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.

Well, this was a bait & switch! The first quarter was great: the plot starts with a bang and the introduced characters had a lot of potential.

Sai is a humble matchmaker and tea house owner, but when he gets arrested for illegal possession of dragon scales that were supposed to cure his sick mother, he's given an ultimatum by the emperor: find and bring him the dragon the scales originated from, or get executed (and likely his mother too).

When Sai reaches, after facing death and danger, the southern kingdom, he meets a huntress who also seeks this dragon to kill it for glory and revenge. But when he finally meets the dragon, oh no, she's his fated mate!

This had so much potential for angst, adventure, even a love triangle.

Sadly, the book goes downhill from there.

The whole middle is Sai and his dragon lady stumbling around into random trouble, then finding random solutions of said trouble, and that's interspersed with some romantic bonding scenes. The plot feels aimless and the solutions to the problems random and a bit deus-ex-machina.

The dragon lady stubbornly withholds information from Sai which was supposed to create tension, but because the reader can easily guess what these "secrets" are, it's just frustrating waiting for the "big reveal" to drop. There are 2 other secrets (what happened with the 3rd dragon and why is Sai's thread gray), but neither of them are such plot twist to warrant so much stalling.

So after random laundry list of adventures we reach around 80% mark where something needs to happen and it feels rushed and predictable all the way. The secondary character of the huntress gets next to no character development staying a mostly one-note addition to the story (what a disappointment) and how her sub-plot is resolved is extremely anti-climactic and nearly an afterthought.

The ending goes way too much into cartoon villain vs shonen anime hero trope which tbh doesn't feel like doing justice to the story. It's shallow.

There's a HEA ending for the romance readers out there wanting to know. Spice is open door mild / non-explicit language used.

Anyway I feel like the first 25% was a 5-star read, the rest was like 3.5, but I'm docking points for treatment of Feng because this character was such a wasted potential. Half the novel is just the main duo wandering around and there's lack of development of side characters. The villain was very over the top one note too.

Also I picked the book because I wanted to see ordinary human mmc x ancient powerful fmc (she's a 7000 year old dragon with great strength and powers) and guess what, the further we go into the book, the more the characters fall into ye olde overdone standard gender roles. I can only dream that someone someday will do this trope right.

Anyway, this book desperately needed a developmental editor past act 1.

Thank you NetGalley, Saga Press / Simon & Schuster for the ARC.

I was pleasantly surprised by the beginning of this book. I was quickly drawn in and invested in the main character, Sai. As the story evolved and the Chinese myths began to emerge I was thoroughly enjoying the story, however at some point the book fizzled out for me.

The book did well establishing the characters and Chinese mythology. I had a hard time enjoying the book when the “Fated One” entered the story. I would have enjoyed the story more without the romance element.

Overall this is a decent read and had a young adult fantasy genre feel. I definitely see the young adult fantasy fans raving about this one.

Thank you to NetGalley, Saga Press and the author for the opportunity to read an early edition.

✨ If you love fantasy inspired by Chinese mythology, this is a must-read. The story follows Sai, a young man with the ability to see the red threads of fate that connect soulmates. When his mother falls ill, Sai embarks on a perilous quest to find the last dragon, whose scales might hold the cure. This book is an epic adventure with stunning world-building and complex characters. The themes of fate, love, and sacrifice are woven throughout the story. The pacing is fast, with plenty of action and emotional depth. The mythology and folklore elements really shine, making this feel like a modern fairy tale.
While the romance is a key part of the story, it's the kind that spans lifetimes, adding to the book's sense of scope.
Overall, "The Last Dragon of the East" is a captivating read that blends fantasy and romance. If you enjoy stories about dragons, reincarnation, and the power of true love, you'll love this. I do believe it ultimately tried to reach too far, though


Many thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with an ARC and allowing me to provide my honest review

This was really fun! I had some issues with it but overall I enjoyed reading it a lot and I’d read more from this author!

My biggest issue is just that it felt somewhat clumsy. The writing style felt juvenile enough that I thought I was reading YA, and then I got hit with a sudden sex scene. It didn’t feel consistent at all, at points it felt super young and had that overly cheerful middle grade energy, and then at points there was extreme gore that didn’t fit with the rest of the vibes. The characters were very caricatured, with sudden extreme swings in mood or belief that didn’t make a lot of sense. It felt like a debut from an author who doesn’t have a strong idea of what genre they want to write.

That being said tho, I really enjoyed reading it! I loved Sai as a main character, and I haven’t read anything remotely similar to this. It had a super unique plot that had me shocked at multiple points. I think Katrina Kwan will definitely be an author to watch out for!