The Last Dragon of the East begins as a story about the threads of fate. About the loves that carry us through the long nights. The hope of finding someone who would be our Fated One. And then it becomes a story about mystery, the power of love, and revenge. When the avalanche begins, it roars. The Last Dragon of the East is swoony whether it be the atmospheric setting or the action which propels readers through the story. We love good banter and this delivers!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the Publisher for my eARC of this book!
If you are a reader that enjoys the fantastical elements of Chinese Mythology, I think you will enjoy this novel.
I agree with the comparison to Sue Lynn Tan, as her Celestial Kingdom Duology is a favorite of mine. I would also compare the romance to the style of Rebecca Ross', not “spicy or smutty” but tasteful. Besides some unsettling violence and war scenes, I would say this does sort of read Young Adult. Which also goes back to my Ross comparison.
Also, this read very “fairytale love story”, so if a complex fantastical world holds you up, this one is very easy to understand, but still unique.
Now, onto the things I really loved about this book.
Firstly, Sai's banter as a character, I loved his goofy humor. Even in struggles, he would try to be upbeat. I feel like that's all of us who cope with humor.
The pacing was great. I feel like the introduction was short and we were onto adventure really quick.
There are only a couple things I felt were missing, or things I wish were explained or tied up better, but I don't want to spoil so I will leave it at that. Our focus is the main couple and the magic, so some may not care, but veteran Fantasy readers might.
If any of my review fits your taste, than I hope you pick up this book! I really enjoyed reading it.

The Last Dragon of the East is such a beautiful story about soulmates, Chinese myths, and magical dragons. The author does a great job describing the scene and all of the Chinese myths…they are all very interesting! The love felt between the main characters is also beautifully written.

Willing to do anything to help his sick mom, Sai buys dragon scales from a doctor who swears this will help. Dragons are thousands of centuries extinct, so Sai is skeptical. Sai can also see Threads of Fate-strings that connect people to their soulmate. He’s put off finding his fated one to help his mom. When the fearsome emperor catches wind of the exchange of dragon scales and demands that Sai go searching for the dragon if he wants to help his mom. Sai traverses the continent encountering many challenges along the way and hoping to find his fated mate as well. Will he succeed in either task he’s set out to complete?

This was such an emotional and beautiful journey. Things do get graphic but if you've survived Game of Thrones you should be good to handle it. I felt elements of Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, GoT, and ACOTAR. I rarely cry anymore and this had me tearing up (although that might be because I was on my period). The characters are so endearing and the book expertly sprinkles in touches of funny and mysterious. Highly recommended and is definitely one of my top reads. I now feel empty and don't know how to fill the void with my next read. It has big shoes to fill.

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc! It's been my favorite one so far <3

Our MMC, Sai, can see threads of fate that direct him to each persons soulmate, except his own. His thread is not glowing and beautiful like others he can see, but is instead gray and frayed.

Sai owns a tea shop with his ailing mother, and also works as a match maker. A very rare treatment for his mother's illness becomes available to him, but ends up putting his life in danger and forcing him to embark on a dangerous journey. During this quest, he discovers that he has an entire past that he has forgotten.

I don't want to give too much away by saying anymore. I really loved this book! This story is such a beautiful romantasy with a grumpy FMC and sunshine MMC. As the story progressed it got better and better. Really about 40%-50% of the way through I felt like I couldn't put it down.

Although it went by quickly, I feel like it flowed really well with a rich Chinese mythology retelling. It was heartbreaking at times but by the end I was happy and my heart felt so full.

With great tropes like:

🐉Dragons
🐉Amnesia
🐉Soulmates
🐉Chinese mythology
🐉Grumpy Sunshine
🐉Mature main characters
🐉Beautiful love story

RATING: 4.5 stars rounded up

Thank you to Katrina Kwan, @netgalley, and @sagapressbooks for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As a reader who isn't a fan of the fated mates romance trope, I made a big exception for The Last Dragon of the East since the soulmate aspect derives from the Asian myth of the red string of fate. This is one of my all-time favorite myths that makes me get emotional every time I see it featured in fictional media.

