Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a copy of The Last Soldier of Nava. I really enjoyed this book, it was a nice and cozy read and I really liked the description and expansion of the magic system and the world. Really easy to read and follow.

Unfortunately I didn't find myself enjoying this, although I think that could be to do with the headspace I find myself in currently. I will definitely try again in the future.

I was so looking forward to reading The Last Soldier of Nava! I typically love fantasy books, especially young adult fantasy books, that stem from Korean mythology but this one didn't creep into my heart the way I expected which I'm kind of sad about. I desperately wanted to be obsessed with this book.

It was complex, it was interesting but it was just missing a bit of whimsy I think.

It was still well written and the author should be proud. It's a good book, I enjoyed reading it.

I have to ask though... what was that ending about? I don't know if the author is overestimating how smart I am or what? I have absolutely no clue what the ending means or symbolises. If someone could explain it to me like I'm a five year old, I would appreciate it.

I love love LOVE Shadow as a character, it was so fun and intriguing to follow her story. Shadow was deep, flawed and layered but I still think that the character development was great, it must've been a challenge given the complexities of this character.

Overall, I liked it. I didn't LOVE it, but I did like it.

This is a very generous 3 because there were aspects of this book I did like.

The start with the legend really set the scene for a deeply rich and magical story. That then just....didn't quite deliver. There was a lot of good background on certain things, the superstitions and folklore about mirrors, the dragons keeping balance, the growing deadzones, how the remaking is done/depicted.
And then a lot of it just didn't really go anywhere.

At nearly 70% I still wasn't clear on the White Ice, what a Bone Warrior was and how they could be identified by their skulls, why word 'smithereens' suddenly appears, the entirety of Ch 17. The other problem was at nearly 70%, I didn't really care to find the answer. I was engaged in the world and everything felt flat against what was sometimes a very interesting background, if not a slightly vague one.

It's tagged as a Sapphic Fantasy but the character relationship developments just felt...weird. Not forced, but not-not forced. Now admittedly the bulk of the story is on the fantasy plot, not the romance. Which given the flat nature of the characters, I'm not really sure I saw the point of including at all. Especially since I've seen people say 'enemies-to-lovers' and unless I'm seriously confused about what an 'enemy' is, that's just not the correct trope for this.

This either needed to be a larger book or two books in order to really flesh out the worldbuilding, give the characters more development to make them stand and make their interactions make sense.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This one left me with a bit of a mixed bag of thoughts. The premise was genuinely intriguing—a reincarnated immortal soldier haunted by her past, a crumbling world on the brink of collapse, and political tension simmering beneath the surface. It had all the makings of something I’d love. And while there were parts I really enjoyed, I can’t help feeling like the worldbuilding tripped over itself more often than not.

I was frequently confused about the setting and structure of the world—terms like remades, deadzones, and even certain roles and relationships are mentioned without much context. It made it hard to explain the plot to anyone else, and that’s usually a red flag for me. I kept wishing the book had taken a little more time to flesh out the rules of the world and let me sit with the atmosphere a bit longer.

That said, I still found it an enjoyable read. There’s something refreshing about a story that isn’t quite like anything else on your shelf. The Korean mythology elements and the unique magic system kept me turning pages, even when I was occasionally scratching my head. The character dynamics were also a highlight—Shadow and Scarlet are very different people, and seeing their growth (and friction) unfold was satisfying, even if their relationship development felt a little abrupt at times.

Some character arcs ended in ways that felt jarring—there’s one in particular that left me blinking at the page, wondering if I’d missed a chapter. But at the same time, I appreciated the ambition of this story. It tried to do a lot, and while not all of it landed smoothly, I’d rather have something bold and slightly messy than overly polished and forgettable.

A story with sharp edges and plenty of ambition—if the world had been given a bit more breathing room, this could have been a standout. 3.75/5

I loved this but at the same time didn’t? I struggled to get into it, even when I bought the audiobook and swapped to that. So ultimately, DNF @ 50% :( I do plan to go back to this because I think its *me* and maybe I’m not in the right mood.

A beautiful sapphic fantasy story based on Korean mythology with shadow magic, danger and a sweeping fantasy world. I loved the premise and I''d have loved to see more of this world and the mysteries within it.

