Ohhhh my god, hyperfixation time.

For some reason I thought this would be YA (possibly because of the cover) but it most definitely is not. Really funny, cool magic system, great characters, good action scenes. A super entertaining read! ( )

Wow, that is some marvelous word-building right here! It reads almost like some awesome MMORPG at times, what with the sigils and spells and magic. The universe of The Last Sun is original and complex - I’m pretty quick on the uptake, but it actually took me some time to fully grasp the structure of the houses/courts here. The book is fast-paced and action-packed - with a few epic battles and zombies thrown in for good measure. The characters are wonderfully developed - every single one of them is a three-dimensional individual.

Rune - our tarnished, tragic MC - is a very engaging narrator. He’s a complicated and multifaceted character with hidden depths. The horror of what had happened to Rune when he’d been just a boy was addressed a couple of times in the course of the story, and even if it wasn't particularly descriptive (thank goodness), some people might find it triggering. It’s more than enough to realize the brutality of the event, as well as the devastating effect it’d had on Rune’s life. He’s tough as nails and projects a strong front, but as the story unfolds, it becomes clear he’s far from over the rape. Rune’s close relationship with Brand - the only person he’d let himself be vulnerable with - is probably the only reason he hadn’t fallen apart immediately after that. It holds him together.

The friendship/Companion bond between Rune and Brand is beautiful. It’s also the most prominent relationship here. It’s not the only important one, to be sure - there’s Rune’s friendship with Max and Quinn, and his budding romance with Addam - but it's up there. Brand is Rune’s rock. His no-nonsense, gruff ‘bodyguard’ that doesn’t take shit from anyone, even (especially?) from Rune. Even though it’s implicated that Companion bonds aren’t anything unusual in this universe, Rune and Brand’s bond is just special. There’s a pervading impression that in their case, the caring goes both ways. Also, Brand is the king of poker-faced banter - his one-liners were hilarious and gave this book life.

There’s not enough Addam here! He’s PRECIOUS - this sexy knight in shining armor. He’s just so wholesome and sweet - the perfect balm for Rune’s bruised and battered soul. Under different circumstances, this type of character would irritate the hell out of me, but his unobtrusive presence grew on me from the start. The tender moments between him and Rune gave me such sweet hope - Rune seems to have this impression that he’s used goods, but Addam’s attention slowly worms past his defenses. Their chemistry is great, too, even with Rune’s expected hangups. Addam is definitely a keeper.

This series is off to a great start! ( )

I would love if the world building in this story was better. Not just the outer world of Nantucket, but the inner world of Rune and Brand. Perhaps this will happen in later books? So many questions left unanswered, things like explaining how a human is chosen to be a companion, how the parents of said human feel about this, much less the human in question. Is there a really a choice in the matter? Don't get me wrong, Brand is a great character, and half the time I was disappointed we don't get his perspective in the story. I'd love to hear what's going on inside his head.

I have read some truly awesome UF over the years, so this story suffers a bit in comparison, but, taking it on its own merits, it's an OK story. The magic elements are familiar, if a bit well worn (e.g. nothing earth shattering or new), the world could use some smoothing out, but the author does a good job of staying within the boundaries of the rules he lays out for the use of magic. It's not a world I would want to live in, but each to their own, yeah?

Not being much into Tarot, other than as an entertainment thing, I wasn't too bothered by the use of the Arcana names, etc., as descriptors and house names. The scions are all a bunch of over privileged brats, as most such high born tend to be. Rune, of course, is an exception, being the last of a fallen house. You can hear the bitterness though when he points out that he exists as an object lesson to others of his class and that there is no sympathy to be had for such (he lies about not caring much).

I could have lived happily without Addam's come-ons to Rune. He's an interesting character and a great older brother, but he flirts outrageously and annoyingly with Rune and, yeah, it got on my nerves (though, evidently, not on Rune's. Whatever man). ( )

Excellent, excellent characters, excellent plot, excellent setting ( )