This saga is written in the same style as The Hunger Games, but it is not a knockoff trilogy. This is a story of a nation divided following the disagreement of two brothers. We follow Li Jun's quest to show his father and his country that he is a worthy Guardian of the Scroll despite not being genetically gifted. His family, much like his country, are torn apart while Jun is a child. He and his father make a way for themselves without knowing the fate of their mother and Jun's twin brother. We follow Jun's training, his escape from humble origins and his fight for what he considers glory. The goal is to win the Guardianship Tournament, and this competition is as exciting as it is fierce. The tournament is not the end, though, but a new beginning for Jun and for the country. This is an exciting trial, where there is literal danger coming from every direction, as well as hidden allegiances. The characters are rich and multilayered. The interactions are fun and exciting. There isn't a lull in the action from the moment Jun decides to leave home. I read this book very quickly and am excited to grab the next in the series!

This was a great book! The story line was really great and it was very unique! The writing was great. Would highly recommend!

This was an excellent, engaging book that truly lived up to my expectations! Thank you for this book.

This was a good book! Shannon and Fonda Lee worked well together and created a masterpiece! I go into books written by two authors cautiously, because I can often tell when some scenes were written by one and others by the other. But not in this case. I appreciated the love for martial arts and Bruce Lee in this book, and I love that it is a love letter to Shannon's father's life. The characters were lovable and felt very real. This would have been even better as an adult, but I understand why it was written as a YA, considering its themes and messages to the reader. I will be looking out for the sequels release in 2026 (crazy!).

I'm giving this one 3 stars! Both authors lend a lot of skill in making this world come to life. The concept of being breathmarked is very neat. I liked discovering the unique abilities. I'd be interested in finding more information about Bruce Lee's technique and fighting style as the only thing I was familiar with was the punch. Ya know, THE punch. If there were more references/ties to reality then I sadly missed those.

Following Li Jun as he is forced through a brow beating (pun intended), world shaking, whirlwind of a coming-of-age journey was at times frustrating, since he was a self-centered kid, but I think it was done fairly well. When you're young you don't understand politics and the levels that people will go to have a shred of power. Our protagonist gets a rude awakening every step of the way.

There were a couple moments in the novel I felt that it was pulling towards a reveal only to have it go off in another direction, which wasn't bad, but I was a little disappointed in the reveal. The main one deals with one of the competitors at the competition.

Thank you Netgalley for lending the arc. Looking forward to seeing how the journey ends in the next one!

Thanks to netgalley & the author for the ARC of this book. Reminds of the karate kid but so much more graphic & gory! I fell in love with “the little dragon” & ren! Now I hope there is more in this world or with these characters.

How does Enter the Dragon crossed with Bloodsport sound? If you are like me, it sounds fantastic, and I absolutely loved this book. It is marketed as YA; the protagonist is a teenager but this doesn't read like the often-insipid YA that's inundated the book world.

In this world, there's a country that was split in two in the not-so-distant past. Think N/S Korea if it had happened long before the 20th century. The split was over power: a magical scroll that gave legitimacy to the ruler was split in two with the rebels taking half and forming their own land. This is where Jun was born, but he was unfortunate in that he gave away that he knew martial arts when he was a child. In Jun's birth country, it's forbidden to learn martial arts unless you are breathmarked with a patch of scales like a dragon's on your body. Jun and his father are banished since Jun's father taught him these arts and they are forced to leave Jun's mother and twin brother behind. Jun's twin is breathmarked and that means that he is fated to become a student in the one school that teaches these skills in this country.

After Jun and his father are banished to the other side of the wall, they find that martial arts are seen much more casually. Jun joins a school himself and works singlemindedly so that he can enter the tournament that allows the winner to become the Guardian of this country's half of the dragon scroll. He wants to be the best.

The tournament takes up part of the book and it's a lot of fun, with its colorfully named participants with their different styles. There's also some political intrigue which I think will come to the forefront of the next book, some romance, some tragedy.

This book sucked me in and I sped through it- I can hardly wait for more of this story!

I’m not one to give new fantasy books a try, but this description really grabbed me and sucked me in. I’ll definitely be staying connected with these authors so that I can read their future works. And I’ll definitely be recommending this book!

This was a wonderful read! This book follows the protagonist, Li Jun, who is separated from his twin at a young age when it's discovered that his brother is born with something called a Breathmark—a trait leaving a person with dragon scales on their body, and special magical talent, which seem to be different for every Breathmarked individual. But while his mother and brother go on to live in renown, Jun and his father are banished for the study of martial arts. Ten years later, Jun wants to win a tournament that will allow him to be the next Guardian, a figure that will give him power and renown as well, much like his brother.

