3.5 stars - This book is an adventure from start to finish.
I thought the beginning was a little slow as it feels like typical YA coming of age concepts such as family being torn apart, making new friends, being the best/most disciplined fighter, etc. I thought that the main characters Jun and Yi were well-written and with such maturity, and sometimes even brutality, yet they're still easy to follow for young readers.

This book is fine, but I’m so miserably bored. And this book taking me a week to read is ridiculous. I hate picking it up 🤣

First and foremost, thank you so much to @netgalley and @stmarinspress / @wednesdaybooks for the e-ARC!

3.25 / 5 ⭐️

“𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘳 𝘯𝘰𝘵, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘶𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 - 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨.”

I grew up watching Bruce Lee movies and inspired films because of my Dad’s love of martial arts, so let me tell you how I excited I was to not only read a book of fiction inspired by the teachings of Bruce Lee, but to also find out his daughter co-wrote it!! This book was pure nostalgia for me, but it was missing something…

I loved the whole premise of this book involving tournaments and trials, political intrigue, upholding family honor, chosen/dragon-blessed abilities (breathmarked), and of course action packed fight scenes, but I did feel that the world building was a bit lackluster. I didn’t get the whole immersive and expansive world building that I expected going into this read. I also had a hard time connecting with the characters and felt that there was a lost opportunity for a larger found family trope.

Nonetheless, it was a super entertaining read, and I do plan on reading book 2, so I am hoping the events that transpire will make me love book 1 more!

🐉 blessed abilities
🥋Bruce Lee inspired
🐉 karate kid vibes
🥋 upholding family honor
🐉 tournament & trials
🥋fantasy martial arts novel

I really enjoyed this novel. It kept my attention and I was invested in the outcome. However it’s left in a way that I am certain there will be a book 2. This is about martial arts and the rivalry of two nations. It’s not about dragons. This is an excellent YA novel.

This is a quick, engaging YA fantasy rooted in martial arts philosophy and inspired by Bruce Lee’s teachings—and it absolutely delivers on that promise. Sixteen-year-old Jun is easy to root for as he fights to reclaim his family’s honor in a high-stakes tournament full of action, heart, and magical depth.

The story has strong anime vibes, with a clear coming-of-age arc, brotherhood, and inner growth that feels both classic and fresh. It’s a great fit for younger YA readers or anyone looking for a meaningful, action-packed read that doesn’t overstay its welcome.

Great start to a duology—I’m excited to see what comes next.

I've heard about Fonda Lee before, but I've never read any books by them before,, and I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I really loved the concept of this book and the martial arts/tournament storyline. It was definitely way more exciting with the change of rules that allowed for the stakes to be higher. I just wish that the tournament was more drawn out and the rounds lasted longer in order to really increase the tension. I do think that this book could have very much benefitted from being longer. However, even with that, I was really entertained the entire way through.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Shannon and Fonda Lee, and NetGalley for the eARC of this book. This is my honest review.

Breath of the Dragon was a really interesting concept, with exceptional world building. Fonda Lee really is an expert in her craft. This was my first Fonda Lee book and one of the rare YA books with a male main character! I had fun reading this and the fight scenes were really intricate. Overall, a really fun read and I am really excited to read more from Fonda Lee!

Part Hunger Games, a little bit of Star Wars, and others, Breath of the Dragon is a great mashup of all the dystopian high stake fantasies I really enjoyed as teen but with a great element of mixed martial arts and Asian culture. Similar to Katniss, Jun was kind of an annoying character but I did really like him! He was obviously on this journey self-discovery and having to prove himself to everyone. The supporting cast was also excellent and brought the plot along seamlessly. Yie Yun ended up being one of my favorite characters and I really liked him and Jun's ever-evolving bromance. It gave an unexpected subplot I really liked. It wasn't all straight-up (hetero) romance but found family vibes. The writing was also so engrossing and well done. Action sequences can be really confusing but the authors did a great job. Not to mention, Shannon Lee is the daughter of the famous Bruce Lee! This is a great fun fact and adds so much more to the story. I am really looking forward to the sequel!

Thank you @wednesdaybooks for the free book!

This was one of these books that stayed with me. Even though it released in January, and I read it at the beginning of the year, I still think about it. Co- written by Fonda Lee along with Bruce Lee’s daughter Shannon, this book blends the beautifully world building of fantasy writing and the strength, control and determination of martial arts.

the nitty gritty: twin boys Sai and Jun get separated while young because one has a gift (ie is Breathmaked) and one does not. Many years later, in order to earn back the honor of his disgraced family, Jun chooses to train and fight in the Guardian Tournament against his father’s wishes.

The dialogue definitely reads YA, but the storyline is brutal and unforgiving. There were so many moments I was incredibly frustrated with characters in position of power, but it gripped me enough to want to know what happens next.

This book is VERY martial arts focused. If this isn’t something that’s interesting to you, it may not be your cup of tea. But I loved the references to Asian culture and the fantasy world that was built, especially the different gifts of each person who was breathmarked.

