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After the Dragons
Dragons were fire and terror to the Western world, but in the East they brought life-giving rain…
Now, no longer hailed as gods and struggling in the overheated pollution of Beijing, only the Eastern dragons survive. As drought plagues the aquatic creatures, a mysterious disease—shaolong, or “burnt lung”—afflicts the city’s human inhabitants.
Jaded college student Xiang Kaifei scours Beijing streets for abandoned dragons, distracting himself from his diagnosis. Elijah Ahmed, a biracial American medical researcher, is drawn to Beijing by the memory of his grandmother and her death by shaolong. Interest in Beijing’s dragons leads Kai and Eli into an unlikely partnership. With the resources of Kai’s dragon rescue and Eli’s immunology research, can the pair find a cure for shaolong and safety for the dragons? Eli and Kai must confront old ghosts and hard truths if there is any hope for themselves or the dragons they love.
After the Dragons is a tender story, for readers interested in the effects of climate change on environments and people, but who don’t want a grim, hopeless read. Beautiful and challenging, focused on hope and care, this novel navigates the nuances of changing culture in a changing world.
Now, no longer hailed as gods and struggling in the overheated pollution of Beijing, only the Eastern dragons survive. As drought plagues the aquatic creatures, a mysterious disease—shaolong, or “burnt lung”—afflicts the city’s human inhabitants.
Jaded college student Xiang Kaifei scours Beijing streets for abandoned dragons, distracting himself from his diagnosis. Elijah Ahmed, a biracial American medical researcher, is drawn to Beijing by the memory of his grandmother and her death by shaolong. Interest in Beijing’s dragons leads Kai and Eli into an unlikely partnership. With the resources of Kai’s dragon rescue and Eli’s immunology research, can the pair find a cure for shaolong and safety for the dragons? Eli and Kai must confront old ghosts and hard truths if there is any hope for themselves or the dragons they love.
After the Dragons is a tender story, for readers interested in the effects of climate change on environments and people, but who don’t want a grim, hopeless read. Beautiful and challenging, focused on hope and care, this novel navigates the nuances of changing culture in a changing world.
160 pages, ebook
First published August 19, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 192 reviews
October 18, 2022
Real Rating: 4.5* of five, rounded up because I will hunt down the author's next work like The Terminator
Shortlisted for the inaugural Ursula K. LeGuin Prize for Fiction! Winners announced 21 October 2022.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: The entire world is burning up...including the people in it.
We are in an alt-Beijing in a future based on today. Climate change has gone into overdrive, and Beijing's famously poor air quality has never been worse...or warmer. There is a new lung disease, fatality rate as close to one hundred percent as to be indistinguishable, called "shaolong" or burning lung.
Oh...and dragons are real, and are very common in Beijing. Little dragons, not like the hulking fire drakes that medieval Europeans hunted to extinction. Small, delicate, beautiful...but not particularly valued. In fact they're used much as cocks are, for dragon fights. (While this isn't gone into in detail, it leads me to remind those sensitive to animal harm that this factor exists.)
Eli comes to Beijing from the USA. He is a mixed-race Black and Chinese diasporan child with a working grasp of Mandarin and a strong desire to make his mark in biomedicine. Kai is a dying victim of shaolong who meets handsome, healthy Eli when he comes into Kai's...well..."job" implies he gets paid which he does not...position at a dragon sales shop-cum-dragon fight ring. Their attraction is mutual but stuttering at its start: Eli can't help noticing Kai's illness and thus sets up the pity dynamic...unintentionally, of course, but inevitably...which makes Kai resist his reciprocal feelings for Eli.
Their dance of approach and stillness and retreat and stillness was beautifully handled, while never leading to a Conclusion. They are involved...in a coupling-type thing...and it's making them both happy...today. The way we're left at the end of the story, that is all we can expect to hear about these young men. I would like to say aloud that I would love to read more stories set in this world because its depth-of-field in this novella is amazing and has not come remotely close to exhausting the possibilities it contains. What does it mean to fall in love with someone who is dying? What kind of world can you, the healthy one, believe in once you've realized he will die before you? Not things I'd know about at all....
I did not expect to think the AIDS parallels were particularly well-done or even necessary. I was wrong. The story is very much enriched by the author's quiet acknowledgment that these men face a short future and a rough road to the end. Nothing is made of that, as in there are no set pieces built around it, but it pervades their oddly tender yet standoffish dynamic.
Anyone who can make the Bird's Nest from the 2008 Beijing Olympics into a ratty-tatty old hulk where wild dragons swarm is someone who needs to delve far more deeply into this world they have made. The details that bring it to life...the drought causing the poor to pay so much for water while there are still fountains in the wealthy part of town, for example...made my greedy little story bandit within coo and gurgle.
This is the second novella I've read from Stelliform Press (after The Impossible Resurrection of Grief, reviewed here), and they have both been excellent cli-fic books with stellar (!) production and design values. It is clear that this press has a very well-defined mission and is using the best kind of writing...tense, intense, high-stakes storytelling...to get your attention. You will enjoy the trip even while you're unhappy with the implied destination.
More, please. Soon, please.
Shortlisted for the inaugural Ursula K. LeGuin Prize for Fiction! Winners announced 21 October 2022.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: The entire world is burning up...including the people in it.
We are in an alt-Beijing in a future based on today. Climate change has gone into overdrive, and Beijing's famously poor air quality has never been worse...or warmer. There is a new lung disease, fatality rate as close to one hundred percent as to be indistinguishable, called "shaolong" or burning lung.
Oh...and dragons are real, and are very common in Beijing. Little dragons, not like the hulking fire drakes that medieval Europeans hunted to extinction. Small, delicate, beautiful...but not particularly valued. In fact they're used much as cocks are, for dragon fights. (While this isn't gone into in detail, it leads me to remind those sensitive to animal harm that this factor exists.)
Eli comes to Beijing from the USA. He is a mixed-race Black and Chinese diasporan child with a working grasp of Mandarin and a strong desire to make his mark in biomedicine. Kai is a dying victim of shaolong who meets handsome, healthy Eli when he comes into Kai's...well..."job" implies he gets paid which he does not...position at a dragon sales shop-cum-dragon fight ring. Their attraction is mutual but stuttering at its start: Eli can't help noticing Kai's illness and thus sets up the pity dynamic...unintentionally, of course, but inevitably...which makes Kai resist his reciprocal feelings for Eli.
Their dance of approach and stillness and retreat and stillness was beautifully handled, while never leading to a Conclusion. They are involved...in a coupling-type thing...and it's making them both happy...today. The way we're left at the end of the story, that is all we can expect to hear about these young men. I would like to say aloud that I would love to read more stories set in this world because its depth-of-field in this novella is amazing and has not come remotely close to exhausting the possibilities it contains. What does it mean to fall in love with someone who is dying? What kind of world can you, the healthy one, believe in once you've realized he will die before you? Not things I'd know about at all....
I did not expect to think the AIDS parallels were particularly well-done or even necessary. I was wrong. The story is very much enriched by the author's quiet acknowledgment that these men face a short future and a rough road to the end. Nothing is made of that, as in there are no set pieces built around it, but it pervades their oddly tender yet standoffish dynamic.
Anyone who can make the Bird's Nest from the 2008 Beijing Olympics into a ratty-tatty old hulk where wild dragons swarm is someone who needs to delve far more deeply into this world they have made. The details that bring it to life...the drought causing the poor to pay so much for water while there are still fountains in the wealthy part of town, for example...made my greedy little story bandit within coo and gurgle.
This is the second novella I've read from Stelliform Press (after The Impossible Resurrection of Grief, reviewed here), and they have both been excellent cli-fic books with stellar (!) production and design values. It is clear that this press has a very well-defined mission and is using the best kind of writing...tense, intense, high-stakes storytelling...to get your attention. You will enjoy the trip even while you're unhappy with the implied destination.
More, please. Soon, please.
