. Their evolving relationship adds an engaging layer to the narrative, highlighting themes of love, trust, and personal growth amidst the backdrop of a captivating fantastical journey. Overall, the blend of adventure and romance creates a dynamic reading experience that keeps you invested in both the characters and their world.

I loved Kai; her sharp wit and playful banter stood out, especially when she wakes up with no memories. The world around her, filled with intriguing cities, mysterious moths, and that captivating amulet, kept me hooked, even if some parts felt a bit confusing due to her foggy recollection. The characters were wonderfully complex, and I truly appreciated their diversity. Since this is the author’s debut in fantasy romance, I can't wait for the next installment! Thanks to Red Tower for the ARC!

**Why should you read this book:**
- Immerse yourself in a captivating and unique world that bursts with imagination.
- Experience a spellbinding fantasy romance that will tug at your heartstrings.
- Enjoy the tantalizing thrill of a slow burn that keeps you hooked.
- Navigate the complexities of memory loss and amnesia, adding layers of intrigue.
- Brace yourself for a cliffhanger that will leave you eagerly yearning for more!

The Last One is Rachel Howzell Hall’s first foray in romantasy, and it’s pretty obvious: the book very much felt like a contemporary novel slapped inside a fantasy world, but I still had a little fun reading it. Very Fourth Wing vibes.

It’s certainly quick and easy to read, which is the same vibe I had with Yarros’s novel. The storyline moves relatively quickly: we’re thrown right into the story from the very first page when Kai wakes up in the woods with no memory of who she is or why she’s in the woods completely naked. And there’s a thief stealing her clothes and Very Important Amulet™, which leads her to this small village of Maford that begins her journey searching for the answers to her identity.

There’s a lot going on in The Last One, but sometimes I felt like there was too much going on. We’re bouncing from place to place and meeting various characters here and there as Kai discovers she needs to reach the Sea of Devour to fully find the answers she’s looking for. She starts making her way there, but like any journey, it’s not without setbacks and trials. I enjoyed the world-building and following Kai’s journey, but I felt like we get info-dumped, especially as we get toward the end. It made the reading experience feel a little disjointed.

The characters just overall seemed… meh aside from one or two characters. There’s not much I can say about them development wise aside from the bare minimum: one of them is a blacksmith, one of them is his adopted sister, another seems to hold a key to Kai’s past — almost all of them holding their own secret.

I also wasn’t the biggest fan of the instalove that immediately takes place and felt like it detracted from what’s going on in the story multiple times — Kai would talk about their next steps and then her thoughts would run into a tangent about Jadon’s hotness or making innuendoes that were pretty irrelevant to the conversation going on before bouncing back. (But take that with a grain of salt because I generally dislike instalove and your mileage may vary.)

At first I didn’t mind it too much, but eventually it got to where it felt exhausting because it felt like a constant back and forth and repetitiveness. I enjoyed their back and forth though, and Kai’s quips and thoughts as she goes about figuring things out and unlocks her powers are probably what made the book much enjoyable since they were so comical. The Last One overall felt like it was dragging its shoes in the sand otherwise.

This honestly might be my least favorite book from Red Tower. I didn’t hate this one, but I’m also not super jumpy about picking up later books. Maybe if I were in a very particular mood, I’d probably enjoy it more. If you enjoyed Fourth Wing a lot, you might enjoy The Last One a lot more than I did because I definitely think this is targeted toward a specific audience. I’m not exactly that audience, so this falls more of a miss for me.

I haven't read a ton of romantasy, but was anticipating this one and excited to read it. I thought the premise had amazing potential and sounded unique, but the overall execution didn't really hit the highs I wanted it to. I thought the worldbuilding was really well done and though I'm not a huge fan of slow burn all the time, I did feel like this story did it well. There were times where it almost felt like the tone changed a little, almost like it was kind of shifting to more simplistic, so that wavering of tone did break me out of the story and was a distraction. That being said, I would be interested in seeing how the story and world continued to build in following books as the characters were compelling and had depth. There were a lot of good points to this story and I feel it was a solid first venture into romantasy.