"Breath of the Dragon" by Fonda Lee and Shannon Lee was an exciting and immersive read, and the audiobook elevated the experience even further.

The story follows Jun, an underdog with big dreams of becoming the Guardian of the Scroll, navigating a journey filled with martial arts, political intrigue, and self-discovery. The audiobook narration by Eric Yang was fantastic. His ability to bring each character to life with distinct voices and pacing made the action-packed fight scenes and emotional moments even more vivid. The martial arts sequences were incredibly well written and choreographed, clearly influenced by the authors' expertise and passion for the subject. Jun's growth from an impulsive teenager to a more disciplined and determined young man was engaging to follow. I also appreciated the focus on friendships and rivalries instead of just throwing in a low effort romance subplot.

I would recommend this to anyone who is into more action-focused fantasy. I cannot wait for the next installment in this duology. If you love martial arts, intricate plots, and a touch of political intrigue, this is worth picking up.

Shannon Lee, daughter of martial artist Bruce Lee and co-writers with acclaimed fantasy writer, Fonda Lee, conjures a new young adult fantasy in which Jun, a teenaged warrior aspires to win the Guardian Tournament to attain the elite status of the Guardian, protector of the magical Scroll of Heaven. Jun embarks on a journey to prove his worth as a warrior and to become great in the eyes of his father and himself. In pursuit of this dream, Jun encounters challenges and people, kind souls as well as devious ones with twists aplenty!

Will Jun manage to become the next Guardian or will whatever threatens the realm, get to him first?

This story is for a younger audience in the YA Fantasy genre. The fighting scenes are interesting and descriptive and the backdrop of political intrigue is just complex enough for a young audience. I preferred the audio for the fighting scenes!

Read this if you enjoyed Spin the Dawn minus the romance!

Thank you to @wednesdaybooks @macmillian for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Breath of the Dragon by Fonda Lee and Shannon Lee
4.25/5 star

I had really high expectations going into this book and I'm glad to report that I was not disappointed. Fonda Lee, author of Jade City, and Shannon Lee, the person behind the show Warrior, team up to write this breathtaking novel.

The story follows a young boy whose twin has supernatural abilities will he does not. His family is separated and he learns martial arts in his twins absence in order to become a guardian of a sacred scroll.

Please read If you enjoy the following:

really cool combat scenes
underground revolutionaries
A good old traveling troupe trope
parental disapproval

A big thank you to netgalley and Macmillon Audio for the audio review copy.

CONTENT WARNING: violence, gore, murder, death of a parent (off-page)

It wasn’t until just before I started reading this that I looked up who Shannon Lee is, because my first assumption was that she is related to Fonda Lee, one of my favorite authors. Thanks to the marvels of the internet, I discovered that Shannon Lee isn’t related to Fonda Lee, but she is the daughter of martial arts legend Bruce Lee. And it made perfect sense for these two authors to work together and create a story that gives me The Combat Codes x Jade City vibes.

I read this book primarily through audiobook, because the narrator, Eric Yang, is fantastic and made this story jump off the page with his narration. I really enjoyed his portrayal of the characters and how he told the story, making it the kind of audiobook that I couldn’t put down.

Initially, we get to meet Jun and Sai, twin brothers who are extremely enmeshed. Jun is a fast learner, extremely determined even at a young age to show that he is equally valuable despite not having the patch of dragon scales on his skin that his brother has, which indicates that they are breathmarked, blessed by Dragon, and have a special talent. Sai’s talent is that he can learn anything after seeing someone else do it, and without having to practice, he can excel. Jun, on the other hand, works hard and learns every skill before his brother, but is discounted because of his lack of a breathmark.

Jun also demonstrates some negative characteristics—he’s hyperactive, impulsive, and rarely thinks before he acts. Due to these flaws, he and his father are separated from his brother and mother, who are sent away so that Sai can train to be an Aspect, a person who keeps public and social order. It is Jun’s actions that lead to this, showing off the secret and forbidden martial arts that his father has taught them. Jun and his father are sent to a neighboring country for a five-year banishment period. In that time, Jun’s father got a job at an opera house, organizing the fight scenes and playing the villain, since martial arts aren’t forbidden in their new home. Jun trains at a local school, and is determined to participate in a tournament that is held every six years and determines who will be the newest Guardian, entrusted to keep the magical Scroll of Earth safe.