May 31, 2021
This is a slim, beautiful jewel-box of a novel. It is vividly atmospheric and feels real as if tiny flocks of dragons might sit on telephone lines in modern-day Beijing. It explores falling in love in the wake of grief and the ways in which we try to exert control over our lives. It's quiet intimacy will break your heart and give you hope -- and also dragons. Perfect, beautifully drawn dragons. It's a lovely debut and I look forward to seeing what Cynthia Zhang does next.
Read
September 2, 2022Wistful, lovely queer romance set in a post climate change China plagued by drought, between an American student and a Chinese dropout with a terminal pollution-caused disease. And also a vocation of caring for stray dragons because bird-sized dragons are everywhere in this reality, a charming and beautifully developed concept. It's magical and sad and longing and hopeful against all the odds, hard-edged but soft centred. Delightful.
July 21, 2021
ARC provided by the publisher (Stelliform Press) in exchange for an honest review.
Now this was a breath of fresh air. Barely over novella length and set in near future Beijing plagued by pollution where water is strictly rationed, it’s at the same time deeply melancholic, sweet, and kind. I loved it. I requested this more or less on a whim after Christine recommended it to me and I have no regrets.
(Also, if you need any more convincing, there are dragons and it’s gay.)
Kai spends most of his time rescuing and caring for abandoned dragons. He has also recently been diagnosed with shaolong or “burnt lung,” a terminal somewhat tuberculosis-like illness suspected to have been brought on by pollution. Eli has come to Beijing from America for the sake of medical research, but also because of his Chinese grandma who died of shaolong some time ago.
It’s a fairly quiet, slice of life kind of story, mostly focused on the two main characters interacting, their partnership and romance, the conflict between their personalities. Kai is fiercely independent to the point of self-destructiveness – his reaction to his diagnosis was to cut himself off from his family and his friends because he couldn’t face their pity. Eli only wants to help. It can be intensely frustrating to read, but I didn’t mind much. It’s a fascinating character study.
The worldbuilding is different than I’m used to – I don’t read climate fiction, as I find it too depressing in most cases, but combined with a very calm plot like this, it worked well. (I wish this book was around last year when Climate was one of the r/fantasy Bingo squares!) Apart from climate issues and dealing with terminal illness, the book also briefly touches upon the racism Eli faces for being mixed race, both in China and at home. The heavy themes are balanced by overall kindness of the characters and people doing their best when faced with tough circumstances. I also liked the many, many types of (Eastern) dragons.
The ending is of the open, literary type, with not much getting resolved – rationally, I do understand that it’s very fitting for this type of story, but emotionally I wanted a little more. Still, it’s a book I would absolutely recommend.
Enjoyment: 4/5
Execution: 4.5/5
Recommended to: those who like climate SFF, slice of life, dragons, or character studies
Not recommended to: those who dislike open, mostly unresolved endings and realistically frustrating characters
More reviews on my blog, To Other Worlds.
Now this was a breath of fresh air. Barely over novella length and set in near future Beijing plagued by pollution where water is strictly rationed, it’s at the same time deeply melancholic, sweet, and kind. I loved it. I requested this more or less on a whim after Christine recommended it to me and I have no regrets.
(Also, if you need any more convincing, there are dragons and it’s gay.)
Kai spends most of his time rescuing and caring for abandoned dragons. He has also recently been diagnosed with shaolong or “burnt lung,” a terminal somewhat tuberculosis-like illness suspected to have been brought on by pollution. Eli has come to Beijing from America for the sake of medical research, but also because of his Chinese grandma who died of shaolong some time ago.
It’s a fairly quiet, slice of life kind of story, mostly focused on the two main characters interacting, their partnership and romance, the conflict between their personalities. Kai is fiercely independent to the point of self-destructiveness – his reaction to his diagnosis was to cut himself off from his family and his friends because he couldn’t face their pity. Eli only wants to help. It can be intensely frustrating to read, but I didn’t mind much. It’s a fascinating character study.
The worldbuilding is different than I’m used to – I don’t read climate fiction, as I find it too depressing in most cases, but combined with a very calm plot like this, it worked well. (I wish this book was around last year when Climate was one of the r/fantasy Bingo squares!) Apart from climate issues and dealing with terminal illness, the book also briefly touches upon the racism Eli faces for being mixed race, both in China and at home. The heavy themes are balanced by overall kindness of the characters and people doing their best when faced with tough circumstances. I also liked the many, many types of (Eastern) dragons.
The ending is of the open, literary type, with not much getting resolved – rationally, I do understand that it’s very fitting for this type of story, but emotionally I wanted a little more. Still, it’s a book I would absolutely recommend.
Enjoyment: 4/5
Execution: 4.5/5
Recommended to: those who like climate SFF, slice of life, dragons, or character studies
Not recommended to: those who dislike open, mostly unresolved endings and realistically frustrating characters
More reviews on my blog, To Other Worlds.
August 19, 2021
More reviews on my website, Black Forest Basilisks.
After the Dragons is quiet, thoughtful, and, above all, kind. It’s not easy to do right by one another, especially when we’re put in hard places without clear answers. Death, and how we face it, matters.
Zhang transports us to a near-future world where tiny dragons flit across the skies in a hazy, polluted Beijing. Climate change has caused air quality to plummet… and related health problems to spike. Kai, a young man who rescues abandoned dragons from the streets, is terminally ill with Shaolong—a disease caused by extended exposure to poor air quality. He’s withdrawn into himself, distanced from his family, and has given his all to his rescue efforts while waiting to die.
His plans to fade away are interrupted when Eli, a young researcher from the United States in Beijing for a summer program, enters his life. The two orbit each other, warily at first, but growing slowly but surely closer to one another. While they both may be imperfect, they’re also two people who are fundamentally kind. They find themselves paralyzed when put into positions where they may cause hurt or pain to others, and they struggle to open up emotionally given the high risks involved.
This is truly a slice of life novel in that it’s small slice of their lives. Eli and Kai haven’t figured everything out by the end. They’ve worked through a lot, certainly, and it’s clear that their future is going to be a loving one, but they also have difficult choices ahead. Kai’s illness isn’t going away, and Eli still carries his own baggage. The ending is appropriately open-ended: there are no right answers, and Zhang doesn’t pretend to have them.
More reviews on my website, Black Forest Basilisks.
After the Dragons is quiet, thoughtful, and, above all, kind. It’s not easy to do right by one another, especially when we’re put in hard places without clear answers. Death, and how we face it, matters.
Zhang transports us to a near-future world where tiny dragons flit across the skies in a hazy, polluted Beijing. Climate change has caused air quality to plummet… and related health problems to spike. Kai, a young man who rescues abandoned dragons from the streets, is terminally ill with Shaolong—a disease caused by extended exposure to poor air quality. He’s withdrawn into himself, distanced from his family, and has given his all to his rescue efforts while waiting to die.
His plans to fade away are interrupted when Eli, a young researcher from the United States in Beijing for a summer program, enters his life. The two orbit each other, warily at first, but growing slowly but surely closer to one another. While they both may be imperfect, they’re also two people who are fundamentally kind. They find themselves paralyzed when put into positions where they may cause hurt or pain to others, and they struggle to open up emotionally given the high risks involved.
This is truly a slice of life novel in that it’s small slice of their lives. Eli and Kai haven’t figured everything out by the end. They’ve worked through a lot, certainly, and it’s clear that their future is going to be a loving one, but they also have difficult choices ahead. Kai’s illness isn’t going away, and Eli still carries his own baggage. The ending is appropriately open-ended: there are no right answers, and Zhang doesn’t pretend to have them.
More reviews on my website, Black Forest Basilisks.
Read
July 18, 2021The led me to expect more of an adventure, but that aside, I found this to be a sharply realized, moody alt-China, in which dragons are a part of a seriously drought-threatened culture.
Central, however, are not the dragons, but two guys who develop a relationship--one is a biracial researcher, the other an animal lover. The lens is appropriately smoky, creating a moody read, with vivid descriptions. The pacing is slow, and thoughtful. A gay-positive, interesting take on a China that never was.
If I had a complaint it would be that the emotional arc is somewhat muted, but this writer wields an admirably descriptive pen and I look forward to more from her.
