This book could have been big and exciting and everything I waited for me - but in the end it was a bit too much?
Thats something I rarely say. But this book was set in an asian set world, with magic, ghosts Aly nd metallic machines, and the idea of the book was so great and promising, but in the end I despised the arrogant and mainly on herself focused main character and found the other characters a bit too sloppy.
The story was great, the ideas super special and I loved the setting, but in the end it was a little overload of information and also connected ideas. I often sat there like "Oh sure." *eyeroll*.
So I wanted so badly to love the story and I think for younger readers its a great adventure and super encouraging book with great scenes and a lovely love story, but for me it was just a nice in-between read.

Not enough people are talking about Stronger Than a Bronze Dragon, but it deserves a good solid look.
A well-developed fantasy set in Qing dynasty China—but with magic and spirits and steampunk dragons—sets up a world where a peasant girl can fight her way to victory. Great for fans of Heidi Heilig’s For a Muse of Fire, Stronger Than a Bronze Dragon mixes a well-developed world, a protagonist with an itch for fighting, and a villain (or three?) to create this vast fantasy.
Although the start was slow for the first 200 pages, it began picking up pace in the last half and really made the story worth it. For a fantasy, it was surprisingly light in the way that one didn’t need to focus too much on the worldbuilding to understand what was going on. Worldbuilding was happening—but the signals are pretty clear to the reader about the Qing dynasty (or, at the very minimum to readers unaware, the historical-China setting), its interactions with other countries, and the dispersal of cultures—as well as the magic and spirits and dragons.
From the beginning, Anlei is a compelling main character, with her fierce desire to fight and willingness to defend her town, even if it ends up being in unexpected ways. Her own stubbornness stays with her throughout, but subtle decisions indicate character growth in nuanced ways, such as the way Anlei approaches a fight in the beginning and end of the novel.
The action is further heightened by the looming, mechanical bronze dragons and contraptions the Viceroy enacts, and it creates a subtle steampunk feel to the story. But it mixes in myth and legend to create a fantasy-type element with its demons and spirits that play an important role in the story.
The pace picks up in the last half as the action scenes grow tighter and the banter dips further and further into something more. The protagonists are not only hindered from their goal by physical barriers, but by their own flaws as well, which sets Stronger Than a Bronze Dragon up for further character development. The two protagonists’ dynamics play off of each other, their banter providing well needed moments of relief and respite from the fighting and the chase.
A satisfying ending brings the story to a close, with the mystery solved and a few reveals that may surprise the reader—but leave them realizing what they missed in hindsight. Looking at the story reveals a classic swooping narrative arc that satisfies with its traditional structure.
Stronger Than a Bronze Dragon could have used a tighter beginning, but overall, the reading experience is worth it for its adventure and action of the second half. The characters flaws and development are subtly added in and may be unrecognizable as an active part of the story, but play an important role in complementing the fast-paged movements of the story in the easily recognizable historical-China setting.
This is a great read for anyone who enjoys a classic-style fantasy—with an adventure, interesting elements (steampunk dragons!), and a bit of a genre mix. I would definitely recommend fantasy-lovers to pick this up.

This book was really refreshing and a perfect mix of fantasy-steampunk-magic-adventure and it is a unique story with diverse characters and riveting protagonists. This book shows a fierce woman finding her adventure and writing her own story. It shows a hero trying to find his purpose and save his own people. It is a story about overthrowing the powerful corrupt leaders and hoping for a better place.

I had conflicting feelings about Strong than a Bronze Dragon. On the one hand, I enjoyed the magic and fantasy that was inspired by Chinese mythology, as well as the incorporation of Chinese culture and the language. There was well-paced action and witty banter.

However, the plot was all over the place for me and I still feel a bit lost. I think this book needed to be more than just a standalone because the compacted plot lines didn't do the story any justice. I wanted way more development from Anlei than what we received, and the resolution wasn't satisfying at all.

This Chinese-inspired fantasy gave me a fluttery heart from the moment that I saw its cover. Let's be honest, it's a great time to be a reader in this movement of own voices books. I couldn't wait to see how Mary Fan would blend this rich history, a bit of steampunk, and a heavy dose of fantasy into something new. To say I was excited for this book probably doesn't even cover it, but we'll leave it at that. I was ready to be swept away.