The story follows Sai: a young man who works at his mother's teahouse and has a unique ability to see who a person's soulmate is by looking at their red string of fate. Through a series of circumstances, Sai finds himself entangled in an agreement with the emperor to hunt down an ancient dragon. When he realizes that the dragon and his own red string soulmate are the same individual, what transpires is an adventure that unravels forgotten memories of a distant past.

Sai and Jyn are a blueprint of what I love the most about Asian fantasy romances - a slow burn with the main pair's relationship, a build-up of angst, and having no idea if the story will have a happy ending. The quest had a healthy mix of moments that showed the progression of Sai and Jyn becoming lovers, as well as not shying away from the action and violence that one would expect for a book targeted at an adult demographic. While the gore may put off some readers who are looking for a wholesome adult fantasy romance, this book worked for me as someone who appreciates adult fantasy romance that isn't reliant on spice to carry its intended audience.

I highly recommend picking up this book, and I'll eagerly await for more books (maybe in the same world?) written by this author.

I am so glad that Kwan wrote this novel based on Chinese mythology. This story is about a humble young man who is completely devoted to his mother who owns a small tea house. This young man, Sai, goes to great lengths to save money to get a remedy for his ailing mother. The one skill that he was born with which enables him to save is that he is able to see the red threads that connect soulmates, which makes him a well-known match maker.
The medicine that he gets from his doctor are two emerald scales from a dragon. Sai, at first believes it to be a scam. At the same time the evil emperor finds out about him and his scales and threatens to hurt his mother unless he helps him find the dragon and bring it back to the emperor.

Review: 5/5

In this book you will find:
-Fated Mates
-Red threads of fate
-Touch her and die
-Angst

Also please know that there are parts of this book that are rather violent and the main characters resort to some thoughts of self harm during some harrowing scenes.

Overall, I think this was an amazing book which served as a great introduction to Chinese mythology. It was an incredibly well-rounded book, and I loved how well written the characters were. I was truly invested in Sai and his significant other ( I don’t want to give too much away) and was glad to have a satisfying HEA. I totally recommend this book!

I want to thank #netgalley and Saga Press for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

If you like
🐉Chinese myths, creatures and dragons
✨Reverse grumpy x sunshine
✨ Badass heroine
💓 soulmates
⚔️ action packed fast paced stories
• spicy - 🌶️🌶️ **

Sai owns a tea shop inherited from his father. He is a chatty, sunshine character who has the ability to see the threads of fate between soulmates. As he is returning after getting hold of dragon scales which could be a cure to his ailing mother, he is caught up in a bit of brawl with the Royal soldiers which leads to his capture and a meeting with the emperor himself. After seeing his rare possessions and talents, the emperor assigns him the task of finding the same dragon. There starts the story of Sai's adventures and the unraveling of centuries old secrets.
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I loved it, it was unputdownable, fast paced fantasy story and the main highlights - DRAGONS and badass heroine. I was so invested from the beginning. Sai and Jyn were the perfect reverse grumpy x sunshine pair. It was overall really entertaining. It also had a bit of h*rror and gory details of war.
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I blushed, laughed and was on the verge of tears at some points, let's just say some characters deserved better.
It was fairly easy to read and the magic system was not complex. The 180* in character development kind of gave me a whiplash and I felt some points didn't connect. Other than that I had a great time.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc.

I’m always a huge fan of tales like these. Especially when reincarnation and lost memories are a part of it. I wasn’t sure of the characters at first. Sai was kind of dense and took too long to make connections. I suppose it makes sense, but I was frustrated while reading. I also thought Jyn was too harsh. After all the years she’s endured, I guess that makes sense as well. I am happy with the ending. It was super sweet and made me tear up. So, overall, it was a fun and quick read. I’d definitely recommend it.

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑳𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝑫𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑬𝒂𝒔𝒕 by @katrinazkwan
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫
Publish Date: October 8th, 2024

Thank you so much @sagapressbooks for the opportunity to read and review this book earlier! It was a delightful read. This book has a love story that lasted through many lifetimes, adventures, and magic.

