WHAT I ENJOYED ABOUT THIS BOOK:

• It's an Asian-inspired steampunk fantasy

I haven't read many steampunk books but I really enjoyed this reading experience. Inspired from Qin-dynasty China, the world written by Mary Fan sits in between the modern and traditional era where mechanical dragons and arrange marriages coexist. The Asian-inspired setting really made my heart take flight because THIS IS THE CONTENT I SIGNED UP FOR. Stronger than a Bronze Dragon pays homage to Asian culture and I loved it so much for that.

• This book is full of angst

Yes we've got snarky little cinnamon rolls in this book. Anlei, the protagonist, is a stabby village girl intent on seeking adventure. She wants to make name for herself as a warrioress who slays monsters and protects her village from all evil. I loved how she didn't shy away from the thrill of the fight. Her desire to claim glory for herself may not be likeable for some but I admire her for it. I felt really empowered while reading about Anlei. Somehow, I wanted to break off a table leg and wield it as a sword to fight mosquitoes and flying cockroaches. Well, they're a far cry from all the demons Anlei has vanquished but they're the only things my boring life can offer for now.

(Just a little PSA: killing mosquitoes is challenging. You have to give me a little credit for having the courage to defeat those little bloodsuckers.)

Then there's Tai. He's the male protagonist with a mysterious past. I adored reading his snarky lines and I did love his banter with Anlei. However, I didn't really ship them as a couple. They have great chemistry as friends but I couldn't reconcile the image of them being *together*. Maybe it's just me though. I'm quite picky with my ships nowadays.

• ‎DRAGONS

The first time I read this book's title, I immediately clicked that "WANT TO READ" button on goodreads. That button is a blackhole, y'all. I don't recommend being friends with it.

Anyway, I was interested with Stronger than a Bronze Dragon at first sight because when I see a word that starts with letter D and ands with an N on a book title, that baby goes into the TBR pile immediately. Well, dragons don't play a pivotal role in this book but I still appreciated their presence (there are mechanical dragons and sort-of-ethereal dragons here y'all). Don't mind me. I'm trash for the smallest dragon appearances in all forms of media.

• ‎All hail Mary Fan for the descriptive writing

This book has very rich descriptions which further cemented its plot. I'm a very sensory reader and the descriptions really helped me in imagining the settings and the scenes. I also applaud Mary Fan for incorporating mythology in this book. Aside from dragons, there are ghosts, moon spirits, monsters and demons which added more dimension to the story.

More insights:

I had some issues with the pacing and felt a bit disconnected to the characters when I reached the end but this one is still a fun standalone to read. Despite the predictablity of the plot twists, I still appreciated the over-all angsty feel of the book. I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO ALL THE READERS WHO WOULD LIKE TO FEEL EMPOWERED. Let's travel to Hell and back with these fierce protagonists!

Stronger Than A Bronze Dragon follows the journey of Anlei. She’s a warrior who agrees to marry a viceroy in exchange for protection to her village. But, the night before the wedding, the River Pearl, a magical jewel belonging to her village, that had been presented to the viceroy is stolen, prompting her to go on a quest to bring it back to the viceroy so he would still honour his bargain and protect her village.

What I love most about this story is most definitely the main lead, Anlei. She’s a fierce warrior and she’s unflinchingly loyal, even to the villagers who don’t care much for her. She absolutely adores her sister and her mother, her only family. She’s also hell bent on avenging her father’s death. It’s a very defining aspect of her personality, this need for vengeance and it colours all her actions. But, it’s dealt with in a very plausible way which I love. Her character arc is really good and I enjoyed going on this journey with her. She’s a really awesome MC and I absolutely adore her.

Tai, the love interest, is really great too, with his witty one liners and his sarcasm and shitty sense of humour. He’s really determined and loyal, too, much like Anlei. He’s been through A LOT in life, but he’s still this cheerful, happy person most of the time and I really admire that about him.

