The last Namsara by Kristen Ciccarelli

Orion, 2017. ISBN 9781473218130
(Age: 14+)Fantasy. In a well-written and well-constructed narrative, Ciccarelli draws us into the interconnected lives of the royal family, the slaves, the cousins and the dragons. This world resembles our world in its jealousies, love, family feuds, its enmity towards those outside 'our' world.
We are plunged into the intimate world of Asha, the Iskari, whose recent action, slaying a dragon, must be concealed, as should the burn she bears as a result of her killing this dragon. Controlled yet passionate, beautiful and unattainable, she is in a state of fear, of tension and of anxiety about what she has done, in her transgression, and what she must do to both cover this up and be ready for the next stage in her life.
These characters are drawn so finely, their world so rich in detail, the presence of the dragons as willful, strong aggressors that must be tamed or silenced, that we conceive of this world as possible. Not unlike our world, this world is full of envy, of family disruption and jealousy, of the normal human frailties and love, of honour and betrayal. It is a good read for those who love a story that rings so true and that lifts us out of our world for a brief time, to both puzzle and entertain us.
Liz Bondar