Book Review – The Way of Dragons by CT Ortega

This review is way overdue as I read it in the summer but it is also one which has stuck with me through the last few months.

I won’t deny it, I am a big fan of Ortega’s work, he was the first author we interviewed on our podcast and I have read all his novels including standalones such as One Will Die and his Warfare of the Gods series in which the first one is called The Writer and The Throne, which is superb!!

This is CT Ortega’s most recent standalone and this time we travel to China where we follow Lei, a young boy who’s mother is very ill after being attacked by the gang, the Xiee.

After the traditional medicine doesn’t work and his mother gets worse he hears of an ancient herb which could not only cure his mother but also rescue the town from the ongoing drought it is having. However, the only way to find this herb is Tau, which is he must find his own way.

---

This is a story of self discovery and the lengths you sometimes need to go to understand who you really are.

I’m sure like a lot of people Lei was very unlikeable at the beginning. He was weak, made pretty bad decisions and he refused to follow his heart. But his mother is everything to him and so he sets out on this journey to find his tau and more importantly find the herb to save her.

However he is in for a big surprise, as he discovers early on, with rumours of a dragon attacking towns and levelling them for not defending themselves against the Xiee. Can he get the herb and save his town from the same fate?

I have to admit I loved this book. The beginning was not all that eventful but that’s because Lei’s life was very dull and repetitive. However as he progresses on his journey we see this boy transform into so much more than a man.

The aspect of the book which I really enjoyed the most is the concept of tau and that the only way to find the herb is to find your own way, and not follow the usual routes. It follows all those old sayings such as take the road less travelled but the idea of tau really sparked something in me and connected with me.

Once again Caleb’s scene setting was so well executed. I love how vivid the imagery of China was and of a certain land at the end of the book, which you reach via a bridge (I won’t tell you, you need to read it) That place in particular was so well described that I could imagine it so clearly and I would definitely have loved to be there.

There are other minor characters in the book which support the story but this is Lei’s story and his journey. It is filled with adventure, battles, and dragons! But to do all this Lei must overcome his fears and let bravery take hold.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – If you are looking for a story of self discovery, a coming of age with a mixture of ancient gods and lore which we have come to expect from Caleb’s novels, you can’t go wrong with this book. A fantastic read!!

Much love 💘