The slow burn romance between the two is the stuff dreams are made of. I love how their relationship progresses throughout the story, going from wary strangers to tentative friends to reluctantly falling in love. And the banter between them is all sorts of amaze. Seriously. All interaction between the two of them is great, but especially the banter. I live for it. It’s really heartwarming to see them fall in love, grow as people as they spend more time together. They care so much about each other and I loved reading them just be there for each other. They’re really good together! ❤

The plot of this book is sensational. AND ALL THE SHEER PLOT TWISTS. OH MY GODS THE PLOT TWISTS. I AM BLOWN AWAY. TOTALLY, COMPLETELY BLOWN AWAY. I did not see them coming and omfg I just had to keep the book down to actually digest some of them because holy shit. Just when I thought I had it figured out, something would happen and then there’d be another reveal and I’d have re-evaluate everything once again. Certainly kept me on my toes. There was never a moment where I was bored. The pacing was great, and something or the other was always happening to keep me engaged.

What I absolutely love in this story is the blending of magic and science. We get mechanical dragons, people. MECHANICAL DRAGONS. I love how the author has made them co-exist in this space. It’s really well done and I like it.

The one thing that I’m not a fan of has to be the big villain conflict. Like, it was built up to be this huge thing, but the actual confrontation did not live up to the hype I was creating in my head. I would have liked it to be a little more drawn out, maybe. Or grander? I’m not too sure because it was really good, but I’d just built it up in my head so much and I wanted more, I guess.

Overall, this was a fun, exciting read that I absolutely enjoyed and I will definitely be reccing it to all y’all fantasy readers.

3.5 stars
Pros:

- steampunk GOODNESS

- amazing Chinese-inspired world (I'm actually quite proud of myself because I understood some of the Chinese words used)

- if you're looking for a fun quest story, this is for you!

- though I wouldn't say that the characters are ground-breaking or that we haven't seen them in other adventure/fantasy stories before, they are well-developed and likable

Cons:

- i felt like the main characters declared their love for each other too quickly, and I think the circumstances of the declaration would've been way way more impactful if it were one of friendship instead of romantic love

I’m so happy to live in this time where a lot of books attribute Asian representation and diversity. Of course, Stronger Than A Bronze Dragon is one of them. With its strong female warrior main character, this novel will take readers to a journey battling demons while unfolding the mystery surrounding the powerful River Pearl.

While reading, this book reminds me of one of my all-time favorite anime, Inuyasha, an epic time-traveling demon-fighting adventure in feudal Japan. In the anime, there is the Sacred Jewel or Shikon Jewel, is a powerful marble-sized jewel which grants immense power to whoever possesses it. Although there are some elements similar to the anime, Stronger Than A Bronze Dragon narrates a completely different tale.

Blending steampunk and supernatural elements, Stronger Than A Bronze Dragon created a unique fantasy plot. We have mechanical dragons, spirits, ghosts, and many more! The story started quite slowly and dragging at first but it picked up almost immediately. There is also a bit of romance, although it was not a major element in the story.

I like Anlei. Her character shows both strengths and flaws in the way readers can relate. She makes sacrifices for her loved ones, but also she does actions just to fully satisfy her own ambitions. Also, I really like Tai. He’s hilarious and a very interesting character. I could not help myself but laugh whenever Anlei and Tai threw their banters. These two characters have a significant role that made the plot more engaging.

The reason why I took off one and a half star is I felt that some elements are lacking which could have made the story more entertaining. The first one is the world-building. As I had understood, this book mixed old-fashioned and modern cultures which somehow contradict each other. For example, women in ancient and imperial China were restricted in various social events and that they should remain indoors. However, Anlei was allowed to fight and battle evil spirits. The last one is the villain. It was just a typical villain who did not have any motivation why he wanted power.

Overall, despite some issues, I still enjoyed reading Stronger Than A Bronze Dragon. If you’re looking for a unique fantasy standalone, you need to try picking up this book.

3.5/5 stars!

3.5 stars, rounded to four because dragons

Anlei's village is under attack from strange ghost monsters—and all seems well when the viceroy swoops in and saves them with his fleet of mechanical dragons. Until he demands the village's famed (and worthless) River Pearl as tribute—and one of the villagers to take as his bride. No one is more surprised than Anlei when he chooses her, and she's dragged to the province's capital to be wed. All bets are off, however, when a mysterious thief steals the River Pearl. Anlei decides to save her village and capture the thief and the Pearl—except the thief has a good reason to steal it...

