Breakaway Books

Authored by Salinee Goldenberg; Published 2024; Fantasy

⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 🏖️🏖️🏖️

The Last Phi Hunter takes place in a rich world of magic and mythology, but at its heart is a classic tale of a street urchin falling for a princess and a hero slaying his monster nemesis. 

In The Last Phi Hunter, hero Ex hunts phis, malevolent ghost beings that are not quite demons, but his true goal is to defeat the legendary monster Shar-Ala and by doing so, gain the title demon slayer. Dedicated to this mission, Ex is dismayed to be taken off course by Arinya, the concubine of a crown prince who is in need of an escort home. Reluctant to delay his hunt for Shar-Ala but short on funds, Ex agrees to serve as her guard and finds that the princess is good (and beautiful) company. He quickly discovers that Arinya’s separation from her prince is not exactly a short respite so much as a desperate attempt to save their unborn child from dark magic. Ex manages to keep the child safe with his own wizardry and enables Arinya’s return to her prince, but is that Arinya’s true destiny?

I was eager to find out how Ex’s and Arinya’s stories ended, but I was simultaneously distracted by a lack of understanding of the magical architecture of their world. Phi hunters like Ex live in the land of “gray” magic, or low magic, which is distinct from black magic, necromancy and high magic. But there seem to be intricacies to this system that I didn’t quite understand, and it left me feeling a little lost at times. The concept of the phi hunters itself is fascinating—the initiates train for years through trances and rituals to avoid physical pain and access a magical plane of being—but the boundaries of their power were fuzzy to me. The novel jumps right in with Ex fighting a phi in the first scene, and although exciting, it definitely left me feeling a little lost. The driving philosophy behind this supernatural world is one of karma and reincarnation, and I could have used more of a primer as to how those concepts work themselves out in this world.

Potentially the most attractive element of this novel is Arinya herself—she is frequently described as beautiful, but that is most certainly not what sets her apart. Instead, it’s her fighting prowess, which she has to deploy several times in order to save Ex’s bacon. Frankly, it was confusing to me how she could find Ex attractive at all, until the prince appears as a contrast. I can see how Ex’s authenticity, when compared with palace intrigue, could draw Arinya in and leave her sighing in relief. But it all made me wonder: How did Arinya end up as a prince’s concubine, mired in artificial smiles and politics, in the first place? She doesn’t seem the sort to stand for the prince’s particular brand of controlling, even to better her family’s position, and it made her character feel inconsistent. Still, Ex and Arinya both seem far more realistic and relatable than the one-dimensionally evil villains and the capricious devas (gods) who feature in this novel, who have a more-than-passing resemblance to the Greek mythological gods who encompass all the worst of human emotion.

If you’re looking for a new magical world to explore, The Last Phi Hunter is a great choice, even if there are some gaps to fill in. Rich and intricate, it’ll leave you wanting more.