I was immediately drawn to this book because of the cover and the description. While romance is a subplot in this book, the main focus was on the fantasy plot which I really loved. I feel more focus could have been put on world-building to give readers a proper understanding of the world the characters were living in. It could have worked great as a duology rather than a standalone to help with some of the pacing issues. However, overall I quite enjoyed this book and would recommend it.

Thank you for the ARC!

eARC Review: The Last Soldier of Nava by Yejin Suh 🌙

This was a wonderfully weird and whimsical fantasy standalone that is inspired by Korean mythology. Again, there’s something about being thrown into a book with little to no idea of the world and its mechanics that I love for some reason. Maybe I enjoy the extra work it takes to understand the world and its characters, maybe I’m masochistic and like torturing myself trying to come up with answers that the book is most likely not going to answer for me. Either way, I still loved my time with this even though I was admittedly confused here and there. 😅

The story follows Shadow, a young woman who finds herself with little to no memory of the last 1,000 years other than she has power over shadows, is an ancient being, and killed a rather important person. She’s what I like to think of as a reluctant villain because of her past and is determined to not go back to those days. Her backstory reminds me so much of a specific character from the Marvel Universe (who I won’t name here because it will reveal too much of the plot), and it just made this character even more devastating because of her past and the thing that she has done. 😔

Her interactions with Scarlet, the primary love interest, were heated and provided great banter for the story. I liked how prickly Scarlet was compared to the more gentle Shadow. I do wish we could’ve gotten more time with the women though so that you could see the growth in feelings and warmth between the two so that it doesn’t feel as sudden when their chemistry starts to shift in the plot. 🤔

I don’t really know what else to say about this book because I don’t want to spoil it for potential future readers. I can see why some people might not like it, but if you are like me and don’t mind being shoved into a confusing world with little to no explanation as to the ins and outs of it, then I think you’d have a good time. That and the wonderful dark whimsy feelings that in it are definitely worth it in my opinion. It also reminds me of the Korean folktale of The Brother and Sister Who Became the Moon and the Sun, so if you are interested in that, then this might be a good read too. ☀️

HUGE thank you goes out to Harper Voyager UK and NetGalley for accepting my request to read this in exchange for an honest (and late) review; and to the author, Suh, for writing such a atmospheric read to get lost in. ❤️

In other words, I’m so excited to get my special Locked Library copy that I defined as a “necessity” in order to make myself feel better about getting it shipped all the way from the UK; and no, I won’t reveal how much it cost me because it’s was such a stupid thing to do three times now. . . 🙃

Publication date: June 19!!

Overall: 4.75/5 ⭐️

This book drew me in with a stunning cover and the Korean myths but it didn't really live up to my expectations. I am sure many people will find it interesting enough to keep on reading, but it just wasn't for me. I had to DNF at 30% . It's not bad, it's just not for me .

The Last Soldier of Nava is a truly original fantasy novel from author Yejin Suh. Inspired by Korean mythology, this is a story about shadow and light, young girls with immense power and the struggle of war. It is full of action and focuses on a very sweet sapphic love story.

I loved the almost mythical feel of this novel. One of our characters, Shadow or ‘The Soldier’, is awakened from a thousand year sleep. But unlike in Sleeping Beauty she is called on to fight for peace and to heal her kingdom. She is regarded as a legend, a powerful figure who covered entire cities in darkness. But she is also just a girl who has been used and abused for her gifts.
We also follow Scarlet who is struggling to find out who killed her sister. Little does she know that is was Shadow in another life… a fact that deeply complicates their growing relationship.
These characters are interesting, complex and they really drive the story forward.

The plot of the novel is also quite strong, up until the end when it becomes a bit confusing. There are lots of twists and turns which are engaging, but it also makes it hard to figure out what it really going on. I won’t spoil anything, but you may have to read the ending more than once to understand it fully.

I would recommend this book if you love mythology inspired stories like The God and the Gumiho and The Girl who fell beneath it he sea, or tales of light and darkness like Shadow and Bone.

I was immediately drawn into this book by the beautiful artwork on the cover (front and back) of this book when I saw it.

Inside, it was a beautifully written book as well. A lot of people have given reviews that it was difficult to understand, I didn’t think that at all and I enjoyed the World building at the beginning, and found it actually after that initially start to be pretty simple to understand for the rest of the book.