Copy provided by NetGalley
Central, however, are not the dragons, but two guys who develop a relationship--one is a biracial researcher, the other an animal lover. The lens is appropriately smoky, creating a moody read, with vivid descriptions. The pacing is slow, and thoughtful. A gay-positive, interesting take on a China that never was.
If I had a complaint it would be that the emotional arc is somewhat muted, but this writer wields an admirably descriptive pen and I look forward to more from her.
Copy provided by NetGalley
May 2, 2022
3.5 stars
I'm not super into novellas because the story usually ends up feeling incomplete and underdeveloped to me, but I actually really liked this one. It's compelling and thoughtful, with very vivid writing. I do kind of wish it was a full-length novel because there's so much to explore in this alternate version of Beijing (and I would've loved to read more about the main characters and their development as individuals and as a couple), but I still loved the story and themes. I'll definitely keep an eye out for the author's future work.
I'm not super into novellas because the story usually ends up feeling incomplete and underdeveloped to me, but I actually really liked this one. It's compelling and thoughtful, with very vivid writing. I do kind of wish it was a full-length novel because there's so much to explore in this alternate version of Beijing (and I would've loved to read more about the main characters and their development as individuals and as a couple), but I still loved the story and themes. I'll definitely keep an eye out for the author's future work.
November 30, 2021
It’s a crime that this book isn’t better known. I have to thank Booklist for sending it to me because I probably wouldn't have heard of it otherwise. Reading it hit me hard, and I finished it with tears in my eyes. Yet it didn’t leave me feeling downtrodden or hopeless, because this is a book about finding joy and love and meaning in life despite knowing (even fatalistically knowing) that you can’t fix the world, you can’t save everyone, you can’t even save yourself. Another reviewer wrote that this book is about having hope in a world you cannot save, which is a lovely insight
This slim, slice-of-life story about two young men who rescue dragons and slowly (but not easily) fall in love takes place in a near-future Beijing that suffers under relentless heat and drought that also brought about a new lung disease, shaolong (burnt lung). Zhang writes Beijing so vividly, with tiny, intimate details that make the setting feel lived in and real, and the dragons only add to the effect, because here they are pet-sized, semi-aquatic wild creatures akin to stray cats. They are everywhere, and they are delightful.
Kai, a Chinese biology student with shaolong, rescues injured city dragons and nurses them back to health while avoiding dealing with his own condition, until he meets Eli, an Afro-Chinese American immunology intern, who is appalled at Kai’s fatalistic lack of care for himself. Their interests dovetail nicely, as Eli thinks the key to curing shaolong is figuring out how the dragons have adapted to survive in this environment, but the story isn’t big or operatic enough for some Hollywood movie last-minute cure, oh, and coincidentally, they fix climate change along the way too. It’s a bittersweet story about grappling with problems too large for individuals to face but impossible to ignore, but it’s also about Kai and Eli, just two ordinary people, world-weary and compassionate and wanting to make the world a better place for each other.
Genre: near-future sf/fantasy
Storyline: world-building, slice-of-life, character-driven, open-ended
Tone: hopeful, mournful, reflective, atmospheric
Character: complex, relatable, introspective
Representation: Chinese, LGBTQ+ (gay)
Writing Style:
Themes: climate change, self-care, the mortifying ordeal of being known, the awesomeness of dragons
This slim, slice-of-life story about two young men who rescue dragons and slowly (but not easily) fall in love takes place in a near-future Beijing that suffers under relentless heat and drought that also brought about a new lung disease, shaolong (burnt lung). Zhang writes Beijing so vividly, with tiny, intimate details that make the setting feel lived in and real, and the dragons only add to the effect, because here they are pet-sized, semi-aquatic wild creatures akin to stray cats. They are everywhere, and they are delightful.
Kai, a Chinese biology student with shaolong, rescues injured city dragons and nurses them back to health while avoiding dealing with his own condition, until he meets Eli, an Afro-Chinese American immunology intern, who is appalled at Kai’s fatalistic lack of care for himself. Their interests dovetail nicely, as Eli thinks the key to curing shaolong is figuring out how the dragons have adapted to survive in this environment, but the story isn’t big or operatic enough for some Hollywood movie last-minute cure, oh, and coincidentally, they fix climate change along the way too. It’s a bittersweet story about grappling with problems too large for individuals to face but impossible to ignore, but it’s also about Kai and Eli, just two ordinary people, world-weary and compassionate and wanting to make the world a better place for each other.
Genre: near-future sf/fantasy
Storyline: world-building, slice-of-life, character-driven, open-ended
Tone: hopeful, mournful, reflective, atmospheric
Character: complex, relatable, introspective
Representation: Chinese, LGBTQ+ (gay)
Writing Style:
Themes: climate change, self-care, the mortifying ordeal of being known, the awesomeness of dragons
July 8, 2021
rep: gay chinese mc with chronic illness, gay afro-chinese-american mc
cw: brief mentions of suicidal thoughts
3.5/5
this was a pretty good little read! not a new favorite but i don't regret picking it up at all.
an urban low fantasy with themes of pollution, climate change and chronic illness, after the dragons is set in a modern day beijing that's suffering from drought conditions and a growing population of stray dragons. amidst all this, two college students form a tentative relationship.
i love how the author brings beijing to life in such a stark, vivid way through gorgeously atmospheric writing. there's a hazy almost ephemeral sense to the world and it suits the uncertain and coming-of-age nature of the story.
the dragons were definitely the best part of this novella. the way the author integrates the dragons into the everyday city life of beijing is so interesting to see; reducing these fantastical mythical creatures into animals as mundane as pigeons or cats. the descriptions of the dragons are so stunningly detailed they genuinely feel real. the world here has so much potential and i hope cynthia zhang writes another story within this setting.
i liked eli and kai well enough but i did feel a little emotionally distant from them and their burgeoning relationship, which is why this didn't get a higher rating from me. i did appreciate seeing the experiences of biracial chinese diaspora through the eyes of eli. besides that, most of the science-y descriptions went over my head and bored me a little. the dialogue also felt a bit awkward to me at times.
overall, if you're into descriptive, atmospheric reads with queer protagonists and you like dragons, you should definitely pick this book up.
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
cw: brief mentions of suicidal thoughts
3.5/5
this was a pretty good little read! not a new favorite but i don't regret picking it up at all.
an urban low fantasy with themes of pollution, climate change and chronic illness, after the dragons is set in a modern day beijing that's suffering from drought conditions and a growing population of stray dragons. amidst all this, two college students form a tentative relationship.
i love how the author brings beijing to life in such a stark, vivid way through gorgeously atmospheric writing. there's a hazy almost ephemeral sense to the world and it suits the uncertain and coming-of-age nature of the story.
the dragons were definitely the best part of this novella. the way the author integrates the dragons into the everyday city life of beijing is so interesting to see; reducing these fantastical mythical creatures into animals as mundane as pigeons or cats. the descriptions of the dragons are so stunningly detailed they genuinely feel real. the world here has so much potential and i hope cynthia zhang writes another story within this setting.
i liked eli and kai well enough but i did feel a little emotionally distant from them and their burgeoning relationship, which is why this didn't get a higher rating from me. i did appreciate seeing the experiences of biracial chinese diaspora through the eyes of eli. besides that, most of the science-y descriptions went over my head and bored me a little. the dialogue also felt a bit awkward to me at times.
overall, if you're into descriptive, atmospheric reads with queer protagonists and you like dragons, you should definitely pick this book up.
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
June 12, 2022
4.5 stars
This was an absolutely delightful, low-stakes, slice-of-life fantasy. The author manages to weave in some interesting commentary on climate change, capitalism, racism, cultural differences, and animal cruelty while still keeping the overall tone and vibe of this book very cute and wholesome. This is probably one of my most surprising reads of the year since I'd never even heard of it before picking it up on a whim at a book festival because I liked the cover, and I definitely will be picking up Cynthia Zhang's next book whenever that comes out.
