Book Review: Dominion by Jean Kwok
Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the early copy of this book!
Published: July 14, 2026
Series: The Silk and Iron Trilogy #1
Genres: Adult // Fantasy, Romance
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ (Open Door)
Quick Thoughts: I wanted to love Dominion. It had a unique setting, animal bonds, and great pacing. Unfortunately, superficial worldbuilding and a lackluster romance made me disengage partway through. However, if you want a Chinese-inspired world and a fast-paced, vibes read, I still think this one is worth a look.
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What is Dominion about?
In a world divided into four rival Dominions, power is everything—and Rubi Morningtail has almost none. Three years after the Annihilation destroyed her homeland and shattered her memories, she lives as an Azure refugee in the Dominion of the Silver Tyger, scraping by as a ribbon dancer and hiding her little bit of singing magic. When she wounds a massive battle tyger on her doorstep, she draws the notice of Blake Axefire—supreme metal mage, leader of the royal tyger warriors, and the last man an Azure should trust. His sentence? Cast her into the Bonding, a brutal trial where tygers choose their riders and slaughter the rest. Surviving is unthinkable.
But survive she does. Now she's stuck on Blake's elite team racing to reseal the Anchors to the demon realm. With rebels striking, demons rising, and the Dominions at each other's throats, Rubi must unlock the truth of her magic and her past…while resisting her dangerous attraction to the ruthless warrior who could be her redemption—or her ruin.
Dominion Review
I'm a little torn on my rating for this one. When I saw Dominion sold as 'Fourth Wing with tygers,' I knew I had to pick it up. I wanted to love it, but the superficial, disjointed worldbuilding and the cringey romance made me disengage partway through.
What I liked
The foundation is good. The world and magic system draw from Chinese mythology, which felt fresh next to everything else I've read lately. The bonds with the tygers were a highlight, and Flame stole the show with her wit and sarcasm. The setup gave the story real stakes too: four rival dominions forced to come together to save their world. And the pacing through the first half never let up, so I had a hard time putting it down.
What I didn’t like
At the halfway mark, I was ready to give this five stars, but the second half really lost me. It felt like the author had a strong beginning and ending in mind but wasn't sure how to bridge the two. The middle read like surface-level filler, and by the end I couldn't connect with the plot or the characters the way I wanted to.
A lot of that came down to missing information. Key concepts and even entire scenes felt like they skipped over details that would have helped the book make more sense. For example, the book never really explains what yin power is versus yang power. There are also some big moments and revelations throughout the story that we just brush past, with little explanation or reaction from the characters. Both of these issues are why the book felt flat to me.
That same lack of depth seeps into the character relationships, and the romance suffers for it. Rubi and Blake’s relationship was the definition of insta-love, and I just did not feel invested in it.
So, should you read Dominion?
The final stretch did leave me curious about book two, and bumped my rating up half a star. That ending is honestly the only reason I'm considering picking up the sequel.
Still, this is a promising adult fantasy debut, with a setting and plot unlike anything else I've read this year. If you want a Chinese-inspired world and a fast-paced, vibes read, I think this one is worth a look.
Check out this review on Goodreads or Storygraph.
Happy reading!
Kim
Dominion FAQs
Some of the answers may be spoilers if you haven’t read it already. Proceed with caution!
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Potential spoilers ahead ⚠️
Sexual assault
Violence/Death
Xenophobia
Sexism/Misogyny
Kidnapping
Torture/Detainment
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Potential spoilers ahead ⚠️
Animal companions/bonds
Chosen one
Amnesia/Memory loss
Found family
Military training
Trials
Quest
World inspired by Chinese mythology
Refugee main character
Possessive MMC
Hidden/Secret identities
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Yes, Dominion is the first book in The Silk and Iron Trilogy.
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As of the writing of this post, the second book in The Silk and Iron Trilogy hasn’t been announced yet.
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My overall spice rating for Dominion is 3 🌶️ or open door, though the scenes range in how explicit they are.
Some scenes are open door scenes and other are brief mentions of having sex.
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The spicy chapters are below, but they do range in how explicit and long they are:
Chapter 30
Chapter 34
Chapter 37
Chapter 45 (two paragraphs; brief scene)
Chapter 51 (very brief and not descriptive)