Now, in all fairness, I am an extremely character driven reader and Anlei took a long while for me to actually enjoy. It's not that she's a bad character, by an means. Fan has created a young woman who is bright, fierce, and full of honor. Anlei isn't afraid to speak her mind, or to step into the face of danger to protect others. However the first third or so of the book it almost felt like Anlei's character was trying too hard to be the exact opposite of a Mary Sue. She was fierce and combative to the point of it feeling like she was a cardboard version of what she wanted to be. That was rough for me. As the story went on though, and I followed her through her adventures, I fell more in love with her attitude. If only a little more polish had been given to the dialogue that she had with a lot of other characters at the beginning, I feel like we could have started off on a better foot.

In terms of world building, which is my second necessity in fantasy reads, this one fell a little short. While the steampunk aspects were absolutely stunning (mechanical dragons anyone?), there wasn't enough explanation of Anlei's world to really make things feel solid. I tripped along with her as she flew across her land, headed for danger, but I never really felt like I was actually there. If I could wish for anything, it would be more time to really sink into the world and find my place in it. Maybe the finished book will have a map inside, which would be amazing! I would have loved to feel like I was actually there with Anlei.

The last thing I want to address is the plot, and this is a touchy one because I don't want to give anything away for potential readers. I'll simply say that this is a rich story, full of mythology, but it definitely drags in places. I honestly believe that this story could have done with some tightening up. Watching Anlei and Tai travel around and battle evil was fantastic. Following along with their banter and their harrowing adventures was a lot of fun. However some of their journey, and some of their dialogue, felt more forced than it should have. It made the book drag at times to the point I needed to skim ahead, but it didn't stop me from reading on.

Truthfully, I did enjoy my time with this book. Maybe not quite as much as I had originally hoped, but it was still so refreshing to get lost in such a culture rich story. If you're a fan of fantasy that has strong women and epic battles, this is a story for you.

Stronger than a Bronze Dragon was a strong read but there was something missing that didn't make me LOVE it. The characters were great, especially our heroine, and the romance was sweet. Mary Fan did a wonderful job writing and bringing this world to life, but towards the end it felt slightly predictable.

I loved Stronger Than a Bronze Dragon. What an interesting and unique story.

First off I loved the main character Anlei. I know I’ve said in previous reviews how much I enjoy an imperfect character. Anlei is strong and resourceful and a great asset to her village but she also can be very selfish and closed off. She mentions her difficulty of making friends but it’s partly because she struggles to think beyond herself. At the same time though, she is very loyal and considerate. She wants fame and recognition but she also has the ability to asses someone else's situation. Instead of rushing headfirst into being a hero, she considers how this can help the person and herself both out. As the story progresses I think she really starts to see this in herself as more of a flaw instead of something to be proud of. That doing something heroic can mean something more to you than the fame that comes with it. I just really loved her character.

Tai is also a great character. I loved the way he banters with Anlei and is able to push her buttons. I think he sees more to her than even she sees. He respects her abilities and treats her like an equal. Which I think is something that she craves being more interested in adventuring instead of settling down and getting married. Plus he’s got that mysterious thing going for him. Who is this Tai.

I loved the story and I felt that it was fast paced. I think Mary Fan could have spread over another book if she really wanted to but I also think it’s perfect as a standalone. Although I wouldn’t mind seeing other adventures, if not even Anlei and Tai in the same world. Perhaps Anlei’s sister. I do love a story that takes you on an adventure that isn’t what it seems, just to bring you back around to look at things in front of you in a new angle. I also really enjoyed the lore that went along with the world as well as has that perfect Steampunk flare. Flying Mechanical Dragons! Again it would be interesting to see some more parts of this in other books. How many real Dragons are there? What were the other artifacts being collected?

I really enjoyed this book and it’s the perfect blend of things that I needed in a standalone Fantasy.

Side note. It didn’t matter to me how Mowang was described. I kept picturing him looking like the demon on the cover of my brothers Dungeons Master Guide D&D book.

Writing
I have mixed feelings about the writing of this one and that is it’s main downfall for me. Firstly, I didn’t feel like the world was explained fully and I didn’t get enough info on the Magic System either, so I was a little underwhelmed with that. What I learnt about the world was super interesting and I would love to learn more, however this is a standalone, so won’t be getting that wish granted. I do appreciate that this is a standalone as YA Fantasy standalones are rare! My other issue with the writing is that it was a tad predictable and pretty cliche. I didn’t love the romance as it was pretty close to insta love. Which is a nope from me. It was only a little predictable, mainly with the romance and related things though. I didn’t guess the major plot points but there were things that I guessed..

