Filled with dark fantasy, morally grey characters and beautiful storytelling Last Memoria is one to add to your ‘To Be Read’ pile.
Special thanks to the author, Rachel Emma Shaw for reaching out to me and providing me with a free copy of her book in exchange for an honest review.
What is Last Memoria about?
Last Memoria is a young adult fantasy novel following the main characters Sarilla and Falon.
Sarilla is a memory thief, who hates what her gift allows her to do. She can take the memories of those she encounters with a single touch.
Sarilla is forced by the king to wield her gift and keep his subjects in line. When the opportunity to run away arises Sarilla relishes the freedom. That is until she runs into Falon. The man she once loved, who doesn’t remember her.
Falon knows he has a six month gap in his memories. The absence of those memories, what they may contain plagues him. He’ll do anything to get them back. Including use the woman who once loved him.
What I liked about Last Memoria?
Rachel Emma Shaw weaves a beautifully dark world in Last Memoria. The world building and complexity of the magic system is well executed.
I could picture the dark and hunted world the characters moved through.
The complexity of characters, and their motivations was intriguing. LGBTQ representation of characters is present and considered in this book.
Throughout the reading of Last Memoria the idea of memory and its connection to our identity is explored. I found this fascinating to consider.Are our memories what makes us who we are? What if we lost them, who are we then?
Another concept that is well developed throughout Last Memoria is the idea of monsters, of good versus evil. How are monsters made?
The morality of characters is often blurred with shifts in narration leaving you unsettled in the best kind of way as you strive to sort through your feelings towards a character.
I particularly liked the way the physical appearance of characters changed as they encountered different elements of the world. This was often connected back to that idea of good versus evil.
This is paired with the redemption arc trope that is common across many genres, but in particular fantasy it seems. My expectations were subverted and I honestly was unsure how characters would develop. This was refreshing and kept me turning the pages!
What I didn’t like about Last Memoria?
On occasion, particularly in the third act of the book, I found myself overwhelmed by information and exposition. Though this was necessary for the final climax of the book I would have loved some of this information earlier on in the novel.
I personally don’t enjoy the love triangle trope, but that is down to personal preference of the reader. You might really enjoy love triangles! I still enjoyed Last Memoria as the focus is not primarily on the love triangle.
Overall this was a wonderful book and I think Rachel Emma Shaw has done a fantastic job!
I found the ending of Last Memoria very satisfying, yet Last Memoria is a part of a duology. I’m curious and excited to see where the story goes next.
My Recommendation?
Last Memoria is a young adult dark fantasy with plenty of romance and intrigue. It’s a fast read with a unique premise so I recommend it for fans of fantasy and young adult fiction.
Where can I get a copy of Last Memoria?
Last Memoria publishes on May 10th. Be sure to grab a copy of this book then!
Due to COVID-19 Rachel Emma Shaw has very kindly made the audiobook available now, for free! Isn’t that nice of her?
If you’d like to listen to Last Memoria for free right now, you can listen on Youtube, iTunes or Spotify
After May 10th you can pick up a copy of Last Memoria from Amazon here:
*Should you choose to make your purchase using the link above I will receive a small commission, at no additional cost to yourself. Please bear in mind that I only link to products and companies that I personally believe will benefit my readers. Thank you for your support! If you’d like more information about affiliate marketing please visit my disclosure page.
If you’d like to learn more about Rachel Emma Shaw and her books visit her website or say hi to her on social media @rachel_emma_shaw.
Final Thoughts
Thank you for reading today’s review. If you have any fantasy novel recommendations for me, leave them in the comments on this post!
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Steph Huddleston 