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Book Review: The Last Dragon of the East, by Katrina Kwan

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I believe I probably won a copy of Katrina Kwan‘s The Last Dragon of the East.

The Last Dragon of the East cover

At the spry young age of twenty-five, Sai has led a quiet life, keeping the family teahouse up and running—even if that means ignoring the past-due notices—and taking care of his ailing mother. But he has a not-so-secret gift that he’s parlayed into a side career: he was born with the ability to see the red threads of fate between soulmates, which lends itself nicely to matchmaking. Sai has thus far been content not to follow his own thread, the only one he’s ever seen that’s gray and fraying.

But Sai’s ordinary existence is about to be turned upside-down by a pair of shining dragon scales. When his mother’s doctor sells them to him, claiming them as a miracle cure, Sai is pretty sure he’s being scammed. When the medicine actually works—and the terrifying, ruthless emperor catches wind—Sai is thrust into the search for a dragon long thought extinct that will lead him into the throes of a brewing war and deep into foreign lands, facing down challenges both magical and mortal on an unexpected adventure. And for the very first time, as his own thread of fate begins to move, he may be able to solve the mystery of his Fated One on the other end of the line.

I didn’t love this. I wanted to. I mean, look at that cover! And I liked aspects of it. But that is the most I can muster to give it. I liked that it does flip some of the tropes. It’s her who survives through the ages while he is reborn. It’s her who is the supernaturally strong one. He’s the sunshine, and she’s the grump. I appreciate these things.

Unfortunately, I was bored with a lot of the book, and the writing is stilted in some places. Also, Kwan back-peddles some of their flipped scrips before the end. This left me with the impression that rather than being truly and thoughtfully transgressive, the author was instead just setting up an unsettled dynamic so that she could eventually set things right. This negated most of the meaningful impact for me. All in all, my most eloquent comment on The Last Dragon of the East is “Meh.”
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Other Reviews:

Book Review | The Last Dragon of the East

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Book Review: Daughter of the Moon Goddess, by Sue Lynn Tan

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I accepted a copy of Sue Lynn Tan‘s Daughter of the Moon Goddess for review, through Turn the Page Tours. Find further author information and the schedule for the rest of the tour here.
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Growing up on the moon, Xingyin is accustomed to solitude, unaware that she is being hidden from the feared Celestial Emperor who exiled her mother for stealing his elixir of immortality. But when Xingyin’s magic flares and her existence is discovered, she is forced to flee her home, leaving her mother behind.

Alone, powerless, and afraid, she makes her way to the Celestial Kingdom, a land of wonder and secrets. Disguising her identity, she seizes an opportunity to learn alongside the emperor’s son, mastering archery and magic, even as passion flames between her and the prince.

To save her mother, Xingyin embarks on a perilous quest, confronting legendary creatures and vicious enemies across the earth and skies. But when treachery looms and forbidden magic threatens the kingdom, she must challenge the ruthless Celestial Emperor for her dream—striking a dangerous bargain in which she is torn between losing all she loves or plunging the realm into chaos.

my review First off, look at that cover! I chose to read this book 100% based on the beautiful cover. I’m just sayin’ it’s gorgeous.

I enjoyed the story a lot too. I liked the mythos, the characters, and the emotional turmoil as people tried to do the right thing in difficult situations. I thought the writing lyrical and the descriptions arresting.

I did think Xingyin suffered a little bit from ‘special girl’ syndrome. She was strong, loyal, honorable, and willing to fight for herself and her own betterment. I liked her a lot. But so did almost every powerful male of comparable age. At least that’s what it felt like. With almost no resources she managed to get herself into circles of power and then, once there, attract the most powerful men. I also thought the book longer than need be.

But, all in all, I’d call this one a winner. I look forward to getting to read more of the series.

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Other Reviews:

Review: Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan

Book Review | Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan

 

 

 

Book Review of Hundred Ghost Soup (Bureau for Eternal Prosperity #1), by Robert Chansky

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100 Ghost SoupI received a copy of Hundred Ghost Soup, by Robert Chansky, from Netgalley.

Description from Goodreads:
A Beijing orphan is nearly eighteen. He wants a family and a name, if only for a while. He hacks adoption papers to get them. 

He also gets: a long train ride into an empty station in a ghost town. Ghosts. Their leaders, calling themselves Mr. and Mrs. Vulpin, are his new parents. They are illusion-casting fox spirits, glamorous, clever, and trapped. They need him to free themselves of the ghosts. 

Our hero works for them and accepts their flaws so long as they pretend to be a family. But then he discovers their wonderful meals are illusory. Are the Vulpins up to no good? And the People’s Republic of China will never allow spirits to possess a town. To save them all, he must travel back to Beijing, rifle the Politburo’s files, and find a Minister’s secrets. When he kindles the wrath of the People’s Liberation Army and the Minister of Fate himself, he must penetrate layers of illusions, decide whom he can trust, and learn to cook. 

And then there is the matter of the soup’s main ingredient: him.

Review:
It took me forever to read this book. For.Ev.Er. Forever! Because for as prettily as it’s written, it’s sloooooow. And the characters seem to know things without the reader seeing how they learned it. And no one seems to have any kind of emotional reaction to anything. Oh, you plan to EAT ME? Ok. As a reader, I was just kind of like, “Um, no, not ok.”

The writing is pretty. I liked the characters, and by the time I finally dragged myself to the end, I found I’d liked it. But it was a slog to get there. The book felt a lot longer than 278 pages.