However, I did enjoy the action, pacing, world and characters. So I didn’t hate this book but there could have been improvements..

Plot
As I previously said there were some predictability, but not a tonne. I did enjoy the plot though, it kept me hooked and it was full of twists and turns. I also enjoyed the pacing, it felt very fast paced which made it easy to read!

Characters
The characters were quite enjoyable even though they were a bit predictable. This is one of those books that you are left wondering if you are supporting the right character and questioning their choices. Which I enjoy personally!

Overall
So overall I enjoyed some things and disliked others. The book was enjoyable, action packed, fast paced, had an interesting world and good characters but there were a few things that could have been improved!

Anlei is eager to defend her village, revel in the fighting, and avenger her father. But then she's traded away with a seemingly useless relic in exchange for protection from a iron-fisted man who only sees her as a pretty performer.

Anlei is dyslexic, reactive, quick to anger, and defensive. Which, I completely love. Some enjoy fighting, and it's not necessarily a bad or weird thing. Anger and conflict is human and needs to be expressed and owned, rather than suppressed or turned passive-aggressive. Give me the fellow blunt girls who don't get what the problem is and find the politics of social interaction annoying.



Little sister inventor
Street performing family
Love the push-pull between family and home, and dreams of exploring
Love Anlei's enthusiastic traveling experiences
Back to back fighting!
LI: Enemies to allies to friends
Flying dragon ships!
LI uses humor and flippancy as a defense mechanism.
Which makes for great banter
So glad to see the girl be the serious broody one!
Their Yoda is a black woman monk.
Journey to Hell, which was interesting and not what I expected. And I had no idea what was coming next.
The! Reveals! Keep! Coming!
Love the Warrioress mythology and the main character being a sidekick on a hero's journey
Such an adorable and positive ending.

The only dragons are mechanical and while integral to the story, we don't get to be involved with them a lot. BUT there's plenty of day to day average teampunkiness, which is the best kind I think.

Great Rating Graphic

My first recommendation is for fans of Mulan and Legend by Marie Lu. But I really need to update my comp titles, so also: perfect for fans of For the Muse of Fire and The Dragon Pearl.

favorite Quotes:

But though he'd let a village die for his pride, for the sake of my home, I swallow mine.


Self-control is a gift for tomorrow. Be kind to your future self.


"Truce?"

"I accept your surrender."


"If we weren't already heading to Hell, I'd toss you in myself."


The dead are to be honored, but the living are to be cherished. Father's words, spoken years ago, echo through my mind. Many choices come down to love or hate. Chose love, every time.

Thanks to Page Street Publishing and NetGalley for the Advance Review Copy in exchange for an honest review.

This sounded like a really cool concept. Steampunk fantasy mixed with Qing dynasty China? Yeah that sounds pretty awesome. It started well too, I was instantly drawn into Anlei’s battle to protect her village and then…

..the Exposition Hammer came crashing down.

Positives:

The setting is interesting and I liked the nods to the cultural aspects and overall, it seemed like a cool world to set a story in.

The cover is really nice?

Negatives:

The writing style just felt strange to me and I couldn’t connect with it. I can’t put my finger on what bothered me about it, but it rustled my jimmies and made it impossible for me to focus on the story.

The bad guy was completely boring and predictable. I worked out what most of the plot twists would be almost immediately. I’m not bragging, they are just really obvious.

I didn’t get a sense of any real chemistry with the love interest. I didn’t really care about the relationships between any of the characters. Sometimes I can live with this if the story or writing makes up for it but in this case…no.

Overall, a cool concept but it just didn’t work for me.

This book just wasn't for me. Following are three reasons why:

1.
There was too much info dumping through conversation, which felt unnatural and too much like telling. I would have preferred this information be given organically through the characters thoughts, actions, and observations as appropriate to the situation.

2.
Chinese words are used without defining them. It was cool for me since I could figure out the words from context and pronunciation (note: I'm not fluent in pinyin, the romanization of Chinese words). However, non-Chinese speakers will struggle to understand some conversations because of this. The use of Chinese words in everyday context—such as xie xie (thank you), qi lai (come quickly), and slow down (can't read my notes for the pinyin)—felt gratuitous. Using the English words would be appropriate in these situations since these words aren't cultural-specific.

