I was so hooked on the premise of this book- Asian fantasy, fated soulmates, dragons, mythology, basically everything I could want in a book!! I think my expectations were TOO high because sadly this missed the mark for me.

Sai leads a quiet life and runs his family’s tea house while taking care of his mother. He is able to see red strings of fate, so as a side hustle he helps connect people to their fated one. His string, however, is grey and fraying and he has never attempted to follow it. He soon runs into trouble and gets set on a hunt for a dragon - which turns into him running from the emperor.

I really loved that the MC was a male character because you don’t see that too often in today’s novels. There were many plot twists I didn’t anticipate and I was really invested in the story after we met Jyn! However, I constantly felt like something was missing while I was reading. I kept forgetting this was an adult fantasy because it read more like YA, especially the dialogue. Sometimes the banter was really cringey and I found myself skimming. Things kept happening TOO fast without any details and the story felt like it was jumping around. I was shocked at some of the gore in certain scenes, especially the cannibalism. It felt so out of place and extremely jarring 😭

Overall I didn’t love it, sadly. I think maybe it could be a good starter book for someone just getting into fantasy or folklore, but as a more seasoned reader it was not memorable 😔

Despite the detailed amount of gore and death described throughout the book, I surprisingly found it cute and cozy. I really enjoyed the overall story and lush environment depictions. Fated lovers who are doomed to millennia of angst and tragedy are my bread and butter.

Unfortunately, I do think the writing fell victim to telling rather showing. This is meant to be an emotionally intense story, with lots of loss and longing. However, I never truly felt the agony the characters endured, because the author literally kept telling me that X character was feeling Y emotion at any given time but not demonstrating how said emotion manifested nor affected them. As a result, the primary characters felt flat and were difficult to connect to from a reader's perspective. I also found the swearing to be needless and inappropriate for the setting. Dragons and teahouse boys dropping f-bombs broke my immersion in an otherwise beautifully woven world.

I think the story itself is lovely. The Last Dragon of the East toes the line between fantasy and romance, never leaning into either genre too heavily. Honestly, this is the kind of mythological tale I would have loved as a child. It didn't quite land for me as an adult due to the lack of depth, but I would recommend it to people not yet exposed to this kind of Asian-inspired mythological tale.

Thank you to NetGalley and Saga Press for the eARC!

Overall Rating: 3/5 stars

This story weaves a captivating tale of love, destiny, and the power of hope. Sai spends the majority of his time time running a failing teahouse and caring for his ailing mother. Sai possesses the ability to see the red threads of fate, and he uses this power to earn additional money on the side as a matchmaker. When a miraculous cure, dragon scales, seems to help his mothers' condition, Sai embarks on a perilous quest to find the last dragon of the East.

While the world-building and adventure elements could have been further developed, the novel's strength lies in its endearing romance. Sai's journey to find his fated one is both heartwarming and memorable. When he covers her ears and tilts her head up to watch the fireworks unafraid??? SO sweet!

If you're looking for a fated romance with a touch of fantasy, or are interested in the red threads of fate, I'd recommend picking this one up!

Thank you to Saga Press for the review copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Perfect for fans of The alchemy of souls (kdrama) and Subzero (webtoon), this book takes the red thread trope to a whole new level.

The first half of the book was so whimsical its atmosphere felt like reading a fairy tale, it was so visually rich, with some vivid descriptions it felt so simple as following the story of a young man, an huntress, a last of its kind dragon and an evil emperor. It doesn't need complex worldbuilding or to go into too much detail of the mythology behind it for you to understand it.

It's a short, fast paced read that moves from one place to another quickly perfect for a weekend read. Following Sai who has a sidle hustle of matchmaking because he has the ability to see the read threads that connect one person to another, with a gray thread of his own, to help his ailing mother. Until one day forced by the emperor he is to find and hunt the last dragon. Having barely survived the journey with the help of a huntress, he finds out that his thread is starting to become red once more, and the dragon who he is supposed to hunt may be the answer to his questions.

