The Last Tiger

By: Julia Riew, Brad Riew

Narrated by: Julia Riew, Joshua Hyunho Lee, Brad Riew, Intae Kim, Sue Jean Kim

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Inspired by true stories from the authors’ grandparents’ lives during one of the darkest periods in Korean history, The Last Tiger is a debut young adult fantasy novel about the power of love to give voice to a broken people.

In a colonized land where tigers are being hunted to extinction and ancient magic stirs, two star-crossed teens—Lee Seung, a servant yearning for freedom, and Choi Eunji, a noble girl defying tradition—join forces to try and reshape their respective fates.

But their relationship evolves from begrudging accomplices to bitter adversaries as they soon find themselves on opposite sides of a battle over the last tiger, a symbol of their people’s lost freedom and key to the liberation of their country. As the ties between Seung and Eunji are complicated by their conflicting loyalties, tensions rise—especially when a charming princeling of the empire begins to rival for Eunji's affection.

In this friends-to-enemies-to-lovers story of forbidden romance, antagonists turned allies, oppression and liberation, neither Seung nor Eunji can abandon their mission—or each other. And as they embark on separate quests to find the elusive creature, each must also find the power within themselves to make their own destiny.

Critic reviews

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Praise for The Last Tiger by Julia Riew and Brad Riew:

July/August 2025 Kids' Indie Next List (Young Adult)
An NPR ‘Books We Love 2025’ selection

★ “A reminder that knowledge and kindness are powerful tools.” —Booklist, starred review

“A gripping story with inspiring familial roots that champions the deeply human need for love.…[a] captivating YA historical fantasy.” — Shelf Awareness

“… the story vividly highlights the plight of Koreans during a traumatic era.” —Kirkus Reviews

“The sibling ­authors imbue their extensive fantasy worldbuilding with a mixture of real history and folkloric symbolism.” — School Library Journal

Beautiful story that really tugs on your heartstrings.

The Last Tiger is such a remarkable tale of love and overcoming adversity. Julia and Brad Riew are remarkable storytellers and I have been waiting for years for a book that would tell the history of the Korean War in such poignant words.

Well Written and Worth it!

I loved this book! Very good for teen or young adult audiences! The storytelling was captivating! As someone who regularly reads stories that span several books, I am so glad to say this single book told a story that moved along and didn’t leave gaps! Kudos to the authors!

Absolutely incredible!!

Saw a reel on Instagram many months ago from author Julia, telling how she and her brother were writing a book about their grandparents’ love story during Japanese occupation of Korea. It said, preorder now. I immediately hopped in to Audible here to preorder it. A few days ago, it popped up here in my library that the book was ready now!

As far as the story, absolutely incredible. Extremely well written, read, and told. Loved the excerpts from the grandparents’ real letters. The characters were dynamic and believable. Just enough fantasy to feel mythic, but not unbelievable. Never got boring or too much. I devoured this book immediately. Was engaging and enjoyable. Characters had great development, and the plot ramped up in just the perfect speed from moving from the importance of the test to then a whole country’s revolution and independence. Beautiful imagery and story. Thoroughly enjoyed. Thank you for writing this!

good simple fun

love the dual narration! It's obviously not a ten book, metaphor soaked, epic saga... but it delivers a sweet story about being courageous in love and life, while overcoming a corrupt colonialist occupation. so glad I read this book!

A story both new and familiar

This book is my favorite read of the year. This book was narrated exquisitely and the story itself was exactly what I hoped for and more.