The reason for 3 starts is that I really enjoy twists, turns, cliffhangers in books that make you gasp and I didn’t get that with this book. I also enjoy a romance, and although this did have it, it was a teeny tiny bit of the plot and primarily this is a fantasty book first. However in you like books on mythology, you will really enjoy this I think.

Thank you for the access!
I liked the story, it was an okay read. The korean mythology part was nice to discover.
Sadly, I couldn’t fully enjoy my reading because it felt like the descriptions were missing something. I often had this vague feeling, it wasn’t going deeply in the situation / description. But overwall, it was really nice to discover, i would give it a 3.75/5

I had to dnf 40% of the way in. This started off great, so much potential for such an interesting story but... I felt like by 40ish% I would understand what was going on and why... it felt like quite big chunks of exposition and potential explanation was edited out, which is a shame.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this one, im so sad I didn't like it!

Inspired by Korean mythology, this captivating novel follows a young woman with shadow magic who awakens after a thousand years of slumber. Once known as "The Soldier," a weapon of destruction created by the Moonbringer and defeated by the light of Nava, she now lives in hiding under the name Shadow, enjoying her long-awaited freedom. But her past catches up with her when she’s captured by Scarlet, the Moonbringer’s new prodigy, who is determined to uncover the truth behind her sister’s mysterious death. As tensions rise and war approaches, the two must reluctantly trust one another to restore the balance of their world.

This book was an absolute delight—magical, emotionally rich, and steeped in myth. The characters are well-developed, with detailed backstories that make their journeys feel deeply personal. Though Scarlet was hard to like at first, she slowly won me over, and by the end, I was fully invested in both her and Shadow’s fates. The plot is well-structured and easy to follow, with plenty of action and heart. That ending left me desperate for more. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves mythology, magic, and character-driven fantasy. I can’t wait to see what this author writes next.

I loved this book, it was mesmerising and magical, the characters were really well written and fleshed out, the plot was really well thought out and it was easy to follow was going on. I didn’t like Scarlet at first but she grew on me and I was really routing for her and Shadow.

This book caught my attention with its stunning cover and interesting premise. Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC!

The legendary city of Nava is a myth from a long-ago past, just as its mythical heroes. Except for the Moonbearer, everyone else has been wiped out when his weapon, the Soldier: a woman with tremendous destructive power, was put to sleep. Now, one year ago, the Soldier awoke again with her own will. She assumes the name Shadow and goes into hiding. When Scarlet, whose sister Shadow has killed after awakening, finds her, however, she can’t stay uninvolved. Their country is threatened with an impending war, the spread of deadzones, unnatural weather and the Moonbearer’s bid for more power. Shadow and Scarlet have to work together to stop the catastrophes from happening.

The main point of interest for me was the inspiration by Korean mythology. And I really liked the intriguing parts of the world building, the different creatures and concepts strewn throughout. We see a variety of locations ranging form a lively market in the city, the strict Stronghold of the ruling class and the mysterious forests with their deadzones.

Unfortunately, the descriptions never went deep enough for me. Most things in the world were left unexplained and confusing, which was a bit frustrating considering how excited I was to learn more about the details from the premise. Those details seem to be entirely missing and I still have many unanswered questions. Who is the Desert Rose, the supposed Saint that Shadow killed after awakening, and what made her into a Saint? How exactly is Shadow connected to her identity of the Soldier - has she stayed in the same body and only now formed a consciousness, or did she somehow reincarnate? What are the Moonbearer’s motives, that never seem to make any sense and that Shadow only assumes she knows?

The plot itself also left me confused a lot. I did understand what was happening, but never why. Some of the characters’ decisions made sense, but most of the time, I just couldn’t figure out what kind of reasons they had. It felt random at times, and it doesn’t help that I was never able to connect to Shadow or Scarlet. They don’t have the depth I would have wanted. Scarlet switches between arrogant and childish, mean and suddenly understanding. I could forgive Shadow’s lack of characterization considering her lack of memories, but even with that it never felt consistent. It might be my own fault, because after the premise I was hoping for a thousand-year-old character who acts that age, not a vaguely young woman who can’t decide who she wants to be.

Because of my issues with the characters, I couldn’t enjoy the romance aspect of the book either. The delicate build-up required of enemies-to-lovers simply didn’t happen, or at least I couldn’t see it. I didn’t really care about Shadow’s and Scarlet’s relationship, neither as enemies nor as lovers.

