Ilahara: The Last Myrassar by C.M. Karys

"Do you think we could ever learn to see past our names?

If there's anything this journey has taught me, it's that we could with enough courage."

I was lucky enough to be selected as a beta reader for the fantasy novel of my dear friends Chiara and Maria Elena. I have followed their journey from the very beginning, watching their excitement as this story and their characters grew. There has been screaming, laughter, tears. A lot of emotions that they have experienced while writing this beautiful story and that I now, too, have experienced as a reader. So without further ado, here is my review.

SYNOPSIS:

Ilahara: The Last Myrassar is the first installment of a fantasy trilogy. It follows the story of Asharaya Myrassar, the sole survivor of an ancient family of Dragon-Blessed Fae. Following the Coup in which the Argarys family ascended the Ilahein throne, Asharaya seeks refuge in Havanya, the Human continent. Here she creates a new identity for herself and lives a happy life as an assassin with her new family. The past, however, comes back to haunt her when news of her survival spreads through Ilahara and friends and foe alike seek her out.

If this doesn't already makes you want to read this book, then let me break it down for you why this book is a must read.

The first thing I want to address is the writing style. You all know I'm a sucker for beautiful writing and that this can make or break a book for me. It did not disappoint. The writing might be my favorite thing about this book. It was so lyrical and magical, making the story really come to life as I was reading it. I saw, heard, smelled everything so vividly simply because of how beautiful everything was described. From the first sentence I could already tell that this book was going to be gorgeously written and it captivated me until the very last sentence.

Now up to the characters.

Another thing for me that makes or breaks a book are the characters and their development. A book doesn't become my favorite because of the world or adventures but because of the phenomenal character development.

This book has it.

This story follows an assassin, Shara, who has lost more in her short life than most people do in a lifetime. Yet, she stayed strong, a fierce warrior who knows how to handle herself. But she is hesitant to claim her birthright (understandably so). We follow her journey as she slowly comes to turn with her current situation, her responsibilities she must own up to. By the end of the book she has developed a great deal but there is room for more which makes it realistic. People don't change their entire selves in one day.

What I love about this book is that each character goes through a significant development that happens slowly, making it all the more realistic. We as a reader are able to follow their journey alongside them. We're able to grow with them and see changes happen within ourselves too.

Next we have Prince Derron Argarys. Oh Derron. He and Asharaya are sworn enemies, meant to kill each other on sight. He has one mission, and yet, it isn't as easy as it seems. Throughout the book we learn insights and soon discover that there is much more to Derron than meets the eye. We watch the battle within rage as he decides between blind loyalty and doing what is right. It's a necessary struggle to go through as he cannot simply make up his mind in one night. He has an obligation to his queen, his mother, as heir to a stolen kingdom. Which makes him that much more interesting to figure out.

There are so many more characters that I want to talk about in detail but can't because of spoilers. All I can say is that literally each character is significant and goes through a tremendous journey within themselves. We watch them grow and change because of certain events that happen. We watch them become a better person, become a worse person.

Ilahara truly has it all. Enemies to lovers romance, LGBTQ+ romance, characters of color, characters with disabilities. Magic, dragons, evil villains to hate with all of your heart, crazy, gasp-worthy plot twists. Smol cinnamon rolls to love with all your heart.

If you ever get the chance to read this beautiful, enchanting story I highly recommend you pick it up. I hope with my entire heart that this gets published one day soon because Maria Elena and Chiara have worked so heart on this, poured their entire soul in it. For now you can follow their instagram accounts @harleyisreading and @_mauy to receive the latest updates on this story.