Sai is a matchmaker: one of the few who can see the red strings of fate. When he purchases dragon scales to heal his sick mother he never would have guessed that they would lead him to his own match—the dragon! As they are fhased by hunters, feral magical creatures, and the emperor with all his armies, they grow closer. But Sai can’t help feeling like he had met her before. If he can convince her to give him a fhance he might discover much more about himself than he ever would have imagined!

I am a sucker for the legend of the Red Strings of Fate—an invisible thread that connects you to your soulmate and cannot be broken. There’s just somwthing inherently romantic about the surety that there’s someone out there for everyone.

This book takes the normal fantasy tropes and turns them on their head! The protagonist is a man in his mid twenties. He is chasing the girl who wants nothing to do with him, despite them being bonded together by the red string. He is the happy, social, bright-side person and she is the introverted grump.

I suspected the reincarnation twist early on but it was done so well that I didn’t mind seeing it coming. We got to experience Sai remembering his past lives and betrayals along with him. The gradual build up of the romantic plot was satisfying when Jyn finally admitted she was scared to lose Sai again.

This book is a wonderful introduction to someone who is interested in Asian fantasy and mythology. A lot of other series jump right into the culture and mythos, which a lot of Westerners might not be familair with. Not only does it include the creatures and magic but a great explanation of the cultural norms and how important family is.

I will give points to this book for being the extremely rare male POV fantasy, but I was vastly underwhelmed by this story.

The plot has far too many conviences. From how easily Sai meets the huntress and his Fated One to the meeting with the Moonstar Isles people, it really sucked the tension from the plot. Instead of being a curious, "what will happen next?" reading the story became "sure, how easy for them." It felt like the author was simply taking the simplest road possible to get to scenes she wanted to write instead of creatively weaving a story.

The setting was simply a paper cut-out of a fantasy imperial China. It was bland. I need more than giving characters Chinese names and mentioning well-known cultural dishes like congee and steamed buns. Really beefing up the setting and incorporating more Chinese elements with the author's own ideas for a fantasy world would have breathed so much more life into the story. Probably would have made it a more exciting read too.

The characters themselves are fine. Nothing special. There aren't any real character arcs. Sai doesn't grow or even change fundamentally personality wise. The rest of the cast are only sketched. Not fully inked. The villian had the potential to be realistically evil, but again he wasn't developed enough.

I will say that there are several descriptive sentences in the book that I stuck with me after reading the page. The snippets of the three dragons tale were another aspect that I enjoyed. I don't think Kwan is a total hack as a writer.

Ultimately, this will be a book that fades from my memory.

Every part of this book is perfect. Sai just wanting to run his little teahouse but accidentally ending up in the middle of a war, searching for a dragon that may or may not exist, and dealing with court intrigue. Sai's character being a lot of "what am I doing? I want to make tea!" is great. I also love his care for his mom. This book was beautifully written, and I need to get a physical copy for my shelf.

Thank you Netgalley and Saga Press for the ARC!

A gorgeous cover, a story sprung from myths, and involving dragons...I was destined, no, fated to read this book. My bias for tales of dragons and myths notwithstanding, this was an enjoyable tale combining romance and adventure. The characters of Sai and Jyn are an enchanting pair. The progression of their interactions, their history, and their love story really pulled me into the book. The story of the emperor counterbalanced the romantic tale nicely, providing a villain and a plot that added suspense to this dragon tale. The story inspired a wide range of emotion, from sorrow to joy, tension to serenity, and an ending that left me wanting more. This book is a first-rate choice for readers who enjoy romantic myth-inspired tales.
I received access to this eARC thru NetGalley (for which I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher, S&S/Saga Press) for an honest review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

Thank you Saga Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

An adventurous tale of a man who possessed the ability to see the red strings of fate which tie two fated souls together. Sai is struggling to keep his father’s old tea shop afloat amidst a war while taking care of his ailing mother. When Sai’s hope of getting his mother the medicine she needs dashed, he is sent on a mission by the Emperor himself to track down the last dragon of the east.

The first quarter of this book was very much an adventure with the main character leaving his home for the first time and meeting different characters along the way. I really enjoyed this portion and blew through it relatively quickly. Then there is a sudden mood shift from what felt like a high fantasy to romantasy that I really didn’t see coming. The shift was a little jarring and the main character changed pretty dramatically all of a sudden so I had a difficult time continuing with the book. However, once I realized where the story was going I did genuinely enjoy it as a whole.

By the end of the book I was so deeply attached to the characters and their story that I understood the character and tone shift. While I wasn’t expecting this to be a romantasy, it was a pleasant surprise. I will admit I’m not usually a fan of romantasy, however, when the couple is well thought out and woven into a well built story like The Last Dragon of the East, I will make exceptions. The book was well written, if lacking a little world building. I loved the breaks the book took to have characters tell an ancient tale that ties in with the overarching story. That’s probably my favorite fantasy trope! I will be recommending this book to readers who are looking for a good, short, romantic fantasy standalone.