Breath of the Dragon is an amazing fantasy read, with detailed worldbuilding and interesting politics, all while being largely focused on martial arts. There’s not much of a focus on romance in this one, but there are a lot of found family aspects! I was also really excited to read from the perspective of a male YA protagonist, which I don’t see so often.

The beginning half of this novel is a little slow and hard to get into, and tends to prioritize fight scenes. Yes, I knew that this novel would be about martial arts, but some aspects of the fight scenes feel repetitive at times. Despite this, the scenes themselves are written very beautifully, so I can’t complain TOO much there. Still, just be aware that a large portion of this book is fighting/martial arts scenes and description.

This book really picks up around the midway point as more information about the characters, the tournament, and the fantasy politics get introduced or elaborated on. These aspects are what largely what kept me unable to put the book down.

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC!

Breath of the Dragon is a fast-paced, action-packed adventures with feisty characters, endless twists, and really solid worldbuilding, both in the magic and the politics. My experience reading it is like watching a blockbuster movie. It starts with a bang, hooks me to the characters and the world. And it gets me to root for Jun, the protagonist, which is an impressive feat for a YA book. There is a very nice character arc for him, where he subtly and smoothly grows more self-aware, cautious, and intelligent. His best quality, though, is that he feels strongly about every relationship in his life, which makes his interaction with other characters very dynamic throughout the story. The prose is vivid and impactful, especially in all the fight scenes, of which there were a lot, because the authors clearly know what they are writing this for. Overall, it's a solid YA fantasy, and I had an absolute blast reading it.

One thing I wish I get more of is the side characters. There are many characters who weave in and out of his life over the course of the book. But other than Yin Yue and maybe Ren, I don't have a clear picture of them, and that makes it a little bit hard sometimes to match his emotions. I suspect, though, that maybe some characters are left mysterious for some sensational reveals the sequel, which I'll definitely look forward to.

*Breath of the Dragon* by Fonda Lee and Shannon Lee is a thrilling tale that blends action, magic, and emotion into a captivating story. Sixteen-year-old Jun dreams of proving himself as a warrior in the prestigious Guardian’s Tournament, hoping to win and restore his family's honor after a past mistake led to their banishment. However, his father forbids him from participating, believing Jun’s lack of a breathmark—a symbol of special abilities—means he has no future as a warrior.

Undeterred, Jun takes matters into his own hands and stows away with performers heading to the capital where the tournament is held. What starts as a quest for personal redemption quickly turns into something much bigger, as Jun discovers that winning the tournament might be the key to protecting not just his own future, but the fate of his entire country.

Lee and Lee have crafted a rich and immersive world, filled with intense battles, high stakes, and complex characters. Jun’s journey is one of self-discovery and courage, and his determination to prove his worth despite the odds is truly inspiring. The relationships he builds along the way, especially with Chang and Ren, add warmth and depth to the story, making it more than just a tale of competition.

The action sequences are well-paced and exciting, keeping you on the edge of your seat as Jun faces challenges both physical and emotional. While the story may follow some familiar tropes, it does so with a fresh energy that keeps it engaging and enjoyable.

*Breath of the Dragon* is a fantastic read for anyone who loves stories of underdogs rising to the occasion, filled with magic, martial arts, and heart. Jun’s journey is one that will resonate with readers, reminding us all of the power of perseverance and the importance of fighting for what you believe in.

This story felt both familiar and fresh at the same time. An oversimplified comparison, but it was like The Karate Kid meets The Green Bones Saga meets The Poppy War, but in a YA setting with a 16 year old main character who actually acts like a teenager. Take the underdog in a fighting competition aspect of The Karate Kid, and fuse it with the light magical elements and political intrigue of the Green Bones Saga, and sprinkle in the training discipline and corrupt government plots of The Poppy War.

The colourful and vivid descriptions of the fight sequences were masterfully done. The characters and disciplines were inspired by Bruce Lee and his teachings, and it is very apparent in the writing style. It is fast paced, there is no real romance, there’s teen angst, there’s convoluted politics amidst civil strife presented from both sides, and there’s a teenage boy who just wants to be the best martial artist in the country thrown into the middle of it all. I love the idea of the Breathmarked and their abilities, and I am so eager for more.

This book ticked a lot of my fav boxes (tournaments, travelling on the road, found family, Asian fantasy, political intrigue, and unique magic systems), and I can’t wait to see how the series continues.

