I'm not as much of a martial arts buff as others, but this was still really fun! The main character went through a lot of growth, which was good to see, and I could tell that they were really pulling a lot from the Bruce Lee teachings (as the synopsis says). Very enjoyable, and it will be one to recommend to martial arts lovers!

This book was enjoyable to me. A young adult novel that presumes its readership is capable of handling intricate circumstances, motivations, and characters is something I truly value. I believe Jun struck a suitable note for the protagonist, a 16-year-old. He is committed to accomplishing his dreams and goals, and he follows through on his plans. However, he is also impulsive, impatient, and prone to making bad decisions that cost him later on. The political environment of the novel is richly detailed, both explicitly and implicitly, and I truly enjoy the rich, complex world that the book creates. I'm interested to see how the second book handles all of that.

The writing is richly descriptive, transporting readers to a world imbued with magic and tension. Perhaps one of the most engaging aspects is how Jun navigates the emotional weight of being “breathmarked” in a society that often equates worth with physical attributes. His struggle reinforces a message about self-acceptance and the notion that true strength often lies within, rather than in bestowed gifts or titles.

This young adult fantasy novel mostly centers on martial arts and the ascent to the top of one boy's difficult path. This one has a lot of aspects related to found family, but not a lot of romance! The viewpoint of a male YA protagonist caught my attention as well, as I don't frequently see them in these kinds of books. Just be advised that fighting/martial arts scenes and descriptions make up a significant chunk of this book.

A free eARC copy of Breath of the Dragon was provided by the publisher in return for a fair and unbiased review*

Breath of the Dragon is the first book in the Breathmarked duology series co authored by Shannon Lee and Fonda Lee (of The Green Bone Saga fame). For those out there who are drawn in by Fonda Lee's attachment to this book, just as I was, you need to be aware that this is more of a YA story than a story on the maturity level of The Green Bone Saga books. That said, that doesn't mean that this book is bad by any means. In fact, I found this to be a quite enjoyable YA style martial arts focused fantasy story.

Breath of the Dragon is about teenager Li Jun who is participating in a martial arts tournament to win the position of Guardian of the Scroll for the kingdom in which he lives in. Jun has a somewhat tragic backstory where he was banished from his home alongside his father at a young age for practicing martial arts separating him from his twin brother and mother who are left behind. As Jun progresses through the tournament, he gets drawn up into a larger conspiracy including a conniving general who has greater aspirations to rule the kingdom, an underground resistance movement, and a larger conspiracy brewing in the background. While many of these tropes are YA staples, they are all executed well enough that they did not feel like a rip off any other existing YA franchise.

While nothing in this story is genre defining or fully unique to itself, this book kept me engaged during this quick read, while also leaving off at a place that has me interested in reading the second and concluding volume of this series whenever it releases.

I would recommend this to anyone who does not mind a well written YA book and enjoys Asian inspired martial arts storylines.

I found this book almost impossible to set down once I started reading it. Jun is a very likeable main character, and I found myself invested in whether or not he was going to achieve his goals, and watching him go through a lot of growth as a character between when the reader first meets him and the end of the book. All of the characters felt well-developed, and I felt that they had realistic struggles and weaknesses. The book was full of action and fight scenes, and while I'm not extremely familiar with martial arts and wouldn't consider it to be something I know a lot about, I found the fight scenes easy to follow. I will definitely be reading the sequel when it comes out.

To be breathmarked, a human is born with the blood of a dragon. The blessing leaves dragon scale marks on the person, and special abilities that can enhance, mimick or affect another. Six year old Jun and his father are banished from their home in the East for practicing martial arts. Jun's mother and twin brother, Sai - who possesses a powerful breathmark are taken to the East.

Ten years later, in the West, 16 year old Jun takes off to fight in a warrior tournament to become the next guardian. But something sinister happens at the tournament, political battles are happening behind the scenes, and the current guard is suspected of rigging the tournament. The rebels take a stand, and Jun's caught in the middle.

🌎I was impressed at the scope of action, tension, and world building. I loved the detail, cultural references and setting.

🐲Jun is as a brash, cocky (little shit)sixteen year old. He's so full of himself in the beginning and has such a great character arc. I loved his relationship with Ren and Yin and how he's definitely still going through the awkward teen years.

🥷🏻The training scenes with Chang and Jun's flashbacks training with Sai, and the villains were well done.

My only real gripe, is I wish there was more about the dragon powers. Are there still living dragons, or just the one? I wanted more Sai and a map. I'll definitely be bumping up the Green Bone Saga as I'm such a fan of the writing, culture and lore of this book.