3.25 stars - Sai, is the quiet and dutiful son of a teahouse owner who is blessed with the ability to see the red strings that tie Fated Ones together. Though his own string is grey and frayed, Sai has been able to use his gift to help others which in turn has provided him enough coins to purchase a forbidden cure for his mother's illness. But when both his secret and the smuggled medicine come to the attention of the kingdom's emperor, Sai finds himself forced into service for his ruler and tasked with catching a beast of myth - a dragon.

Fated love can be such a heartwrenching and beautiful approach to a romance tale, and Kwan does a lovely job with this one. Although I would have liked the book to be a bit longer to allow for more of a build, I do think the story still felt complete in the end. Sai is an interesting character and the perfect point of view for this story, and I loved the bits of myth that were woven throughout. Overall, The Last Dragon of the East is a fast-paced tale of love and loss with some wonderful world-building.

Thank you to Saga Press and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

If you were to judge this book by its cover you’d probably think “aawww a beautiful and low-key love story set in a fantastical world.” And you’d be way wrong. It’s beautiful for sure but it’s a deeply moving story about soul mates, reincarnation, and love turned to greed.

Sai can see red strings of fate. He subsidizes his parents’ teahouse by leading lovers to each other. And then he’s caught with the magical cure all the local doctor gave him for his mother’s illness - a dragon scale. This leads him on a journey. Sai starts out on a journey to save his mother but instead meets his Fated One.

After the initial chapters, my interest waned as I wondered if this was going to be a light-hearted story as the cover suggests, or a darker one. It is both. Thankfully, once I settled on the mood being both, I let myself enjoy it. I loved getting to know Sai and Jyn and being able to be privy to their unique love story..

Some elements (happily!) reminded me of Avatar: The Last Airbender: myths, an underground library, a tyrannical ruler, fated love, and dragons!

Content Warnings: detailed violence, adult scenes (not explicit though), language

I really enjoyed reading this book!

I think the story is compelling and elements of Chinese mythology are some of the best I've read. The book kept me engaged from beginning to end. I'll also say it is a pretty fast-paced story!

The characters are interesting but more on the surface. I can only say that I would love more development of their characters to provide the depth I'd love to be able to connect to them more. Sai and Jyn are entertaining and have a great banter. I think they're a great match and they kept me engaged in the book the whole time.

There is a lot of action in this book, especially with blood and guts, but all of it serves the purpose for building and building toward the end.

Definitely check this book out!

Thanks to Saga Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

when i first read the description for this book i was so excited to read it and even more so when i was approved for the arc of this. the main character being able to see red strings of fate and the basis of soulmates/fated ones has always been such a niche favorite trope of mine i was thrilled to see it being implemented in a fantasy book. unfortunately it turned out that this trope was more secondary to the story but i was more than happy to still give this book a shot. while a lot of things in this book worked for me; the world building, the lore, the prose and writing style and the romance between ages there we’re also just as many things that didnt. like the main character being a bit too one dimensional and the some times meandering pace of the first 40% of this book. i think this book would have benefited from having Jyns Pov in addition to Sai’s and maybe some edits to the first half of the book but overall i was still able to have an enjoyable time reading it 3.5⭐️

4+ stars

Ummm wow! This book took me completely by surprise. But each page, it builds and builds and gets better and better, until at the end I was a mess of emotions and in love. The vibes are a bit "The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea," but make it adult.

It starts with a bit of fairy tale-style story telling. We jump right into the action with the plot moving into the meat of things quickly. Sai seems in over his head and very well-intentioned. And we meet Jyn pretty early. To buy into this book, you have to buy into fated mates/soulmates. Because the history between these 2 souls finding their way back to each other does a lot of the work, but it's just so beautiful.

Sai and Jyn are fighting for their lives throughout most of the book, so that gives things a lot of tension and suspense. The last 40% had me in a chokehold as the danger built and our MCs fought for each other. I was seriously a mess at the end. I loved it though. There is quite a bit of bloody action too (and a few gross pages with a cannibal, so beware). We also get some very sweet intimate scenes.

Overall, definitely recommend this one. The gorgeous cover matches the inside!

Many thanks to NetGalley and SagaPress for the preview. All opinions are my own.

As someone that knows almost nothing about Chinese myths, I found The Last Dragon of the East to be captivating and endearing.

I wouldn’t say there was a ton of character development involved in the story, but there was enough depth and personality given to each person that they at least felt unique; I loved the relationship between Sai and Jyn, and I especially adored the way Sai’s sense of humor drove Jyn insane.

It should be mentioned, though, that book was a little darker than expected; parts were definitely gruesome and gory, especially in comparison to how light and humorous the rest of the book was. This wasn’t a bad thing, just unexpected.

Also, the cover to this is absolutely gorgeous. I love the artwork and the colors.

