The Last Bloodcarver
by Vanessa Le
Nhika is a bloodcarver. A cold-hearted, ruthless being who can alter human biology with just a touch. In the industrial city of Theumas, she is seen not as a healer, but a monster that kills for pleasure.
When Nhika is caught using her bloodcarving abilities during a sham medical appointment, she's captured by underground thugs and sold to an aristocratic family to heal the last witness of their father’s murder.
But as Nhika delves deeper into their investigation amidst the glitz of Theumas’ wealthiest district, she begins to notice parallels between this job and her own dark past. And when she meets an alluring yet entitled physician's aide, Ven Kochin, she’s forced to question the true intent behind this murder. In a society that outcasts her, Kochin seems drawn to her...though he takes every chance he gets to push her out of his opulent world.
When Nhika discovers that Kochin is not who he claims to be, and that there is an evil dwelling in Theumas that runs much deeper than the murder of one man, she must decide where her heart, and her allegiance, truly lie. And -- if she's willing to become the dreaded bloodcarver Theumas fears -- to save herself and the ones she's vowed to protect. (Goodreads synopsis)
Representation: Southeast Asian representation, cross-cultural medical understandings, code-switching, diverse cultural experiences
How These Live Book Clubs Work
Participation in the live book club includes access to a set of resources and activities as well as interactive components.
Participants receive
- A suggested reading schedule
- PDF reading guides with comprehension questions
- Vocabulary/reading activities
- Discussion board posts in our online classroom
- Writing/multimodal project prompts related to the reading
- An invitation to a live discussion
- A recording of the summary of the live discussion
- An optional feedback add-on for the final paper/project
- Rubrics for at-home feedback
Families are welcome to use as much or as little of the suggested resources and activities as they'd like to fit their interest and schedules.
(There is an option to add a Feedback Add-on for Final Projects at checkout.)
Ages:
13-18
Dates:
April 1-30, 2026
Live Meeting:
May 1, 2026
1:00 PM ET / 12:00 PM CT / 11:00 AM MT / 10:00 AM PT
Sessions typically last around 1 hour.
Those who cannot attend the live session will receive a recorded summary.
(Note: If there is high enrollment, additional live sessions may be opened to keep sessions small enough for meaningful discussion.)
Supplies:
- A copy of the book The Last Bloodcarver (ISBN
9781250881526) - Used and borrowed copies will work just fine! If your learner is going to participate in final projects and reading guides, I recommend having a physical copy even if they primarily read the audiobook.
- See Dayla Learning's affiliate Bookshop List
- Zoom account for live session
- Microphone and camera for live session (optional)
- PDF reader
-
Access to printer if you want to print worksheets