Neon Yang gives us a world of intrigue in this concise fantasy novella featuring a strong, duty-bound protagonist. Within only a few pages, I was hooked- sharp and engaging writing, interesting character background, and a plot that moves forward at a great pace. I found the romance balanced nicely with the political and fantasy aspects, keeping the reader engaged and invested emotionally. I’d recommend this for anyone looking for a story that can be read in one sitting and leave the reader very satisfied.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor/Forge for the ARC!

Content Warnings: Sexism, Racism

Yang has produced a fantastic novella that combines mythology, identity, politics, and romance in a satisfying blend. I loved how they structured their novella, starting with the legends of the Dragon Slayer from the perspective of one nation pushing a narrative – perhaps more comfortable or common to those inclined to reading Arthurian legend – and then twists to show the realities underneath the story from those involved in it.

Main character Yeva is a disabled, non-binary knight who is a child of two different cultures, one more Eurocentric, the other more Asiacentric. When they display the gift needed for dragon hunting, they are shipped away and trained. Yeva was such a great character whose balancing act between their family, their training, and their experiences on a diplomatic mission manage to show the creation of a faceted personality and identity, and how those concepts continue to shift over time. I was impressed at how complex a character Yang portrayed given that this is a novella and not a full novel.

While the plot, in some ways, is predictable, it was still charming and affirming to read. I would highly recommend this novella to anyone who enjoys fantasy, explorations of identity, and well-developed characters.

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BtS,StF is a queer novella that reads like a legend being retold after the true details were forgotten, with only word of mouth to keep it circulating. The story of a heroic and famous dragon slayer, a faceless knight with a hidden disability and a past she has forced herself to forget. To faithfully serve the Sun Emperor, she will use the blue flame in her blood to kill dragons, just like she did as a young child to save her sister. But serving her country forces her leave behind her culture, her blood ties, forgoing an identity beyond the metal of her helm, the sword in her hand. Yeva is not prepared to be sent as the envoy to Quanboa to treat with the girl-king, Lady Sookhee, who seems to have a chronic condition which leaves her sick and unable to hold court. With rumours of dragons residing in Quanboa and a culture that worships the creatures as mystical beings, Yeva must begin to unravel the secrets of her assignment, her identity, and her mother's past, and above all, the mystery of the dragon queen.

Neon Yang and Tran Nguyen cooked with this one, I fear. When you say the words "sapphic mandalorian x dragon queen" to me I just get really, really excited. And the vibes are *truly* on point. Oblivious lesbian is oblivious. Is the queen really sick or is something more going on? Well, obviously, something more is going on. But Yeva is a little bit busy trying to overcome the trauma of the gentle ethnic cleansing she received when she went into the service of the Sun Emperor. She's literally almost entirely forgotten how to speak her native language. So not only is she a fish out of water in Quanboa, she's also lost when it comes to her own roots. She's also disabled--- the armour she wears and never takes off in the presence of others is her shield against more than just dragon flame. As a child she was grievously injured in a dragon attack and is left with a claw-like hand with limited mobility and a great deal of scarring. Despite this, she is the most capable and successful knight in her guild, allowing herself to be stripped of all of the culture and personality that made her a human being and becoming nothing more than a conduit for the weapons she holds.

When Sookhee is finally able to provide Yeva a way to discard the armour while still feeling comfortable, my heart cracked in two. Wow, just wow. The yearning that Yeva feels for Sookhee's presence after they become more than associates got me good--- this gay disaster knight PINES for the girl-king whenever she locks herself away to deal with her mysterious illness.

I will admit, I got a liiiittle concerned about 80% through when the reveal I was sure about still hadn't happened, but then it DID, and I was so happy. The blurb did not lie, and it was glorious.

I can't wait for people to get their hands on Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame and dive into this legendary story.

A very quick novella with deep world building and intriguing characters. A lot gets developed in a very short amount of time. From the Mandalorian style warriors to the neighboring kingdom that may have a dragon it's all very deeply written and thoughtfully explored.