Thank you Fonda Lee, Shannon Lee, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4.5 ⭐s
Release date: January 7, 2025

Separated from family while eager to continue practicing martial arts, a teenage boy pursues his dream with the hope of restoring his family and their honor but finds himself in the midst of a far greater fight in Breath of the Dragon by Shannon Lee and Fonda Lee.
A skilled fighter in martial arts with training from his father, sixteen-year-old Jun has dreams of competing in the Guardian’s Tournament to prove his worth as a warrior with the aim of becoming the protector of the Scroll of Earth. Separated from his mother and twin brother, Jun and his father’s exile from their home was caused due to his father’s martial arts, which now only graces the stage of the theater; determined to bring honor back to his family despite his father’s forbidding him to participate in the tournament, Jun stows away in the wagon of the performers Chang and his daughter Ren, who are on their way to the capital. While getting additional training from Chang along the way Jun also learns more about the breathmarked, those with patches of dragon scales and special abilities like Chang and his twin. During the tournament, political upheaval from military intervention modifying this year’s rules and the Silent Flute Society’s longer-ranging plans aiming for reunification change how, and for what, Jun fights, as he realizes he’s competing not only for a better life for himself but for the country’s future.
In a captivating narrative that presents many scenes of high intensity fighting action, interludes of emotional intimacy, and intricately laid plans whose reality has just been revealed and resolution is yet to come, the story moves swiftly as it covers much ground, both in physical space through the travel undertaken and in detailing the fantastic aspects that enhance people’s naturally developed abilities while describing important elements of how this world functions. Jun’s character is depicted as bullheadedly determined, which provides a clear picture of his youth, as well as his drive and motivation; however, there’s a naïveté that goes along with it, because while he does experience some growth as the story progresses much of that seems to come from external rather than internal instigators, making it seem as if he’s too reliant on or influenced by going along with what’s happening around him rather than firmly fighting for what he believes in. The political intrigue surrounding the Silent Flute Society was woven through the tale well with the network of characters involved as it developed through measured introduction of information to foreshadow plans to readers, which was glacially observed by Jun, and this network’s role will likely serve as a more satisfying, larger arc to help bring the narrative toward a conclusion in the second installment.
Overall, I’d give it a 4 out of 5 stars.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Firstly, thank you for providing me with the opportunity to read Breath of the Dragon. I was very intrigued by the concept, and I am not ashamed to say that the cover itself was a major factor in my decision to request.

My initial thoughts: this is definitely a young adult novel. That is not necessarily a bad thing, but the descriptions really leaned into that category, and at times I felt myself wanting a little more description or expansion. The main part that stood out to me: the world-building. It was really, really beautiful, and you can tell the authors truly put some thought and effort into it. At first I couldn't stand Jun, truly, but it made his character arc so much more special. He wasn't gifted in the sense his brother was, but he works hard and he grows into a worthy 'hero'. My major issue is simply depth. I wanted more depth to our characters, the relationships, and their journey.

This was really good! As usual Fonda Lee is not afraid to break your heart. I think this was a very good start to the series and I can’t wait to see where the next book takes us!

Well, this book didn't take me long. I read this book in two days. It was so much fun to read and I loved the action, the world, and the story.

Our main character, Jun, is an interesting character to root for. He has many flaws (like plenty of us at sixteen), but also determination, grit, and passion. I really enjoyed reading about him and how he was able to navigate the challenges that crop up, whether they come in the form of a martial arts tournament, complicated emotions about family, friends, and rivals, or of complex political plots that raise the stakes for everyone involved.

While this book is geared more towards the YA crowd, I think everyone can enjoy it. Any fans of Fonda Lee will enjoy this book due to its nail-biting action, creative and dense world, and characters to truly root for. Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Wednesday books for the chance to review this eARC.

Fonda Lee’s Jade City is one of my favorite books of all time so I was beyond excited to check out her latest work. While her signature martial arts action scenes are certainly present, I ultimately found the book underwhelming.

The plot was unfortunately predictable and didn’t deviate at all from the standard hero’s journey plot structure. Though the concept of Breathmarked individuals with unique abilities was intriguing, it was underdeveloped and underutilized. Additionally, the finalists of the Guardian’s Tournament being Jun, Yin, and Leopard felt bland and uninspiring, and I started losing interest around the halfway mark.

On a positive note, I enjoyed Jun as the main character. He begins as a headstrong and impulsive boy chasing after the honor of the Guardian’s Tournament and his desire to reunite his family. In his whirlwind journey to Longhan, he gets swept up in political agendas and encounters sorrow and setbacks that offer a compelling arc for his character.

However, I wanted to learn more about Jun’s twin brother Sai. Sai’s voice frequently appears in Jun’s thoughts, but it would have been more enriching to explore Sai’s perspective directly. Even a few chapters from Sai’s point of view could have deepened the narrative and shed light into their parallel journeys.

I’m not convinced that I’ll check out the next installment in this series, but perhaps the next one will surprise me.

