Strong Characters can be Emotional Too! | An Audiobook Review

The Last Bloodcarver by Vanessa Le, Narrated by VyVy Nguyen

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Writing this review after having a public meltdown is something I didn't see for my Tuesday morning, but alas here we are! I actually found this book while searching through the Libby app to see what other Audiobooks were available and I couldn't put this down.

I love strong characters, but specifically a strong woman MC will always have my heart. It's so refreshing to see the beauty and fierceness that can only come from a woman who needs to survive in a patriarchal world. It's inspiring and gives so many readers, like myself, encouragement to persevere through struggles we may come across, large or small.

However, in some stories I read, the MC usually has to create some sort of emotional wall in order to get things done. It is somewhat rare to see a 'strong' character have a healthy relationship with emotion, specifically sadness and anger.

photograph by Sage of a cellphone with the screen opened to "The Last Bloodcarver" Audiobook page on the Libby app.

The story breakdown

In The Last Bloodcarver written, Our main character Nhika, finds a balance between her empathy and her 'strength'. She lives in a world where her healing abilities must be hidden, because not only is it illegal, but it's also seen as evil and deadly. She is the last of the heartsoothes, so it comes to no surprise that she is sold to an aristocratic family after getting caught, but being asked to heal a murder witness was not what she expected.

Let's take a look at my favorite parts of this story and what makes it different from the other tales I have been reading lately.

Sage standing next to a large library book shelf. she is holding a camera on a white gimbal.

What I like about the book

Nhika is very well written as a main character! She is full of mystery, but also pretty blunt and realistic. She has a sense of humor and a greater sense of survival. I love how much she cares for others and that she is able to articulate her feelings when she needs to. She is easily lovable and I relate to her and some of her struggles very well.

I love how culture plays a huge role in this story. This is a Vietnam inspired fantasy, and highlights colonialism, racism, and semi-glances over topics such as genocide and war. Nhika hides her family name almost until the end of the story, even from the reader! We are not able to fully see her, her family and culture until she is ready to be vulnerable. This is how many BIPOC navigate life when it comes to their culture.

The mystery aspect of the story was very fun! I love trying to guess who the culprit is! It was fairly simple to follow along to, and (mostly) everything was explained.

Worth the read?

Yes! If you enjoy fantasy books with some mystery involved, this will be perfect for you! It's kind of a 'who did it' with healing magic involved. It's a pretty fast paced read especially if you're doing the audiobook version.

Have you read The Last Bloodcarver?

• 0%Yes, and I loved it!
• 0%Yes, and I didn't love it.
• 0%Nope, not yet!