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bionerdatgc's review
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Suicide attempt, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gore, Sexual assault, Vomit, Grief, Medical trauma, and Fire/Fire injury
littleskylights's review
adventurous
dark
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
4.0
A very enjoyable read!
I wouldn't say that it necessarily blew my mind in any way, but it was a fun story, and I enjoyed the characters and the plot. It was pretty obvious from the beginning what the twist was, but it was still interesting to watch it unfold.
I wouldn't say that it necessarily blew my mind in any way, but it was a fun story, and I enjoyed the characters and the plot. It was pretty obvious from the beginning what the twist was, but it was still interesting to watch it unfold.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Cannibalism
Minor: Self harm and Suicidal thoughts
tejah's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Death of parent
sisforsony's review
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Torture, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and War
aprilyang1's review
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I wanted to love this book—so much. I went into it with high hopes, but honestly, it didn’t work for me the way I wanted it to. The overall vibe was my biggest struggle. Fantasy can be heavy and intense, or it can be cozy and lighthearted—and both are great! But The Last Dragon of the East tried to do both at the same time, and it didn’t quite work. One minute there’s sarcasm and light banter, and then—BOOM—someone’s head gets chopped off and blood is flying everywhere. The characters also felt all over the place. One was supposed to be this supreme, all-powerful evil, and for a minute, it seemed like that was true… until he felt like just a regular dude. Another character was described as completely useless in combat, but somehow kept diving headfirst into fights and surviving against trained warriors. I just didn’t understand what the book wanted me to believe about them. And then there’s the language. I know this is a personal gripe, but when a story feels ancient or set in another era, I really don’t love it when the characters use modern curse words. It takes me right out of the world.
That being said, there were things I loved. Sai’s ability to see the strings of fate was such a cool concept, and I loved how it tied into his journey. The dragon legends and how they connected to the story were beautiful and emotional. I think what it comes down to is that I wanted something more consistent. There were areas that were strong, but the uneven tone, characters, and worldbuilding made it hard for me to stay engaged. I wish I could say I loved it, but this one just wasn’t for me.
Thank you NetGalley and publisher for providing me with an e-arc & and physical copy! All opinions shared are mine and mine alone.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
justinekorson's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
I genuinely really enjoyed this novel. The romance between them was very sweet and although I knew who the two of them were right off the bat (the subtly of their backstories wasn't very subtle) I still had fun reading about it. I have to admit though that I think I confused this story with a different one because I thought this story would be queer. Jyn and Sai were so cute though and it was queer (their son's partner was a man and there were other queer characters) just not between the main characters like I assumed. I kind of hope there's a sequel because I'd love a story about their son being reincarnated but... I don't think I'd like to see R'ong again (his partner). If it's done well though I think I could be into it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Cannibalism, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and War
m_a_j's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: War
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
boba_nbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Spice Rating: 🌶️.5 / 5
This novel is a love letter to the fated mates trope, and I ate it up.
Sai has only ever known a quiet life taking after his deceased father's teahouse. However, he does have a supernatural power: he can see the red threads of fate that connect soulmates. Every day he sees healthy red threads or even black ones for those whose soulmates have passed on. But his own thread is a strange grey color that he has never seen on anyone else before. Sai is determined to use his power to bring his mother money to cure her illness, but when he tries the miracle cure of a dragon scale, the emperor catches wind and blackmails Sai into finding the last dragon of the east for him. From there, Sai is thrust into a years-long war, foreign lands, and possibly the end to the search for his Fated One.
The Last Dragon of the East is a beautiful story that pays homage to Chinese mythology and shows the lengths people will go to in order to find their soulmates.
Sai is unlike any hero you've met before. He doesn't know how to fight, he's sarcastic, and he's great at making tea. I love his refreshing character and the fun way he banters with other characters. Throughout the novel, Sai's reality is challenged time and time again as he realizes there is so much more to this world, and his life, than he thought.
I can't say much more without spoiling the story, but trust me when I say readers who love a good love story and fated mates who find each other through time will absolutely love The Last Dragon of the East.
This novel is a love letter to the fated mates trope, and I ate it up.
Sai has only ever known a quiet life taking after his deceased father's teahouse. However, he does have a supernatural power: he can see the red threads of fate that connect soulmates. Every day he sees healthy red threads or even black ones for those whose soulmates have passed on. But his own thread is a strange grey color that he has never seen on anyone else before. Sai is determined to use his power to bring his mother money to cure her illness, but when he tries the miracle cure of a dragon scale, the emperor catches wind and blackmails Sai into finding the last dragon of the east for him. From there, Sai is thrust into a years-long war, foreign lands, and possibly the end to the search for his Fated One.
The Last Dragon of the East is a beautiful story that pays homage to Chinese mythology and shows the lengths people will go to in order to find their soulmates.
Sai is unlike any hero you've met before. He doesn't know how to fight, he's sarcastic, and he's great at making tea. I love his refreshing character and the fun way he banters with other characters. Throughout the novel, Sai's reality is challenged time and time again as he realizes there is so much more to this world, and his life, than he thought.