Fonda Lee you have done it again!!!! I will read anything this woman writes I swear. This book was not only written so well and had amazing character development and depth. This book also has unique magic system which I haven’t seen in any other book yet which was very cool and exciting. That plot twist and ending had my mouth agape I just read the arc but I need book 2 ASAP! I must know what happens next!!!

A fantasy world which is creative and mesmerising, holding the same feelings that a kid feels while reading their first fairy story. The characters were all so profound and deeply nuanced and I enjoyed it quite a lot. There were some parts that dragged on a bit for me, but all in all, in was a good experience.

I enjoyed this book. I really appreciate a YA book that assumes its target audience can handle complex situations, motivations, and characters. I think Jun hit a good tone for a 16-year old protagonist. He has goals and dreams, he's dedicated to achieving them, and sticks to his plans. But he's also impatient and impulsive, and makes decisions that later get him into trouble. I really like the world of the book - it's rich and complex, and there's a lot of detail (both stated and implied) to the political landscape of the story. I'm looking forward to seeing how that all develops in the second book. A note on the content: this book has a lot of martial arts. And I mean a LOT. There are many very detailed descriptions of all the fights. I liked this part, but if you're not into martial arts it may not be for you.

I absolutely love Fonda Lee's adult writing, and was excited to see what she could cook up for the YA age range. With the help of Shannon Lee, she has created an immersive and action filled adventure that feels like the start of something epic. The pacing was great, it kept the story moving and made the progress feel earned each step of the way. I do feel like some of the progression was a bit unnatural at times, but that didn't hinder my enjoyment.

The characters had some compelling depth, and there wasn't that typical black and white feel that a lot of YA books can often fall victim to. I was invested in Jun Li's journey because he was just so easy to root for. I can see how this book left room for more to be explored in the sequel, so I have some high hopes for what is to come based on all that was established in this first book.

I love to see authors that I've enjoyed in the past branching out and trying to tackle new angles of stories, and this definitely felt like a great stretch of Fonda Lee's already established skills. I can't wait to see where this story goes!

I'm not much of a YA reader (nothing against it), but I was interested in reading something new from Fonda Lee after reading Jade City for the first time (and I know absolutely nothing about any of Shannon Lee's work, but Warrior does look cool!), so I dove into this, and I was impressed with the prose and action, though I did not really connect with Li Jun. This still feels like it's gonna be a huge hit with teens, and the world and action are rendered beautifully, though I think I'm just in the wrong demographic for this.

"Breath of the Dragon," penned by Fonda Lee and Shannon Lee, is a thrilling foray into a world where myth and modernity collide in a spectacular display of action and intrigue. This novel blends rich, fantastical elements with a gripping, character-driven narrative, set in a vividly crafted universe where dragons and magic are as much a part of daily life as politics and power struggles.

The collaborative effort between Fonda Lee and Shannon Lee results in a narrative that's both dynamic and immersive. Their writing weaves together intricate plotlines with a nuanced exploration of identity and legacy, as characters grapple with their roles within a world governed by ancient prophecies and personal ambition. The dragon lore is particularly well-developed, adding a layer of mythic grandeur that elevates the story.

"Breath of the Dragon" excels not only in its imaginative scope but also in its emotional resonance, making it a standout read for fans of epic fantasy looking for a fresh perspective and a well-told tale of power and redemption.

I thouroughly enjoyed this book. I love how the story pulls you in right away. I highly recommend reading this if you haven't!

In a time that cannot be named, there rose a champion—a young son with fire in his heart and a will of iron. From his earliest days, he was a tempest, rebellious and wild, a force that could not be tamed. His choices, born of youthful defiance, struck hard against his family, shattering a piece of what was once whole, and from that moment, his life took a turn as sharp as a blade in the heat of battle.

Yet this champion did not enter the way of martial arts in secret; no, his path was forged in the open. Each setback, each rejection, each time he was told "no," became his forge. Instead of crumbling, he sharpened himself—body and mind—until he stood tall as the people's champion. Every lesson, every defeat, was a stepping stone on his ascent toward greatness, his fists growing stronger, his spirit unbreakable.

The story of this champion echoed that of David facing Goliath. Each fight was more than a battle of fists and feet; it was a clash of wills, with mystery swirling at its edges like smoke in the night. There were secrets hidden beneath every punch, every parry, every step forward. And with every strike, the intrigue deepened, pulling you further into a world where nothing was as it seemed.

BEWARE at the time of review this saga isn't complete. The wait will be torture, like a warrior denied the chance to fight. This series has the chance to be a book slump creator its that good because once this story had its grip on you, it doesn't let go. It wasn’t just good; it was a masterwork of tension, of skill, and of heart. The next chapter can't come soon enough. You needed it now, today—because this was the kind of story that is so well crafted the reader is immersed in every action I lived, breathed, and fought alongside our hero every step of the way. Don't leave this unread read it off the TBR !