His Mortal Demise

Starred review from January 15, 2025
This duology closer following 2024'sThe Last Bloodcarver explores how far you would go to save what you loved most. As powerful a healing art as heartsoothing can be, it all boils down to the transfer of energy. Even a heartsooth can't bring a dead body back to life without taking another, equivalent, life in exchange. Nhika gave her life and the gift of her heartsoothing to save Kochin, the unlikely ally she grew to love. But six months later, she wakes up with no knowledge of how she lived before or why--and Kochin, whom she does remember, is nowhere to be found. Past and present converge as war descends on the land of Theumas, and Nhika works to piece together the truth of what happened. Meanwhile, Kochin finds himself at the very end of his strength and morals, torn between defiling his art--Nhika's parting gift to him--and reclaiming it. Le picks up where the previous installment left off without slacking the pace, and she immediately draws readers back into her Vietnamese-inspired fantasy world where there are neither heroes nor villains, saviors nor monsters, but only flawed and fragile people fueled by desperation and love. The characters are richly and sensitively portrayed, and Nhika and Kochin's slow-burn romance is well integrated into the plot even as they fight for the "peace, freedom, [and] love" they've never known. Engrossing, moving, and intricately detailed. (map)(Fantasy. 12-18)

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March 1, 2025
Grades 9-12 Alternating points of view are tied to alternating points in time for steadfast Kochin and headstrong Nhika in this achingly romantic conclusion to Le's Bloodcarver duology. In one time line, Kochin briefly returns home with a secret, soon discovered by his brother Vinsen, who agrees against his better judgment to help Kochin keep Nhika's body safe and whole while Kochin looks for a way to truly revive her. Six months in the future, Nhika awakens to a war raging outside the safety of the Congmi manor where she is well cared for, though the Congmis are reluctant to answer her questions about Kochin and the events that have transpired. As the time lines converge, the force of the two powerful heartsooths' love for each other will be up against seemingly impossible odds, but they will stop at nothing to be reunited. Biological technicalities of the magic system evenly balance out the intense longing and desperation of young love as this sharp, lyrical duology wraps up its exploration of colonialism, familial obligation, grief, and more.

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