This was an absolutely delightful, low-stakes, slice-of-life fantasy. The author manages to weave in some interesting commentary on climate change, capitalism, racism, cultural differences, and animal cruelty while still keeping the overall tone and vibe of this book very cute and wholesome. This is probably one of my most surprising reads of the year since I'd never even heard of it before picking it up on a whim at a book festival because I liked the cover, and I definitely will be picking up Cynthia Zhang's next book whenever that comes out.
May 29, 2022
this was definitely one of the better anglophone chinese fantasy novels i’ve read, though that doesn’t really say much when you look at the paltry offerings this subgenre has to offer lol. you can very clearly tell that this novella is set in beijing—unlike another book supposedly set in china—and familial connections shine through as strongly as i’d expect from a chinese novel, so it definitely wins some points there.
however, the most glaring inaccuracy—and the most egregious one, in my opinion—is that all the chinese dragons have wings, despite that being a complete dismissal of thousands of years of myths and traditions. unlike western dragons, chinese dragons absolutely do not have wings, and yet dragon wings are consistently mentioned and described in the novella, also appearing in the designs denoting chapter breaks. it just feels like yet another attempt to westernise my culture, particularly since there’s some exposition about how some researchers are hoping that some chinese dragons will evolve to become 火龙 / fire dragons and therefore bring back the old european firebreathers :/ because the europeans have apparently not taken enough from us already.
furthermore, the shortening of names to a single character is definitely not accurate to how spoken chinese works. we never do that because chinese is a homophonous language, and our names are made up of characters that function as morphemes (words, sort of) in their own right. some of us do shorten our names as such when speaking in non-chinese languages or in the west, such as myself, for a variety of reasons, but it is never the case in spoken chinese. yet we get mainland chinese born and bred characters like xiang kaifei and mr. lin going by kai, or lin, or tong, when chinese diminutives would instead be something like kai’er, a-tong, lao-lin, etc.
finally, there were a few random chinese words sprinkled in throughout the story, but they tend to be in dialogue so i’ll give it a pass and assume it’s chinglish or something similar. i will say, though, that shaolong—which i assume is 烧咙—still makes no sense. the author translates it as both ‘throat scorch’ and ‘burnt lung’, of which ‘throat scorch’ would make the most sense seeing as 咙 means throat. that was mildly off-putting, but the translations only appear once each if i’m remembering correctly, so whatever.
one thing i really, really liked, however, was this:
this is such an important concept to remember, even—and especially, i’d argue—as chinese diaspora growing up in the west or westernised countries. we have the benefits of seeing both cultures, yes, but we must also bear in mind inculcated biases due to our environment. many of us grow up with western superiority notions (such as miss chloe gong) and it is vital that we keep that in mind when looking at our heritage cultures. so thank you to this author for bringing this up.
i did also like that . the disability representation here seems to be pretty good in that respect, so that’s another plus. kai and eli’s relationship was quite cute, but i wasn’t overly invested in them, or any other relationships or characters.
overall, this was definitely worth the read, being a short novella, but i wouldn’t say this is a new favourite of mine.
edit: the entire zhongyuan bit made me cry. it was so good. singlehandedly raised my rating of this novel from 2.5 to 3.
✧─── ･ ｡ﾟ★: .✦ . :★. ───✧
pre-read
1. love how the protagonist shortens his name the same way i did
2. how do you get “burnt lung” from shaolong??
however, the most glaring inaccuracy—and the most egregious one, in my opinion—is that all the chinese dragons have wings, despite that being a complete dismissal of thousands of years of myths and traditions. unlike western dragons, chinese dragons absolutely do not have wings, and yet dragon wings are consistently mentioned and described in the novella, also appearing in the designs denoting chapter breaks. it just feels like yet another attempt to westernise my culture, particularly since there’s some exposition about how some researchers are hoping that some chinese dragons will evolve to become 火龙 / fire dragons and therefore bring back the old european firebreathers :/ because the europeans have apparently not taken enough from us already.
furthermore, the shortening of names to a single character is definitely not accurate to how spoken chinese works. we never do that because chinese is a homophonous language, and our names are made up of characters that function as morphemes (words, sort of) in their own right. some of us do shorten our names as such when speaking in non-chinese languages or in the west, such as myself, for a variety of reasons, but it is never the case in spoken chinese. yet we get mainland chinese born and bred characters like xiang kaifei and mr. lin going by kai, or lin, or tong, when chinese diminutives would instead be something like kai’er, a-tong, lao-lin, etc.
finally, there were a few random chinese words sprinkled in throughout the story, but they tend to be in dialogue so i’ll give it a pass and assume it’s chinglish or something similar. i will say, though, that shaolong—which i assume is 烧咙—still makes no sense. the author translates it as both ‘throat scorch’ and ‘burnt lung’, of which ‘throat scorch’ would make the most sense seeing as 咙 means throat. that was mildly off-putting, but the translations only appear once each if i’m remembering correctly, so whatever.
one thing i really, really liked, however, was this:
American-raised and acutely conscious of his country’s own history of moral imperialism, its quintessentially American strategy of saving countries by bombing them, Eli tries to avoid casting cultural judgment.
this is such an important concept to remember, even—and especially, i’d argue—as chinese diaspora growing up in the west or westernised countries. we have the benefits of seeing both cultures, yes, but we must also bear in mind inculcated biases due to our environment. many of us grow up with western superiority notions (such as miss chloe gong) and it is vital that we keep that in mind when looking at our heritage cultures. so thank you to this author for bringing this up.
i did also like that . the disability representation here seems to be pretty good in that respect, so that’s another plus. kai and eli’s relationship was quite cute, but i wasn’t overly invested in them, or any other relationships or characters.
overall, this was definitely worth the read, being a short novella, but i wouldn’t say this is a new favourite of mine.
edit: the entire zhongyuan bit made me cry. it was so good. singlehandedly raised my rating of this novel from 2.5 to 3.
✧─── ･ ｡ﾟ★: .✦ . :★. ───✧
pre-read
1. love how the protagonist shortens his name the same way i did
2. how do you get “burnt lung” from shaolong??
July 8, 2021
3.75★
did not expect to enjoy this book as much as i did but wow! surpassed expectations for sure.
immunology, pollution, diaspora chinese experience, and of course, tiny little dragons—all in this too-short of a book that i didn’t expect to love this much! tbh i picked it up for the dragons but it came with so much more richness to it that left me satisfyingly pleased.
after the dragons is cynthia zhang's debut and it features two main characters that i loved reading about; eli, who is a black and chinese american that feels drawn to beijing in this world, his heritage, the little dragons—and, of course, kai, a young artist who loves dragons.
the dichotomized lore and the ancestral (that is like ours but not identical) world in this book divides between the eastern and western dragons and it was compelling to read about. i really loved the social commentary of cultural dissonance, the diaspora experience, changing climate, pollution and its catastrophic aftermaths, and more. and the contrast in our two main characters made this even more of a unique read—with eli’s careful personality and utter hopelessness and kai's compassion and standoffish stubbornness.
i was pleasantly surprised by how this debut novel had an exceptional writing style; zhang writes vividly and uniquely, the characters are crafted with utter care they feel real and so were the world and setting.
absolutely loved this, it was so beautiful and had important takes on many topics we need more about in these genres. and i want more!! this book was so good and i definitely will be reading cynthia zhang’s upcoming work!
— digital arc provided via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
did not expect to enjoy this book as much as i did but wow! surpassed expectations for sure.
immunology, pollution, diaspora chinese experience, and of course, tiny little dragons—all in this too-short of a book that i didn’t expect to love this much! tbh i picked it up for the dragons but it came with so much more richness to it that left me satisfyingly pleased.
after the dragons is cynthia zhang's debut and it features two main characters that i loved reading about; eli, who is a black and chinese american that feels drawn to beijing in this world, his heritage, the little dragons—and, of course, kai, a young artist who loves dragons.
the dichotomized lore and the ancestral (that is like ours but not identical) world in this book divides between the eastern and western dragons and it was compelling to read about. i really loved the social commentary of cultural dissonance, the diaspora experience, changing climate, pollution and its catastrophic aftermaths, and more. and the contrast in our two main characters made this even more of a unique read—with eli’s careful personality and utter hopelessness and kai's compassion and standoffish stubbornness.
i was pleasantly surprised by how this debut novel had an exceptional writing style; zhang writes vividly and uniquely, the characters are crafted with utter care they feel real and so were the world and setting.
absolutely loved this, it was so beautiful and had important takes on many topics we need more about in these genres. and i want more!! this book was so good and i definitely will be reading cynthia zhang’s upcoming work!