Aside from the Chinese-based world, this is a pretty standard YA fare. Only the Chinese influenced world-building and the steampunk nature of automatons, mechanical dragons and flying ships distinguish this one from the scores of YA fantasies with painfully similar plots.

This is literally the plot (spoilers removed): super special girl is special and Not Like Other Girls™️ because she is a warrior and wants to fight and be free from societal obligations placed on women. Her village is attack and she saves them, then is forced to marry the Powerful Man for ~reasons~. She goes on a quest, meets The Boi, and they have adventures and must save the entire world from Evil. There is a giant plot twist (view spoiler). After about two weeks of knowing each other, girl and boi love each other fiercely and do anything to save each other. The end.

Anlei is nothing special in terms of YA heroines. She's the best warrior on the planet, and a fantastic acrobat, despite never practicing either of these things on page. She also is dyslexic, which was an interesting twist, but I rolled my eyes because she used it to explain that she wasn't a simple-minded peasant, she just couldn't read because characters took extra concentration. Simple peasant girl basically told her noble-born love interest that she's not like the other people in her village. I put that poorly but it annoyed me. Also, her younger sister is a genius inventor.

Tai is your generic YA love interest. Mysterious. Tragic background. Soft-hearted but also heroic. Very smart. Wields a staff. Obviously a prince of some sort. Did I mention the tragedy?

There's also the Magical Black Character trope, so that was fun.

And a powerful dude who wants to marry Anlei because she'd make a beautiful bride but...why? Like, literally. Why? Sure she's pretty and has spirit but his motivations for wanting to marry her just made no sense whatsoever. He pretty much spends the entire book twirling his mustache (I don't know if he actually has a mustache, but his queue or whatever).

Anywho, these are all the negatives.

The positives!

That cover (and the title) are absolutely gorgeous.

I did enjoy the plot quite a bit. I was entertained and engaged throughout, even if there was nothing too special (it went through beats rather methodically) going on. Being predictable doesn't mean bad. I did like the Asian steampunk part of it, and how these integrated with the plot and the world. I also liked the ghosts and spirits.

Also, there's a good discussion throughout the book about the fate of women. In the story there is a legend of a famous Warrioress, who had many amazing adventures and was rewarded with marriage to a king and the end of her story. Anlei is worried that marriage will be the end to her own story, and is tired of the hero's journey—there are numerous parallels, as Tai is the one given the magical sword, it is Tai's quest she is joining, and Tai who will be the one remembered in legend for saving the people. (view spoiler)

Overall, this wasn't a ~great~ book but it wasn't bad, either. It was enjoyable, if laden with tropes (and wooden characters) that it couldn't quite overcome, and had an interesting concept with steampunk dragons and ghosts/spirit people. If you overlook the prerequisite forced twu wuv 4eva aspect, it's a solidly standard YA fantasy novel.

I received this from NetGalley for an honest review.

First of all, it's an Asian fantasy which means, it is set in the Asian world! And, dragon? Okay, I'm sold to this book! When I receive an email from Rafael @ The Royal Polar Bear Reads, I could not hide the excitement to read the book thus without further ado, let's get into my thoughts.

📀 The Premise
Stronger Than A Bronze Dragon has a very promising premise which you instantly fall in love with the stories. It has a perfectly amazing element such as magic, ghost, machinery dragon, friendship, Chinese rep, and did I mention that they have a cool technology that they used, no? A badass heroine and good chemistry with Tai and that which makes the whole reading experience even more enjoyable. From this book, I learn about steampunk - a combination of advanced technology and old-fashioned. Seriously, I do not know how to explain that but I hope you can get what I mean.

Reading this book, it feels like I'm in a dynasty China like in the Chinese drama/movie that set in ancient times and I really love it. I got all the feels from the book.

