The Last Human by Zack Jordan

The Last Human

by Zack Jordan 

Hardcover, 448 pages

Published March 24th 2020 by Del Rey Books (first published March 22nd 2020)

Goodreads synopsis: 

The last human in the universe is on the run from a godlike intelligence in this rip-roaring debut space opera.

Sarya is the civilized galaxy's worst nightmare: a Human.

Most days, Sarya doesn't feel like the most terrifying creature in the galaxy.

Most days, she's got other things on her mind. Like hiding her identity among the hundreds of alien species roaming the corridors of Watertower Station. Or making sure her adoptive mother doesn't casually eviscerate one of their neighbors. Again.

And most days, she can almost accept that she'll never know the truth--that she'll never know why humanity was deemed too dangerous to exist. Or whether she really is--impossibly--the lone survivor of a species destroyed a millennium ago.

That is, until an encounter with a bounty hunter and a miles-long kinetic projectile leaves her life and her perspective shattered.

Thrown into the universe at the helm of a stolen ship--with the dubious assistance of a rebellious spacesuit, an android death enthusiast on his sixtieth lifetime, and a ball of fluff with an IQ in the thousands--Sarya begins to uncover an impossible truth.

What if humanity's death and her own existence are simply two moves in a demented cosmic game, one played out by vast alien intellects? Stranger still, what if these mad gods are offering Sarya a seat at their table--and a second chance for humanity?

The Last Human is a sneakily brilliant, gleefully oddball space-opera debut--a masterful play on perspective, intelligence, and free will, wrapped in a rollicking journey through a strange and crowded galaxy.

***

2 Stars

This is basically a galactic soap opera. And if you like that sort of thing and can wrap  your mind around all the complexities in this, I think you will love this.

Basically, Sarya is the last human… maybe. She might be their only savior or the downfall of it all.

Unfortunately for me, I wasn’t able to wrap my mind around what was going on. It never felt like their was a “main” character I could latch onto and follow around. I usually am all in with a science fiction story but this one was too way out left field for me.

I considered DNF-ing it after a few chapters but I soldiered on and was left still feeling like I did in the beginning. I guess I just didn’t get it. And that’s okay. We all aren’t supposed to love everything we read. This book has mixed reviews. Some have loved it. And if you think you are in that camp, go for it! I think I had to use too much brain power to read this and I usually go for the reads that are relaxing and fun.

Definitely not my favorite but not awful either. Give it a go and decide for yourself.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.