Breath of the Dragon is a total ride from start to finish—full of action, emotion, and unexpected twists. The main character’s journey is intense but relatable, and you really feel their growth as the story goes on. The magic system is super unique without being confusing, which makes the world feel fresh and exciting. I loved how the story mixes high-stakes adventure with quieter, emotional moments that actually hit hard. It’s one of those books that sticks with you after you finish—like, you just want to talk about it with someone.

Breath of the Dragon by Fonda Lee

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of this book or the content of my review.

"Sometimes fate tore loved ones apart. Sometimes it turned rivals into brothers.”

What a great read! And also my first Fonda Lee book! A wonderful fantasy story with a focus on martial arts. The world building was fun and unique, a world where special children, called Breathmarked, are taken from their homes and trained to utilize their powers for the good of the realm. The story focuses on Jun, a young man who, more than anything, wants to be the strongest martial artist in the world and win the Guardian’s Tournament. It is his life’s goal. He will stop at nothing to get it, even disobey his father who does not want him participating in any martial arts. Along the way, he meets people who want to rebel against the Emperor and his Wall separating the East and West regions. Overall, the novel was fun, enjoyable and unique. I loved the world building and the action scenes, as well as the character arc of Jun. Everything about the tournament was interesting and engaging, like I was watching the fights in person. Fonda Lee’s dynamic writing is action packed and descriptive. I can’t wait to read more!

Breath of a Dragon is the first book in a new YA fantasy duology that is inspired by martial arts powerhouse Bruce Lee. Jun and his father are exiled when Jun displays forbidden martial arts moves in front of officials who are evaluating his breath marked twin brother. Jun struggles with the guilt of causing the rift in his family and the insecurity of not being breath marked like his brother. Dragon breath marks provide powers to those who bear the mark.

Once settled into a new life in exile, Jun is determined to enter into the Guardians Tournament and win the coveted title and responsibility of being the Guardian in hopes to reunite his family but his father strictly prohibits it. Jun is determined to show that he has the skills to be a warrior and that such skills can be just as powerful as the special abilities of those who are lucky enough to have been marked with dragon scales.

Through training and competition, Jun soon realizes that there is much more at stake than simply becoming Guardian as he is exposed to the inner workings of two kingdoms at war.

I really enjoyed this story. So long as you go into this reminding yourself that it is YA, it is a fun story and one I’m looking forward to continuing in the final book. What this story lacks in world building it makes up for in action packed martial arts inspired fight scenes. This book is fantasy but with the nostalgia of feel good movies like The Karate Kid.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for my copy; all opinions are my own.

Thank you netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review

Took a while to get through the book, it felt like the standard YA where our main character needs to carve a path to prove their identity. A feel good action light read

I haven’t read Jade City by Fonda Lee, but it’s on my TBR list and I’ve heard nothing but good things. So I was excited to get the ARC of this where they teamed up with Bruce Lee’s daughter.
This was an exciting story and I really enjoyed it. The way it ended wasn’t my favorite, but I’ll definitely read the next

This is like reading a Bruce Lee movie in written form.

Shannon and Fonda Lee are both extremely knowledgeable of martial arts and the writing showed. I also love how this is a YA written in a male perspective, which feels less common.

The problem I had with this is the characters felt flat and I never connected. Due to this, I found it difficult to be invested in this. I don't plan to continue on with this series.

Thank you Net Galley for sending an ARC. All opinions are my own.

The way I just devoured this last half of this book in almost one sitting is actually insane and I'm kind of mad I did because there isn't any news for book 2!!! Where is the title or cover reveal at?? Thank you to Wednesday Books for sending me an e-arc of this one sorry it took a while for me to finally read it! Dying for book 2!(:

Having previously read Jade City by Fonda Lee I was really excited to see how this novel was going to unfold! This novel definitely did NOT disappoint! We follow our main character who faces an immense amount of challenges as he tries to make a way for his family to survive. I was expecting the world to be really hard to follow but, it was the complete opposite! The imagery while reading this book really had me feeling like we were set up kind of like Mulan with the battles. This book was very fast paced and had me interested from the very beginning! I will definitely be waiting for the sequel to this book because the ending had me on the edge of my seat!

DNF

I got maybe 100 pages into it and personally felt bored. I might have just over hyped the plot of the story in my mind since it was such an innovative and interesting idea but fell flat to me

If you love martial arts and descriptive world building--this book is for you! It isn't for me, though. The book was enjoyable until about 30-45% of the way through and it felt like I had to trudge through it just to finish it.

It is just a me problem, I'll admit that--the writing style just isn't my cup of tea

I want to thank Net Gallery for a copy of this E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Now, when I first started this book I didn't know what to expect. But It was beautifully written and plot was amazing even if I'm not a big fan of martial arts. I think it was really cool that Shannon Lee who is Bruce Lee's daughter decided to help with this story in a way to show her fathers legacy. It made this story feel more real to me.