I didn't like the characters at all specially Jun. And since he's the main character ad we are inside his head that made the reading a chore. I just found him so unlikeable and stubborn. I was waiting for his character growth but it never came. I didn't buy the whole found family angle; they just didn't have any chemistry with each other.

Thank you Netgalley, author, and publisher for the ARC.

Thank you to the authors, publisher and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This novel is a good set up in a new fantasy duology for fantasy and martial art fans, and this definitely has the fast pace of a movie that would fall into those genres, Returning to the world of Fonda Lee - with the help of Shannon Lee - this novel will work perfectly for teenage audiences and young adult enjoyers.

My biggest complaints was that because this was so plot focused, we sacrificed some of the development of the characters and relationships on page. This is something I hope to see improved on in book 2.

In Breath of the Dragon, Jun is fighting for a chance to prove ourselves. What is more relatable? We can think we want to find greatness, to be a legacy, to be a hero. But what happens when our path isn't straight forward? We can think we know what being a hero means, but what happens when we are forced to sacrifice? All the rhetoric we would use to excuse our sacrifices. If you love a good training scene, then you have to read Breath of the Dragon. For me, it was a bit of a slower hook in Breath of the Dragon.

4.25 ⭐️

This was such a good time! My original plan to read the Greenbone Saga before Breath of the Dragon came out didn’t end up happening, so I’m not able to tell fans of the Green bone saga if this is for them, and I’m not able to tell where Shannon Lee starts and Fonda Lee ends, but what I can tell you is that this is an awesome first book in a what looks like is going to be a series of some form.

We follow Jun, a 16yr old martial artist in a country separated in two, where the Eastern half of the country has forbidden martial arts except for those who are Breathmarked, or are born with special abilities and are easily identified by the dragon scales they are also born with. Jun’s twin brother is one of these special people. The day Jun’s brother is tapped to start his training, is also the day Jun and his father are found out to be secretly training in martial arts. The family is torn is half, with Jun and his father being sent to the West in punishment. 10 years later, Jun is still living in the West with his father, training to enter the martial arts contest in order to become the Guardian, a spiritual and political title given to the best martial artist in the country. Hijinks ensue…

While there were definitely some predictable plot points, and Jun is maybe given too much wisdom for a 16 year old in between punching things, the hero’s journey and political plot lines gave me a lot to love.

This is perfect for fans of Avatar The Last Airbender, the Warrior tv show (by Shannon Lee 😉), Cobra Kai and Karate Kid, as there is a lot of time spent on martial art philosophy and a ton of move by move fighting description.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martins Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

5 stars

In Breath of the Dragon, six-year-old Jun is exiled from his home in the East and separated from his mother and twin brother for illegally practicing martial arts. Ten years later, he hopes to restore his honor and his father’s pride by competing and winning the tournament that will decide the next guardian of the magical Scroll of Heaven. Jun’s father forbids him from participating but Jun is keen on proving himself. Unlike his brother, Jun is not breathmarked, meaning he wasn’t born with scales on his body that grant him a special affinity. Despite his father’s warnings and determined to win, Jun stows away on the carriage of flutist Chang and his daughter Ren on the way to the capital.

I really enjoyed the Greenbone Saga by Fonda Lee, so I was super excited to read her next book in collaboration with Shannon Lee. The story, world, and characters are so well written. Jun’s need to prove himself was relatable and stirred my emotions. I especially loved his growth throughout the story. At the start, his motives for competing were mostly selfish but as he journeys to the capital he learns more about the plight of his country. His desire to win ultimately becomes more about saving the people and promoting peace between the East and the West. Since he is not breathmarked, he can only depend on his own strength and skill in martial arts. Absolutely loved the academic rivals to friends in this as well! Overall, I’m truly excited for the next installment. I feel like the second book is going to be even better!

***Thank you to Wednesday Books for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley. My review contains my honest thoughts on my reading experience with the finished hardcover book, which I purchased.***

My expectations for Breath of the Dragon were through the roof. Luckily, this book definitely delivered. The writing was incredible, and Fonda Lee’s voice, which I love so much, was present and brilliant as ever. The plot was straightforward but paced exquisitely. I struggled between wanting to read the entire thing in one sitting and my desire to savor every word.