I loved this take on the fated lovers, and the dynamic between all the characters. The banter between the main characters gave grumpy x sunshine and it was so fun to read. And having it be from the point of view of a male character was so refreshing, it was something different from all these female POV books.

The second half of the book is where I started to have conflicted feelings and why I didn't give it the full five stars, it felt like everything was happening too fast and there were some loose ends that didn't make sense and the ending just didn't sit well with me.

Overall I would recommend this to my fellow romantasy lovers.

This is Katrina Kwans fantasy debut novel and overall has a solid plotline but leaves much room for improvement.

Plot - The Last Dragon of the East follows Sai, a poor tea shop owner who can see everyone's red string of fate, as he tries to find a cure for his ailing mother. When he finds illegal dragon scales with healing properties the Emperor sends him on a quest to hunt the last dragon. On his journey Sai encounters his fated one and a mystery about the last dragon.

Characters:

Sai - is an idiot, especially from someone who was supposed to be 25. Personally, I just found him to be naive and he didn’t think about the consequences to his actions making him feel like a YA protagonist not an adult. He was also really slow picking up on things and just overall kinda dense

Jyn - was okay. I didn’t really connect with her and felt like she didn’t have much depth other than having a ton of emotional trauma. I wish we got anecdotes from her perspective or she had a POV.

Feng - weird lady whose purpose is kinda lame. Giving her a written accent was very distracting and a bit hard to read.

If it wasn’t obvious already my biggest issues with this book are with the characters. While I do know this book has a fated one trope I think if its done well it doesn’t have to be insta lovey. There is no real development between the characters other than innate attraction because they are fated ones which got tiring real fast.
Unfortunately I have a hard time getting into a book and caring about the plot if I don’t like the characters. For the majority of the book I felt very disconnected from the plot because the main cause of the conflict felt so far away the entire time. All the trials they ran into felt really random and it just didn’t flow well for me. Another issue I had with this book was how it went from a cute romance to a ton of violence all of a sudden. It was a super weird and jarring contrast.
Overall these issues I had with the book made me consider DNF the book multiple times throughout the novel. It is by no means a bad book but just didn’t work for me. I would consider picking up her future fantasy novels because I think there is a lot of potential for her to grow as a writer.

Thanks to NetGalley and Saga Press for an eARC of this book.

Spoiler Below so don't scroll if you haven't read







*Did anyone else find it weird that Sai or Jyn would get a red thread to each other but one is a baby and the other is an adult so then they are weirdly waiting for each other to grow up?

Not sure why it took so long to write a review for The Last Dragon of the East, but here we are.

The Last Dragon of the East is a quick, fun, and some may say "cozy" read. It's a love story that is rich in Chinese mythology, of two fates spanning across multiple lifetimes. The MMC does his best to earn additional income by helping people find their fated lovers because he can see who their red threads connect with. However, he is forced by his emperor to find a dragon after his mother's life is threatened. Along the way he meets some unexpecting characters, and discovers his past and potential future.

Last Dragon incorporates fated mates/threads of fate, dragons, LGBTQ representation, all wrapped up into this standalone romantasy. I set this book up as a buddy read, but it was so hard not to continue to read past the points we agreed to. It was hard to put down, and easy to finish. I really enjoyed this as a one book story; really getting annoyed by series. The story and plot never stopped. Enjoyed how there were myth stories in between the plot's current timeline to help with pacing and assist with world building. There is one scene that was a little "graphic" but let's be honest, this is an adult fantasy, not YA, yet there are so many YA's that seem to cross the line with content.

I highly recommend The Last Dragon of the East if you like all the aforementioned highlights. Plus, it's an asian author!

Thank you Netgalley, Saga Press, and the author for this opportunity in exchange for an honest review.

This was cute and reminded me of the Chinese movies my mom and I watched growing up. However, I wanted stronger character development and just more. I honestly wouldn’t have minded another 50 pages to dig a little deeper. Otherwise, I had a fun time reading this.