— digital arc provided via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 23, 2021
This book was amazing. I was engaged from start to finish. from the opening lines I was hooked and wanted to know more about the world and it inhabitants.
The books world is not a perfect one. it's one dealing with drought, pollution, sickness and a growing population of stray dragons.
The heart of this book would be the characters. They're what keeps this book moving. Kai and Eli's development and relationship felt grounded and beautiful.
I can't wait to see what other stories Zhang bring to life in the future and I will definitly be keeping an eye out.
Thank you to Stelliform Press for a e-arc.
The books world is not a perfect one. it's one dealing with drought, pollution, sickness and a growing population of stray dragons.
The heart of this book would be the characters. They're what keeps this book moving. Kai and Eli's development and relationship felt grounded and beautiful.
I can't wait to see what other stories Zhang bring to life in the future and I will definitly be keeping an eye out.
Thank you to Stelliform Press for a e-arc.
November 3, 2021
4,5/5
Weirdly, I don’t have much to say. I just really loved this short book.
I regret not writing a review sooner, especially because I was so engrossed in the reading that I didn’t take a single note.
Despite being a short novel, there were quite complex themes in this, great character development and the kind of romance I love: slow-burn, queer, written with a lot of care.
It’s one of those books where I felt completely safe in the hands of the narrators. I just let myself be immersed in the story and let it take me where it wanted to go.
It’s a story about people doing their best to take care of their loved ones, and how hard it can be sometimes, especially when dealing with illness. There were also many questions about what one person can do to help, and whether small actions really matter in the grand scheme of things.
I loved that this was also about science and research, and how the theme of climate change was inserted into the story.
I fell in love with the two main characters, they were so different but extremely similar too, and it was funny to see that they were not at all aware of that.
I absolutely loved the idea of having little dragons everywhere, they were so cute and each one had its personality!
This review doesn’t do the book justice at all. I loved it and the mood it put me in <3
— ORIGINAL REVIEW
4,5/5
i really loved this <3
rtc!
Weirdly, I don’t have much to say. I just really loved this short book.
I regret not writing a review sooner, especially because I was so engrossed in the reading that I didn’t take a single note.
Despite being a short novel, there were quite complex themes in this, great character development and the kind of romance I love: slow-burn, queer, written with a lot of care.
It’s one of those books where I felt completely safe in the hands of the narrators. I just let myself be immersed in the story and let it take me where it wanted to go.
It’s a story about people doing their best to take care of their loved ones, and how hard it can be sometimes, especially when dealing with illness. There were also many questions about what one person can do to help, and whether small actions really matter in the grand scheme of things.
I loved that this was also about science and research, and how the theme of climate change was inserted into the story.
I fell in love with the two main characters, they were so different but extremely similar too, and it was funny to see that they were not at all aware of that.
I absolutely loved the idea of having little dragons everywhere, they were so cute and each one had its personality!
This review doesn’t do the book justice at all. I loved it and the mood it put me in <3
— ORIGINAL REVIEW
4,5/5
i really loved this <3
rtc!
February 11, 2023
Very sweet, melancholy, hopeful story about two college-age characters set in a spec fic Beijing, with cute tiny dragons.
What I liked:
- The environment - I loved how present the heat, the drought and eventual rain, the air pollution, and the urban setting felt. I lived in Beijing for a semester back in college (the second city I’d lived in with more than 100,000 people, and the first outside my home state! a wild experience to go from trees/lakes/more trees to a city of 15 million people… I remember wandering over to CBD, the business district, whenever I wanted to be somewhere more calming, I think that says it all) so reading about these two college-age characters really brought me back, in the best way.
- The dragons - very cute, neither over-explained nor under-explained in my opinion. This book is definitely near-future light-dystopian spec fic, which I always want to love but have a spotty record with. Here it works so well because the author thought to include cool stuff in this world - i.e., the dragons - not just depressing stuff - i.e., rampant pollution, a fictional chronic/deadly illness, etc.
- The illness - I ended up liking this a lot. I guess be warned if you are sensitive to storylines about eventually-deadly illnesses, as this definitely goes there. But Kai’s particular reaction to having shaolong felt very realistic and relatable to me, especially for a character at that age, and I appreciated that this plotline never overtook the other ones - which felt very realistic as well.
- The characters - this should go higher up the list tbh, they both just felt very real. The slice-of-life style only works because we want to follow these characters and see what choices they make. I am usually not super into YA/NA but I really enjoyed these characters and they also felt very realistically their ages, which is not something you always get!
- The ending. A perfect ending imo.
What I didn’t like:
- Honestly, there were a few very very minor logistical/plot details which could have been smoothed out slightly more, maybe due to the fact that this is this author’s first book (or maybe because I’m hyper-critical of any inconsistencies or logical/practical issues in near-future spec fic haha). That’s it.
Basically, I liked this a lot! And it zipped along too.
What I liked:
- The environment - I loved how present the heat, the drought and eventual rain, the air pollution, and the urban setting felt. I lived in Beijing for a semester back in college (the second city I’d lived in with more than 100,000 people, and the first outside my home state! a wild experience to go from trees/lakes/more trees to a city of 15 million people… I remember wandering over to CBD, the business district, whenever I wanted to be somewhere more calming, I think that says it all) so reading about these two college-age characters really brought me back, in the best way.
- The dragons - very cute, neither over-explained nor under-explained in my opinion. This book is definitely near-future light-dystopian spec fic, which I always want to love but have a spotty record with. Here it works so well because the author thought to include cool stuff in this world - i.e., the dragons - not just depressing stuff - i.e., rampant pollution, a fictional chronic/deadly illness, etc.
- The illness - I ended up liking this a lot. I guess be warned if you are sensitive to storylines about eventually-deadly illnesses, as this definitely goes there. But Kai’s particular reaction to having shaolong felt very realistic and relatable to me, especially for a character at that age, and I appreciated that this plotline never overtook the other ones - which felt very realistic as well.
- The characters - this should go higher up the list tbh, they both just felt very real. The slice-of-life style only works because we want to follow these characters and see what choices they make. I am usually not super into YA/NA but I really enjoyed these characters and they also felt very realistically their ages, which is not something you always get!
- The ending. A perfect ending imo.
What I didn’t like:
- Honestly, there were a few very very minor logistical/plot details which could have been smoothed out slightly more, maybe due to the fact that this is this author’s first book (or maybe because I’m hyper-critical of any inconsistencies or logical/practical issues in near-future spec fic haha). That’s it.
Basically, I liked this a lot! And it zipped along too.
August 19, 2021
Surpassed my expectations. Full review to follow. 💛
May 16, 2022
Popsugar 2022: A book with a reflected image on the cover or "mirror" in the title
Read Round the World 2022: Northern Asia (Beijing)
Spells and Spaceships 2022: Dragon
This quiet little novella covers a lot of ground. There's climate change (how dragons are coming into the city because they need new habitat), what it's like to be gay in an unfree and disapproving country, what it's like to be an outsider in your family's culture of origin, what it's like to have a terminal disease, what it's like to start a new relationship. Mostly, I think, it wants to discuss what it means to do good in an imperfect world.
There are dragons here- small dragons who are treated like pets, roam the city in flocks like sparrows, who are put into pit fights for entertainment just as animals have always been made to fight for the pleasure of humans. These dragons are seen as animals, not spirits, although the dragons still have symbolic meaning. The dragons are adapting more quickly than seems possible to climate change and hotter, wetter weather. The mechanisms by which they heal and thrive end up being of interest to the lab in which Eli, an exchange student, works.
Kai, who's from Beijing, has dropped out of school after discovering that he has shaolong, a respiratory disease linked to climate change and pollution. Kai works in a pet shop and also rescues stray injured dragons when he can.
