An angry, blood-sucking god and a broke, desperate dungeon master. What could possibly go wrong? The mighty Aatma has fallen, and Empress Inalda has lost her main supplier and is forced to sponsor new dungeons to fuel her army’s expansion. Gabriel Shook intends to rise to the occasion, but he is broke and must buy second-hand minions from a consignment store to defend his new dungeon. All he can afford is a half-skeleton, rat, and cursed zombie. Half a world away, Talia lives in paradise, but a betrayal threatens her way of life and sets a collision of destinies into motion. What will happen when her god awakens and the otai flows? Can they both survive the machinations of the Empress and the guilds? "There is a lot going on but Jeremy D. Miller is an ace at making this all 100% digestible and extremely exciting in the whirlwind pacing of The Last Dai'akan. The world-building is one of the most unique I have come across, and that says a whole lot considering there is very little room left in the fantasy genre to find something that feels new but still works. Miller does not reinvent the wheel here but he certainly does reshape it. A few standout areas worth mentioning are a rich and immersive world with the island's god, Pa'vil, the role of the Dai'akan, and the integrated Haqi symbols that are central to it. The island is shrouded in depth and originality, and it immediately pulls you in. Miller injects waves of tension that result in a perpetual thread of uncertainty, like the emergence of the island for Captain Ian, and the workings of magical rituals and an explosive death. Beetle, bless him, is hilarious, so it's not all terror and anxiety. I won't get into Talia here because her journey is too huge for a few sentences [as is Gabe's]—but she's a firecracker and a half and, alongside the luckiest unlucky creature in contemporary fantasy, Zet, are my two favorites. The greatest arc of all? Miranda. If ever a woman had more highs and lows, she must be formidable and I'm not brave enough to meet her. The only thing better than a good book is knowing that the story will continue, and as this is the first in The Otai Cycle series, we are promised more to come. Very highly recommended." 5 out of 5 stars -Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite "The Last Dai'Akan is a story of dark, desperate covenants undertaken in the name of survival, a character-centric ensemble story in a fresh new fantasy world. This is a book that is practically kaleidoscopic, juggling multiple viewpoints without losing sight of its plot or tone, and any reader who enjoys losing themselves in a new world will find a lot on offer here." -Entrada Publishing