The Last Dragon of the East by Katrina Kwan is an enchanting, Asian-inspired fantasy that follows Sai, a kind-hearted young man with the rare gift of seeing the red threads of fate. His quiet life is upended when he’s tasked by the emperor to find a dragon whose scales once miraculously healed his ailing mother. The story balances thrilling adventure with heartfelt romance as Sai’s journey brings him closer to his fated mate, Jyn, whose reluctant grumpiness adds charm to their budding relationship. With poetic writing, captivating world-building, and themes of love, fate, and sacrifice, this story is a heartfelt, beautifully crafted read for fans of dragons and sweet romance. Highly recommended!

I was enraptured by the story, and devoured it! Katrina Kwan’s writing is poetic and the plot kept me engaged.

I went in this blind knowing nothing about asian mythology so i was hooked from the start. I loved the climax and omg i could not predict the outcome

5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Last Dragon of the East
Author: Katrina Kwan
Fantasy

Thank you so much Netgalley and Saga Press for this ARC! This was an absolutely beautiful read! Sai is born with a gift where he is able to see the red threads of fate between soulmates. This ends up catching the emperors eye, and he ends up enlisting him on a task to hunt down a dragon whose scales have medicinal properties. Also, I must add that Sai was given the scales from this specific dragon from his sick mother’s doctor, and they miraculously healed her. I enjoyed every second of this book, and especially Sais own journey with his fated one, and the dragon. 🥲. No spice at all, just a very sweet romance, with a bunch of amazing fantasy aspects. I highly reccomend this read, and I will be thinking about it for awhile.

I really enjoyed this story. The reversed grumpy/sunshine trope works beautifully here—Sai, the sunshine MMC, is impossible not to love, while Jyn’s reluctance to accept his affection adds real depth. Their quest together was one of my favorite parts, allowing their bond to develop naturally as they slowly come to embrace their red thread of fate. The world-building is vibrant and immersive, and my familiarity with Asian dramas made it easy to visualize the setting and atmosphere. This book is a refreshing, heartfelt read, perfect for fans of Asian-inspired fantasy and romance.

Happy to have read this! I loved the voice and energy of the main character, Sai, who liked his quiet life of running his family’s tea house and caring for his ailing mother - but as it turned out was destined for so much more.

This was a very creative, epic mythological tale with fated mates, reincarnation, a villainous emperor, and, of course, dragons. Above all though, it was a beautiful love story.

This book felt like a big adventure, and I really liked it.

I though the characterization of the main character was a little...bland? but only in that I don't really like class clowns, and I don't find that type of character terribly interesting. I also don't tend to enjoy male main characters as much as female main characters, but that's a personal preference.

This was a very easy read, super quick, I read it in probably two or three sittings. I wanted to just...keep reading. Not because I was stressed or because I felt like I had to to know what was coming next, but just because I really got sucked into the world, and the characters, and was happy seeing their story play out. I didn't feel obligated and there was no pressure to keep going. It felt cozy in that way, but I wouldn't describe this as cozy fantasy. There is very much drama and conflict and frustration and confusion and yearning.

Definitely encourage folks to pick this up who 1) like dragons 2) like cute romance 3) enjoy silly class clowns.

4/5, definitely worth the read.

A phenomenal fantasy debt by Kwan! Voicey, unique, and a wonderfully immersive world that allows me to explore cultures not like my own, which I always appreciate. So much care and attention went into this book, and it's obvious.

Thanks to Saga Press and NetGalley for this advanced copy.

Thank you Netgalley andnthe publishers for providing an arc. 

This was an unexpected adventure of finding lost love and family. After Sai uses dragon scales to heal his aiding mother, he gains the attention of the emperor and is sent on a quest to locate the last dragon of the east. Unbeknownst to Sai, their is a greater connection and powers at play, ready to determine his future. Throughout this quest, he must come to terms with his own identity,  secure his tread with a fated mate, and overcome unearned prejudices. 

This was a really cute read about fated love and possessed a hint of found family. It begs the questions. What lengths would you go to to protect the ones you love? How much pain can you endure before giving in? Can you choose to live alone knowing that your fated mate is somewhere out in the old without you?

The story within these pages is just as beautiful as the book cover.

