From start to finish "Breath of the Dragon" was an absolutely captivating and unputdownable read! I went into this book really intrigued by the premise and ended up forfeiting sleep so I could read it all in one session.

The authors did an excellent job crafting an intricate and interesting world, I was eagerly flipping pages curious what new information would be revealed.

The main characters are so well-developed and likeable, it was easy to become emotionally invested in this story. A found family trope will get me every single time.

Overall this was such a fantastic reading experience, a must-read if you enjoy books in the YA Fantasy genre!

Thank you Fonda Lee, Shannon Lee, Net Galley and St. Martin's Press- Wednesday Books for providing me with an ARC of this book.

Great ya fantasy, very immersive and great world building . Plenty of actions scenes and interesting settings . Definitely perfect for young people and fantasy readers

I am becoming a huge fan of this duology. Lee has created a well contracted character and world. I can't wait to see the second book. I want to know what happens and how this will all play out. This was a great, fast paced, and entertaining novel which sets up this duology so well.

CW: blood, gore

Jun Li is 16 years old and wants to be the Guardian of the West more than anything. The fighting tournament is held every six years, and the winner will become the protector of the scroll. However, his father strictly forbids it as there are people who are breathmarked entering, individuals born with dragon scales that develop powers. Jun sneaks onto a traveling caravan with a blind flutist and his daughter to go to the tournament anyway. The only thing is, this year the rules have changed. Will Jun fulfill his dream?

I think this would be perfect for any Bruce Lee fan since his daughter also worked on the novel. The fighting styles are definitely prevalent to his teachings. For people who can't handle blood though, this isn't for you. I thought Jun was selfish and the pacing was slightly off for me. I know they couldn't explain everything in this book but some plot lines seemed a little too vague. I did like the development of Jun and Yin though.

Overview:

👊 Tournament story
🚫 No romance
👨‍👩‍👦 Found family
🥋 Martial arts
⏩ Fast paced
👥 Academic rivals
👦 Male main character in a YA


Fonda Lee, queen of fantasy as teamed up with Shannon Lee to break into the wonderful world of Young Adult and has now conquered this too.

Jun is a passionate martial artist, exhaled from his homeland while his magic endowed twin is brought to court. Living a life desperate to prove himself, Jun enters the Guardian Tournament, where he can fight to rise in the ranks of his newfound kingdom.

But this year, the tournament is different deadlier. More corrupt- and Jun is starting to learn why.

Lets just get something out of the way now. This is an actual YA, age appropriate adventure about a 16 year old who acts like a teen. While this adventure is larger than life, its awesome reading a book where the prose and story are meant to reflect children instead of being an adult book with the serial numbers shaved off. This is the kind of book id be pumped to give to my teenagers. For lack of a better comparison, it reminds me of the type of adventure mixed with darkness the later Harry Potter books had.

Jun is a wonderful protagonist. Hes a rambunctious pain in the ass with a big ego and a lot to learn, but he really does learn and grow through the story and becomes a young man. The character moments for him are earned through his own actions and a wonderful supporting roster of bright characters.

Jun connects with a musical martial arts master and teen sidekick duo. A whole revolutionary army. A corrupt general and his monster, a conniving doctor. A cast of crazy fighters from all over the country...and last but not least, his academic rival Yin, the boy he's dedicated himself to beating that he slowly can't help but be drawn to as a brother.

These characters give life and vibrancy to this world and make it feel whole. Down to very minor characters, they are all memorable, creatively written, and interesting to follow. The dialogue is sharp and snappy and its easy to follow each character and their motives over the course of the story.

The plot blends court politics and extremely well written, epic fighting scenes. Imagine the first Throne of Glass book if it had a baby with Cobra Kai. Its a fast paced blast of a story that always gives you motivation to turn the page. Reading this felt like watching a CW show from 2010. Its candy, but its candy made from an artisan small batch crafter who takes pride in his work.

Anyone going into Breath of the Dragon for 'Jade City' is going to be miserable, but the story has Fonda Lee's sharp writing and wit and impossible ability to draw you into a story. This book knows and respects its teen audience and I think has a ton of crossover appeal with adults who just appreciate great writing. I look forward to the world discovering Breath of the Dragon and will be going absolutely nuts when the second book drops.

Sadly I DNF this book. I got half way through it and couldn't push through anymore. Some of the parts were really good and other parts seemed to drag on and on. The writting was good. I think it was the story that I wasn't a fan of. I think that readers that like Asian inspired book will love it though.

An absolutely brilliant book! Fonda Lee’s worldbuilding is phenomenal, and her immaculate plot and action. This book is descriptive and wonderfully crafted, definitely a must read if you love fantasy.

A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Publishing Group for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.