I cannot wait for this book to come out. I'm getting a physical copy as soon as I can I loved this book.
The romance really picked up in the last like 100ish pages, and the last chapter really hit.
I think if you read The Emperor And The Endless Palace and liked it you'd be into this.

A tale of dragons, fated romance and the power of love awaits you in this book.
You can tell the author put a lot of love and their own history into the crafting of this book. I for sure love when the author puts a piece of themselves into the story they write.
As far as the main characters go they were pretty easy to root for and connect with. My only complaint is with the other characters such as the big bad and the support characters. They were pretty much forgotten and when they did make an appearance they were pretty basic and forgettable.
The story was engaging in some aspects but slow in others. It wasn’t necessarily a bad story but it wasn’t my favorite aspect of this book. I found myself speeding through to get to the points of conflict and resolution.
What I did like was the sense of authors weaving of their mythology into the story and the dragons of course. I’m a sucker for a story with the dragons. Especially with the cover, absolutely breathtaking.
Overall a pretty solid book that falls in the middle of the pack with a three and half star rating. I would for sure recommend this book if you like:
Fated mates
Dragons
Resurrection
Thanks to the folks at NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book early in ARC form. My review is a honest reflection of my feelings towards this book.

It was so good!! I was rooting for the characters the whole time and the setting was so vivid. I love books that are inspired by East Asian cultures, they bring me back to my home in Asia.

This book was perfection! I love the build up of the entire plot, I loved the romance, I love the character growth and I love that the author didn't shy away from showing violent scenes. I will now be on the lookout for anything Katrina Kwan writes

Thank you NetGalley and Saga Press for the copy of The Last Dragon of the East to review.

Sai, a man in his mid twenties, can see people threaded together by fate. He hopes to one day find his fated one, but with the responsibilities of running the tea shop his father left behind and caring for his sick mother, he has to put his dream on hold. When the emperor sends Sai on a quest to find the last living dragon he finds himself close to his fated one.
The concept of this book had so much potential, but it felt very predictable in the beginning. At times it felt like the author was telling us what was going to happen and then it actually happened on the next page (the scene where they went into battle is where I first felt this).
The character of Feng also had a lot of potential but I felt like she lacked depth and I would have preferred if the author described the accent and let the reader fill it in rather than writing in dialect.
I did enjoy the romance between the main characters and how we slowly saw Sai’s transition of who he is in this life to who he has been all along. I hope in the final version of this book we get to see a map of this world.

I loved this book! The Last Dragon of the East is Katrina Kwan's fantasy debut inspired by Chinese myths of ancient dragon gods and red threads.

Sai leads a quite life running his family's teahouse and taking care of his sick mother. On the side, Sai uses his ability to see red threads for matchmaking. Sai's existence is turned upside down when a pair of dragon scales works as a miraculous medicine for his mother and he must go on a hunt for the green dragon.

I was instantly enamoured by Sai's charisma as a matchmaker and dedication to his ailing mother. The first chapter of the book played out in my mind like a Disney movie, as did the rest of Sai's fantastical adventure.

It was nice having a male protagonist who's not all-powerful and perfect and surrounded by strong female characters. I also liked how Sai's fated person was not an enemies-to-lovers, but someone who wanted to keep her distance, even if it was from a place of pain and out of trying to protect her feelings. I love a story if fated love and love accross lifetimes. The blend of fantasy and myth was excellent. And while the story played out like a Disney movie for me, it was certainly not without it's strong, adult themes.

I would have liked a bit more about the story of the dragon gods, but perhaps that could be the subject of another book, and what was included in this book was enough for obtaining an understanding of the current events.

Recommended if you like fantasy, mythology, fated lovers, adventure, and strong female characters.

Note: Thank you to Saga Press and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an e-ARC of The Last Dragon of the East!

Rating: 4.25/5 Stars!

Summary: Sai has always always been able to see the red threads of fate that connect people to their Fated Ones, even his own. To make extra money outside taking care of his Father’s teahouse, Sai will take you to your Fated One. With the extra money he pays for a mythical medicine which will supposedly cure his mother- two shining, green dragon scales. Upon saving a woman from unwanted advances from several soldiers, Sai is taken prisoner, and for the dragon scale he’s found holding, catches the attention of the Emperor. If he wants to live, he must go to the Southern Kingdom and find the green dragon for the Emperor. Except, when he gets there, he finds that his unusually gray and frayed soul thread connects him to the green dragon. As Sai tries to unravel the mystery of their bond, he must work with a vengeful hunter, a sullen Fated One, and memories he shouldn’t have, all pointing back to the Emperor and an old tale he once thought was fiction.

Review: Katrina Kwan’s debut Adult Romantasy is an adventure rife with magic, love, myth, and battle. Kwan incorporates facets of Chinese mythology in interesting ways, creating a vibrant world that will remind you of the breathtaking traditional paintings inspired by the myths Kwan is working with. Since it is a standalone- I’m fairly certain- the plot does go rather quick, but never does it feel lacking.