3. I couldn't relate to Anlei. Her motivations were not clear, and some of her actions didn't feel appropriate for her station. While I don't expect the MC to respond perfectly to every situation, it definitely would have helped to have her motivations and some of her backstory setup before she rushes into a life-threatening situation (and miraculously comes out unharmed).

DNFed at 8%

Whoa! What a surprising read. I was not expecting this to have steampunk elements to it. I loved that. I hope that this book helps bring it back to the young adult genre.
Essentially the book is about a girl Anlei whose village gets attacked by Ligui and then saved by Viceroy Kang who in turn for further protection wants the villages sacred pearl and one of the village girls hand in marriage. He chooses Anlei. Anlei does not want to go with him but in order to save her village she goes only to have the pearl her village gave him be stolen. Anlei in order to keep the protection goes after the thief and finds he needs it as much as her and so begins our adventure. I found our MC was a very relatable character yes she wants to save her village and family and goes into a forced marriage she despises but she also wants what's best for her and does anything she can to do that. Some would say she is being selfish but who doesn't want to live the life you want to live and not be forced into a life you know you will despise. Tai our thief was so much fun him and Anlei's banter was infectious I just loved it. There is romance in the story but it is not the focus more like a side dish to the plot. My favourite part of the book had to be the steampunk mixed in with the magic and fantasy elements. You would think there would be too much happening on. Like they wouldn't compliment each other, but no the author weaved a complex and twisty story. Yes there were some stereotypical themes in the book but I find you can't escape that in the young adult world, if it works it works.

Overall this was a delightful fantasy with a dash of steampunk.

Is Mary Fan my favourite author? Probably.

I stayed up until 2am on a Friday night to finish this book, & I am so pleased I did. I knew before this that Mary was talented, but Stronger Than A Bronze Dragon has exceeded all expectations. Whenever I thought I knew this story, it changed itself completely & the last half of the book was unbelievably addictive. I read to escape, & this book definitely helped me to achieve that.

⚠️ This book contains a forced marriage & a lot of violence ⚠️

In Stronger than a Bronze Dragon we follow Anlei and her village. We know that she wants to do what's best not only for her family but also her village. We learn what she's willing to do to keep her home safe.

I love the mechanical dragons, that's something I've hardly read about and it's very different, pulled me in. Anlei is strong & moving characters, but my favorite characters were Tai; he was funny, witty and made the story fell fuller. I have to say that Mary Fan's writing was my all time favorite part of this book, her writing is balanced with just enough world build and you could see everything while still letting the story be about the characters. Beautifully done!

I also like that all I knew about this book was that there was a girl wanting to keep her village safe and the mechanical dragons, that's it. It made everything seem more surprising. This book will leave you flying, wanting more!

Anlei has always had a difficult connecting with the people in her village, but her determination to do anything to protect them was admirable. Shes always wanted to be a warrior like her father so having to marry the viceroy and be a obedient decoration in his palace is one of the worse fates she could imagine for herself. I didnt understand why she didnt try harder to figure out how to stop the dark shadows from attacking her village instead of returning to get married. The only reason she discovered the origin of the shadows is because of thiefs intervention which didnt really match her strong and independent personality. I just felt like she gave up too easily. She could have asked the thief to help her, but instead sent him on his way. I thought her actions when the need for revenge set in was a little dramatic, but she does get some significant character growth.

Anlei and her sisters Anshui acrobatic act was pretty awesome. Anshui was such an intriguing character I would have loved to see more of her and her interactions with Anlei. She's very intelligent and has created all kinds of wonderful mechanical gadgets. As for our theif Tai, I thought he had a mysterious air to him that was very captivating. His complicated and lonely past have made it difficult for him to share his secrets. His unlikely alliance with Anlei leads to a slow burn, almost hate to love, romance. He has this very overconfident and teasing personality that make for some great banter between him and Anlei. He cant take anything too seriously, even the possibilty of his own demise which Anlei serious personality finds infuriating. I also really liked the sorceress they meet on their journey and her motherly tendencies toward Tai who hasnt been shown much love in his life.

