Synopsis
Ambitious Phi Hunter and perpetual lone wolf, Ex, finds his road to glory interrupted when a heavily pregnant runaway enlists his help to escape through the ghost-infested forest…
Ex, the youngest member of the Phi Hunters Order, has spent his life slaying the ghosts and demons of Suyoram Kingdom. While he takes great pride in his mystical trade, collecting dwindling bounties and peddling butchered spirit organs lacks the glory he craves. He’s determined to hunt down Shar-Ala, a demon of nightmares, of madness – who has eluded even Ex’s masters.
In a provincial village along the way, Arinya, a charming muay-boran champion, manages to save Ex him from a brutal ass-kicking, despite being nine months pregnant. In return, she asks him to escort her through the dangerous, spirit-filled forest, where ghosts salivate over the scent of the unborn.
Feeling responsible for Arinya’s safety, Ex vows to help her return home. But as more of Arinya’s secrets emerge, and the elusive demon nears, Ex must face dangers from both men and monsters, or lose not only the respect and sanctuary of his guild, but also the woman he’s trying not to fall in love with.
The Last Phi Hunter is a mythic dark fantasy, equal parts smart, exhilarating, and delightfully fun.
Review
The Last Phi Hunter follows Ex, the youngest and possibly last of the Phi Hunters. He hunts and banishes ghosts and demons across the land all the while in search of a ‘true demon’: a legendary creature whose defeat will earn him his full title and glory.
On his hunt he meets a young woman, pregnant and on the run. He ends up using prohibited magic to save her life and that of her child, and then becomes tied to her journey and her fate.
This is a debut novel that has a lot of elements that stood out to me. The world has a unique feeling, unlike many other books I’ve read recently. It is based a lot around Thai folklore, something I know nothing about. This didn’t affect my experience reading this book at all and I found myself intrigued and keen to know more about every detail, creature and element added to this world. The idea of the Everpresent was great as was learning about the spirits, demons and magic. The book also had a great tone; slightly humourous and light while also keeping the creepy, dark vibe. A great mix that I enjoyed a lot too.
The plot has some great twists and turns. It had a good pace and things flow into one another without much room to get bored. There were a few bits in the second half I found hard to follow at first, but nothing major. Just many details to keep track of perhaps.
I do think the characters could have used a bit more depth and focus at times. This was the only real area where this book lacked something for me. The book is quite plot driven and I felt a result of this was the character arcs could have had more time for them to settle and grow on me as a reader. Ex was an interesting one to follow, but he makes lots of odd decisions. I also didn’t quite feel the chemistry of the love story as strongly as I would have liked.
However, the fast paced plot and the great mythology more than made up for these minor misgivings. I enjoyed this book a lot.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy.
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