📀 The Badass Heroine & The Male Protagonist Who has a secret of his own

Now, let's get into the two main characters in Stronger Than A Bronze Dragon. Anlei, the badass warrior who does not has time to think about love, other than, only to get revenge over the death of her father and to protect her village. However, when the Viceroy came to her village, an unexpected thing happened to her which is hard for her to do but obey it in order to protect her village. While Tai, the male protagonist who has many secrets and has his own war to fight. Eventually, both of them met and together they fight the war. I love their relationship, their teamwork, their snarky comments toward each other which I think that's how it will bring the relationship close to each other, isn't it? Or is that me who feel that way. Either way, their chemistry is really amazing.

📀 The Plot & The Writing

As mentioned from the synopsis of the book, it is fast-paced storytelling following both of the two main characters embarking their journey to fight and to save the people from all sort of evils who attacking Anlei's village and Tai's people. When you read this book, you will realize you cannot put the book down because you need to know what is going to happen, how are they and what not. Seriously. There is an unexpected thing happen in this book which makes you go - 'OMG! Are you serious?I..I don't even realize that' - that moment hit me.

Anyway, this is my first time reading a book written by Mary Fan and she has written a vividly amazing world-building and very descriptive writing that really really appeals to me.

Even so, I do have to say this, there is tiny teeny part in the story that I felt it was quite draggy and I honestly have the urge to skip it fast so I could go into the best part of the book, though. Do I skip? Nope, I ain't skip any part of the book because I felt it is important to know every word of the book so I could absorb the story into my heart. That being said, it won't affect my likes toward this book.

📀 Conclusion

In a nutshell, Stronger Than A Bronze Dragon is a fantastic steampunk fantasy sets in the Asian world that truly 'wow' me and honestly, it was a crazy fierce journey following them and even, the unexpected twist which will leave a mark in me for a very long time. The pace, the writing, the setting are amazing and I really recommend you to read this book and I hope you do enjoy reading them as much as I do.

Stronger Than A Bronze Dragon, is one of the challenging books I've read. I enjoyed the story and the characters, but at some point I had a hard time finishing it. I think it's because I get distracted a lot when reading it. I really liked the book cover too! It's catchy and I do love dragon related covers and books. I need to find this in our local bookstore soonest.

I guess, this book is something new to me that it got a hard time catching my attention. I think this is the first book I've read for this year with a Chinese plot as well. I just love the idea of it being modern with a mix of old era. The book itself is enjoyable to read on it's own way. I was curious on Anlei's journey, I knew deep in my mind that she has more potential in her, she's more into strength and her father was a soldier, I wonder what would it take for her to protect her family and her place. Then, a switch in her life happened when the viceroy comes into the picture and that's what makes the whole book more exciting as well because real adventure happened. I liked the twists and turn of the story and I didn't expect the ending until after Anlei & Tai's journey. The book was full of surprises. Anlei and Tai's team was actually fun. I liked their chemistry and I liked how they annoy each other. Well I think, there's so many friendships or relationships that starts from there but still, I think it's cute. Aside from that, I liked the small hints on the book both characters are in denial but fate speaks in a different way.

Anyway, despite the challenges on reading the book, I actually enjoyed it. Although the ending is not a cliffhanger, I am thinking if there will be more story about Anlei and Tai. I really liked both of them and their partnership.

"Many choices come down to love or hate. Choose love, every time."

I’ve been trying to read this one and I can’t get into the story at all. I thought I would love it, the plot had me immediately intrigued. Steampunk fantasy and dragons, but sadly I’m not connecting with it. I felt like I was thrown into the story with the first sentence, with no world building or introduction. I even flipped back to the beginning a couple times thinking that I had missed something. I'm disappointed that I didn't enjoy it, so I may come back to it at a later date.

This is a wild-ride, steam punk fantasy novel about a strong female warrior who does everything she can to protect her people and to avenge her father's death. There's adventure, well-written fight scenes, a little romance, and lots of magic. I especially enjoyed the Chinese cultural elements that Fan used not only to build this world, but to create the mythology of this story.

This is a gripping story, and I would definitely recommend it to fantasy lovers out there, especially those that like a bit of steam-punk thrown in. It's fast-paced, there are highs and lows for our two main characters, and overall there's just some really great storytelling.

