The Last Mapmaker

This is a tale of mystery and imagination set in what appears to be a version of ancient Thailand.  Sai, the main character leads a double life; she lives with her father in the worst area of town, where he is often a thief and she is forced to act as a forger when required. However, she has secretly found a job as the assistant to the last mapmaker in the kingdom and her skills are much appreciated. When the Queen calls for an expedition to find a mythical land, Sai and her employer find themselves joining the enterprise.  What follows leads them into adventure, danger and new worlds. They are surrounded by colleagues and new friends, but can they really trust those people, or have they got secret agendas that will put lives at risk?

This is a wonderfully evocative story that really makes you believe in the world that has been created. Sai thinks that she is very streetwise, but she eventually learns that she can be hoodwinked as easily as anyone else.  There are several themes that run through the book, the main one being about society and the way people are limited by certain conventions; we would consider it to be a class bound society, with many aspects that feel familiar and where people will do anything to increase their standing. The other aspect that we are presented with, towards the end of the story is what do we do when we discover new environments and creatures? These are questions that we have faced over many generations and we have usually got things wrong.  We have lost many animals due to hunting and disease and the same applies to many indigenous peoples, in areas such as South America and South East Asia. I loved the ending of this book and the sense that things might change, due to small differences in the way people think. This story is a delightful exploration of culture and a world that is exotic and yet very relatable, with a set of characters that you really begin to feel close to.