Book Review: The Last Hour of Gann

• Book Blurb

  It was her last chance: Amber Bierce had nothing left except her sister and two tickets on Earth’s first colony-ship. She entered her Sleeper with a five-year contract and the promise of a better life, but awakened in wreckage on an unknown world. For the survivors, there is no rescue, no way home and no hope until they are found by Meoraq—a holy warrior more deadly than any hungering beast on this hostile new world…but whose eyes show a different sort of hunger when he looks at her.

  It was his last year of freedom: Uyane Meoraq is a Sword of Sheul, God’s own instrument of judgment, victor of hundreds of trials, with a conqueror’s rights over all men. Or at least he was until his father’s death. Now, without divine intervention, he will be forced to assume stewardship over House Uyane and lose the life he has always known. At the legendary temple of Xi’Matezh, Meoraq hopes to find the deliverance he seeks, but the humans he encounters on his pilgrimage may prove too great a test even for him…especially the one called Amber, behind whose monstrous appearance burns a woman’s heart unlike any he has ever known.

  From R. Lee Smith, author of Heat and Cottonwood, comes an epic new story of desire, darkness and the dawn that comes after The Last Hour of Gann. WARNING: This book contains graphic violence, strong sexual content and explicit language. It is intended for mature readers only.

  It was her last chance: Amber Bierce had nothing left except her sister and two tickets on Earth’s first colony-ship. She entered her Sleeper with a five-year contract and the promise of a better life, but awakened in wreckage on an unknown world. For the survivors, there is no rescue, no way home and no hope until they are found by Meoraq—a holy warrior more deadly than any hungering beast on this hostile new world…but whose eyes show a different sort of hunger when he looks at her.

  It was his last year of freedom: Uyane Meoraq is a Sword of Sheul, God’s own instrument of judgment, victor of hundreds of trials, with a conqueror’s rights over all men. Or at least he was until his father’s death. Now, without divine intervention, he will be forced to assume stewardship over House Uyane and lose the life he has always known. At the legendary temple of Xi’Matezh, Meoraq hopes to find the deliverance he seeks, but the humans he encounters on his pilgrimage may prove too great a test even for him…especially the one called Amber, behind whose monstrous appearance burns a woman’s heart unlike any he has ever known.

  From R. Lee Smith, author of Heat and Cottonwood, comes an epic new story of desire, darkness and the dawn that comes after The Last Hour of Gann. WARNING: This book contains graphic violence, strong sexual content and explicit language. It is intended for mature readers only.

• My review

  How do I even explain how good this book was?

  I debated for a long time whether to read it or not, but The Last Hour of Gann is one of those books that everyone who picks it up seems to love. Even though it’s not the type of story I usually gravitate toward, I gave it a chance—and wow, am I glad I did.

  Let’s start with what this book is.

  • It’s long. At 706 pages, it’s easily in the top five longest books I’ve ever read.

  • The romance is secondary. It’s barely there at the beginning, but the main plot is so compelling that you hardly notice.

  • The pacing is deliberate. Many readers call it slow, and in a sense, it is. The opening is all about laying the foundation for the epic journey the characters will take. But trust me—it pays off.

  This is an epic adventure, a mission filled with danger, betrayal, love, heartbreak, and hope. It’s everything at once, crafted in such a spectacular way that I couldn’t put it down.

  I don’t usually enjoy “epic journey” stories heavy on worldbuilding and light on romance, but the sheer quality of this book won me over. I spent an entire week lost in these pages, and it was worth every minute.

  What to Expect

  If you take away one thing from my review, let it be this: to enjoy this book, you need to be ready to embark on the journey with the characters.

  The story ebbs and flows—sometimes it lingers, sometimes it races ahead. The author doesn’t rush the plot, the romance, or the character growth. Every scene serves a purpose, even if you don’t see it right away. You just have to let things unfold.

