The Old Dragon’s Head by Justin Newland is a magical realism historical fiction set in ancient China. For twenty years the last Dragon Master, Wing, has been missing. With no successor in place, the energies of the Old Dragon could not be summoned to strengthen the Great Wall, and now the Mongol threat looms large once again. The last section of the Wall, at Shanhaiguan, near the Bohai Sea, is under guard of the Prince of Yan, uncle to the Emperor. When an attempt on the Prince’s life ends in the death of the local magistrate, things begin to heat up. 

The new magistrate seeks to foment conflict. Secretly, he hates his own people. He arrests several as being traitors and collaborators with the Mongols. Any who oppose Gang are arrested, and tortured into false confessions. In the midst of this, one man, the soldier Bolin, begins having visions, and hearing voices. A spirit has a task for him, one important for China’s security.

I quite enjoyed this read! It’s more historical mystery than magical realism. Indeed, those aspects don’t fully flower into something possibly beyond the scope of our world until the end. It explores the deeply spiritual and religious nature of the Chinese. Much of the work of the Mongol shaman Altan would fall as magical realism. (Unless, that is, what he does is either the work of poison or a result of extreme suggestion). I loved the exploration of culture and beliefs of this particular time in history. It’s a snapshot of these peoples’ lives as they guard the wall or support the soldiers doing so. One particularly interesting aspect was Luli and her work at the Po Office. Leaving something behind for your ‘soul successor’ was something I’ve never come across. I enjoyed the glimpses into Mongol culture as well. 

The cold case mystery was interesting. I guessed the location of one body long before it was actually revealed. The second was found by the Great Wall Mummers on their way back from the other end of the Wall. It took them ten years to go all the way from one end to the other! They hadn’t been to Shanhaiguan for twenty years! That’s just so wild to think about. I liked all of the major story players. Action jumps between the soldier Bolin, Luli the healer and Po Office mistress, and Feng, the son of the murdered magistrate. Yet, there’s more to each of these people than you first might guess. Gang, the corrupt new magistrate gets his own focus too, but I did care as much for him. I understand why he is partially the way he is, but he’s a fanatic and just disagreeable all around. Overall, a good read! Recommended!

*****Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing a copy in exchange for a fair and honest review. Reviewed for Love Books Tours.