I am living for all of this gorgeous fantasy lately. I loved the way this story moved. It felt like everything was building perfectly, leading into a most fitting ending. Plus! The romance throughout! I was a little surprised to find out it was a standalone before reading but after I can understand why. Definitely recommending to pretty much everyone I can. Also, have you seen that cover? Love. Great book, truly great book.

The Characters: Anlei is undoubtedly one of the most badass heroine I’ve ever encountered. She’s strong not just physically, she’s also strong-willed. She’s focus and really want to achieve what she’s trying to achieve not only for herself, but for her town and family. And by family, it includes avenging her father’s death because of the Ligui (the ghost monsters that antagonize them). I even forgive Anlei for her wishes for the Ligui to attack just so she can have her revenge. The girl lost her father so that’s forgivable even though it’s a bit foolish because she knew they can’t really defeat their enemies. That’s why they needed help from Viceroy Kang.

Speaking of Viceroy Kang, I can’t say much about him without giving away too much of the plot and maybe twists. All I can say is that he’s typical. I’ve read so much about him in other novels, only with different names and maybe different physical appearance but as a character, he’s too familiar. Tai, the young thief, though is more interesting. I instantly like Tai the moment he showed and got me interesting in the coming scenes with him and Anlei.

Aside from these three, I applaud the Chinese warrior girls (including Anlei, of course) that really stood out in this novel. I think the author really did a good job at handling and showing all the badassness of her warriors. You know, without being over the top. It’s just perfect.

WORLD: Duh? PERFECT. So vivid.

The Plot and Writing: The plot is a big the reason of my 3-star rating, in a good way. This book is actually only 2 stars if I didn’t like the plot. This novel has without a doubt a very solid story. Like I can see the author pouring her everything and herself on plotting the whole thing. She made the complex easy to follow. Besides what’s not to like? Chinese rep, Mythology, Steampunk, dragons, ghost monsters- I love all of these stuff. But then I got a problem with the writing.

Maybe you’re thinking, isn’t the plot a product of the writing? Yes it is. If it has a good plot then probably the writing is good. But what I’m saying is, all the elements of the plot is amazing and interesting. Like everything made me want to read the whole freakin’ book even at times I felt bored. And there were those times, I tell you. It’s because the way the story is told seems to be lacking something and I couldn’t figure out what it is at first.

It was bugging me that something is wrong and I couldn’t let it go. So I read reviews on Goodreads and then found something from Amanda and it clicked. The writing is too clunky and it affected the building and the mood of the story. What does that mean? I’m no expert. I haven’t published anything. But as a reader, when we read, there’s this thing inside us that made us read till the end. Like we don’t want to put down the book because we don’t want that thing inside us subside. Call it what you want-excitement or whatever- but that thing is lacking in this book. It’s like in every scene, my emotion have to go back to zero and build up again only to start building again in the next scene. Of course there should be a breathing in the storytelling which is the purpose of ‘chapters’ but there should be something that’s embedded inside the reader so the excitement never dies even though we get to breathe after a chapter. So we keep reading and caring.

This book lacks that element that supports the building of the whole story. Obviously, I’m not doing a great job at explaining this but I tried guys. It’s like so many little things have been cut out in the story that it didn’t get deep in my reader’s heart. It’s like the book only included the most important parts of the story, it cut out the parts that truly make a story comes alive. It has all the parts that a novel should have-from introduction to resolution and everything in between- but it’s lacking on building the connection to the reader. I don’t blame this to the author, let me clear that up. There are many factors that affected this in the editing. I’m pretty sure of that.

Like I said in my one-sentence review, I read a book, I didn’t live in it. It is a book with a good, solid story but it wasn’t alive so the experience is not complete.

Finally, THE ROMANCE: It is okay.

I really hope this book is at least a duology and not a standalone. By the way guys, TAKE MY REVIEW WITH A GRAIN OF SALT. Kindly read this book and hopefully we can talk about your experience.

Did not finish. I tried really hard to read this book but the plot and characters were not working for me.I found myself not being invested in the characters as they came across very flat to me. The plot was extremely slow. This was just not a book for me.