I can't say much more without spoiling the story, but trust me when I say readers who love a good love story and fated mates who find each other through time will absolutely love The Last Dragon of the East.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Child death, Sexual content, and War
Minor: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
fictionandfarming's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
3.5 stars rounding up to 4.
The Last Dragon of the East is a fast-paced and dramatic fantasy romance debut from Canadian author Katrina Kwan. Told from the POV of Sai, a young man struggling to keep his family’s teashop afloat while also caring for his ill mother, the story kicks off quickly and sends Sai on an epic adventure inspired by Chinese legends and myths.
Our introduction to Sai and his regular life is quick and well-executed, displaying his ability to see the red threads of fate and the way the people around him react to his gift before taking us back to the teashop where we meet Sai’s mother. While his mother doesn’t get a lot of page time, the moments we do get are very sweet.
The pacing after Sai finds himself in trouble and sent to find the dragon felt disjointed until we reach the point where he meets Jyn. Once the pair are forced together the pacing begins to feel much more natural and everything begins to really come together.
As far as characters go, Jyn was the highlight for me, the poor woman has really been through it, not to mention the way Sai kept needing to be saved. I would have loved to see more of Feng, but she certainly leaves an impression regardless. I can’t help but feel that Sai is such a big dork (meant affectionately), the man has no sense of self-preservation, but he certainly means well and has such an optimistic attitude to everything.
While I enjoyed the way Kwan told the story, the violence was comically over-the-top and detracted from the story. The sheer amount of violence was heavy-handed and stretched my ability to suspend disbelief, and there was a feeling of dissonance between the romantic/myth storyline and the violence.
Overall, a solid debut from a promising author that will definitely appeal to lovers of soulmates and love stories that feel like the stuff of legend.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada/Saga Press for making the DRC available to me. All opinions are my own.
The Last Dragon of the East is a fast-paced and dramatic fantasy romance debut from Canadian author Katrina Kwan. Told from the POV of Sai, a young man struggling to keep his family’s teashop afloat while also caring for his ill mother, the story kicks off quickly and sends Sai on an epic adventure inspired by Chinese legends and myths.
Our introduction to Sai and his regular life is quick and well-executed, displaying his ability to see the red threads of fate and the way the people around him react to his gift before taking us back to the teashop where we meet Sai’s mother. While his mother doesn’t get a lot of page time, the moments we do get are very sweet.
The pacing after Sai finds himself in trouble and sent to find the dragon felt disjointed until we reach the point where he meets Jyn. Once the pair are forced together the pacing begins to feel much more natural and everything begins to really come together.
As far as characters go, Jyn was the highlight for me, the poor woman has really been through it, not to mention the way Sai kept needing to be saved. I would have loved to see more of Feng, but she certainly leaves an impression regardless. I can’t help but feel that Sai is such a big dork (meant affectionately), the man has no sense of self-preservation, but he certainly means well and has such an optimistic attitude to everything.
While I enjoyed the way Kwan told the story, the violence was comically over-the-top and detracted from the story. The sheer amount of violence was heavy-handed and stretched my ability to suspend disbelief, and there was a feeling of dissonance between the romantic/myth storyline and the violence.
Overall, a solid debut from a promising author that will definitely appeal to lovers of soulmates and love stories that feel like the stuff of legend.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada/Saga Press for making the DRC available to me. All opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Torture, Violence, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cannibalism
Minor: Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
zluvsreading's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
How the actual heck do I convey my love for this novel? There’s just no way, but I will try I suppose.
This was such a compelling emotional read. The world building was great and I loved the characters that had so much personality.
Sai, my silly little man. He was everything and more to me. I admired his strength and how he handled everything that happened in the last few chapters of the book. He was so down bad for his Fated One, it was amazing to read about. Just overall such a funny character who I will cherish forever and want to protect forever. Sai fan page over here!!
Jyn!! Oh my heart bleeds for Jyn. She’s just such a badass and the fact that she had to deal with what she had to deal with for so long is just like wow. She’s stronger than I ever could be in every way imaginable. I love protective badass FMCs and she was the embodiment of that. It was so funny seeing her interact with Sai when they first met.
Okay, so I just started crying again thinking about the ending like!!!!!! I just think that this is such a great read and everyone should read it. A beautiful fantasy first and foremost but with a love story at the heart of it. The romance was so good, I was giggling and blushing and crying and just like so interested in everything that I was reading.
There’s lots of violence, gore, blood, and just overall death in this but it was written in a way that you can feel it so heavily. I could smell and taste and see and hear everything. All my senses were attuned to this book!!!! Truly no words for how much I love it. Possibly my new favorite romantasy of all time. I love Sai and Jyn and A-Ma. I wish nothing but the best for them.
I love that some characters got what they deserved but oh my god, the swift deaths in this made my heart drop because I was not expecting them at all. My heart hurts. 11/10. I love pain, do it again!
Thank you to NetGalley and Saga Press for allowing me to read an eARC and Saga Press for providing me with a physical ARC as well.
Thank you to NetGalley and Saga Press for allowing me to read an eARC and Saga Press for providing me with a physical ARC as well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, and War
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Self harm and Suicidal thoughts