Thank you NetGalley and Saga Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really fun fantasy debut! I loved the relationship between Jyn and Sai and was very pleased with the ending. Jyn's character could have been a bit more developed, but overall, both Sai and Jyn were compelling characters, and I really enjoyed the plot. The book was extremely fast-paced and kept me entertained throughout the entire story. I also loved the theme of reincarnation and the folk tale/mythology aspect of the story! Overall, I can't wait to read what Katrina Kwan writes next, and I thought this was a pretty solid fantasy/romantasy debut!

Absolutely stunning. A story about dragons, red threads of fate, AND written by a woman of color in a climate dominated primarily by white voices? Check, check, and check!

This book is equal parts romance and adventure, with just a tinge of the horrific to keep the reader on their toes. I am genuinely in awe of this sweeping tale. It's been a very long time since I read from a male's POV, especially where romantic fantasy is concerned. I love how lighthearted Sai was and the fact that he was just an Average Joe thrown into this overwhelming situation. I'd probably react exactly the way he did.

There were moments when I laughed, and plenty of times when I cried. Kwan masterfully weaves together two narratives together into one heart wrenching story about love throughout lifetimes. I don't personally believe in soulmates, but if anyone can convince me otherwise, it's this author.

I want to read more books like this. There was a scene where the characters were intimate, but it wasn't as abhorrent and in your face as some other romantic fantasy authors. I hate the trend that books have taken toward including spice everywhere, and I'm grateful that The Last Dragon of the East focussed more on the emotional connection. It was actually very poetic!

Katrina Kwan is my new instant-buy author!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

The concept for this story--that there is a red cord connecting Fated Mates together, whether they are totally human or magical dragons--is a good one, but the execution leaves something to be desired. Sai runs a modest teashop and takes care of his widowed mother who is in poor health. He supplements his income by matchmaking, which he can do because he is able to see the red cord that ties Fated Mates together. He has not attempted to find his own Fated Mate because his own cord is gray and frayed and he is not sure why but is afraid to find out.
The story opens when Sai buys an illegal dragon scale from a healer in an attempt to help his mother regain her health, but both he and the healer fall into the hands of the Emperor Rong's soldiers because of the sale. There's plenty of violence and action that follows, and Sai does find his Fated Mate, Jyn, and discovers why their cord is so frayed. But there is a cartoon-like quality to much of the action--characters gravely, almost fatally injured on one page, have totally recovered by the next with no repercussions at all. Most of the characters are pretty one-dimensional, and I found Sai to be rather annoying in his approach to almost everything. This is not a bad book, but it could have been much, much better.

This was fine. Love Asian threads of fate stories. However, the author has a habit of digging into reviews and putting those on blast for promotional purposes. So I'll just leave it at that for my review.

Ok well now I need this cdrama! This was right up my alley and I could see it so clearly.

Sai runs his family's teahouse but has a side business as a matchmaker. He's able to see the red thread connecting soulmates, so for a fee he'll help the villagers find theirs. He needs the money from his side business to pay for some valuable medication that could heal his mother. And then he's caught by the emperor who commands him to track down a dragon in the next country over. On his quest, Sai also meets a new friend who wants to kill the dragon to scavenge for parts. So Sai must decide if he'll help the hunter kill the dragon, give the dragon to the emperor, or do a ~secret third thing~. Oh, and as he continues his quest, he finds that his own Fated One thread, once frayed and gray, is slowly beginning to move and turn red again.

I was excited to find about 25% of the way through that this book was going in the direction I made a crazy guess.

This is a great book for anyone who enjoys cdrama romances with a human, spirits, and reincarnation. I loved watching Sai fall in love and flirt his way into his soulmate's hardened heart. This was nice! I had a good evening reading this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Saga Press for this e-ARC.

this was such a great standalone fantasy. i feel like it’s been so long since i’ve read a good standalone in the genre, so this was perfect for that. i really enjoyed the premise and characters. kwan is a talented writer, the flow of her words was gorgeous. i had a few issues with the pacing of the book, but nothing too major. i would definitely recommend this to someone who is looking for an adult standalone fantasy, a good dragon book, or someone interested in stories about soulmates.

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.

Sai is an amazing 25 year old that has a special gift of being able to see people’s threads that link one another to their fated one. When his mom falls ill he finds the only cure is rare dragon scales so he sets out on a quest to find the elusive last dragon of the east. After tracking down the dragon he’s shocked to find his own weathered thread is tethered to the dragon. Spanning through lands and centuries this book takes you on an amazing journey of discovery and love Wonderful addition to the fantasy realm. 4.25 ⭐️

From the cover to the ending everything about this book is achingly beautiful. I love fantasy stories like this one where I can immerse myself and feel like I am right there with tithe characters. I loved Sai from the beginning with his gentle nature and hiis caring for his mother made me fall in love with him and toot for him along the way. I also really loved the authors take on the “red string of fate” myth. I’ve read a few books giving there spin on this myth but I particularly like this one the most. 100% recommend this book. I would have given it 6 stars if it was an option. The only negative is that I was sad when the boom was over I wished it could have been longer or even made into a duology.
Thank you #NetGalley and #sagapress for an early arc on this book