We don’t get to see much of Sai, since the story is told entirely through Jun’s perspective. He does maintain a connection to his twin by having imaginary conversations with him, even though the letters stopped passing through the border after the creation of a wall between the countries. Jun’s perspective is interesting, especially since we meet him at age 6, and then again ten years later. There’s obviously a lot of growth that he experiences in this book, and we start to see him changing once he impulsively stows away in Chang and Ren’s wagon. This transitions him from an overactive and honestly, kind of obnoxious child into a young man who is actively working on himself and trying not to keep making the same mistakes repeatedly.

One of the things that stood out the most to me about this book is the realistic nature of the martial arts in the story. I love Fonda Lee’s style of writing, especially her fight scenes, but when she paired up with Shannon Lee, another martial arts expert, the descriptions of the fight were so clear and well-choreographed that they were so easy to visualize, even without having any knowledge of martial arts. This is on display in Fonda Lee’s Greenbone Saga series, and it really made me think of The Combat Codes by Alexander Darwin, in how the fighting is depicted.

The way that Jun connects to the people around him is relatively abrasive. He’s great at the physical activity of martial arts, but the structure, discipline, and forethought is an area that he struggles with for a good portion of the book. I also liked seeing how much harder he works to get on even footing with someone who is breathmarked.

This book isn’t just about one young man who fights his way, literally, to the tournament, there’s also some political intrigue occurring in the book. It sets the tone for a duology so that I’m already excited for the next book before this one is even out yet. But I enjoyed seeing how all the different story threads intertwined and created a cohesive plot that was perfectly paced. I can’t say enough great things about the characters in the story, how they interact, and the complexity of the plot, which comes on slowly enough to grasp everything, even while reading the audiobook version. Sometimes I struggle to focus when listening to an audiobook, and have to reread certain chapters, or even switch to reading along in the ebook while I’m listening, but I never had to do that with this book, despite the complex and layered nature of the story.

Overall, this book is fantastic, and I want to just throw copies of it at people like I’m Oprah. You get a book, and *you* get a book, and everyone gets a book!

It’s the best kind of underdog story, in my opinion, and there’s so many positives about the book that I didn’t even notice any negatives. If you enjoy books featuring martial arts, Bruce Lee’s style and teachings, stories with lots of action, YA books with characters who are morally gray in what they’ll do to succeed, and fantasy novels with excellent world building, then you’ll love this book!

GREAT AUDIOBOOK.

I am a major Fonda Lee fan (have you read Jade City yet? BECAUSE YOU SHOULD). Any who, I knew I needed my hands on this book and it was great. If you enjoy high action and low romance fantasy reads, this is a solid pick. I will definitely be picking up the next book.

I loved Jun as the MC. He’s scrappy and a bit naive, but works hard to make a name for himself. The competition Jun finds himself in is intense and gritty. I liked that it didn’t take up the entire book and that there was a lot more politicking and nuanced world building happening in the background. I liked the magic system and dragon scale concept and the unique abilities that were brought about by being breathmarked.

Some of the twists feel a little predictable and I wouldn’t say that was a big issue, but I could ultimately see from the beginning where things were moving towards. The audiobook had a fantastic narrator though and it was a nice switch up to go with something less romantic than my usual fair.

Overall audience notes:

YA Fantasy
Language: mild
Romance: none
Violence: moderate – high
Content Warnings: murder, loss of loved ones, blood/gore depiction

Breath of the Dragon, the first of the Breathmarked duology, introduces a well created world on martial arts, intrigue and honor.
Jun, torn away from his twin and mother, and banished with his father at a young age because of illicit martial arts training, has one dream... to fight in the tournament and become the guardian of the scroll. Despite going against his father's wishes, he is determined and skilled. But he is also young, arrogant and a bit foolish.
I really enjoyed his journey to the capital, where he traveled with Chang and Ren, it was fun to see the different ways Change trained Jun and the friendship between Ren and Jun progressing.
Upon reaching the Capitol, the tournament is not precisely as expected, as there is a lot more political intrigue and possible corruption than Jun had expected, but it was interesting to watch it all unfold.

