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 listened to the audiobook of this novel and was riveted. The production captures so much of the darker mood of the book. Jason Vu and Vyvy Nguyen do a fantastic job of voicing the points of view of their characters. I listened to this in a single day because I simply could not turn it off. The audio really brings the book to life!

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!

I did not realize this was the second book in this series but it could be a stand alone. It talks about what happened in the first book a lot so it's easy to follow. It does jump back and forth between a time and that took some getting use to. All in all it was a sweet story.

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.

Vietnam Book and Reading Culture Day 2025 #2

I need a new type. Mine isn't serving. Kochin is as broody and emotionally unavailable as our boy Azriel, and probably every other book boyfriend we all like. Why is that? Why do we do this to ourselves?

Going to the book launch always helps clarify things, and I loved listening to Vanessa explain how she took her medical degree and applied it to fantasy. I also love how she clarified that this isn't enemies to lovers, and that she didn't want those girlies to come after her. Dahlia's questions were chef's kiss.

This book is told in two POVs. What makes it even more interesting is the separate timelines. Not the historical fiction way of two timelines, but in a way where the near past and very present timelines end up meeting. We talk death, and we also talk life. We obviously talk love.

I found the debut a little stronger, but I'm here to support other Vietnamese American women. Vanessa is currently in grad school and her next book will be dark academia, and I will also be here for that. Stay tuned.

Note: The correct pronunciation of Le is LAY and not LEE.

🎧 Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Young Listeners

I read The Last Bloodcarver last year and was in love with the story, so I knew I had to read His Mortal Demise to see how everything wrapped up! I love how it built on the first book and added so much more for a satisfying end!

Most of this book details the events following the mind-blowing ending of The Last Bloodcarver before an intense finale that had me at the edge of my seat! I enjoyed that this book introduced a dual-POV, dual timeline mechanic and Kochin’s been through so much. I’m not saying more about the plot as it might spoil some of the fun.

The characters were greatly fleshed out and had their characters expanded, especially our protagonists. Like before, the prose was just immersive and descriptive and beautiful! The world building of this Vietnamese inspired setting was expanded greatly and I loved the magical surgeries and how it worked. The themes from book 1 are reinforced and some elements come in full force, and added a darkness to the story that fit the story. With the romantic focus heavier than in book 1, I did like that the plot wasn’t “protagonists must save the world plot”, despite the high stakes presented. It’s mostly about the protagonists trying to discover who they are and their place in the world, which I appreciate.

Side note, there is some medical details, so this book might not be for everyone. There’s also some war stuff, a bit more than book 1 had, as well as talking about elimination of a culture and its people.

The narrators, VyVy Nguyen and JaSon Vu were excellent, and made the story come more alive with their performances and range. I loved the contrast in their pitch as well with VyVy having a more upbeat tone, and JaSon having a more moody, reflective voice.

If you haven’t read these books, please read them ASAP! I’ll be keeping an eye on Vannesa Le in the future!

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.

A beautiful conclusion & sequel to this duology- Where we explore more w/ not one, but dual timelines as well as dual POVs. In this, Kochin’s character is dissected (not literally), seeing his pain & desperation to get Nhika back. The rawness of emotions was genuine. Sadly being a duology, this does leave you wanting a bit more- Esp w/ everything that was going on. The Bloodcarvers alone were so fascinating, truly a unique magic system.
Overall, this was a wonderful conclusion to the story & the narrators did such an amazing job expressing each of the characters 🫶🏽

I really liked this series and this was a great sequel and conclusion. I really liked the narrators. 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.

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.

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 Macmillan Audio | Macmillan Young Listeners for the gifted audiobook!

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. The dual narration by Jason Vu and VyVy Nguyen was very well done!

Thank you netgalley for giving me the audiobook arc for this book!
This book was a wild ride! The dual timeline had me hooked, especially seeing how Kochin’s past choices connected to everything happening with Nhika. The magic system was fun and unique! I loved how it blended with science in a way that felt natural.

This book made me think about love, sacrifice, and how far people will go for the ones they care about. The writing was so immersive, and there were moments that absolutely wrecked me. If you liked the first book, this one will hit even harder—I couldn’t put it down.

I am voluntarily leaving my honest review.

I was taken by book one of this duology, it was so good. Picking up where Last Bloodcarver left off, book two did not disappoint; I must say that I have a newfound love for Asian fantasy. The two main characters, Nhika and Kochin, had such a beautiful on-page love story. Just the right amount of romance without the graphic spice scenes, the quintessential love conquers all relationship.
The action in this book felt like I was watching a movie, especially the prison break!!!

Jason Vu and VyVy Nguyen were perfect choices to narrate this story. They did a perfect job of infusing emotion into each scene. I especially enjoyed the moments when the characters were having tender moments, and you could feel it in the inflections of the actors' voices.

