After the Dragons

May 17, 2021
Zhang’s quiet, Beijing-set romantic fantasy debut kicks off when Afro-Chinese-Amerian Elijah “Eli” Ahmed, an intern at Beida’s Department of Immunology, goes to a back-alley dragon fight. There, he meets Xiang “Kai” Kaifei, a college student who rescues stray dragons in his spare time. Kai is terminally ill with shaolong, the lung disease that killed Eli’s grandmother. When Eli finds a way to get the university involved in the care and keeping of Kai’s rescue dragons, who act charmingly like stray cats, the men begin to grow closer. Their meandering romance unfolds gently as Eli comes to terms with his sexuality and tries to help the stubbornly self-sufficient Kai, who does not want charity or to be defined by his illness. The stakes are almost nonexistent, and the lack of action may disappoint readers who expect contemporary fantasy to contain more plot than just a leisurely love story set against a magical backdrop. Those looking for a tender, mild escape, however, will appreciate the space Zhang leaves for introspection as the men’s feelings grow. Sweet, slow, and lightly speculative, this is sure to find an audience.

August 1, 2021
Two young men fall in love while rescuing dragons in Beijing, here characterized as abandoned pets and wild scavengers akin to stray cats. Afro-Chinese American Eli is an immunology intern, studying shaolong, the terminal lung disease his grandmother had. Kai, a biology student, works at a pet store that hosts dragon fights; he also scours Beijing for injured dragons to care for in his tiny apartment. Eli notices Kai has shaolong and is appalled at his fatalistic disinterest in medical intervention; Kai resents what he thinks is pity and a condescending attempt to override his decisions. Yet they grow close as Eli's research dovetails with Kai's dragons, studying how they, as an aquatic species, have adapted to the pollution and drought that created shaolong. The slow-burn romance is characterized by Eli's steadfast compassion and Kai's world-weary independence, as they do what they can to better the world. Zhang's portrayal of Beijing is rich with intimate details and subtle commentary on climate change, while the delightfully distinct dragons are seamlessly integrated. Despite being a slim novel, Zhang's introspective fantasy has enormous heart and astonishing depth.

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