Kai and Eli cross paths and make a connection. Kai's like a stray cat, reluctant to trust and cynical. Eli's idealistic and from a gentler world. Both of them have a lot of empathy, though, and Eli manages to get a little closer to Kai than Kai is perhaps comfortable with.
I worried about the "evil lab" trope and so was very relieved that it did not come into play in this book.
Kai and Eli keep having the same argument. Eli feels like making a small difference is worth the effort. He tries to get Kai a better situation for caring for his rescued dragons, tries to keep an eye on Kai's health because Eli had a grandmother who died of shaolong. Kai doesn't see what difference any of this will ultimately make, but he keeps on caring for the dragons anyway. Kai will sometimes rage about the fact that all their help won't keep dragons from being hurt or abused. Eli says that it's worthwhile that they will help what they can. That feels a lot like an argument that the world has been having lately. Is it worth it to do good if the world still hurts people? Is it worth it to try to save something in a world that's slowly catching fire? What point do the little efforts make and what's the point of hope? This book says that there is a point, and that's something I certainly can use for myself. Even if we can't do everything, we can do some thing and that is also worthy.
Read Round the World 2022: Northern Asia (Beijing)
Spells and Spaceships 2022: Dragon
This quiet little novella covers a lot of ground. There's climate change (how dragons are coming into the city because they need new habitat), what it's like to be gay in an unfree and disapproving country, what it's like to be an outsider in your family's culture of origin, what it's like to have a terminal disease, what it's like to start a new relationship. Mostly, I think, it wants to discuss what it means to do good in an imperfect world.
There are dragons here- small dragons who are treated like pets, roam the city in flocks like sparrows, who are put into pit fights for entertainment just as animals have always been made to fight for the pleasure of humans. These dragons are seen as animals, not spirits, although the dragons still have symbolic meaning. The dragons are adapting more quickly than seems possible to climate change and hotter, wetter weather. The mechanisms by which they heal and thrive end up being of interest to the lab in which Eli, an exchange student, works.
Kai, who's from Beijing, has dropped out of school after discovering that he has shaolong, a respiratory disease linked to climate change and pollution. Kai works in a pet shop and also rescues stray injured dragons when he can.
Kai and Eli cross paths and make a connection. Kai's like a stray cat, reluctant to trust and cynical. Eli's idealistic and from a gentler world. Both of them have a lot of empathy, though, and Eli manages to get a little closer to Kai than Kai is perhaps comfortable with.
I worried about the "evil lab" trope and so was very relieved that it did not come into play in this book.
Kai and Eli keep having the same argument. Eli feels like making a small difference is worth the effort. He tries to get Kai a better situation for caring for his rescued dragons, tries to keep an eye on Kai's health because Eli had a grandmother who died of shaolong. Kai doesn't see what difference any of this will ultimately make, but he keeps on caring for the dragons anyway. Kai will sometimes rage about the fact that all their help won't keep dragons from being hurt or abused. Eli says that it's worthwhile that they will help what they can. That feels a lot like an argument that the world has been having lately. Is it worth it to do good if the world still hurts people? Is it worth it to try to save something in a world that's slowly catching fire? What point do the little efforts make and what's the point of hope? This book says that there is a point, and that's something I certainly can use for myself. Even if we can't do everything, we can do some thing and that is also worthy.
June 17, 2021
What a surprising book! Set in China, in a hotter, water-scarce, and air pollution tainted world, with two just dear main characters. Kai rescues dragons, which are high-profile pets but also cast aside by the rich, so he finds them under dumpsters and in abandoned shops. His small apartment is full of dragons he's rehabilitating. Eli, an Afro-Chinese-American, is in China doing academic work as a research assistant, while also coming to terms with the death of his grandmother from shaolong, a disease caused by exposure to poor air quality. There is a bit of plot involving the dragons, but the real meat is character-driven-- self-discovery, gay identity, salvaging the things that matter, mothers, grandmothers, nationality, and all in a literal heated climate. And the word I would use to describe it is: charming. New adult, but make it cli-fi with tiny dragons and a sense of impending doom yet a dose of optimism as well.
*Light spoilers below*
CW for chronic illness, dragon fighting with people betting on it
For Romance readers who want to know if it could technically be classified as a romance, yes-HFN.
My thanks to Netgalley and Stelliform Press for the eARC. My opinions are my own.
*Light spoilers below*
CW for chronic illness, dragon fighting with people betting on it
For Romance readers who want to know if it could technically be classified as a romance, yes-HFN.
My thanks to Netgalley and Stelliform Press for the eARC. My opinions are my own.
June 18, 2022
A rare fantasy book that I picked up not because I’d heard anyone mention it, but because my library had it in the “too good to miss” area.
A soft novella about a burgeoning, respectful love. A reflection of life in a hellscape where the weather is destroying people’s health and environment, where there are illness that unfairly attack and and take our loved ones. Also, dragons.
This just hit all the right spots just now.
A soft novella about a burgeoning, respectful love. A reflection of life in a hellscape where the weather is destroying people’s health and environment, where there are illness that unfairly attack and and take our loved ones. Also, dragons.
This just hit all the right spots just now.
October 2, 2021
Yay libraries!
*deep breath*
On the surface, this is a fairly simple growing-attraction story, but the undercurrents of family, draught, mistreatment, loss, stubbornness and generosity, and hiding, are many layers deep and make this one of my favorite reads of the year. I could feel the years devoted to it before I read the Acknowledgments, but the prose is easy. I wish I could hold one of the dragons.
Very highly recommended.
*deep breath*
On the surface, this is a fairly simple growing-attraction story, but the undercurrents of family, draught, mistreatment, loss, stubbornness and generosity, and hiding, are many layers deep and make this one of my favorite reads of the year. I could feel the years devoted to it before I read the Acknowledgments, but the prose is easy. I wish I could hold one of the dragons.
Very highly recommended.
November 24, 2021
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
This is a quiet, lovely novella about Kai and Eli, a college student and an international student who meet in Beijing while searching for dragons. Kai has cut himself off from family and friends after receiving a potentially terminal shaolong diagnosis and when he meets Eli, he's grumpy, jaded, and a decided pessimist. Eli, by comparison, is full of hope and a desire to do something good in the world, and he finds himself drawn to Kai in ways he wasn't expecting.
Kai takes in dragons he finds injured on the streets and nurses them back to health, and it's this innate selflessness that makes Eli first notice Kai. The two become friends (Kai reluctantly, Eli happily) and Eli begins to better understand dragons as he sees Kai care for them.
I loved Kai and Eli's relationship, as they had an almost grumpy/sunshine dynamic, which is one of my favourites in any kind of story. We're only given a hint of their romantic potential but I enjoyed how slowly it was developed (this is true slow-burn right here, folks) and how gradually they came to realise their feelings had changed. I would love to see more of their romance in future stories, so I can only hope the author writes a sequel to this novella.
The dragons are a huge part of the story and the way they're conceptualised is wonderful. Instead of the large fire-breathing creatures that we've come to expect in fantasy, these dragons are small and all different sizes, colours, and breeds. The dragons Kai looks after all have their own personalities (especially Mei) and temperaments, and they really jump off the page, they're that vivid.
On a more serious level, the book reminds us of the realities of global warming and the damaging effect it's having on people and the environment. In some ways, this story serves as a warning: this futuristic version Beijing shows us what we could be heading for if we don't act now.
Cynthia Zhang's writing is beautiful and evokes each scene in lyrical detail. I could picture the moments when Kai and Eli were standing together, watching the dragons fly under the night sky as if I were watching it on film. The pacing of this novella is slow, but I think that's down to it being more character-driven than plot-driven, and it works for the type of story being told.
Overall, I had a lovely time reading this and the ending was hopeful and heart-warming. I'll definitely be on the lookout for more of Cynthia Zhang's work in the future.
