I got this book as an ARC from netgalley.

If you like fighting, tournament-style novels with some rebellion and politics thrown in, you'll love this book! I enjoyed the characters and their development. I'm giving 4 stars instead of 5 because the first half of the book was very slow and hard to get through. The world-building was great, but at times was heavy and caused the story to slow.

Things really picked up once the tournament started, and I couldn't put it down! Things happened very quickly over the course of just a few days. This felt somewhat unbelievable, but good for story progression. The characters were loveable, and you could see their development across the novel.

I really enjoyed how the author wrote about the political side of things. There were so many moments I felt incredibly frustrated for the characters because of the government's lies. I was so believable, and you could feel the characters' emotions.

I will definitely read the next one, as you could follow some breadcrumbs the author was leaving. I'm excited to find out if Ren does have a breathmarked ability and to meet the older Sai!

I have posted my reviews on Goodreads and StoryGraph.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC of Breath of the Dragon! All opinions are my own.

This book had me in a chokehold from the second chapter and I couldn't consume it fast enough. From the character arcs, the relentless obstacles, an amazing and intriguing magic system, and the abundance of political corruption, I was absorbed.

Jun our main character had me a bit concerned in the beginning. He's quick to act without much thought at the beginning leading to some challenging consequences, but he really came into his own and grew through the book. What really carried the book for me was the side characters. Chang gave Uncle Iroh and Toph Beifong energy that made me excited for every scene that he was in. Ren was relentless in her wisdom and setting Jun straight with his bs. Even Jun's rivals, there were many, helped to further the plot in such an intentional way.

I'm not typically one for a plethora of fight scenes in a book and can understand how this would deter some readers, but I really enjoyed seeing how Jun grew from each of these fights and learning about the varying styles of martial arts based on region and school.

The book ends with many questions and I cannot wait to see what Shannon Lee and Fonda Lee cook up for the next book(s) of this series!

My only critique, which is just a me thing, there were no actual dragons in this book. As a dragon girly, I was hoping for maybe an appearance, but the lore and magic system made up for that.

"I will not defeat myself" will be ringing in my head for a long time to come.

In a kingdom where only those blessed with the "mark" are trained in martial arts and those without it are banned from studying, one boy's life is turned upside down when his twin brother is taken because he has the mark and his family is torn apart because of their secret training of martial arts.... and now years later Jun dreams about becoming the greatest martial arts master in the kingdoms to regain honor for his family and reunite them. Jun's family is torn apart when he accidentally reveals that his father has been teaching him martial arts. His brother is taken to be trained as an Aspect, since he was born with the breathmark and those with the mark are gifted with special abilities, his brother's being that he can mimic anything he sees, while Jun and his father are exiled to another kingdom for 5 years and his mother moves with his brother. Jun's only true dream in life is to become the greatest martial artist in all the kingdoms, despite how much his father forbids him. Jun doesn't care for anything else and dreams about entering into the great martial arts competition to become the next Guardian. The Guardian is gifted with powers, money, and fame... and being in charge of one of the two ancient mystical Dragon scrolls. Jun doesn't care for any of that, all he wants is to prove that he is a great warrior, and if that means sneaking off to join the competition against his father's wishes, then so be it. Jun will train harder than he's ever trained, meet other martial artists, and find himself put into the middle of a political war all the while learning to strengthen his skills and take his own fate into his hands. This is the first book in a series and an absolutely amazing read. The story just sucks you in and you can't help but root for Jun as he grows and learns. The story felt like watching a movie, I was so invested in the journey and can't wait to see where the next book goes and what Jun does next. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a character journey!

Release Date: January 7,2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

For me three stars, for a teen into martial arts four stars. For a teen boy into martial arts and fantasy a potential five stars. Solidly written and a quick read but it is very YA and I’ll admit I like YA where the character doesn’t really read as a teen…. This lead is very much a brash boy. For the right readers this is an excellent book. And I really have enjoyed Fonda Lee’s other books a great deal, I’m simply not the target audience and that’s ok.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

In a country divided in two, Jun has a grievous relationship with both the East and the West. In a day they’d hoped would never arrive, Jun’s family is discovered for a seemingly innocent secret and broken in two—his mother and twin remaining in the East while Jun and his father are exiled to the West. While his father struggles to grieve his family, Jun throws himself into martial arts, determined to make a name for himself. When a national martial arts competition approaches, the winner of which becomes second only to the emperor, Jun resolves to participate at any cost.