This vivid asian inspired world had some compelling steampunk and fantasy elements woven in. The pearl has some different magic properties, but they werent explored as much as I would have liked. I also wish we got to know more about the river dragon it came from. The magic in general was kind of vague. Im not usually one for steampunk, but I thought the mechanical dragons were pretty cool. On their journey we get to visit some interesting places like the temple the sorceress resides at and the courts of hell were Tais people are trapped. The contrast between the two places and the disturbing way the underworld was described made for an immersive experience. I thought the stories about the great warrioress and the lunar spirits known as the Yueshen were fantastic. I also enjoyed the dark shadow monsters known as the Ligui and the sense of danger they brought to the world.

The fact that we got two epic quests instead of just one created an engaing pace and an entertaining story. Anlei and Tai have to defeat two antagonists and the stakes get higher with each one. Tai wants to free his people from the court of hell while Anlei wants to protect her village from the Ligui. Only together will they stand a chance of achieving their goals. This gave the story a stronger together theme that I really enjoy, but see often in young adult literature. Despite predicting most of the twists and turns I still found them exciting. I liked that the story was all wrapped up in a standalone with a satisfying ending. I do see potential for more books in this world and the authors writing was enjoyable so Id like to see what else she comes out with. I could definitely use some more teasing banter in my life.

Would have shared my review on Amazon but they refuse to take any reviews for this product at this time.

As soon as I saw the word "dragon" in the title of this book, I added it to my tbr. Luckily, it still looked interesting after I actually read the summary. Stronger Than a Bronze Dragon turned out to be a refreshing and unique fantasy story with some steampunk elements.

I loved the world-building. Fan created a fantastic world and I loved finding out new tidbits about it throughout the story. I was left with a few remaining questions but for a YA novel, the world-building was pretty good. The characters were also intriguing, although it took some time for me to warm up to Anlei. I enjoyed the romance - the banter was engaging and it was so much fun to see how their feelings changed toward each other.

However, the writing style didn't really work for me. I'm sure that it will work for some readers but I felt like the writing style kept me at a distance from the story. I was never able to just immerse myself in the world and the characters. Plus the pacing for the plot was a bit wonky. About halfway through, I legitimately thought that the book was going to end. And then it didn't.

While there was another conflict that needed to be resolved, it wasn't really well developed. I never understood the villain's motivations and the story just wasn't given the time to breathe that it needed. Secrets were being revealed left and right and the reader just wasn't given time to process one before the next was revealed. I think there was definitely enough plot for this book to be split into a duology, particularly since it already has two very distinct story arcs.

Stronger Than a Bronze Dragon was an intriguing Chinese-inspired fantasy that melded steampunk and fantasy. There were some elements of the story that didn't work for me but I think that many readers will love this one.

*Disclaimer: I received this book for free from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

**Thank you to Page Street Publishing and Netgalley for giving me an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**

2.5/5 stars

Unfortunately, this book was not entirely for me. I don't know if it was just how the characters were written or the particular prose style of the author, but I found I could not connect to the main characters, and that meant that I had a hard time rooting for them. I also felt that the villains were a bit "flat" -- I couldn't understand their motivation other than just being evil, which never quite works for me. I do think others would probably enjoy this book, and it has a wonderful and richly laid-out setting that I did thoroughly enjoy. There was a lot of action but I wasn't drawn in enough to the book to care. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read the book and share my feedback. I would absolutely try others by this author, but this one wasn't for me!

It is said that the River Dragon resides in the dark waters of the river Dailanjaing. Anlei has grown on the legend that the village was blessed with this great dragon's favor and he bestowed upon the village an enchanted pearl. However, in recent times, the village of Dailan has suffered at the hands of the illusive Ligui. They are shadowy creatures made of myths and nightmares that attack under the cover of night and disappear at will.



Under these dire circumstances, a viceroy appears with the promise to protect the village under the conditions that the enchanted pearl is turned over to his possession and he is to marry a village girl of his choosing. In order to protect her sister, mother, and fellow villagers, Anlei must put aside her mounting horror in the sake of duty.



Until a thief steals the River Pearl.



As her future diverges like the mighty river beside her village, Anlei must channel her inner warrior spirit to become stronger than a bronze dragon.



Stronger Than A Bronze Dragon's plot was full of twists that seemed to coil around a dragon's tail. Mary Fan was able to incorporate folklore, steampunk, and fantasy elements into a scintillating read that will delight readers. I particularly enjoyed Anlei's character growth and her resolute spirit that allows her to tackle the fiercest of monsters-including her own quest for revenge. Overall, Stronger Than A Bronze Dragon was full of Mary Fan's authentic world building that made for an empowering read!