Honestly, this felt like young adult fantasy more than adult, and I really enjoyed this aspect. The characters are so likable and you root for them until the last pages. And the conclusion of the story left me satisfied!

This book has:
* Chinese myths of ancient dragon gods
* Threads of fate
* Grumpy and sunshine trope
* dragons 🐉

#sagasayscrew #sagapess #fantasybooks #bookswithdragons

3.5/5 ⭐️
I love any sort of fated soulmate stories, and I pretty familiar with the myth of the red string of fate so I was pretty eager to read “The Last Dragon of the East”. I quite enjoy the story being told from a male mc (i just find that a lot of east asian inspired fantasy books lately are always from the female main character pov), I really how simple and easy it was to get into the world. I really enjoyed the how Sai and Jyn got know each other and discover their connection and past.

My main issue is the pacing, every part felt like it had a different tone, and tone reflected on the personality and dynamic of the 2 of them as well, its sort of confusing and jarring (this might have been just me maybe). Overall, I think there was a good concept going on but not executed as smoothly as I wished.

Without knowing the legend(s) the book is based on, I can't tell where the legend stops and the authors imagination begins. I felt like plot points moved too fast. Every goal kept being replaced by a new one as the MMC learned more. Still, even when I can objectivly see this as flaws, I can't say it impacted my enjoyment. The story itself kind of reads like I'm being retold an unwritten legend, with haziness and dream-like detailing. All in all, this is a very fullfilling read. It left me feeling content and hopeful. I would whole-heartedly recommend this book to anyone.

This book was stunning! The storytelling pulled me in right from the start, and I couldn’t put it down. The Red Thread of Fate legend has always fascinated me, and this version adds such a unique and exciting twist. I mean, Fated Soulmates and Dragons—what’s not to love? I will say I did want more by the end, but it felt like the right conclusion for the story. Also, I’ve realized I’m not a fan of helpless male main characters, haha! While it doesn’t last long, the first few chapters had me a bit frustrated. Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and it’s definitely sparked my interest in exploring more Asian-inspired myth retellings!

Actual rating 4.25/5 stars

From the beginning, Kwan's writing is vivid and immersive, sweeping you into bith the story and the world. I absolutely adored the various folklore creatures and how eery they were. They helped sink me into the story even more.

The journey is this story is more an adventurous one than a perilous one. But that didn't seem to hinder my enjoyment at all even though I typically like a more action packed plot. I think it helped that Sai was such an endearing and sweet protagonist that you couldn't help but empathize with. Having a soft, sunshine boy be the protagonist of a hetero love story plot line was actually really refreshing.

One thing I would suggest is adding a content warning page. There was a couple pretty heavy themes to be blindsided by.

Sai, our main character, has always been able to see the red string of fate, and since his mother is sick, utilizes that gift to make a living by leading others to their Fated Ones. One day, while trying to get medicine for his mother, he gets captured and sent on a journey by the emperor to find the huntress searching for the last remaining dragon.

This was such a fast read. I was so invested in every word and plot point and DEVOURED this book within a couple of hours. The story line follows Chinese mythology and is centered around dragons and the red string of fate with a splash of re-incarnation. There are two types of time lines in this book, the present, and multiple different timelines in the past.

So anyone who knows me knows that soulmates/fated mates is my all time favorite romance trope and this book does it beautifully. The romance was so well written, even the flash back chapters, which added a whole new layer to the story. I don't want to give anything away, but those chapters are very important to understand.

Jyn annoyed me at first, because she wasn't being straightforward and I hate that, but once things were revealed later on, I kind of understood it. But also not really. She always found ways previously to find who she was looking for, not matter how much time had passed, but this time, she wanted nothing to do with it, which confused me a bit. I guess she didn't want to get hurt.

This story made me happy, sad, and all other types of emotions. And don't even get me started on that ending. It was beautiful and I was so glad that it ended the way that it did and truly amplified the sweetness of them always finding each other.

The only complaint that I have is that at times the writing seemed a bit bland, and could use a bit more descriptions when talking about things to allow the reader to get more immersed in the story and what is happening.

4.5 star rating, rounded up.

Thank you to Saga Press, Katrina Kwan, and NetGalley for the eARC of this book. This is my honest review.

