When Alice moves into her mother's hometown for her last year of high school, she gets swept up into a world of demon hunting through a mirror realm, finds her soul mate, and has to decide what is worth sacrificing. This book starts off with a bang, and although there were a few places where the plot lost me, the friendships between the four girls kept me reading their crazy adventures. I still felt a tiny bit lost at the end of the book, though that just made me need to jump into the second one immediately. 

This story, deeply entwined with the mythological meddling of the Greek gods, felt like an immortal retelling of *Romeo and Juliet*. From the very beginning, the undercurrent of forbidden love and looming tragedy was palpable. Yet, amidst the tension, there were glimmers of hope, much like the classic tragic romances that make you root for a happy ending, even when heartbreak seems inevitable. That blend of raw emotion and the manipulation of the characters' fates by divine forces made it impossible not to become invested in their journey.

The supporting characters were equally compelling, each with their own struggles and desires, adding richness and depth to the narrative. The plot twists and intricate connections wove together a complex storyline, constantly keeping me on edge, hoping for a positive outcome. But whether that resolution comes in this book or future installments is something you’ll have to discover for yourself!

From the first page, I was hooked, and now I can’t wait to dive into the next installment to see what new adventures and heartache await.

I read this book because I got an ARC for the second novel of the series. I was quite disappointed with the first book. The concept was fascinating because it has a different take on Greek Mythology. But other than that, I didn't really care about the characters and the story was sometimes kind of confusing. 

I really hope that the next book, 'The Lost Portal,' would be a bit better than this.

What would you do if you could make the world a better place and save the soul of someone you’re attracted to, but you would have to die in his place? A hero would jump at this chance, of course. The Last Huntress is a story about willingness to sacrifice and standing against powers far beyond our comprehension. Lenore Borja’s world is creative and intriguing, though I can’t say the same for the story she chooses to tell in it. I received a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Alice finds herself initiated rather abruptly into the current generation of huntresses: women throughout history who can access the Mirror Realm and track and exorcise demons. They are trained and overseen by Cithaeron, a once-mortal man now reincarnated through the lifetimes. But things are different now. Alice might be the last huntress ever called, and she seems to have more power—that comes at more of a price—than the others. She and Cithaeron are bound up, twin flames, yet Alice’s destiny is one of self-sacrifice in exchange for Cithaeron’s soul. For lurking behind the Mirror Realm, behind our world, behind it all, is the spectre of Hades and the other Olympians.

The Last Huntress starts off like so many young adult stories. Alice is the new girl in town, and she meets a cast of peers, some of whom are boorish and awful (David) and others who become her new sisters (Olivia, Hadley, Soxie). The dialogue is trite, the action a series of set pieces, the development fairly standard. Alice’s initiation into the huntresses is as confusing for the reader as it is for her, but once she is finally in the know, the book picks up.

Borja’s creative use of Greek mythology is the best thing about this book. The parts she uses are a bit more obscure to me, but I like how she characterizes Hades and the other Greek gods. I like the lore gradually revealed, especially near the climax, of why the gods have been absent and what Hades’ master plan entails. Alas, the nature of the demons and their connection to the Mirror Realm is somewhat underdeveloped (which will be a recurring complaint from me).

We never really get a chance to settle into this world or the story. We don’t get much of an understanding of what business-as-usual is for the huntresses before Alice’s arrival throws everything off its axis. Even as Alice’s destiny unspools, Borja keeps throwing twist after twist at us as the story careens further away from its initial conditions. There’s no breathing room. There’s one memorable chapter where Alice is bonding with her fellow huntresses and having fun, but that’s about it—everything else is urgency, danger, go go go.

The romance subplot is also, as far as this aromantic chick can tell, just all right? Maybe even a bit boring? It’s supposed to be hot and heavy. But we get so little time with the two characters, and most of it is spent in crisis mode. Again, I just don’t feel invested in or connected with these characters as people.

The Last Huntress is a book with a lot of potential; it just falls flat for me. It never quite comes together into something truly memorable.

Originally posted at Kara.Reviews.

The character interactions were fun and the concept is an interesting twist on a minor character in Greek mythology, but the book overall was a bit confusing and melodramatic. 

Was able to finish it, but found it isn't the book for me. I wanted to DNF it a lot of times before I realized it just doesn't fall in my tropes of genre, however, it IS well-written. I won't give it 3 ⭐s because it's just not fair, so 4 ⭐ for the nicely written novel. I hope this finds it's audience!