The Last Dragon of the East by Katrina Kwan is inspired by Chinese myths of ancient dragon gods and threads of fate. Twenty something Sai lives a quite, peaceful life with his family until someone sells dragon scales at his teashop to his mother. His life is turned upside down and we are on an adventure with Sai and Fated One.

The book kept me on hook since the very beginning, plus the whole bit of dragon along with fated soulmates equation was a star. It reads like a fairytale and is fast paced at the same time. The world building and history, culture is equally depicted very well. What I felt was lacking that the MMC was kinda dull.

For a debut novel I felt the book was quite good, but maybe at the same time a lot of tropes were thrown at us here and there which could have been handled better. Jyn is a very powerful character, full of angst and willpower.

#TheLastDragonoftheEasttour #fantasybooks #coloredpagesbooktours #gifted

Thank you to Simon & Shuster and NetGalley for this ARC! All opinions are my own.

I loved this debut. I'm a big sucker for a soulmate storyline, and if you're looking for a sweet emotional romance, this is your book. The POV character has an unusual flavor, kind of a cheeky but good-hearted bumbler. It took a bit of getting used to, but I ended up really liking the originality of it. The plotline is lovely and unexpected, feeling very much like a legend retelling (which is clearly intentional). Not weighty or epic, but colorful and moving.

There were some small plot details that I wished had been fleshed out rather than just covered by "reincarnation, I guess" -- Sai's sudden ability to defend himself, why he was born with dragon magic this time, how he knew the emperor needed to die to revive A-Qian, etc It did require some suspended disbelief. I also have a bit of a pet peeve for inconsistent anglicization; some names had pinyin tone markings but most didn't, and that bugged me. But maybe that's a me problem. 😂

Overall, an easy but lovely read with characters that are easy to root for and a romance that felt like a breath of fresh air. 4⭐

thank you NetGalley & Saga Press for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 stars. i had high hopes for this book, particularly because i love dragons, and while fated mates isn’t my favorite trope, i was interested in seeing the author’s take on the red thread of fate. unfortunately, the story embodied many of the reasons why i tend to stay away from fated mates fantasy books. I found it difficult to feel genuinely invested in the connection between the characters, as their bond was often too much tell and not enough show. this left me feeling like their emotions were dictated by the bond itself rather than by a real, mutual affinity and likebility. In my opinion, the relationship lacked the depth i was hoping for, and the book felt more young adult in tone—this isn’t necessarily a negative, but it wasn’t quite what I had expected.

This book utterly destroyed me. The first thing that drew me in was the title (dragons!) and then the synopsis (fated lovers!) and I knew I had to read this book.
Sai runs a tea house and is struggling to earn enough money to take care of his sickly mother. What makes Sai unique is that he can see the red threads of fate and in his spare time he brings the people on either end of a string together. While Sai can see that everyone else’s threads are bright red, his own is a frayed grey that sags and never leads anywhere. Through his match-making and the tea house, Sai finally has enough money to buy a cure for his mother. Instead of medicine though, the doctor gives him two dragon scales with instructions to feed them to his mother. At this point, it is already clear that Sai is a softy and has a great sense of humor. I already felt comfortable reading from his perspective and would do anything to protect him. After Sai has given his mother one of the scales, he is caught and arrested since dragon scales are an illegal substance. In prison, the emperor gives Sai a choice: die or travel into the neighboring country to find and bring back the dragon the scales belong to. Sai hesitantly agrees and is thrust into the army that will invade the neighboring country. After the battle, Sai sneaks away to the forest to look for the dragon when his thread starts to show some life and pull him toward the unknown.
The action picks up quickly and there are plenty of battle scenes as well as wonderful character development. As Sai uncovers myths and hidden truths, he begins to have a better understanding of himself and his tragic past. You can expect mythical monsters, dragons(!), hunters, doomed love, imprisonment, transformation, and lots and lots of banter. Sai is the best narrator and even in stressful situations he has funny quips that lighten the mood, while keeping the narrative serious.
I won’t spoil the ending, but let me just say that I was sobbing for the last 50 pages and it was so worth it.
I highly recommend this book for readers who want love stories with a little magic, and of course anyone who loves dragons.
You won’t regret it.