Sai is such a relatable character, doing his best despite being ill-equipped when it comes to fighting, traveling, and keeping himself safe. The man is attacked like four times in the first half of the book, if nothing else, I have to respect his tenacity. The man is hard to kill. I love that, despite everything that happens to him and everything he learns, he never loses sight of his love for his mother, and his goal to make her healthy so she can live happily. Jyn, the female lead, is, in my opinion, really well-written. She’s deeply hurt by past events, and wants nothing more than to not be hurt again, but her love goes so deep that time after time she chooses the eventual pain again and again.

I will say I think the blue dragon in this story could have been discussed more by Jyn and Sai. I don't want to give away too much, but this part of the story fell a little bit flat, and I wish there could have been more.

Despite the above, this book is still so fun to read, and I was really rooting for both Sai and Jyn the entire time. It has a satisfying end, and I hope that they can have another chance with children.

If you love Chinese fantasy books, and kind of goofy protagonists, and strong, kick-ass women, this book is 100% for you. If you love dragons, this book is for you. If you love doomed lovers, this book is for you. I cannot recommend it enough if you’re looking for a standalone fantasy!

Once again, thank you to Saga Press and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book. I would like to wish Katrina Kwan a most successful Adult debut! I will be keeping an eye out for any future releases from her!

I have never read a book thats the male MCs POV throughout and I had to restart like twice just to confirm it was a man 😂 this was an experience!
Now I will preface this by saying I don't know the first thing about Chinese mythology.
The emotions I felt reading this book. Wow wow wow. This wrecked me! I laughed, I was terrified, I cried. I felt the love between Sai and Jyn, the heartbreak of their son (the want to punch the emperor in the face). Love love love. 10 out of 10.

My goodness, Katrina Kwan KNOWS how to write a swoony romance. Every time Sai even looked at his Fated One, I kicked my feet and fell in love with her too!

This book is full of romance, heartache, pain, and some graphic violence. We have an ordinary guy, just trying to survive, take care of his ailing mother, and run his tea shop. After obtaining dragon scales from his local Dr, a supposed cure all, for his mother, he is thrown into chaos by the Emporer, who sends him to find the owner of the scales, the last dragon of the east. (Gasp, the name of the book)

From there, the story unfolds, and it goes way deeper than I imagined when I picked up this book. The writing is absolutely beautiful, I couldn't put it down.

3.75 stars, so close to 4, but there's a big chunk of the book, where literally nothing happens, and it draaaged. But other than that beautiful.

CW graphic violence, past self-harm, and thoughts of suicide.

Thank you Saga Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

This was such a captivating story. I absolutely loved the story and I could not put down this book. I would highly recommend reading this book.

Sai can see people's red strings of fate and while he has put those skills to use for others in order to purchase medicine for his ailing mother, he has stubbornly ignored his own. That is until his big mouth, or fate, intervene and The Emperor sends him on quest to find the Last Dragon. Little does he know that he will not only find his Fated One he will discover that he will do anything to keep her safe; even if it means destroying the Emperor.

I think I own almost every single American Chinese or Canadian Chinese retelling of folklore, fairy tales, and myths published in the last 10 years. Many of them are well done. This is by far the best that I have read. I am talking leeps and bounds better than any other retellings I've read. And what I find to be absolutely amazing is Kwan has accomplished what many other authors take two or three books to write in one book. That is not saying I would not be incredibly happy to see a sequel in which we find the missing portion of their family. Because that would be amazing.

What I believe really allows this to stand out is that she does such an excellent job of keeping the story inherently Chinese while having just enough of a Western influence that I believe this would actually be a perfect starter read for people just getting into this niche genre while being a perfect addition to anyone who is already into the genres shelves. I finished this and then went and immediately pre-ordered it. I genuinely do not do that very often.

I honestly can't recommend this one enough.

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. The Last Dragon of the East was an absolutely BEAUTIFUL story. I really enjoyed every moment reading it. I felt like it was completely unique in it's story telling, and the pacing was quick and carried itself well. All in all, this is an amazingly strong fantasy debut for Ms. Kwan! I can't wait to see what she writes next, and add this to my physical shelves in October! A more formal review will be available on my IG/TikTok and Goodreads.

4.5/5 ⭐️

The Last Dragon of the East is a thrilling tale packed with fantasy and Chinese folklore. Kwan delivers action, battles, romance, and more in this captivating story.

I was immediately drawn into Sai's journey. I enjoyed learning about his ability to see the red strings of fate and sympathized with his devotion to his sick mother. Most of the fantasy books I pick up feature female main characters, so it was refreshing to follow a male lead like Sai. He's endearing, although can be a bit hopeless at times. He added a level of humor that I quite enjoyed. It took some time for me to warm up to the romance, but by the end, I genuinely loved it. The ending of the book was absolutely beautiful.

I genuinely hope the author continues to write more fantasy stories because this has easily become a top read for this year.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me a chance at reading this book.

This book moves quickly. And when I mean quick, I mean... BANG, this happens, BANG that happens quick.

