The Last Phi Hunter, by Salinee Goldenberg, is set to release on April 9, 2024.
Many thanks to Angry Robot Books for providing an ARC for review!
Immersed in Thai culture and mythology, Salinee Goldenberg’s dark fantasy debut is full of delights: intense and gruesome confrontations with legendary phi and hungry ghosts; a magic system steeped in spiritualty; richly imagined locations and food; and – a forbidden romance subplot.
Gritty, gruesome, and unabashed in its exploration of Ex’s identity as he finds his niche within the Hunter’s Guild as one of its last recruits, The Last Phi Hunter is a lush, vividly written adventure that pairs magic with mythology by way of Thai folklore.
When an ambitious young phi hunter named Ex avoids a severe ass-kicking by a badass Muay Boran martial artist named Arinya outside of a tavern, the trajectory of his journey to become a demon slayer shifts just a bit. Although Arinya can most definitely defend herself against normal adversaries, the next leg in her journey requires her to enter a forest teeming with hungry ghosts, and, being heavily pregnant, she has no chance at fighting them by herself as the spirits of the forest crave the unborn.
Every wild place had a living heart, and like a heart, required attention and care.
– excerpt from The Last Phi Hunter, Salinee Goldenberg
Little does Ex know that they are both headed in the same direction, with the same location in mind, and so the journey begins, albeit a bit grudgingly as Ex is on a mission of his own: one with a tight window. As the last recruit to join the Phi Hunter’s Guild, Ex has been trying to make a name for himself for years to no avail. As the youngest to join the fray, he’s got a lot to live up to (in his own mind), so he sets his sights on Shar-Ala: a true demon that harnesses the power of dreams and manifests nightmares; a demon that has become so elusive that he’s transcended from monster to legend, believed to be an unattainable goal, one that makes Ex the laughing stock of the hall.
Resolute and determined, Ex continues to hunt the demon, unwavering in his belief despite the odds, but he’s not doing well. He can barely afford to pay his guild dues; he’s seen as a fledgling; and, his pride is seriously taking a hit, at least internally. Externally, Ex is cocky and aloof and a little awkward, but there’s no real doubt of his skill or humanity, something that we see firsthand as the novel – and his spiritual hunts – progress. Just as he receives yet another hint that he’s been in the right location all along, Arinya appears, and he finds himself pulled into her orbit as secrets surrounding her identity begin to unravel, revealing that she’s not just a strong, sassy martial artist with a penchant for teasing; she’s the prize consort of the Prince of Suyoram, and her unborn child will be the first heir to the throne, making her a primary target for assassination (by the Princess) AND return (by the Prince).
Arinya will do anything to protect her daughter, even if it means sealing her unborn soul in an amulet by means of low magic (based on spirituality and tradition in a give-and-take from the Earth versus high magic, which is stolen and manipulated, and in the case of the Crown, surprisingly dark and necromantic), and that’s exactly what she intends to do before returning to the Capital. Enter Ex: impromptu low/grey magic user, here to save the day, because he turns into more than a bodyguard to get her through the forest. He assists in performing the soul capture ritual and agrees to escort Arinya to the Capital. She offers enough to cover his fees, and they need to traverse through the swamp near Jinburi anyway, which will give him the perfect opportunity to stake out Shar-Ala on the way…
It is in the journey – and impending hunt – that Goldenberg truly shines, the result a rare amalgamation of gritty fantasy and body (or monster) horror as Ex (and Arinya) go up against a myriad of enemies, both mythical and human. Vivid, gruesome details flesh out an ambitious adventure across the swampland and into the Capital itself, filled with tense, dynamic battles and fight scenes. Mythical Thai monsters and spirits come to life on the page in all their eerie, haunting glory, magic seeping into world through a give-and-take in the form of Ex’s abilities, born through years of training in the in-between: the Everpresent, where all sensations are heightened to sharp points, creating not just lush, vibrant details for the reader that teem with life and energy, but that amplify Ex’s senses and lend him power through a transfer of spiritual energy. Pair this with a handful of rules and rituals in the very act of becoming a hunter – choosing a name and an identity, learning techniques and how to harness spiritual energy into magic – and in tracking and taking down phi – and Goldenberg creates something beautifully unique: a magic system that ties into themes of retribution, revenge, and reincarnation.