Unfortunately I think my somewhat lukewarm response to this one was completely due to my own personal hype meter. You can't promise me a sapphic dragon-slaying Mandalorian-type figure and expect me to be chill about it — also, the cover art is fantastic (I'm still tempted to buy a copy for that alone). The dragon-slaying and girl-kissing are both technically here, but the folkloric storytelling used here leaves a lot to the imagination. The limited page confines of a novella and the idea of this being recounted as legend means that Yeva's dragon-slaying occurs off-page, as does a lot of the relationship development between Yeva and Lady Sookhee. Despite these gripes, I really did enjoy this and I hope it finds its niche with the novella-lovers!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I have absolutely adored everything I’ve read by Neon Yang and this title was no different. The premise was intriguing from page one and I only loved Yeva more and more as the story went on. The sapphic relationship was so sweet and the tension as Yeva got nearer and nearer to discovering Sookhee and her nations secret was enough to keep me up all night binge reading. I will definitely be recommending this book to friends and handselling it any chance I get.

Heavily armored killing machines need love too. And on this day why not celebrate it with a novella with a bit of That? Unfortunately "Brighter Than Scale, Swifter Than Flame" by Neon Yang isn't out till 6 May 2025.

Yeva is a guildknight - a dragon slayer - of repute. At 13 she killed her first and was sent away for training to a people that judged her for being different than them, but it motivated her. Now she is constantly encased in her armor and devoted to the job. But because she is different she is sent to Quanbo, a kingdom that might be hiding a dragon, and she is familiar with the culture (which she hasn't been exposed to or spoke the language of in most of her life). While searching for the dreaded creature the monarch and host, Lady Sookhee intrigues her. How does someone wrapped in metal let down their guard?

Reasons to read:
-I always enjoy a good reason diverting someone from their expected life
-Learning to find a home
-Food just builds a world so clearly, and makes me hungry
-It's a trope I enjoy
-That cover art by @mynameistran

Cons:
-The curse of a good novella

This is a spectacular book that I am planning on rereading and recommending to everyone. It has excellent queer representation and realizing the twist before the main character did made the end of the book even more suspenseful.

I'm so excited about this sapphic dragon romance! This novella tells the story of Yeva, a famous dragon slayer, as she navigates the unfamiliar court of Quanbao and its queen, Lady Sookhee. I especially loved Yeva's internal conflict, particularly her relationship with her armor – it created such a compelling tension. The story moved at a brisk pace, which sometimes left me wanting more time to delve into the politics and the romance. Even so, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The narrative style felt almost legendary, offering a unique perspective. While the big reveal was somewhat predictable, it didn't detract from my enjoyment. I think I would have loved this even more as a full-length novel, as the world and characters were so well-developed that I craved more. Overall, it's a beautifully crafted novella, and I'm grateful to NetGalley and Tor/Forge for the ARC! 4 out of 5 stars.

I've always been impressed with Yang's ability to tell a sweeping story in the compact format of a novella, and this new book is no exception! In less than 150 pages, Yang gives readers a beautiful epic fantasy. I can't wait to recommend this book!

I was so excited at the words "queer" and "dragon" on the back cover.

I struggled to get into Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame until about a quarter of the way through the book. I think this is due to my expectations from the marketing and comparison books on the back cover and nothing to do with the actual writing. I was expecting a close first-person spicy romance à la Fourth Wing or The Sky on Fire. She Who Became the Sun is a terrible comparison, there is no resemblance other than being another Asian-inspired fantasy. Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame reminds me a lot more of The Spear Cuts Through Water - both books are told in the same folklore style.

I can appreciate the folklore style used in Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame, but I need a little bit of warning to be prepared and in the right mindset. I read the first chapter thinking it was a prologue and that Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame would switch to the more popular first-person POV after the prologue. Unfortunately, as a novella, Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame is quite short and it took me about a quarter of the novel to become comfortable with Yang's style and start to connect with Yeva. Yang is examining a very interesting premise - a daughter of two cultures who was shipped off for schooling to her father's homeland against her mother's wishes and now returning to her mother's homeland on imperial orders.