Huge thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan, and Fonda Lee + Shannon Lee for the ARC. This is my first book by Fonda Lee and OH MY GOSH, I get the hype!!! Jun is an impulsive, hot-headed teen, and the narration does an incredible job of letting his voice shine without being irritating or obnoxious. Jun experiences so much growth throughout this book and it was a highly enjoyable experience to watch it unfold so naturally. Also, as an homage to Bruce Lee with insight from his daughter, the action scenes were such a highlight. They were so well written. I look forward to the (undoubtably heart-wrenching) next installment.

Content Warnings: violence, gore

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the e-ARC.

Did not finish for the following reasons:
- dry, emotionless writing style
--difficult to connect to characters
-predictable plot beats
--lack of intrigue
-- no drive to pick back up after putting the book down

A Bruce Lee inspired YA fantasy novel by the lovely Fonda Lee, the author most known for Jade City, and co writter shannon lee. Taking place within a Chinese-inspired fantasy world, the book follows the protagonist, Jun, a young boy who was banished from his home kingdom with his father when his active practice of martial arts was discovered. Now, as a teen living on the opposite side of the kingdom, he pursues the chance to win a fighting tournament. Action sequences, fighting. It gave me MAJOR visions of The Combat Codes, another martial arts fantasy I highly recommend.

Another amazing read by Fonda Lee!
Sixteen year old Jun is living in the shadow of his twin and the regret of his father. Jun has been training his whole life to fight in the Guardians Tournament, a competition held every six years to determine the new Guardian of the Scroll of Heaven. An uphill battle as Jun has been forbidden to compete by his father and will be fighting against the breathmarked, people marked at birth with dragon scale and have special abilities.
Fonda Lee’s martial arts background and writing combined with Shannon Lee’s insights into Bruce Lee’s philosophy and fighting style made this an action packed and cinematic read! I’m so excited for book two!
Thank you Net Galley and Wednesday Books for the advanced copy!

his was truly a love letter to martial arts with a sprinkle of fantasy. I loved the world building, plot and the characters. In this novel, sixteen year old Jun has dreamt of nothing else than to prove himself at the Guardians Tournament to win the honour of guarding the magical Scroll of Earth.
This seems to be the first installment in a series and I am really hoping it might as I was left with so many questions at the end of this book. The world building was spectacular and cannot wait to delve further into this world. However, I wish there were more emotional relationships between the characters as I felt the relationships weren't deep enough and it was more on the surface level. I would love to learn more about the twin brother and hope we read from his perspective eventually.

“Breath of the Dragon” is the fantasy martial arts novel for any Bruce Lee fans. Think Bruce Lee meets Mulan or karate kid 😅. It’s just reminding me of so many movies. It has all the nostalgic feels of Ip Man (fun fact: it’s written by Bruce Lee’s daughter), a kid learning martial arts, and the Mulan touch of blazing your own trail, navigating family honor, being caught in a political propaganda mess, and needing to save the country.

Of course, the world building aspect was great. I loved the political intrigue, action-packed tournament fights to crown the next Guardian, and a magic system where only select individuals are born breathmarked abilities.

I do wish there was more depth in the Sifu-student bond, parent-child dynamics, and friendship arcs. It had so much potential for a greater FOUND FAMILY magic, and I wanted to feel all the feels.

I still enjoyed the ride and can’t wait to see where both Miss Lees take us in book two and hope to see greater character development for the male protagonist. As of currently he is still slightly bratty 😅😆.

Thank you @wednesdaybooks for the eARC via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

In my personal opinion, there’s not much Fonda Lee could do to get lower than 4 stars, and she just confirmed that here. I was struggling to finish a book before I started this and I was worried I was slumping. Apparently I just needed to read a well written book.

This book is co-authored by Shannon Lee, Bruce Lee’s daughter, and let me tell you: it shows. Fonda Lee was already great at writing action scenes, but this book is dominated by action and fight scenes. They are uniformly excellent. I sometimes struggle to visualize action sequences, but that was never an issue with this book.

The world building is good here. There’s obvious political and historical influences, but it’s still compelling and distinct on its own. And while this is much more YA than the Green Bone Saga, both authors use their skills to allow it to stand out. I wish the premise was a little more unique, because it centers around an imperial competition to gain a powerful position and god, I’ve read so many books like that. But this is better than most because the authors are incredibly talented.

I would definitely recommend this to most fantasy, adventure, and martial arts fans. It’s a good 4.5 stars.

*Bruce Lee meets The Karate Kid* – I absolutely loved this book! Initially, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down. The world-building was rich and immersive, with vivid descriptions that made it easy to get lost in the setting. The characters were unique, well-developed, and felt genuinely real. If you're a fan of intense fighting championships set in a fantastical world, this book is a must-read. I’m already excited for the next one in the series!

