A young man with a mystical gift is drawn into an adventure out of legend in the stunning, folklore-inspired romantic fantasy The Last Dragon of the East by Chinese Canadian author Katrina Kwan (Knives, Seasoning, and a Dash of Love).
Sai helps his ailing, widowed mother run the family teahouse, but his side hustle is using his ability to see the red strings of fate to help people find their fated soul mates. He has no idea how he came by his ability, nor why his own string is gray and frayed. Then a local doctor sells Sai two dragon scales as a remedy for his mother's illness, and Sai is caught up in the cruel emperor's scheme to capture the last dragon for his own uses. Sai has no hope for his search, but "the green dragon, queen of the bamboo forests and golden wheat fields," soon finds him. The dragon can transform into a beautiful woman, and she holds the other end of Sai's frayed thread. She is his fated mate, but to Sai's distress, she wants nothing to do with him.
Kwan's fantasy world takes inspiration from Chinese mythology. This romantic fairy tale weaves together multiple folktales and is populated by heroes and monsters from legend. At its core lies a tragic story of loss, betrayal, and grief. Fantasy readers who like their novels to contain a strong romantic component will find themselves spirited away by this epic, poetic quest for love and healing. --Jaclyn Fulwood, blogger at Infinite Reads