The Last Mapmaker by Christina Soontornvat

In The Last Mapmaker, a low-born but spirited girl, an aged craftsman, and high stakes at sea make for a satisfying adventure.

The Last Mapmaker by Christina Soontornvat. Candlewick, 2022, 355 pages.

Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12

Recommended for: ages 10-15

Fortune favors the bold

Sadsai Mudawan, or Sai, was lucky to attach herself to the old mapmaker Master Paiyoon. Otherwise she would be merely a girl of the Fens, daughter of a con man with no gold lineal rings designating her achievement or status. And thus, no future. But fortune beckons when the Queen of Mankong assembles a naval expedition to explore the far-flung islands she acquired in the wars. Master Paiyoon, more esteemed than Sai realized, will be sailing on the ship Prosperity, and when he catches sight of the mapmaking work Sai has done on the sly, he’s impressed enough to ask her along. It’ll be dangerous, but also the chance of a lifetime to break out of destiny’s grip. She’s lived under the circular sign of the dragon biting its tail, indicating

 . . . our kingdom’s motto: The Tail Is the Teeth. That one little sentence held a book’s worth of meaning. It meant that the end was connected to the beginning. It meant that where you ended up depended on where you started. It meant that each person was one link in a lineal that went around and around in a never-ending circle, just like the dragon with its tail in its mouth.

A voyage of self-discovery

Now Sai has a chance to break the dragon’s grip. She soon learns that there’s more to discover on the expedition than conquered lands: the Prosperity is also seeking out a mythical continent that may be real. After all, Sai muses, “every myth is based on reality, isn’t it?” And every voyage into the unknown is a voyage of self-discovery.

The author of Newbery-honored fantasy and nonfiction looks to her Thai heritage again for this adventure on the high seas, with mysteries to unravel and hidden villains to reveal. Vivid world-building and engaging characters combine with action to make a well-balanced novel with a classic feel. If Sai seems a bit too capable for a 12-year-old, she also has her weaknesses and judgment failures. In the end, she judges rightly, making for a satisfying conclusion.

Overall Rating: 4 (out of 5)

• Worldview/moral value: 3.5
• Artistic/literary value: 4.5

Read more about our ratings here.                 

Also at Redeemed Reader:

• Reviews: Christina Soontornvat is the author of All Thirteen: The Incredible Rescue of the Thai Boys’ Soccer Team and A Wish in the Dark.
• Reviews: Other sea adventures are The Sign of the Cat (starred review), Magellan: Over the Edge of the World, and The Whydah.  

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