The Last Mapmaker

By: Christina Soontornvat

Narrated by: Sura Siu

"Sura Siu captivates as she narrates this breathtaking seafaring adventure."
—Audiofile Magazine

"[A] tale full of both excitement and heart."
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

From Christina Soontornvat, the visionary and versatile author of two 2021 Newbery Honor Books, comes a high-seas adventure set in a Thai-inspired fantasy world.

In a fantasy adventure every bit as compelling and confident in its world building as her Newbery Honor Book A Wish in the Dark, Christina Soontornvat explores a young woman’s struggle to unburden herself of the past and chart her own destiny in a world of secrets. As assistant to Mangkon’s most celebrated mapmaker, twelve-year-old Sai plays the part of a well-bred young lady with a glittering future. In reality, her father is a conman—and in a kingdom where the status of one’s ancestors dictates their social position, the truth could ruin her. Sai seizes the chance to join an expedition to chart the southern seas, but she isn’t the only one aboard with secrets. When Sai learns that the ship might be heading for the fabled Sunderlands—a land of dragons, dangers, and riches beyond imagining—she must weigh the cost of her dreams. Vivid, suspenseful, and thought-provoking, this tale of identity and integrity is as beautiful and intricate as the maps of old.

©2022 Christina Soontornvat (P)2022 Spotify Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"*[An] imaginative Thai-inspired fantasy." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"With action that moves faster than a ship under full sail, The Last Mapmaker is a Thai-inspired fantasy brimming with adventure, surprises and betrayal." --Bookpage

"[A] swashbuckling, seafaring potboiler." —The New York Times Book Review

the soup recipe.

I loved the story I can not wait for a another book -brookelynn Staley

Amazing Adventure fiction

Love this voyage set to create maps for new lands in fabled dragon infested waters!

Great themes for kids

An exciting adventure with complicated characters - I love how the perspective Sai has of her dad matures. She also learns that, often, our first judgements of people are not always correct. I loved some of the surprises later in the book that open Sai’s mind and her growing understanding of the effects of our decisions on others - human and otherwise. She gains a lot of wisdom in her quest for freedom, status and money - and finds more important things in the end. Great novel for kids, with a lot of depth. An enjoyable read for adults too!

Very entertaining

great characters, setting and story. enjoyed it. I took a star off because the plot was rushed in a few places. several times I missed big transitions or events.

Read the story

It was amazing. It was great. It had a lot of meaning to it. It was adventurous and very fun. It had everything like scariness happiness, sometimes drama funny it was amazing overall.