This is a quiet, lovely novella about Kai and Eli, a college student and an international student who meet in Beijing while searching for dragons. Kai has cut himself off from family and friends after receiving a potentially terminal shaolong diagnosis and when he meets Eli, he's grumpy, jaded, and a decided pessimist. Eli, by comparison, is full of hope and a desire to do something good in the world, and he finds himself drawn to Kai in ways he wasn't expecting.
Kai takes in dragons he finds injured on the streets and nurses them back to health, and it's this innate selflessness that makes Eli first notice Kai. The two become friends (Kai reluctantly, Eli happily) and Eli begins to better understand dragons as he sees Kai care for them.
I loved Kai and Eli's relationship, as they had an almost grumpy/sunshine dynamic, which is one of my favourites in any kind of story. We're only given a hint of their romantic potential but I enjoyed how slowly it was developed (this is true slow-burn right here, folks) and how gradually they came to realise their feelings had changed. I would love to see more of their romance in future stories, so I can only hope the author writes a sequel to this novella.
The dragons are a huge part of the story and the way they're conceptualised is wonderful. Instead of the large fire-breathing creatures that we've come to expect in fantasy, these dragons are small and all different sizes, colours, and breeds. The dragons Kai looks after all have their own personalities (especially Mei) and temperaments, and they really jump off the page, they're that vivid.
On a more serious level, the book reminds us of the realities of global warming and the damaging effect it's having on people and the environment. In some ways, this story serves as a warning: this futuristic version Beijing shows us what we could be heading for if we don't act now.
Cynthia Zhang's writing is beautiful and evokes each scene in lyrical detail. I could picture the moments when Kai and Eli were standing together, watching the dragons fly under the night sky as if I were watching it on film. The pacing of this novella is slow, but I think that's down to it being more character-driven than plot-driven, and it works for the type of story being told.
Overall, I had a lovely time reading this and the ending was hopeful and heart-warming. I'll definitely be on the lookout for more of Cynthia Zhang's work in the future.
Want to read
April 12, 2023Marissa K. Lingen liked it a lot:
"Immunology! Pollution! Diaspora Chinese experience! Tiny dragons! Prickly gay guys figuring out whether they want a relationship! Cynthia Zhang’s debut is so good that I am having a hard time writing this review because mostly I want to make high pitched squealing noises while pointing at it, and while that’s very expressive of my feelings, it may not be the most helpful–or at least not the only helpful–way to review a book."
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
Mary Robinette liked it too:
"This is a slim, beautiful jewel-box of a novel. It is vividly atmospheric and feels real as if tiny flocks of dragons might sit on telephone lines in modern-day Beijing. It explores falling in love in the wake of grief and the ways in which we try to exert control over our lives. It’s quiet intimacy will break your heart and give you hope — and also dragons. Perfect, beautifully drawn dragons. It’s a lovely debut."
Now on reserve!
"Immunology! Pollution! Diaspora Chinese experience! Tiny dragons! Prickly gay guys figuring out whether they want a relationship! Cynthia Zhang’s debut is so good that I am having a hard time writing this review because mostly I want to make high pitched squealing noises while pointing at it, and while that’s very expressive of my feelings, it may not be the most helpful–or at least not the only helpful–way to review a book."
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
Mary Robinette liked it too:
"This is a slim, beautiful jewel-box of a novel. It is vividly atmospheric and feels real as if tiny flocks of dragons might sit on telephone lines in modern-day Beijing. It explores falling in love in the wake of grief and the ways in which we try to exert control over our lives. It’s quiet intimacy will break your heart and give you hope — and also dragons. Perfect, beautifully drawn dragons. It’s a lovely debut."
Now on reserve!
April 15, 2024
NOMINATED FOR THE 2022 URSULA K. LE GUIN PRIZE FOR FICTION
A pleasant, delightful surprise. This is the exact type of story I was hoping this award would highlight. After the Dragons is a quiet story focused on humans- a kind of slice of life of two gay students and their troubled relationships (the characters feel very real, often frustratingly so). In the background is a beautifully constructed and fascinating world based on modern-day Beijing, where dragons are small pet-like creatures which were perhaps once seen as gods, but now all-too familiar victims of capitalism, just like our pets are today.
It's an interesting way of telling climate fiction. The climate stuff is never at the forefront, yet it's always palpable and feels like an intrinsic part of the story. Definitely check this out if you're a fan of low-stakes fiction. Heartily recommend.
A pleasant, delightful surprise. This is the exact type of story I was hoping this award would highlight. After the Dragons is a quiet story focused on humans- a kind of slice of life of two gay students and their troubled relationships (the characters feel very real, often frustratingly so). In the background is a beautifully constructed and fascinating world based on modern-day Beijing, where dragons are small pet-like creatures which were perhaps once seen as gods, but now all-too familiar victims of capitalism, just like our pets are today.
It's an interesting way of telling climate fiction. The climate stuff is never at the forefront, yet it's always palpable and feels like an intrinsic part of the story. Definitely check this out if you're a fan of low-stakes fiction. Heartily recommend.
August 19, 2021
My thanks to Net galley and the publisher for granting me access to an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is truly such a magical, sweet, melancholy read. While the prominent role of dragons in this world, place the book solidly in the realm of Urban Fantasy, I would argue that readers of magical realism would definitely also enjoy this book greatly as the focus is 99% on characters and their fears, anxieties, relationships.
It's a queer fantasy set in a somewhat future Beijing that is feeling the consequences of pollution in the rise of water cost and the surge of a chronic, often fatal, disease called shaolong.
The relationship in this book was masterfully crafted. It is not an instant love at first sight relationship, but a hard fought one where both sides have to be willing to confront difficult sides to their lives or to their past experiences. Thus we examine such things as the loss of family, fear for the future, fear of opening up, difficulties of coming out, ...
One of the aspects we zoom in on is the chronic illness that one of our protagonists has contracted. While seeking treatment is a big point of contention in this budding relationship, I love the constant reinforcement of the message that seeking medical help or not is ultimately his decision and that while the people closest to him might not agree, if he should choose to decide against it, those around him should learn to accept that. His body, his choice.
As you can tell from this small discussion of some aspects of the novel, it very much feels more like a realistic read than a speculative one, though those elements were definitely there. I loved the dragon and the use of their Chinese names. The imagery of dragons is tied up with China and seeing these dragons that have grown small over time and have gone from being revered at temples to becoming discarded pets really set a tone for this world.
Overall, this is a lovely read, set in a location you don't often get to see in speculative fiction. Would love to see what this author will come out with in the future as this was a beautifully atmospheric read that delivered a well nuanced storyline where a lot of topics were handled delicately and respectfully.
This is truly such a magical, sweet, melancholy read. While the prominent role of dragons in this world, place the book solidly in the realm of Urban Fantasy, I would argue that readers of magical realism would definitely also enjoy this book greatly as the focus is 99% on characters and their fears, anxieties, relationships.
It's a queer fantasy set in a somewhat future Beijing that is feeling the consequences of pollution in the rise of water cost and the surge of a chronic, often fatal, disease called shaolong.
The relationship in this book was masterfully crafted. It is not an instant love at first sight relationship, but a hard fought one where both sides have to be willing to confront difficult sides to their lives or to their past experiences. Thus we examine such things as the loss of family, fear for the future, fear of opening up, difficulties of coming out, ...
One of the aspects we zoom in on is the chronic illness that one of our protagonists has contracted. While seeking treatment is a big point of contention in this budding relationship, I love the constant reinforcement of the message that seeking medical help or not is ultimately his decision and that while the people closest to him might not agree, if he should choose to decide against it, those around him should learn to accept that. His body, his choice.
As you can tell from this small discussion of some aspects of the novel, it very much feels more like a realistic read than a speculative one, though those elements were definitely there. I loved the dragon and the use of their Chinese names. The imagery of dragons is tied up with China and seeing these dragons that have grown small over time and have gone from being revered at temples to becoming discarded pets really set a tone for this world.
Overall, this is a lovely read, set in a location you don't often get to see in speculative fiction. Would love to see what this author will come out with in the future as this was a beautifully atmospheric read that delivered a well nuanced storyline where a lot of topics were handled delicately and respectfully.