In the end, I can’t shake the feeling that this book feels incomplete. There are so many details that could have been fleshed out, and added character interactions that could have filled the blanks for me. Unfortunately, I don’t think changes of this caliber would have been made between this ARC and the finished copy. Someone with less interest in the worldbuilding might enjoy this book, but it sadly wasn’t for me.

Yejin Suh’s *The Last Soldier of Nava* is a haunting, myth-drenched fantasy inspired by Korean folklore, where gods fall, cities crumble, and the lines between hero, weapon, and villain blur beyond recognition. It is a novel rich with ambition—epic in scope, yet intimate in its portrayal of guilt, identity, and power.

At its center is Shadow, an immortal soldier of living magic, awakened from a thousand-year sleep. Once a child molded into a weapon by the Moonbringer—her creator and father—Shadow awakens into a fractured land and an unraveling self. She has no desire to return to servitude or war, and yet, the tides of politics and revenge swiftly draw her in. Captured by Scarlet, the sister of the Saint Shadow once killed, both women find themselves tethered by more than fate: shared grief, uncertain loyalties, and the inexorable gravity of truth.

Yejin Suh’s world is striking from the start: a shattered land ruled by rival god-figures, where light and shadow once balanced the world, and divine warfare leaves deep metaphysical scars. There's a gorgeous, melancholic weight to the mythology—fragments of a forgotten age that echo through deadzones, magic, and whispered names. The novel reads like the bones of a legend exhumed and reanimated, full of buried truths and uncertain alliances.

**Shadow**, our protagonist, is a fascinating paradox—both a weapon and a girl trying not to be one. She thrives in survival mode, flinching from kindness, drifting through power plays with ghost-like detachment. There is a tragic poetry to her character: molded to kill, now seeking softness in a world that has only ever demanded her to burn.

**Scarlet**, meanwhile, evolves from a seemingly cold noble into a woman worn raw by duty, grief, and desperation. Her character arc is arguably the most satisfying in the novel, revealing layers of vulnerability beneath her steely resolve. While their shift from adversaries to tentative allies—and eventually something more—is narratively compelling, the emotional chemistry can feel underdeveloped. The romance is more whispered than roared, and some readers may wish for deeper tension and build-up.

Where *The Last Soldier of Nava* excels is in its atmosphere. Yejin Suh's prose is evocative, her metaphors laced with ash and starlight. But the novel’s elegance is sometimes its undoing. Important elements—the remades, the deadzones, the magic of bonded animals—are introduced with intrigue but left too vague. The lore is fascinating, yet underexplored. The world begs for a slower, deeper unspooling.

Despite these flaws, there’s *something* undeniably compelling in Yejin Suh’s debut. Shadow’s arc—her refusal to be reclaimed, her fight to forge an identity beyond what was programmed into her—is quietly radical. Scarlet’s righteous rage is equally magnetic. And though the novel closes with a kind of hush rather than a thunderclap, it leaves the door ajar for further reckonings.

*The Last Soldier of Nava* is an emotionally resonant and mythologically rich fantasy that doesn't always deliver on its immense promise—but what it does offer is luminous and unforgettable. For readers who crave morally complex women, slow-burn character studies, and the echo of ancient gods in broken cities, this is one worth lingering with.

I love books that have basis in Mythology and when I found out that The Last Soldier of Nava was based on Korean Mythology I was extremely excited to read it. I am pleased to say it did not disappoint at all. I loved the world building and pacing. There is a lot but it’s done so beautifully you instantly get transported to the world and don’t want to leave. I loved Shadow and later Scarlett too. The writing is beautiful and just captivated me from the start. This is the perfect novel for fans epic worlds, strong characters and fantastic storytelling.
As always thank you to Harper Collins for the advanced copy to review, my reviews are always honest and freely given.

This is a complicated novel to review as there were some parts of it that I really loved and others that I found could be improved upon.

I thought this story had a great premise and I love a plot with plenty of courtly intrigue. However, I found the immediate immersion in the world building was a bit confusing. I liked the focus on Korean Mythology and the sapphic representation, however I felt myself getting lost in the story, not in a lose yourself kind of way but more in a very confused way, if that makes sense?!?

Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it but possibly to someone who already has some knowledge or understanding of Korean Mythology so they can really get the most out of this novel. Thank you to the author and to Netgalley.