This book focuses heavily on martial arts, which is great for those who love it, but feels excessive for someone who isn’t interested in getting play-by-plays. It has an interesting premise and worldbuilding.

Breath of the Dragon by Fonda Lee is a captivating tale that showcases Shannon Lee's unpredictable plot twists and innovative magic system. The incorporation of religious elements adds an intriguing layer to the story, while Jun's realistic emotional development and reactions further enhance the narrative. This complex and hard-hitting epic martial arts journey is sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats.

if you're a fan of martial arts, unique world building and a lot of action/fight scenes with a tournament, this is for you!

unfortunately long action scenes back to back aren't my cup of tea and I found it repetitive, but it had a strong beginning that made me intrigued to keep reading. I liked the world and wanted to know more about the magic system and the war going on. I also found the characters to be pretty undeveloped despite its potential which is a big drawback for me

this was also very much a YA book. while I love young adult books, I think this one was written for the younger side of that audience (early teens).

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, Macmillan Young Listeners, St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, Shannon Lee, Fonda Lee, and Eric Yang (audio narrator) for the opportunity to read and listen to the audiobook of Breath of the Dragon in exchange for an honest review.

Breath of the Dragon is the first book in the exciting martial arts Breathmarked duology inspired by characters and teaching from Bruce Lee! Someone who is breathmarked is destined for greatness, as they have an enhanced ability in the world of martial arts.

Jun was trained in martial arts alongside his twin brother, though unlike his twin, he is not breahtmarked. Those who are are taken at their sixth birthday. because of their hiding a breathmarked child and training one who is not, Jun's family is split.

When he reaches age sixteen, he wants nothing more than to become the Guardian of the Scroll of Heaven, a magical artifice that keeps their emperor and country safe. A guardian's job is sacred, but they must win a deathly martial arts tournament to become one of such a high standing.

Jun's father doesn't want him to participate. With no breathmark, not only will he surely lose, but he will likely lose his life in the process, something definitely not worth the time. June has a determination of steel and makes his wat to the tournament on the wagon of a performer, where he meets Ren, a girl who will surely change his life in one way or another.

This book is not about friendship, family, or romance (though those elements are present). No, this novel is about the determination of an individual to become something great. There is a good amount of political intrigue involved when it comes to the Guardian and the Scrolls of Heaven and Earth. The novel is eloquent, fast-paced, and well-written.

There were definitely a few predictable aspects to this book, though about 75% of the way through, there's twist and turn after twist and turn, making an excellent set-up for the final installment to the series. While book one is more of a tournament-based plot, book two will surely be something involving war or uprising, leaving our beloved characters in a bit of a murky pool.

Breath of the Dragon is perfect for fans of Bruce Lee, martial arts, and tournament-based plots. It will keep the reader on their toes and eager for mor to the very end!

I really wanted to love this one but for about 60% of the story I was bored and uninterested in the characters or plot. There was lots of world building and character development in this book but the magic system while well thought out didn’t feel like it translated into the writing as well as it could have, and the ending wasn’t as impactful as I wish it had been to bump my rating up to 3 stars. If you enjoy martial arts and lots of action packed fight scenes this is definitely a book worth checking out!

➸ 4.5 stars

“The abilities that matter the most don’t come from Dragon’s blood. They’re gained day by day, through sweat and tears. Marked or not, every one of us has Breath enough to will our own destiny into being.”

thank you to netgalley and the publishers for the arc!

this was literally so good?! i was unable to put this one down and had so much fun reading! i loved all of the martial arts/fighting, the tournament and the characters! looking forward to the next one :)

I really liked the concept and the world building that took place in this novel, there’s a lot of political strife that is really well done. You can also really tell that the authors wrote this with a lot of love and respect for the marital arts, the training and fight scenes are so well thought out and immersive. The whole book reads almost like a prequel, there a lot of build up and hints for the next book. It was almost too much though in that there wasn't much that actually was resolved in the books. A lot of the characters felt kind of surface level and not many of the relationships that were brought up were explored. Regardless, I got invested in the story pretty quickly once it got going and I'm interested to see what will happen in the next installment

Thanks to St. Martins Press, NetGalley, Fonda Lee and Shannon Lee for this e-ARC that I chose to read and review

Breath of the Dragon is the first title in a new fast-paced YA fantasy duology.

In a world where being born with dragon skin can gift unique powers, Jun is born without, but still wants to win the Guardian's Tournament and become the Guardian of the Scroll of Heaven.

This would be a great read if you enjoy stories about:
- an underdog with big dreams
- political scheming and turmoil
- games and trials
- martial arts