I very much enjoyed reading Stronger Than a Bronze Dragon. This book is packed with action, a fierce heroine, and a very compelling story. 

Stronger Than a Bronze Dragon has some really incredible worldbuilding--and by that I mean it takes place in the fantasy equivalent of magical steampunk China. It's something you wouldn't immediately think would work well, but it works excellently, blending elements of Chinese history and the steampunk aesthetic seamlessly. There are so many different kids of magic and worldbuilding that I've never seen before, with two types of spirits, Ligui and Yueshen playing a huge role in the story. I'm not sure if it comes from Chinese culture or not, but I appreciated reading about new ideas and seeing how everything came together. 

I really loved the two main characters, Anlei and Tai. Anlei was such a treasure to read about; she's loyal to her family and village almost to a fault, restless, and always leaps to the occasion whenever she has a chance to. I admire her bravery and sense of duty so much. As for Tai, I just want to wrap him up in a blanket and tell him everything will be okay. He was so good and bright and happy throughout most of the book, but he's also been through so much and it makes me want to protect him. 

I recommend this to any fantasy fans, especially if you like creative worldbuilding and great characters.

Disclaimer: I received this ARC courtesy of Page Street Kids through NetGalley. I am grateful for the opportunity to review an ARC for my readers, but this will not influence my final rating. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and based solely on the book.

Stronger than a Bronze Dragon hooked me on two keywords. “Dragon” and “thief.” I’m a sucker for books with either of those. The fact that the book is based on Chinese culture was an added bonus. I know nothing and I mean nothing about the Courts of Hell, but trust that I was ready to learn.

I will say I definitely got my two keywords in this book. The bronze dragons make many appearances and our thief is a key player early on. But I could predict everything. StaBD followed every trope line you would expect in a warrior girl/thief boy fantasy novel.

My frustration is really that the book has potential. Anlei is a passionate girl who hungers for a chance at adventure. Early in the book she realizes that the domestic life is not for her—especially unusual in a time when women are expected to wed young and be obedient.

When it comes down to it, though, the writing felt less like exploring scenes and more like pushing BIG MOMENTS at the reader. Anlei is kidnapped, Anlei escapes, Anlei saves an orphaned child, Anlei falls in a river, Anlei–* I love action scenes, really I do, but after a bit I was hungering for descriptive and introspective scenes.

*I made these up to avoid spoilers
Another thing that didn’t quite click with me was the narrative voice. StaBD is written in first person—a.k.a. Anlei’s voice—and while Anlei is seventeen years old, the though process shown to the reader is more similar to that of a thirteen or fourteen-year-old. Anlei acts without thinking, speaks without considering the feelings of others, and often scolds herself in her head in simplistic language. (Like a young child repeating what a parent has said.) It reads so oddly and often stilted. Honestly, I would recommend this book to younger readers for its tone and narration. It doesn’t read like upper YA, and I can see older teens having trouble connecting to Anlei.

One other thing: everything was so simple! Any struggle that arises, a solution is always found within seconds. (Even when it wouldn’t be logical.)

I think this book requires slight suspension of disbelief, which is an odd thing to say when reading fantasy. The world-building could have used a bit more development, as not all the details are understandable/believable even within Fan’s own universe.

Okay, so I don't think this book was bad... just a little awkward.

Things I appreciated:

• The FANTASTIC deconstruction of the ~enigmatic sidekick~ trope, especially towards the end of the book.

• There was some reverse-exotification going on here with Anlei romanticising the fictional stand-in for the Western world ("exotic cities full of tall stone buildings with colored-glass windows; crowds of yellow-haired Westerners with tall noses and round eyes"), which I thought was really amusing.

• The romance in this was just... alright. There was one moment towards the end that felt very cathartic and true to the character development of the main duo, but otherwise I think I might to stick to queer romance for a while lol.

• The steampunk + fantasy mix was REALLY interesting. I think this is my first steampunk novel! I loved the blend between machinery and magic in the story, especially how it played into the climax of the story and the final battle.

• God, I loved the Yueshen/Ligui fantasy elements. I wish we got more of them!

