Kiera Vandyer is sixteen and has grown up with a mother who has done all she can to keep her daughter from harm. Kiera sees an opportunity to finally provide for her family and lift them out of poverty by escorting a group to Etabon, a land that is the only place on the planet where magic remains. Once inside the gates of Etabon, Kiera realizes she has been tricked. Soon the powers that she has always sensed as being a part of her are manifested. Etabon is the location of an annual tournament of magic and violence, and now Kiera, revealed to be a shapeshifter with the precious ability to take the form of a lynx, is the center of attention. The wicked wizard Eugene Hallowfeld tries to blackmail Kiera into taking part in the tournament by threatening her family, but she refuses to bow down to his whims. There is revolution in the air, and Kiera is a born leader. Will she have the inner strength to resist Hallowfeld’s powerful dark magic?

This sparkling novel by first-time author Christina Bacilieri has obvious hints of The Hunger Games and other dystopian YA sagas. This is not to suggest it is especially derivative, though. Bacilieri brings a fresh take on the popular genre, building a thoroughly engrossing and convincing world and populating it with vibrant characters. Kiera is instantly engaging, feisty, and mischievous. As the story progresses and Kiera’s love for the mermaid Attalin blossoms, Bacilieri steps up the drama and the novel races towards a thrilling cliffhanger. Most readers will feel like they need to find out what happens next, as it’s truly the perfect close.

The cover blurb for the book perfectly encapsulates its overarching theme: “Magic lies within… Is it a calling or a curse?” Likewise, Kiera’s struggles to come to terms with her true self form much of the emotional core of the book. Her shapeshifting as a lynx represents her growing personal empowerment as her youth moves towards adulthood. She soon grows to relish her transformation: “Kiera licked her fangs and twitched her pointed ears. A warm comfort settled in her veins as her magic greeted her.” Yet she never lets her new form overtake her essence, as in a sequence where she steps out in her feline form: “The crowd behind her murmured, ‘The Lynx.’ She took a deep breath. No, she thought, I’m Kiera Vandyer, and I refuse to be afraid.” Kiera Vandyer is a bright new hero in the YA fantasy genre, and readers will instantly become entranced by the intricacies of her story.

For a debut novel, THE LAST REFUGE bodes well for Christina Bacilieri’s future work—not least this promising YA fantasy saga. The novel’s prose is assured, with vivid world-building, strong characterization, and a very well-paced plot.

~Kent Lane for IndieReader