Synopsis:

Ambitious Phi Hunter and perpetual lone wolf, Ex, finds his road to glory interrupted when a heavily pregnant runaway enlists his help to escape through the ghost-infected forest…

Ex, the youngest member of the Phi Hunters Order, has spent his life slaying the ghosts and demons of Suyoram Kingdom. While he takes great pride in his mystical trade, collecting dwindling bounties and peddling butchered spirit organs lacks the glory he craves. He’s determined to hunt down Shar-Ala, a demon of nightmares, of madness – who has eluded even Ex’s masters.

In a provincial village along the way, Arinya, a charming muay-boran champion, saves him from an ass-kicking, despite being nine months pregnant. In return, she asks him to escort her through the dangerous, spirit-filled forest, where ghosts salivate over the scent of the unborn.

But as more of Arinya’s secrets emerge, and the elusive demon nears, Ex must face dangers from both men and monsters, or lose not only the respect of the Phi Hunters, but the Hunters themselves, along with the woman he’s trying not to fall in love with.

Review:

If you’re after an atmospheric, pacy book that is a little bit weird and packed with folklore, then The Last Phi Hunter is for you.

Ex is a Phi Hunter – he hunts demons for a living. However, his demon hunting plans are sent awry when a pregnant woman crosses his path and their fates become entangled.

The worldbuilding in this book was excellent, with politics, really interesting landscapes and the unique rituals of the Phi Hunters. I loved having the Thai mythology as a base for everything to build upon as it’s not a mythology I was familiar with before. It added some darkness to the story, and I appreciated how the author wrote about it in a way that didn’t sound like something out of a textbook, but still gave those who are unfamiliar a clear idea of what Ex was dealing with.

The characters were interesting, and I enjoyed seeing the world through Ex’s eyes. I loved his relationship with The Hound too – their exchanges definitely made me chuckle. I didn’t connect to Arinya as much, though we never really knew her thoughts and she was not present in some of the story, so that was understandable.

Overall, I really, thoroughly enjoyed this book! I would love to have some more stories in the world of Phi Hunter, especially some that look back at the history of the order. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for future books from Salinee Goldenberg!
PS, I highly recommend you check out the final cover, the coloured version is gorgeous!!

Thank you so much to @angryrobotbooks for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for a review.