Yuzhen Cai Books

Fast-paced, full of action and fun, Paper Dragons takes you on a journey which, while entirely fantasy fiction, delves into Chinese culture, folklore and cuisine.

Filled with adventurous twists and turns, the plot develops breathing flesh into each character seamlessly, so you gain empathy for even the most unlikeable characters and will Zhi Ging on despite all the barriers in her way. The heroine is adopted and remains on the fringe of her community for being “different”, and the reader roots for Zhi Ging to triumph against adversity throughout. The story-telling shines out above all else and the final plot twist has left me eager to read on.

A lovely addition at the end is the Author’s note, explaining some of the “Irish-tinged Cantonese” names used in the book and is indicative of the thought put into every detail of the story.

An incredibly accomplished debut novel – hopefully the first of many to come!