Desire is endless. Desire is power. Desire will only cause suffering.
– excerpt from The Last Phi Hunter, Salinee Goldenberg
There is balance in all things, and Goldenberg captures that in journey that unfolds on the way to the Capital. For every hunt that succeeds, one fails, or goes poorly. For every spell cast, energy is transferred or depleted. For every action, there’s a reaction, positive or negative. Dark and light. High and low. Life and death. Binaries are everywhere, appearing just when you least expect them to offer suspense and tension in a world torn between tradition and modernity. The spirts are watching, waiting in the wings, some just as hungry as humans, and in Ex’s world, they will always have a say, friend of foe. And there are a few surprise friends along the way, introduced through brief, yet engaging POVs that add depth to the narrative in Narissa, a krasue (a disembodied, siren of a phi) intent on defying the odds and escaping her damnation to attain mortality, and the Hound, a mysterious, half-spirit traveling companion that silently roots Ex on, joining him intermittently on his quest to take down Shar-Ala.
While the novel would have benefitted greatly from an additional POV in Arinya, not only to strengthen her character, but to add a bit more depth to the romance, Goldenberg’s world-building is enough to steal the show and keep the reader invested and engaged. That being said, while Ex did feel fleshed out in his resolve and character arc within the Hunter’s Guild, his relationship with Arinya, while charming and full of wonderful banter, equal-parts witty and sarcastic and sassy – and often initiated by Arinya herself!! – her backstory was lacking, just a bit, in part, because the story is focused primarily on Ex’s abilities, status, and goals as a phi hunter, which expand over time to encompass a larger plotline when one of the Magisters of the Crown takes off with a very important relic harvested during one of their kills.
To be clear, Arinya is given bits of backstory. She has a voice that stands out well enough (and instantly drew me to her character), and her fighting skills are incredible, but I was left feeling a little unsatisfied with her development and the resulting forbidden romance as the plot progresses. The foundations are great, but things just didn’t feel developed enough, even for a romantic subplot. There’s initial attraction on both sides, sexual tension, and humorous, light-hearted, teasing banter, resulting in a few awkward missteps along the way. The characters do share a handful of incredibly intimate, vulnerable moments, which helps to strengthen their bond and create a foundation to start on very early in the narrative, but there just wasn’t enough time spent with the characters to really develop a relationship worthy of the end result. Adding in a handful of chapters from Arinya’s POV may have offered additional depth and created a stronger emotional and romantic connection that would solidify the romantic fantasy endgame that the epilogue hints at.
The hunter had begun to gaze upon her as one, his own reverence, his own precious queen in the wilds.
– excerpt from The Last Phi Hunter, Salinee Goldenberg
Goldenberg could have easily tacked on an extra 100 pages to The Last Phi Hunter, and I wouldn’t have minded in the slightest. Not only was her prose easily digestible and incredibly vivid (two things I long for in fantasy, especially, as a reader with aphantasia), but because it would offer the opportunity to really add depth in areas that felt a bit quick, especially in the second half of the novel. That being said, while this is a standalone fantasy with romantic elements, it could easily be expanded upon into a series, and I wouldn’t mind seeing more of Arinya or Narissa.
Ultimately, Salinee Goldenberg excels in creating a captivating and imaginative world, rich in narrative description. From gory moments of body horror and dynamic fight scenes to small moments of reflection and conversation over food, there’s a lavish attention to detail that makes you feel as though you’re walking (or fighting) alongside the characters as they traverse the paths made for them by negotiating with the Guardians. Equal parts gritty and endearing, The Last Phi Hunter is a compelling adult fantasy debut full of dark humor, spirituality, and a dash of romance that could easily stand on its own or be expanded upon in the future.
He should have been gone, but like most legends, he persisted.
– excerpt from The Last Phi Hunter, Salinee Goldenberg
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