Beautiful and strong writing. A mythology feel for fans of Percy Jackson. This book went in a direction I am uncomfortable with but so many would love and devour every page. You will need and want to know more.

Stronger than a Bronze Dragon is a story about Anlei who wants to be a warrior like her dead father. She is with guards whose job is to protect the village from the evil spirits called Ligui, who had been mercilessly attacking her village for years. The Emperor refuses to acknowledge their suffering or send aid so it was the guards' duty to protect the village as best as they can. But one day Viceroy Kang arrives with his mechanical dragons and fleet and saves the village from another Ligui attack. He promises to provide aid to the village from further attacks but in return, he wants the village's magical River Pearl and one of the village girls as his bride. He chose Anlei as his bride and takes her to his city. When the River Pearl is stolen, Anlei decides to go after the thief and return it to the Viceroy so that he doesn't break his promise to protect her village. But she never knew that by going after the thief, she will embark herself on a journey full of adventures and spirits.

What I Liked
============================
1) I loved the overall concept of the book. It is not just fantasy, rather a mix of elements. There are mechanical cyborgs, automatons, paranormal Ligui, Yueshen spirits and the River Dragon mythology. It was certainly a refreshing take and it was fun to read about a world where science and magic work simultaneously.
2) Stories with enemies to lovers trope are my favourite. Though the duo in this book were not exactly enemies, I loved their journey. The initial banter between Anlei and Tai was full of sarcasm, wit and sass and enjoyed reading their story.
3) I loved how the author has portrayed our MC, Anlei, as a strong warrior. I a world where girls were married in quite young age, Anlei was devoted to protecting her village from Ligui. She is a badass heroine, a heroine you would love.
4) I fall in love with Anlei, not in the beginning, but throughout the story, slowly. I thought her to be quite proud in the beginning but later I loved her determination, courage and will to sacrifice.
5) It was amazing how both Anlei and Tai were devoted to their communities and were ready to do anything for them. Their love and loyalty for their family and village made them perfect for each other.
6) I really appreciate the author to put the Anlei’s wish to be the hero of her own quest in the story. For ages, women have been suppressed and they are supposed to compromise in almost everything. The war stories often celebrate male heroes. There are hardly enough stories where women are the real heroes. I really loved how Anlei wanted to travel the world and wanted to be the hero of her adventures.
7) The pace of the story was quite good. Generally, in fantasy books, initial chapters are loaded with the world-building and the introduction of the characters and sometimes, the new world and the dynamics can be confusing and thus makes the pace of the story a little slower. but in this book, the world-building has been introduced nicely as the story progresses. The reader doesn't have to make an extra effort to understand the world and thus the book feels quite fast-paced. The action scenes in the story were written quite well too.
8) I loved how the author has delivered the concept of stories, that they have several versions and in each version, there could be a different hero. People modify stories as per their will. While some believe in them, for others they are just stories. For some the characters are heroes but for a few, they are mere characters.
9) The concept of poor vs. rich has also shown beautifully. Anlei's village was not getting protection from the Ligui just because it was poor and far-away. The emperor was not interested. This shows how in our community the rich always succeeds and the poor has to sacrifice in order to get closer to the rich.
10) I really appreciate how the romance wasn't a large part of the story. You can tell from the first encounter of Anlei and Tai that there would be love between them, but I was glad it didn't take the centre-stage in the story.

What I didn’t like
=============================
1) I wasn't able to understand the true purpose of Viceroy Kang, what he actually wanted. He was like a typical villain who was just power hungry. There wasn't any real motivation. I wish his side was explored a bit more and his character was developed in a much better way.
2) I was able to predict most of the turning points, so there was no surprise element for me.
3) The title and cover don't really relate to the story. There was no actual bronze dragon or anyone to be stronger than it. The dragons mentioned in the book were mere mechanical and were part of the Viceroy Kang's fleet. I wish there was an actual dragon.

Overall
=====================
Stronger Than a Bronze Dragon has its share of flaws but still I really enjoyed it. If you love things like Asian mythology, strong and kickass warrior girls, witty banter, unique world-building, steampunk elements, magic, thieves, birth secrets and adventures, then this story is for you. Though it started as a revenge story, it is more than that. It is a story about community and family, about love and sacrifice and what it means to be the hero of our own story. It is a fast and fun standalone which will certainly entertain you.