I was enjoying that at first until the book got more complex and the complex issues weren't given time to set in my mind and simmer.

Our main character grows up poor in charge of a tea joint with his mom. Mom is sick, near death. He makes money off of showing people to their soul-mate by the way of the 'red threads' he can see (and no on else can). He has one too, but his is grey and he doesn't know why. Desperate to find a cure, he obtains a scale from a mythical dragon via apothecary. He gives it to his mom and the mother is almost healed. This alerts the emperor, who then captures our main character and tells him that he needs to find the dragon that the scale came from and bring the dragon to him (or his scales). But dragons don't exist... or do they?

So where did I stop enjoying the book so much? When his love interest comes in. This love interest has some weird split personality. One minute she is immature and mean, then the next minute she is nasty and unpleasant. There are reasons for this, but she was written so poorly that the lead up to why (and who she was) was so poorly done. There is also a Hunter that shows up to peace out, return, then peace out for good that didn't really lend to the plot much.

After watching all these CDramas, I felt like this was one of those that seemed to grab all the greatest hits but the story it was telling didn't match up with them and vice versa. At times the book couldn't tell if it wanted to be a fantasy for kids or teens. The quickness of the narrative and the way that the man character always kept calling this girl 'mooncake', 'my love, 'my dearest', 'my heart', 'treasure', etc. etc. every time he saw her or she did something worth praising was irritating.

If it were me, I'd get rid of the love story and make it a simple folk story / fantasy tale.

It's a low 3 stars.

I loved this book so much! Sai was such a cool character to follow, and I loved the mythological aspects of the book. Kwan's writing is amazing and it was an amazing read.

The things I enjoyed about this book: dragons, male antagonist, and it seemed like a good mix of mythology and/or folklore. Overall, I enjoyed a lot of the elements within the novel. Kwan has a wonderful writing style.

Unfortunately, one of the most important deciding factors for me to give a book an outstanding rating is pacing. I had issues with the pacing at the beginning of the novel, making it extremely hard to fully immerse myself into the story. Additionally, I wanted MORE from the characters. More emotion, more background, and a better understanding of what powers their motives.

Read time: 06/09/2024 - 06/11/2024
This was reminiscent of the historical/fantasy c-dramas I've been watching since I was a kid. It was super fast-paced with action, fight scenes, dragons, romance, and angst; however, I just wasn't able to become invested in the story or romance. The awkward pacing made it difficult to become absorbed in the storyline even when there was an emotional scene. There wasn't much chemistry between Sai and Jyn, which I think it due to the pacing, and I wasn't anticipating much from their relationship unfortunately. Despite not loving it as much as I wanted to, the book is a fast and entertaining read, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys c-dramas.

Thank you NetGalley and Saga Press/Simon & Schuster for the arc.

The cover, the writing, everything about this book was beautiful. The way Katrina writes this tale of Sai and his ability to see the red threads of fate had me captivated from the very start. Her writing is so easy to get addicted to, because she makes her characters likable, and it's so easy to form an attachment to them. And her worldbuilding amazed me. I need more of this story although I know it is over I just need so much more of this world.
I loved Sai’s development throughout the story and him searching for the dragon as well as following his own red thread of fate. You may think this is a lighthearted story, but at times this story was dark, especially when you’re given glimpses into the past. I loved how important family was to Sai also, and how no matter what he wanted to help his ailing mother.
There were some plot twists in this book that had me tearing up a little, and at one point I was full on sobbing. I was expecting some of what happened, but when it did happen the way it was written was more then I could possibly imagine.
Thank you to Netgalley and Saga Press for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Saga Press & NetGalley for approving this ARC. This romantic fantasy has a bit of everything and I loved it. The novel was inspired by The Red String of Fate and I really like a good retelling. The ending is satisfying and has so much heart. Pick this up when it publishes on October 08, 2024! Go Team #sagasays !!

screaming because hello dragons and red threads of fate?????

Katrina is definitely in her fantasy era with this debut novel inspired by Chinese Mythology, The Red string of Fate, and of course soulmates 🥹

ever since this book was announced I’ve been so interested in how Katrina weaves together these inspirations and I love how much she was able to turn it into such a beautiful story. Sai is an extroverted and kind man ( he’s like 25) and also our main protagonist. With the ability to see the threads of fate, you’d think he would know where his leads to but you don’t which was such a good premise. His character was well written and flawed as all characters end up being but I enjoyed his travels in discovering who his fated love is.

The story is definitely not as lighthearted as the cover reflects, but I enjoyed the darker turns of the story. The plot flows quite well and I think the harsh tone in the latter half really emphasizes Sai’s journey from being a simple teahouse owner (who also can see threads of fate) to where he ends up (no spoilers here!).

as a debut novel, I didn’t have super high expectations given that the fantasy genre is hard to break into. while some of the story was less fleshed out and the romance a little rougher around the edges, it didn’t take away from the reading experience as much. The characters definitely could have had more backstory but I liked how they connected at the end.

Thank you for this ARC in exchange for an honest review 🩷