  And if you do? You’ll be rewarded with one of the best stories you’ve ever read. And that’s coming from someone who usually prefers fast-burn, spicy romances and doesn’t have a lot of patience for slow plots.

  Content Warnings

  This book does not shy away from the brutal realities of survival. A group of humans stranded on an alien planet face horrific events—sometimes to good people, sometimes to bad.

  There are moments of genuine horror where you pray for a last-minute rescue…and it doesn’t come. Bad, traumatic things do happen on the page.

  ⚠️ Important to note: there is on-page rape. If you’re sensitive to darker themes, I highly recommend checking content warnings before diving in.

  The Characters

  The cast of characters blew me away. Every single one felt fully realized, distinct, and complex.

  • Amber is one of the best heroines I’ve ever read. She’s smart, resourceful, open-minded, and resilient. Her weakness? She doesn’t understand how people can be so stupid—but honestly, that just made her more relatable.

  • Meoraq is a true lizardman alien. The language barrier between him and Amber makes their connection fascinating. He reminded me of Don Quixote (without the madness)—an honorable, religious knight with a sense of duty and curiosity about other beings.

  Final Thoughts

  If you’re looking for an epic, sweeping story with danger, violence, tension, and hope—this is your book.

  It’s not easy. It’s not light. But it’s unforgettable.

  How do I even explain how good this book was?

  I debated for a long time whether to read it or not, but The Last Hour of Gann is one of those books that everyone who picks it up seems to love. Even though it’s not the type of story I usually gravitate toward, I gave it a chance—and wow, am I glad I did.

  Let’s start with what this book is.

  • It’s long. At 706 pages, it’s easily in the top five longest books I’ve ever read.

  • The romance is secondary. It’s barely there at the beginning, but the main plot is so compelling that you hardly notice.

  • The pacing is deliberate. Many readers call it slow, and in a sense, it is. The opening is all about laying the foundation for the epic journey the characters will take. But trust me—it pays off.

  This is an epic adventure, a mission filled with danger, betrayal, love, heartbreak, and hope. It’s everything at once, crafted in such a spectacular way that I couldn’t put it down.

  I don’t usually enjoy “epic journey” stories heavy on worldbuilding and light on romance, but the sheer quality of this book won me over. I spent an entire week lost in these pages, and it was worth every minute.

  What to Expect

  If you take away one thing from my review, let it be this: to enjoy this book, you need to be ready to embark on the journey with the characters.

  The story ebbs and flows—sometimes it lingers, sometimes it races ahead. The author doesn’t rush the plot, the romance, or the character growth. Every scene serves a purpose, even if you don’t see it right away. You just have to let things unfold.

  And if you do? You’ll be rewarded with one of the best stories you’ve ever read. And that’s coming from someone who usually prefers fast-burn, spicy romances and doesn’t have a lot of patience for slow plots.

  Content Warnings

  This book does not shy away from the brutal realities of survival. A group of humans stranded on an alien planet face horrific events—sometimes to good people, sometimes to bad.

  There are moments of genuine horror where you pray for a last-minute rescue…and it doesn’t come. Bad, traumatic things do happen on the page.

  ⚠️ Important to note: there is on-page rape. If you’re sensitive to darker themes, I highly recommend checking content warnings before diving in.

  The Characters

  The cast of characters blew me away. Every single one felt fully realized, distinct, and complex.

  • Amber is one of the best heroines I’ve ever read. She’s smart, resourceful, open-minded, and resilient. Her weakness? She doesn’t understand how people can be so stupid—but honestly, that just made her more relatable.

  • Meoraq is a true lizardman alien. The language barrier between him and Amber makes their connection fascinating. He reminded me of Don Quixote (without the madness)—an honorable, religious knight with a sense of duty and curiosity about other beings.

  Final Thoughts

  If you’re looking for an epic, sweeping story with danger, violence, tension, and hope—this is your book.

  It’s not easy. It’s not light. But it’s unforgettable.

Character & romance details

Who will love this book

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