Read
August 9, 2021DNF for now and as with most of my DNF books I made it to fifty percent mark and I think even to fifty one percent but this was *painful* and not necessarily because of content of the book.
To disclose - this was supposed to be an ARC review for DA my only ARC review for this year looks like and I really should stop requesting ARC ever, because it rarely works for me - but it had dragons and I caved in. I love dragons you see.
Also, it is entirely possible that what made me DNF could be nothing more than the formatting issue in ARC but not in the book and so to do my due diligence I actually preordered the book which is out August 19. If it does not have that issue, I surely will finish it.
So, imagine the book going for two, three, four , five pages ( yes at least once I counted five pages) without paragraph breaks. It is really REALLY hard to read. At times I saw that I am reading a gentle, interesting story about two boys doing their work and studies in the AU contemporary China, but you know what? My eyes glazed over many times as well. It was hard to read.
The reason why I am not sure if it is an ARC issue or not , because at times there were paragraphs, but way too rare and mostly during the dialogue. So if narrative did not have the paragraph because of some idea behind it I thought it was a bad one.
Add to this present tense, which is not my favorite ( but I absolutely read the books in the present tense that I loved, just not many - not the main reason for DNF) and I did not have the enjoyable reading experience.
To disclose - this was supposed to be an ARC review for DA my only ARC review for this year looks like and I really should stop requesting ARC ever, because it rarely works for me - but it had dragons and I caved in. I love dragons you see.
Also, it is entirely possible that what made me DNF could be nothing more than the formatting issue in ARC but not in the book and so to do my due diligence I actually preordered the book which is out August 19. If it does not have that issue, I surely will finish it.
So, imagine the book going for two, three, four , five pages ( yes at least once I counted five pages) without paragraph breaks. It is really REALLY hard to read. At times I saw that I am reading a gentle, interesting story about two boys doing their work and studies in the AU contemporary China, but you know what? My eyes glazed over many times as well. It was hard to read.
The reason why I am not sure if it is an ARC issue or not , because at times there were paragraphs, but way too rare and mostly during the dialogue. So if narrative did not have the paragraph because of some idea behind it I thought it was a bad one.
Add to this present tense, which is not my favorite ( but I absolutely read the books in the present tense that I loved, just not many - not the main reason for DNF) and I did not have the enjoyable reading experience.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 21, 2021
Do the tiny things one human can contribute to making the world a slightly better place actually matter in the grand scheme of things?
That's what I believe the core question of After the Dragons to be, and it definitely made me think. Reading the synopsis of this book, I expected it to be focused on research on a cure for shaolong (a heat and air pollution-induced chronic illness), or perhaps a plot related to the dragons present everywhere in the book's alternate universe Beijing. Instead, it focuses on two college-aged young men, a Beijing local and an Afro-Chinese-American exchange student, as they get to know one another and form first a friendship, and eventually a romantic relationship. It is about family relationships, and caring about others even when it might feel difficult, and the small pleasures and beauties still to be found in a world plagued with climate disasters and human cruelty. I don't normally gravitate towards climate fiction, but this book managed to give me a small ember of hope, and I can't helo but mention how cute all the pet dragons were. I definitely recommend checking this one out.
Content warnings: animal cruelty, familial death, chronic/terminal illness, depression, suicidal ideation
That's what I believe the core question of After the Dragons to be, and it definitely made me think. Reading the synopsis of this book, I expected it to be focused on research on a cure for shaolong (a heat and air pollution-induced chronic illness), or perhaps a plot related to the dragons present everywhere in the book's alternate universe Beijing. Instead, it focuses on two college-aged young men, a Beijing local and an Afro-Chinese-American exchange student, as they get to know one another and form first a friendship, and eventually a romantic relationship. It is about family relationships, and caring about others even when it might feel difficult, and the small pleasures and beauties still to be found in a world plagued with climate disasters and human cruelty. I don't normally gravitate towards climate fiction, but this book managed to give me a small ember of hope, and I can't helo but mention how cute all the pet dragons were. I definitely recommend checking this one out.
Content warnings: animal cruelty, familial death, chronic/terminal illness, depression, suicidal ideation
August 19, 2021
Actual rating is 3.5 stars!
After the Dragons is a quiet, intimate, urban fantasy. It follows two young men, Kai and Eli, and their unlikely partnership as it becomes something more. Zhang's writing is incredibly atmospheric, so much so that at times it felt like if I looked out my window I would see dragons dotting the telephone wires.
The atmosphere and the writing are two of the novel's greatest strengths, but I most enjoyed the difficult topics Zhang touches on. The devastating impact of climate change, pollution, chronic illness, identity, and grief just to name a few. There's also the commodification and desecration of dragons. How humans take and they taint–a concept illustrated by dragons fighting in an arena and humans betting on them ala dogfighting. Zhang discusses these important issues but doesn't offer a wealth of solutions. Her world is painfully realistic, gritty, and melancholic.
But that doesn't mean the book is without hope, however uncertain that hope may be. For the dragons, for the world, and for Kai and Eli.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this arc in exchange for my honest review.
After the Dragons is a quiet, intimate, urban fantasy. It follows two young men, Kai and Eli, and their unlikely partnership as it becomes something more. Zhang's writing is incredibly atmospheric, so much so that at times it felt like if I looked out my window I would see dragons dotting the telephone wires.
The atmosphere and the writing are two of the novel's greatest strengths, but I most enjoyed the difficult topics Zhang touches on. The devastating impact of climate change, pollution, chronic illness, identity, and grief just to name a few. There's also the commodification and desecration of dragons. How humans take and they taint–a concept illustrated by dragons fighting in an arena and humans betting on them ala dogfighting. Zhang discusses these important issues but doesn't offer a wealth of solutions. Her world is painfully realistic, gritty, and melancholic.
But that doesn't mean the book is without hope, however uncertain that hope may be. For the dragons, for the world, and for Kai and Eli.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this arc in exchange for my honest review.
August 14, 2021
This book is a quiet, intimate fantasy that tenderly tackles topics such as pollution, grief, and how to care for one another. The detailed, atmospheric descriptions of a Beijing filled with dragons were delightful, and the gentle queer love story pulled at my heartstrings. I would recommend this book to people interested in speculative fiction which entwines ecologism with an introspective, beautiful story.
Thanks to Stelliform Press for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
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Thanks to Stelliform Press for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Follow me on my Blog, Twitter, and Instagram.
April 30, 2022
It's a quite SFF novel about romantic fantasy set in alternate Beijing featuring dragons and two ordinary young adults who find love in a complicated world.
''But it’s not fair. You shouldn’t be the only one —''
''Fair?'' Kai asks, raising one eyebrow. “Of course it’s not fair. We’re in one of the richest cities in the world, and there are people starving in the streets, businessmen spending thousands of yuan to cheat on their wives and feeling generous for giving a few coins to a beggar. You think anyone cares about fair?''
"You do," Eli points out. "I do."
"Oh, good," Kai says, "two people in a city of millions. Truly encouraging, I look forward to seeing how we single-handedly turn years of corruption and systemic injustice around."
''But it’s not fair. You shouldn’t be the only one —''
''Fair?'' Kai asks, raising one eyebrow. “Of course it’s not fair. We’re in one of the richest cities in the world, and there are people starving in the streets, businessmen spending thousands of yuan to cheat on their wives and feeling generous for giving a few coins to a beggar. You think anyone cares about fair?''
"You do," Eli points out. "I do."
"Oh, good," Kai says, "two people in a city of millions. Truly encouraging, I look forward to seeing how we single-handedly turn years of corruption and systemic injustice around."
July 31, 2023
The writing is excellent, and I loved the world she created here, with dragons as the equivalent of stray cats. Kai's dragon rescue efforts are the same combination of cute and heart-breaking as modern animal rescue organizations, and his serious health issues add another layer of melancholy on top of that. The depiction of this slightly alt-universe Beijing is interesting and thought-provoking, and Eli adds a layer of sweetness, but the story ends just when you're ready for it to get started. Too short for me, but for those who love these kinds of fantasy novellas, I think this would be perfect.
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