• There was dyslexia rep in this novel that I thought was really well-handled, and it was the first time I've seen a disability like this in an epic fantasy. I don't personally have dyslexia though, so I'd defer to the thoughts of someone who does on this!

Now onto what didn't really work for me. :(

• Personally, I felt that the most pressing problem that this book suffered from was its uneven pacing. All the plot twists were stored up and UNLEASHED in the last 150 pages of the book—which may not be an issue in itself, but I'm going to be real with you: I wasn't really invested in the story until like the second twist (if you noticed, most of the things I liked were mostly revealed towards the end of the book orz).

• Which plays into my next point of how all the characters felt kind of one-dimensional until the third arc of the book. Maybe this was intentional? But characters make or break a story for me, and I spent a gooood chunk of my reading time here just wanting to move on and get it all over with. Yikes.

• There were a lot of Chinese phrases sprinkled here and there throughout the book, but to be honest they could sometimes feel a little clunky. Especially when it came to the Chinese used in dialogue between the characters. It's just that in my personal experience, no one really uses those phrases colloquially? Even if the words do mean quite literally what they are supposed to mean. I don't really think I've ever heard anyone say gun kai (滚开) in real life. BUT a caveat has to be made here that I only represent one (1) experience of Chinese identity! YMMV, and I'm looking forward to read more ownvoices thoughts on this.

• This one is definitely more of a personal thing: I didn't connect to the writing style as much as I hoped I would. Characters would frequently tell you their inner feelings rather than showing them, which I personally found a little off-putting. I tend to like my descriptions a little on the meatier and richer side, especially in epic fantasies.

Final verdict: 3.5 stars. Some solid ideas bogged down by less-than-stellar writing and pacing, but if you're interested in a steampunk Chinese fantasy with some spunky heroine + mysterious stranger-turned-lover moments, give this a go!

Unfortunately, this novel missed the mark for me. I thought it had a lot of potential, but it really was missing a lot of world building. I had difficulty really picturing what setting I was reading about and what was actually happening during the scenes. World building is super important to me and I think this novel was really lacking in that area. I also feel like I never really became attached to any of the characters. They seemed really distant and like they were missing something as well. I really think this novel could have been a lot better, so I was pretty disappointed. Thank you to NetGalley for sending this novel in exchange for an honest review.

4*
Pros: Magical world-building. Joins Chinese culture and myths together with steampunk (incredible, right??). Resilient and relatable main characters. Lead character is complemented by the missions and ambitions of secondary characters, which is very refreshing. Feminist notes. Important PoV into mental health.Talks about abusive parental figures.
•
Cons: Too fast-paced, both in terms of plot and of character development. The storyline of this book would be enough for a whole sequel.

It feels like the first half of this was a book I would have DNF'd, while the second half was an enjoyable, exciting action/fantasy story. So it definitely could have been stronger in my opinion, but I finished it feeling pleased.

The writing especially began a bit rough. The beginning was full of stilted, unrealistic dialogue meant to dump all relevant information on us — a problem I entirely relate to, but expect better than from professional writers. For about the first half I didn't exactly dislike Anlei or the setting, but I wasn't emotionally invested. Lingering descriptions of the setting didn't strike me as gorgeous, just tedious. Also, the love interest hit one of my pet peeves for obnoxious male characters that I'm sure plenty of people would love, but I disliked (think Rhysand from ACOTAR, though not nearly as bad).

But sometimes after the middle of the book, I hit a moment when I suddenly could not read fast enough. The plot picked up with new hurdle after hurdle, I stopped disliking Tai at all, and I flew through the rest of the book in one afternoon.

Even though I was bored with the first half, I'd still recommend this book if it at all fit what the person who asked was looking for.

I sadly put this down at 30%. This is a personal preference due to the story telling style and also the protagonist. I feel like there was never enough to connect to her and it felt like a bunch of scenes put together and I never felt like we got to relax at all or get to know the characters more. I can see teens enjoying this, but it wasn't for me.

I received this book for a blog tour. Unfortunately, I was unable to finish it despite starting it multiple times. This was just a personal thing; I couldn't get into the plot and I was a third of the way through, with very little plot happening. Again, just a personal thing!