From Amazon
Nakiri’s Last Stand throws you straight into the fire from page one. The capital city of Val’Torin is under siege by the Din and the chaos immediately sets a high-stakes tone. While Commander Valin does everything he can to rally his soldiers, the arrival of Nakiri, a winged Guardian on a dire mission of her own, steals the spotlight. Finding the last of the White Dragons and saving their planets (moons?) rests on her success.

Although this takes place in the same universe as Gwyn’s Kingdom, the tone and setting take a bold step outward into the cosmos. Sci-fi influences blend with the fantasy foundation through Xi-crystals and weaponized power, expanding the scale and giving the story a unique genre-mix feel.

As a fast-paced novella, it delivers action, tension, and a glimpse into a much bigger narrative landscape. It feels like a strong introduction to a larger saga, giving just enough lore and character motivation to hook readers while leaving room to grow in future installments.

Definitely another must read from Brian Holshouser!

From Amazon
This story is such an amazing but quick read! The characters are intriguing and the story compelling. If you have read Gwyn's Kingdom: The Electric Moon, this takes place, obviously in the same universe. I can't wait to see where this story goes with additional novellas!!!

From Amazon
A fantastic Novella that will not disappoint
I had the pleasure of reading an ARC of this book. I enjoyed it very much. While this novella would be an excellent introduction for younger readers to the worlds of sci-fi and fantasy, I found myself caught up in it. I thought of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and how that began as a story for a younger audience and just kept going. I hope author Brian Holshouser will continue with these characters and the storyline because I am very interested in seeing where he can take it.

I just finished Nakiri’s Last Stand by Brian Holshouser, my first read of 2026. It’s an engaging, fast-paced fantasy novel that should entertain its target audience. I need to state up front that I am not the target demographic and as such am tempering my review to convey my thoughts, but also how I feel it will resonate with the YA audience.

The plot revolves around Nakiri, a winged Guardian of the realms, and her struggle to aid Valin, Commander of the forces defending the planet of Val’Torin from an invasion by the Din, a plague of evil sweeping across the solar system.

The book is full chalk full of action, with a brisk pace that most can finish in a few hours. The amount of world-building Holshouser has accomplished in a novella is impressive and there are neat ties to his novel, Gwyn’s Kingdom for those who have read it.

What can I say about Nakiri, other than she is an absolute powerhouse, earning her legendary status. Her feats of strength are very impressive, and you totally buy that her presence alone is enough to turn the tide of any battle she joins.

I do have some issues with the story, the main one, which has a trickle-down effect, is that the themes, plot and world-building all felt too big to be contained in a novella. To me, the story begged to be a full-length novel and as such much of the character development is truncated and the plot moves rapidly, but almost too rapidly at times. I felt it needed more time to breathe and explore the motivations of each of the characters.

From Amazon
Fun and energetic, fast-paced read!
Holshouser himself notes in the copyright page.

"It is a fast-paced, action packed novella, meant to be read in roughly two hours for most readers. The pacing and story is intentionally fast."

I suspect there are many who read this who will have no issue with the rapid pace, but I wanted more character and plot development. I understand there will be sequels which will flesh more details out, but I would have liked to see more here in this book.

Overall, I enjoyed myself while reading the book, and I think the target audience will love it, but because of the issues I noted, it did not rise to the level of a 5-star read for me.

Received an ARC from Holshouser. A fun, short read. The last few chapters were an extremely fun ride. A small part of the world the author has created. Stellar writing and a fun journey

I just finished Nakiri’s Last Stand by Brian Holshouser, my first read of 2026. It’s an engaging, fast-paced fantasy novel that should entertain its target audience. I need to state up front that I am not the target demographic and as such am tempering my review to convey my thoughts, but also how I feel it will resonate with the YA audience.

The plot revolves around Nakiri, a winged Guardian of the realms, and her struggle to aid Valin, Commander of the forces defending the planet of Val’Torin from an invasion by the Din, a plague of evil sweeping across the solar system.

The book is full chalk full of action, with a brisk pace that most can finish in a few hours. The amount of world-building Holshouser has accomplished in a novella is impressive and there are neat ties to his novel, Gwyn’s Kingdom for those who have read it.

What can I say about Nakiri, other than she is an absolute powerhouse, earning her legendary status. Her feats of strength are very impressive, and you totally buy that her presence alone is enough to turn the tide of any battle she joins.

I do have some issues with the story, the main one, which has a trickle-down effect, is that the themes, plot and world-building all felt too big to be contained in a novella. To me, the story begged to be a full-length novel and as such much of the character development is truncated and the plot moves rapidly, but almost too rapidly at times. I felt it needed more time to breathe and explore the motivations of each of the characters.

Holshouser himself notes in the copyright page.

"It is a fast-paced, action packed novella, meant to be read in roughly two hours for most readers. The pacing and story is intentionally fast."

I suspect there are many who read this who will have no issue with the rapid pace, but I wanted more character and plot development. I understand there will be sequels which will flesh more details out, but I would have liked to see more here in this book.

Overall, I enjoyed myself while reading the book, and I think the target audience will love it, but because of the issues I noted, it did not rise to the level of a 5-star read for me.

Absolutely amazing book, the uniqueness of it is incredible, with outstanding writing by the author, alongside the story behind it, with detailed world building and characters, the intricacies blew me away, and being one of my first books read with fixed eyes, I just loved it.

The author is definitely worth keeping an eye on.

An amazing 5-star book. Go grab a copy and enjoy it.