Can't wait to see where book two takes Jun.

I absolutely loved this book and the martial arts Bruce Lee esque vibes of the novel, and when I saw it was also being offered as an audiobook I requested it, curious to see how the story felt in this form. It was so immersive, so clear in my mind and an absolute treat to listen to! I highly highly recommend it in both forms, but theres just something really special about the audiobook(coming from someone who prefers reading over listening, this was a huge success for me!!!)

4.5 stars

This book was an absolute blast. The tournament aspect was so well done, I think each challenge added more stakes to the story. The fight scenes were incredibly well written. You could tell this was a love letter to Bruce Lee. I loved how this focused on Jun, because he was such an underdog. Watching him grow throughout the story was so fun to witness. The political intrigue and scheming was so well done, too. I really got a grasp of the world and why it is the way it is. It got slightly repetitive at times, but I still had so much fun with this one and can’t wait for book two! The ending had me UNWELL.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the Audio ARC!

The narrator and production value were both fantastic - he had good voice distinction between characters and the pacing was perfect.

This was so good - absolutely phenomenal. Full of politics and relationships and excellent character and world building...and of course incredible martial arts and action scenes that were written MASTERFULLY well. It was truly an incredible feat - I was able to follow all the action without getting confused, which is hard to do in a written format. Fonda and Shannon Lee are masters of their craft.

This felt very similar to The Art of War by Wesley Chu, which is one of my favorite books so I had the best time. It caught my attention immediately and held it from the first to the last page and I am dying for the sequel. This was a super accessible and fantastic start to the duology that I recommend to all readers!

when martial arts tears Jun's family apart as a child it had never stops him for being drawn to it. His twin brother who is breathmarked and has special skills is sent away with his mother. Jun is sent away with his dad who has always forbade him to do anything with martial arts. but it has always been his dream to be the sacred guardian & protect the scroll. Jun sets out on a journey to be the next guardian even without his dads blessing. we follow him along with friendships and hardships to his dream. this is much different from what i normally read but i truly enjoyed this book so much and can't wait for the second part to come out.

An excellent book! Great writing! Originality! Intriguing magic system! What else could you ask for! Loved the world and loved the characters. Need the sequel now!

I really liked this book. I liked the character story and his growth. I very much like the way this book ended and I'm looking forward to the next book. I really didn't think it was possible for us to not hear about his family and where they are. This was not was I was expecting but I'm a good way!

This is a very strong YA fantasy that I'd definitely recommend it for middle grade/young adult readers:

- a fast paced plot and the writing is great, particularly for the fight scenes (as expected when Fonda Lee is involved)
- the setting, while a little generic, is well fleshed out and prominently East Asian-coded
- the main character Jun goes through a believable character arc from an annoying impatient 16 year old kid to a more experienced, level-headed, but still somewhat annoying 16 year old kid
- lack of shoehorned, awkward romance. instead we get to see a friendship develop between Jun and his one-time rival, which was much more satisfying

I really liked the audiobook narrator; his general narration was well done, and he did a great job of voicing different characters distinctly (and without making female characters sound too falsetto). The Asian accent he did for the Westerners (or was it the Easterners) was subtle yet distinctive and helped ground the setting as well.

I really enjoyed this story. The training and competition was interesting and the politics were intriguing. It seems like the next book will focus more on the politics side of things but I could be wrong. I enjoyed our cast of characters and look forward to learning more about them and this world.

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc and an alc!

this was absolutely fantastic and i enjoyed every second i spent reading/listening. i’ve read fonda lee before, and while i wasn’t hooked by her green bone saga, i see her craft clearly in the breath of the dragon.

i’ve never been interested much in martial arts but shannon and fonda lee depict the fighting scenes in such concise yet vivid details that i felt as if i were watching a movie.

i enjoyed the political propaganda/intrigue, and really enjoyed the tournament aspect of the book! i’m excited to continue reading this series.

the narrator was fantastic as well!

