Scan barcode
A review by yazthebookish
The Last Daughter by Alexis L. Menard
5.0
5 - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“I only hate that I feel drawn to you when I know I shouldn’t. I hate that I think about you when you are gone. But most of all I hate that you were fated to be my enemy, and yet my heart was destined to want you.”
The Last Daughter is a brilliantly rendered fantasy romance enriched with Norse mythology and tells the story of a love so powerful and so devastating that it defied the Fates and the Gods.
But how could such a love, in its purest form, find its way into the hearts of two enemies who found each among so much chaos and so much death.
This is the story of a mortal woman and an Elfin demigod who were damned by the Fates and deceived by the Gods.
What to expect:
— New Adult Fantasy Romance
— Enemies-to-Lovers
— Chosen Mates
— Love interest is the Villain
— Norse Gods and Goddesses
— Mythological Creatures
— 2.5/5 Spice level
— Cast of Morally Grey Characters
— Rune Magic
— Intricate World-building
— Dual POVs
— Fun Banter
— Lovable Side Characters
— Chronic Illness Rep
I was immersed into such a dark world yet I loved every second I was in it. The hopelessness and desperation was potent at the beginning and there is a sense of uncertainty surrounding the characters—and that element in particular kept me intrigued as I could not predict where this journey will take me with them.
The Norse Mythology elements lend this story it's vibrancy and richness and expect to meet some prominent Norse figures throughout this journey.
He rivaled only the sun with his glory, stole the light of the stars with his existence. The most dangerous thing about this man was not his power but his presence, a treacherous combination of contradictions that seduced before it destroyed.
Ailsa is the fiery 26-year-old daughter of the chieftain Ledger Locharsson of Drakame, one of the territories in the moral realm known as Midgard.
Despite not being raised as a warrior like her sisters who are Shieldmages, Ailsa is a healer with a warrior's soul.
Not soon after the story brings that Ailsa's father and sisters are killed in battle and she becomes the Last Daughter of their line.
Unbeknownst to her Ailsa carries on her a cursed artifact as a family heirloom with a power that once belonged to a dead witch—a power over fate.
“I was born solely for revenge and redemption, and I will not leave this realm until I seize them both.”
Vali is an Elfin Demigod whose realm "Alfheim" is infected by the black magic known as "Sedir" and its light is almost extinguished.
He has been hunting for the Witch's power for 50 years as he was bred for this quest and his fate was tied to finding the witch's power and delivering it to Odin.
After killing the warriors of Ailsa's clan in cold blood and finding her village, Vali demands that the stolen power be given to him and the village will be spared.
The power then binds itself of Ailsa and it no longer exists within the heirloom ring—it lives in her.
To save her village, Ailsa leaves with Vali towards her damnation.
“No, Vali. You are not afraid of her. You are afraid of what she makes you feel.”
There is much to the story that I want readers to experience for themselves especially the blossoming love between Ailsa and Vali which is so beautifully written and it's woven wit tragedies. It's also a forbidden love in a way.
I have so much praise for the way the romance was written that I don't even know where to begin. I will just say that it was emotional, beautiful, tragic, swoon-worthy, hot, and pure.
The chemistry between Vali and Ailsa is there from the moment they met, even if it was such an unpleasant meeting.
“I have never once chosen anything in my life. But I would choose you, Ailsa, if you let me. There are no strands of time where I would not choose you, no matter how they unraveled in the end.”
The story is narrated from Ailsa and Vali's POVs and the dual POVs balance the progression of the story and character arcs.
The writing style is immersive and fast-paced and if it weren't for life interfering with my reading progress, I would've finished it in one sitting.
Trigger Warnings: contains strong language and content some readers may find distressing, including violence, death, mentions of miscarriage off page, alcohol use, and graphic depictions of sexual themes.
“I only hate that I feel drawn to you when I know I shouldn’t. I hate that I think about you when you are gone. But most of all I hate that you were fated to be my enemy, and yet my heart was destined to want you.”
The Last Daughter is a brilliantly rendered fantasy romance enriched with Norse mythology and tells the story of a love so powerful and so devastating that it defied the Fates and the Gods.
But how could such a love, in its purest form, find its way into the hearts of two enemies who found each among so much chaos and so much death.
This is the story of a mortal woman and an Elfin demigod who were damned by the Fates and deceived by the Gods.
What to expect:
— New Adult Fantasy Romance
— Enemies-to-Lovers
— Chosen Mates
— Love interest is the Villain
— Norse Gods and Goddesses
— Mythological Creatures
— 2.5/5 Spice level
— Cast of Morally Grey Characters
— Rune Magic
— Intricate World-building
— Dual POVs
— Fun Banter
— Lovable Side Characters
— Chronic Illness Rep
I was immersed into such a dark world yet I loved every second I was in it. The hopelessness and desperation was potent at the beginning and there is a sense of uncertainty surrounding the characters—and that element in particular kept me intrigued as I could not predict where this journey will take me with them.
The Norse Mythology elements lend this story it's vibrancy and richness and expect to meet some prominent Norse figures throughout this journey.
He rivaled only the sun with his glory, stole the light of the stars with his existence. The most dangerous thing about this man was not his power but his presence, a treacherous combination of contradictions that seduced before it destroyed.
Ailsa is the fiery 26-year-old daughter of the chieftain Ledger Locharsson of Drakame, one of the territories in the moral realm known as Midgard.
Despite not being raised as a warrior like her sisters who are Shieldmages, Ailsa is a healer with a warrior's soul.
Not soon after the story brings that Ailsa's father and sisters are killed in battle and she becomes the Last Daughter of their line.
Unbeknownst to her Ailsa carries on her a cursed artifact as a family heirloom with a power that once belonged to a dead witch—a power over fate.
“I was born solely for revenge and redemption, and I will not leave this realm until I seize them both.”
Vali is an Elfin Demigod whose realm "Alfheim" is infected by the black magic known as "Sedir" and its light is almost extinguished.
He has been hunting for the Witch's power for 50 years as he was bred for this quest and his fate was tied to finding the witch's power and delivering it to Odin.
After killing the warriors of Ailsa's clan in cold blood and finding her village, Vali demands that the stolen power be given to him and the village will be spared.
The power then binds itself of Ailsa and it no longer exists within the heirloom ring—it lives in her.
To save her village, Ailsa leaves with Vali towards her damnation.
“No, Vali. You are not afraid of her. You are afraid of what she makes you feel.”
There is much to the story that I want readers to experience for themselves especially the blossoming love between Ailsa and Vali which is so beautifully written and it's woven wit tragedies. It's also a forbidden love in a way.
I have so much praise for the way the romance was written that I don't even know where to begin. I will just say that it was emotional, beautiful, tragic, swoon-worthy, hot, and pure.
The chemistry between Vali and Ailsa is there from the moment they met, even if it was such an unpleasant meeting.
“I have never once chosen anything in my life. But I would choose you, Ailsa, if you let me. There are no strands of time where I would not choose you, no matter how they unraveled in the end.”
The story is narrated from Ailsa and Vali's POVs and the dual POVs balance the progression of the story and character arcs.
The writing style is immersive and fast-paced and if it weren't for life interfering with my reading progress, I would've finished it in one sitting.
Trigger Warnings: contains strong language and content some readers may find distressing, including violence, death, mentions of miscarriage off page, alcohol use, and graphic depictions of sexual themes.