I really grew to appreciate Yeva, her exploration of Quanbao, and Sookhee's court. I admired and was proud of the character growth Yeva underwent in both discovering herself and her mother's culture. I enjoyed watching Yeva learn about endless possibilities and seeing Yeva discover her self confidence was amazing. There's something about seeing two queer women create a safe space no matter the external circumstances that I hold dear in my heart. Sookhee and Yeva working together, sharing secrets, and finding joy in hard places stole the show. I would love to see the story of the two of them working together after the events of Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame, although the epilogue did not imply a potential sequel.

For those expecting a non-binary main character due to the "they/them" pronouns used on the back cover, Yeva uses "she/her" pronouns throughout and there's no discussion / mention of gender identity (even in a queer norm world sense). I did review an ARC copy, but I would be surprised if that changed between now and the final copy. I just wanted to give a heads-up to people picking up Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame for non-binary representation.

**Features:**
- Sapphic enemies(ish) to lovers romance
- Folktale narrative style
- Dragons, gryphons, and a skilled dragonslayer

**Synopsis:**

Yeva belongs in guildknight armor. When inside it, nobody can see her gender or foreign appearance. She is simply a knight like any other, albeit one of the fiercest dragon slayers in the empire with the rare gift that allows her to wield a powerful magical weapon. However, when she is sent to the reclusive kingdom of Quanbao on a mission, the walls she had so carefully built around herself are under threat. Not only will her mission force her to reconnect with the culture she left behind, but getting answers relies on her earning the trust of the Quanbao’s queen, Lady Sookhee. Yeva knows her success relies on her finally shedding some of her armor, but fighting a dragon would have been easier.

**Thoughts:**

This is a great novella that manages to fit so much into its pages. It is described as Mandalorian with dragons and that is fairly accurate. Main character Yeva is a fierce warrior who struggles to ‘belong’ for a number of reasons. Like in Mandalorian, she always wears her armor when out in public, including a mask that covers her face. However, instead of wearing it due to cultural practices, she wears hers to mask her insecurities and eliminate that which makes her unique. A big part of this story is her compelling struggle to open herself up, literally and figuratively, to those around her. With its focus on community and acceptance, this would almost be a cozy story if it weren’t for some of the more serious political games at play.

The narrative style mimics oral tradition and makes the story feel like a folktale. Where this helps make the shorter format of this story successful, there were times I wanted to feel closer to the characters and world than this format would allow. Yeva and Lady Sookhee’s relationship is anything but straightforward and adds further depth to Yeva’s personal journey. Though I think that this story is rich and complete, there is so much more that I wish was explored. Personally, I think this is a sign of a great novella. I would definitely recommend giving this one a try!

I found the language too flowery. I know it’s meant to be a folktale retelling but it would take me out of the story too often

This was a captivating read, and is definitely something fans of “The Priory of the Orange Tree” and “The Poppy War” trilogy would love. It’s also a concise story with a satisfying ending in under 200 pages. I will say however, that the paragraphs are LONG AS HELL. The first page of the first chapter is literally one long paragraph. Once you get past that, however, it’s good. Also loved Yeva as a character, she was super relatable in my opinion. I also think if it was a bit longer so we could get more about Yeva’s rise to famed masked Guildknight and then everything afterwards, I would like it a lot more.

This story was beautifully told - in the style of a fairy tale or folklore. From the first pages, you understand as the reader that by the end of the story you will have learned an important lesson - so you must pay attention. The hero has a lot to learn.

The prose, the sapphic love story, and the threads woven by the author to tell us this story were well conceived and well executed.

This was my first Neon Yang book and can’t wait to read more of their work.

Great world building and amazing characters I had so much fun reading this book and following the story. I did find at some parts the pacing was off but it didn’t effect my enjoyment of the book

A lushly descriptive novella filled with vivid imagery, this Sapphic love story follows a fearsome renowned dragon slaying knight into a rich and secluded neighbouring kingdom that may be harbouring—or worse yet—worshipping—the very dragon this knight seeks.