Absolutely loved Breath of the Dragon and I am filled with anticipations for the second book!

Jun is such an interesting character who wears his heart on his sleeves. I think his development as he advanced to his main goal was fun to follow along. As for the rest, I think there was a really good cast of characters between all the people who helped Jun get to the tournament, and especially his rival Yin. The world building was also quite good. Not too overbearing and complicated, but just enough between learning the magic system and the political landscape of what's up.

I really hope to see more about Jun and Yin's journey, as well as uncover more about Jun's brother Sai.

Although well-written and engagingly narrated, I had a hard time getting invested in this audiobook. I found the fight scenes too reliant on naming moves instead of describing them (to the detriment of being able to visualize the fight) and the characters did not resonate with me. This book will work for people more interested in a fast-moving plot instead of very descriptive prose. DNF at 20%.

I was so excited to read this one, and while I did enjoy it, I found myself a little bored during the first half. This was such a cool idea, and the plot overall definitely kept me interested, I just think the pacing of the first half was a bit too slow for my liking.

Breath of the Dragon is a martial arts tournament meets fantasy read. While I know next to nothing about martial arts beyond what I’ve seen in movies, I wasn’t overwhelmed or deterred in any way while reading this. I really appreciated the teachings in regard to knowing yourself and overcoming yourself in order to overcome others. I was a big fan of the mentor/mentee relationship that formed during Jun’s travels as well as the glimpses that training gave to what’s occurring throughout the realm. What really sold me though was the tournament. I love trials and tournaments in reads, so I was thrilled to get to that point in the story. This goes beyond a simple tournament, though, because of the political machinations that are at play with different candidates. There’s also so many revelations, shocking twists, and betrayals that this story will have you hooked and leave you reeling. I read this via audiobook and really loved the narration. Eric Yang did so well balancing Jun’s excitement, frustrations, naïveté, and resolve. Yang truly brought Jun to life making this a thoroughly enjoyable listening adventure. I can’t wait to read the next book.

4,5 stars rounded up!

Fonda Lee became an easy favorite of mine after I flew through every book in her Jade Saga series. She has such an amazing talent for creating characters that you adore, even at their most frustrating, and putting them in unique environments with such fascinating magic systems. So of course I was thrilled to get my hands on an early copy of her newest book, this time a YA story completely unlike the Jade Saga. And Shannon Lee brings such a unique perspective to this story as the daughter of Bruce Lee!

After a careless mistake at a young age causes Jun and his father to be banished and separated from his magically-gifted brother and their mother, he has dedicated his life to learning how to fight and prove himself the best warrior in the upcoming Guardian's Tournament. If he wins, he can finally prove to his father that fighting isn't a waste of his time, and maybe, reconnect with the rest of his family. But when Jun's father forbids him from participating, he'll have to sneak a wagon ride from the blind man and renowned flutist, Chang, and his daughter, Ren, to the capital. But there's more to the tournament and being guardian than just protecting the Scroll of Heaven - the fate of both his new nation and his old might depend on him winning.

This is such a stunning homage to martial arts. I'm a sucker for a good tournament storyline, and the authors have created such a fascinating mythos that lends itself well to a magical battle. The stakes do feel genuinely high for Jun and the allies he collects along the way, with a clear antagonist you want to root for Jun to defeat. The idea of "breathmarked" individuals, or those chosen by the Dragon to have special gifts and abilities, and certainly of a brother and his twin not both inheriting those gifts, is a fascinating one. There are so many different layers to the overall plot that, while I could guess where the story was headed, I wasn't always sure how we would get there - and the ending certainly caught me off guard!

As a teacher, one of the the things that have been a noted struggle the past few years is how few GOOD YA books there have been for teenage boys - it's like everything for them just stops after middle grade. I genuinely cannot wait to have this book on my shelves at school: while there is romance, it is in the background and not a serious part of the story at all. I just know my students will devour this book.

Eric Yang is a lovely narrator who brings so much uniqueness to each character and their emotions. He was the perfect narrator for this story!