I really had a good time with this duology.

Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio | Macmillan Young Listeners, and the amazing Vanessa Le for the ALC of His Mortal Demise

As much as I was fascinated by the first book, apparently this sequel didn’t piqued my interest at all… this book has 2 POV, Nhika & Kochin, but their POVs started on different timelines: Nhika in the present, Kochin in the past. It’s disorienting a bit and I needed awhile to get used to it. And thankfully later in the story, their timeline aligned.

The magic system was the only thing that kept me from DNF, because it’s cool. But other than that, I didn’t really care… on the first book I felt like the romance was artificial and this book still failed to change my opinion on that. Overall it’s just okay, i felt indifference on most of it.

The audiobook also weren’t my fav, not gonna lie… the narrators were good but that’s just it. Still worth to read & listen tho, for the magic system.

I really enjoyed this duology from start to finish. The plot fast paced and extremely unique, the Vietnam-inspired world with a fascinating medical magic system kept me hooked, especially when the main character used her blood and heart-based powers. The series explores grief in a heartfelt way, making me feel deeply for the characters. The romance was compelling, and the cliffhanger at the end of the first book was brutal!!!! But in a good way.
What a thrilling ending!

3.5⭐️ A beautiful ending to this duology. I really liked getting more of Kochin’s story and POV. His growth is incredible and much of the story focuses on if you had the power to undo the past (and in this case, death) even if it cost you part of yourself, would you take it. The dynamic between Kochin, his family, Nhika and the Komine family is so well thought out. This is a true story of forgiveness and love.

The audiobook was also really well done and greatly benefitted from dual narration. I read the first book in print but definitely enjoyed the audiobook version of this one.

I love, love, love dark/gothic fantasy & this was so good! I loved the narrators flow & having duel narrators is always a win in my opinion! I really enjoyed this duology & this was a fantastic conclusion to the story.

This was a stunning conclusion to The Last Bloodcarver duology. Kochin is determined to bring Nhika back to life by using his heartsoothing abilities. In another timeline, Nhika wakes up and is determined to find Kochin. I loved getting both Kochin and Nhika's POVs in this book, and felt like it really helped me understand Kochin's backstory a lot more. The POVs were told on different timelines which just made me root for the main characters to be back together. This book had plenty of suspense, some plot twists, and absolutely gorgeous writing. I listened to the audio while reading along and loved the duet narration. Jason Vu and VyVy Nguyen were both fantastic and brought the characters and their emotions to life in a really immersive manner.

Thank you to Macmillan Children's and Macmillan Audio for the advance copies!

🎧 Audiobook: His Mortal Demise Book #2 The Last Bloodcarver

✍🏾 Author: Vanessa Le- I read TLB and gave it 5 ⭐

📅Publication date: 3/18/25 | Read: 3/18/25

Genre: Fantasy, YA, Romance, Mystery

Tropes: magic, a quest, steampunk, slow burn romance

🗣️Narrator: JaSon Vu and VyVy Nguyen voice all the characters with standouts from Kochin and Nhika. The reading style brought the text to life, and the author and narrators worked together perfectly. The pacing and flow allowed me to get lost in the story. The narrators paused and announced new chapters and there was a table of contents which helped me follow along.

🏃🏾‍➡️Run Time: 10:58

🌎 Setting: Theumas and Yarong

👆🏾POV: dual 3rd person

⚠️TW: death, war, imprisonment

Summary: After the death of his love, Kochin sacrifices his morals, his powers, and his heart in order to resurrect Nhika.

👩🏾 Heroine: Nhika-19, was a bloodcarver-can alter human biology with just a touch.

👨🏾 Hero: Ven Kochin-a heartsooth-can heal any wound except death.

🤔 My Thoughts: I loved book one, so I had high hopes for this one. It was about war politics and a quest. Kochin and Nhika spent most of the time apart and there was little romance. It focused on their medical magic system and creating technology. I loved Kochin's time home with his brothers and Nhika and Kochin's HEA.

Rating: 4/5 ✨
Spice level 2/5🔥kissing and fade to black

🙏🏾Thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio | Macmillan Young Listeners, and Vanessa Le for this ALC! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions are my own.

First of all, the narrators did a great job bringing the two main characters to life. After the events that took place in the first book, we now find Kochin alone, completely devastated. He is willing to do anything to bring Nhika back, even if it means losing parts of himself. I liked that they were given dual POVs and were able to tell their memories of past events and what they were feeling at the time. We were able to follow Kochin on this journey and experience his state of mind as he fought to bring back Nhika. We also got to see Nhika's journey and how, after being disregarded for so long by others, she finally found a group of people who cared for her.

Thank you to Fierce Reads for the e-arc and Macmillan Audio for the ALC!