Despite being a novella, I felt Brighter Than Scale, Swifter Than Flame to be a much longer—it felt like an epic in miniature form. A lack of characterization and emotionality made it near impossible to even attempt to connect to the figures meant to represent the protagonist and her lover. Rather than rendering them caricatures, this lack served to give them an allegorical quality elevating the story to a legend or myth in itself, which reinforced the themes of duty, heroism and sacrifice.

I can't quite decide on this one. I find the beautifully chronicled story lingers in a visually arresting manner, within my vivid imagination, but the characters— unrealized—are largely absent from this tableau, and the result is desolate and haunting.

Expected Release Date: May 6, 2025

Many Thanks to NetGalley, Neon Yang, and Tor Publishing Group for access to an eARC. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis:
Few know the true identity of the masked guildknight of Mithrandon. She barely remembers herself.

The masked guildknight—Yeva—was thirteen when she killed her first dragon. With her gift revealed, she was shipped away to the imperial capital to train in the rare art of dragon-slaying. Now a legendary dragon hunter, she has never truly felt at home—nor removed her armor in public—since that fateful day all those years ago.

Yeva must now go to Quanbao, a fiercely independent and reclusive kingdom. It is rumored that there, dragons are not feared as is right and proper, but instead loved and worshipped. It is rumored that there, they harbor a dragon behind their borders. While Yeva searches for the dreaded beast, she is welcomed into the palace by Quanbao’s monarch, Lady Sookhee. Though wary of each other, Yeva is shocked to find herself slowly opening up to the beautiful, mysterious queen. As they grow closer, Yeva longs to let Lady Sookhee see the person behind the armor, but she knows she must fulfill her purpose and slay the dragon. Ultimately, she must decide who—or what—she is willing to betray: her own heart, or the sacred duty that she has called home for so long.

Genre:
Epic Fantasy

Fav Quote:
“There was no reason to think I wouldn’t see you as an abomination.” “Indeed.” “No more of an abomination than I.”

What I Loved:
* Sapphic romance, dragons, a lady knight - what more could you want??
* Even though this is a novella, the beautiful details and setting combined with the magic system and pacing make this story feel fully-fledged with a satisfying ending.
* I adore reading about moral conflict and this book delivers! Torn between duty, patriotism, familial love and romantic love makes for some difficult choices and beautiful character growth.
* Ultimately, I’m a sucker for epic/high fantasy with mythical creatures and detailed story-telling. If that sounds like something you reach for, this is definitely for you!

For fans of:
* Samantha Shannon
* Sue Lynn Tan
* L.R. Lam

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Thank you so much to the Netgalley team at Tor/Forge for providing me with this ARC 🫶🏻

Sapphic, fantasy Mandalorian who slays dragons is the best way to describe this little novella.

As with most fantasy novellas, I always find that I wish it were just a whole novel because it doesn't feel fleshed out, and I just want to sink into the details of the politics and lore of this world. However, I will say the storyteller-esque prose made it a little easier to digest this kind of story. I don't think I've every read anything with this kind of prose before and it was a bit jarring at first but once I settled in and imagined an old storyteller sitting by a fireplace, narrating to their rapt audience the events of Yeva's story, I was able to enjoy it for what it was.

____________________

Thanks Netgally for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

4.5 stars! Thank you to NetGalley, Tordotcom, and Tor Publishing Group for this advanced copy! You can pick up Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame on May 6, 2025.

I have to give Neon Yang so much credit for packing so much incredible lore, world-building, and character development into so few pages. The pacing of this was incredible, and I found myself deeply entrenched in Yeva's story as the masked guildknight of Mithrandon. The comparisons to The Mandalorian are spot-on, but I love how this story tackles identity, gender, disability, and sapphic love.

After years of training to be the best guildknight and dragon slayer, loyal to the Sun Emperor, Yeva's finally given a task that she feels ill equipped to handle -- infiltrating a rival nation's court (and one close to her old home). There, she meets Lady Sookhee, who helps her literally and figuratively unmask herself and acknowledge that she's more than the Emperor's tool.

While I did see the ending coming, I really appreciated how Yang handled it and what it meant for our lovely main couple. I'd love to revisit this world someday, and you can bet I'll be rereading this closer to its release in March!