I found this to be a very fun adventure. The storytelling style isn't western and so the pacing and the plot feel a bit different in a nice way.

Would recommend to teens who are just getting into adult fantasy and want something fun and exciting to jump into.

Dragons, fate, and a love that transcends lifetimes.... this book has it all. Sai is a thread reader, able to see people's red threads and find them their fated person... yet he has not been able to find his own soulmate since his own thread is oddly turned grey. Yet while buying illegal dragon scales to use as medication for his sick mother he catches the eye of evil emperor who blackmails him into hunting down this dragon as it is the last one in existence. Sai has no choice but to comply otherwise he'd be killed.... yet when he does meet said dragon its none other than a beautiful woman who seems oddly familiar.... whose own string of fate is connected to him. Sai's world is turned upside down as he begins to get strange memories of a past life with her... but she refuses to tell him how they are connected... but with the emperor hunting them both down can Sai find out the truth or will they both die before he can be with his soulmate? This was a stunningly romantic story filled with magic and love, I absolutely adored the romance in this. The relationship between Sai and his fated one was absolutely so well done and I loved every second of it. The slow buildup and reveal was fantastic and honestly I would recommend this book for anyone who enjoys mythological romances!!!

Release Date: October 8,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Saga Press | S&S/Saga Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

As someone who loves Asian mythology in books, i just had to read this. The story spans over many lifetimes and the focus on the threads of fate was another aspect that I loved. Sai lives a quiet life awaiting his mother in running their family tea shop, until one day he uses dragon scales to make a medicine for her that helps heal some of her ailments. Sai also has the rare ability to see the threads of fate— a red string that shows who someone’s mate is. Sai’s string is a dull grey color and he longs to meet that person who is destined for him. When the emperor learns of this, Sai is sent on a journey to find the ancient green dragon in order to retrieve its scales for the emperor to use since it has magical properties. I wasn’t fully invested in the romance between Sai and Jyn at first, but as the story went on I grew to feel so deeply for them and all that they had be through. I think the story itself was actually quite beautiful in its execution, I just wanted these two to finally have a true shot at being together without anything threatening to tear them apart. After reading this I’ll definitely be keeping my eyes on this authors future books cause I loved the way this story was told.

I’ve always been drawn to books that explore red string fate and Chinese mythology, so when I heard about this one, I was eager to dive in! One of the standout aspects for me was reading from a male POV, which felt refreshingly unique, especially with the reverse grumpy x sunshine dynamic between the main characters.

While I enjoyed the plot and found the storyline engaging, there were moments that pulled me out of the story—particularly with how certain village characters used more modern or formal terms that didn’t quite fit the setting. The world-building and pacing were also a bit uneven for me, but I became much more invested once the focus shifted to the two main characters. Their connection was intriguing, and I found myself wanting even more of their story!

The ending, however, didn’t land as strongly as I’d hoped. It took a darker, anticlimactic turn, which felt somewhat flat, paired with a “Twilight-like” resolution. Still, it was a fun read overall, and I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys Chinese mythology and fated love.

Thank you Netgalley & Sagapress for the earc in exchange for a honest review.

Sai, a tea house inheritor, can see everyone red strings that lead them to their fated one. While helping others find their fated and selling tea, he also takes care of his sick mother. When he is brought dragon scales from a doctor, and sees them magically work, his is thrown into his own chase for his fated one.

Rating: 3.5 stars ⭐️

The “red string of fate” myth is one of my favorites so when I heard that this book was about that, I was super excited to read it.

I thought the plot and storyline was unique and interesting. I can’t say much without spoilers, but I did really like the plot and the twists.

I liked Sai as a character. It’s been a while since ive read a fantasy where the single pov was from a guy. I thought that was a nice touch.

My biggest issues with this are the pacing, emotions, and world building. These all kind of mesh into one issue together. This book moved so fast that the world building was left behind and the emotions of the characters fell flat and felt disingenuous. Not all fantasy books need these big worlds described, but this could have used a little bit.

I do recommend giving this book a try, especially if the red string of fate myth interests you.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.