This was such a fun book with a tournament and found family which are some of my favorite tropes. The characters are well-developed and likeable (mostly). The MC is male which is a refreshing change since many popular fantasy books that I've personally read have been female.

I highly recommend this book. Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press/ Wednesday Books for allowing me to read this book early for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

The book was so hard for me to get into. It is about martial arts and if you are a martial arts fan and enjoy fighting scenes you will love this one.

I finished the book, but found myself skipping though seversl.psges with the fighting scenes.

The book is not fo everyone and geared towards a certain audience.

Four stars for me.

Breath of the Dragon feels like a paint-by-numbers martial arts fantasy, hitting the standard beats so well that I almost began to wonder whether it was AI-assisted.

Jun and Ren are very standard fantasy characters: the impulsive boy who wants to achieve his dream at all costs (strong shonen anime vibes); the mysterious and talented girl who immediately captures his heart. Each plot twist felt like it arrived exactly on schedule, as though this were a feature film: they execute the plan! something goes wrong! all hope is lost / dark night of the soul! and so on.

On the positive side, the writing was decently competent and I did enjoy the fact that it was set in an Asian-inspired and martial-arts-fantasy-inspired universe. I just spent the entire book just wanting <i>so badly</i> for the authors to surprise me, for that moment when a plot twist or the reappearance of an old character set off that frisson of excitement. That moment never came.

I'm torn leaving this review, because I often feel that book reviews are needlessly cruel or mock the authors, and that's not my intention. I feel that it's clear the authors worked hard on weaving the plot together and creating the universe, and I think this book will absolutely hit the spot for other people.

It just didn't for me.

I was grateful to receive this early as a NetGalley reader, because I loved Fonda Lee's Green Bone Saga. However, I don't think this book will necessarily appeal to fans of the Green Bone Saga. If not for the names on the cover I would never have guessed the same author contributed to both -- although I know that she is a coauthor of this book, not the author. If you're looking for more depth of character, more surprises, more originality, and you haven't read the Green Bone Saga yet, I'd head for that instead.

Breath of the Dragon by Fonda Lee and Shannon Lee was an incredible read, very creative and well done

DNF @ 25%

All three Green Bone Saga books were 5/5 for me, as was Untethered Sky. I list Fonda Lee among my favorite authors of all time. But this was DNF and I feel so bad about it but I've been dreading reading it for the past couple weeks and I just can't do it.

A lot of the plot points feel very straightforward, e.g. "MC thinks, wow I am so close to having enough money" -> by the end of the chapter MC gets robbed. I'm sorry but I can't, it's just telegraphed from a mile away. There is no tension here. The most interesting thing is the relationship between the two brothers, because the other twin really didn't seem to love the MC from their dialogue, but since there's no screentime of them together after chapter 1 and we only get one ongoing POV, this can't hold the book together.

What would've really worked for me is a split-POV between the brothers where each of them is imagining the other, and we see the ways that their imagination of the other conforms in some ways to reality and diverges in others. Less plot focused, more of a cultural and character study. I'd love to read that novel, but this isn't that.

2/5, I see how this could be 5/5 for a younger reader or someone who enjoys YA fiction but that's not me

(note: will share this link in Discord!!)

This book was everything I wanted it to be!! It was so much fun, super action packed, loved the characters! I can’t wait for book 2. Fonda Lee never misses

Breath of the Dragon seemed intriguing at first glance but unfortunately, it didn’t live up to my expectations. While I found no glaring issues with the book, it ultimately fell flat for me with characters I could not get invested in and dialogue that felt clunky and unimaginative. The characters were lacking depth and felt stale to me. Jun, the protagonist, was such a brat for the first chunk of the book that any development he had ultimately felt overshadowed by my annoyance regarding his previous actions.

The world building was well done and the shining star of the novel for me. It was layered and complex, providing a rich background for the novel, regardless of the lacking characters.

There were a significant number of fight scenes, which at first were well written and entertaining but eventually turned dull and repetitive the further into the book. There just wasn’t enough to it, not enough substance.

Overall, not a bad book, just a lacking one.

Gracias Netgalley por la copia avanzada.

Siempre disfruto las historias de Fonda Lee y está no fue la excepción, me atrapó enseguida Es una historia enfocada en las artes marciales y para mi lo que más destaca del libro es el mundo que plantea la autora y los elementos que agrega a estas disciplinas.
No tengo una idea exacta de cuántos libros van a ser, pero el final deja un escenario con potencial para el próximo libro y quedé con muchas ganas de continuar esta historia.