The world-building in Breath of the Dragon was intricate yet easily consumed. It felt like a living, breathing world with a great deal of history. Bits of the culture and its background were revealed at a digestible pace. So, the experience of exploring this world never became overwhelming. I loved the focus on martial arts. If you don’t like fight scenes, this probably isn’t the book for you. However, all of the fights in each round of the competition were extremely well-written and had me on the edge of my seat, even when I was already pretty sure of the outcome.

I was almost instantly attached to Jun, the main character in Breath of the Dragon. The prologue was an absolute gut punch to the feels, and afterward I wanted so badly to see him succeed and overcome the obstacles he faced. That being said, he was quite obnoxious in the beginning. He was hot-headed, overconfident, and selfish. I did always admire his drive and ambition to make something of himself, though. This was a great coming-of-age story for him, and he grew from a cocky, naive adolescent into a young man who cared for those around him and wanted to make his realm a better place.

The rest of the characters in Breath of the Dragon were all really great, too. They had distinct personalities and enough depth to make them stand out. The bones of a great found family were there, as well. Unfortunately, I didn’t think the relationships between the characters had enough depth. There just wasn’t enough intimacy between them to make me believe they were super close. I did like the constellation of characters, though, and could see them becoming a tighter knit found family in the next book. I did find one exception, the relationship between Jun and his father. That one made me feel things, and their bond, and squabbles, stood out to me as the emotional core of the book.

There’s plenty more I could talk about, but I’ll wrap my thoughts up with this… Breath of the Dragon was a great coming-of-age story with a vibrant cast of characters, exquisite world-building, and stunning martial arts sequences. It was an incredible blend of political intrigue, personal growth, and just a hint of romance. I’m already waiting impatiently for the next book. Therefore, I rate Breath of the Dragon 4.5 out of 5 stars.

DNF at 25%

This book started out strong, but unfortunately, I am not the target audience for it. I was intrigued by the setup, but almost immediately started losing interest as we did the time jump and met our main character as a teenager. I usually have a lot of grace for teenage characters acting like teenagers, but this one just grated on my nerves. He was particularly difficult to like or root for in the first 25%. That combined with the incredibly slow moving events and all the training montages led to me reading this 25% very slowly. I put the book down for a few weeks and haven't had a desire to return to it since. This one is a big disappointment for me,

This book had me hooked from the very beginning and held me captivated until the end. The world building is excellent, the settings are vivid and immersive. The lore behind the dragons is fascinating and unique.
Jun’s growth and journey is emotional and rewarding. I enjoyed seeing where he came from to where he ended up. The bonds that are formed between the characters made me smile and I cannot wait to see where they go in the next book.

This was an action-packed read in an intriguing fantasy setting. Although many elements of the story are familiar (a select gifted population, underdog competitor, etc.), the world-building is so well done that I quickly became emotionally invested, particularly as the tournament progressed. Many aspects of the conflicts in this book will resonate, whether it is the depiction of sibling rivalry, martial arts rivalry, or the tensions between multiple factions of a split nation. The main character is relatable and had a good growth journey. I also liked that the entire story is narrated from his point of view. The real highlight of this book is the descriptive, immersive fight scenes. Overall, there is nothing too surprising in the story, but every aspect was executed pretty well. The ending is a good set-up for the next book, particularly in building anticipation for a hinted-at reunion. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a competition (both the lead-up and aftermath) as the main plot focus, anyone who appreciates descriptive martial arts scenes, and anyone wanting a story in which the main character is dead set on a goal and forced to examine his motivations and reckon with the unexpected.

Wow, what can I say this book was phenomenal! It took me a hot minute to get into this but only because I had an E-ARC, and digital books aren’t my favorite. Once I picked up the physical copy though, I finished it in less than 3 hours. The story was gripping and there was so much action. Every fight and action was well thought out and plotted greatly. I cannot wait for book two to see what happens to Jun next. I highly recommend reading this! It was definitely deserving of the 5 stars I gave it.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing me with an E-ARC to read and review.

A very enjoyable coming of age story for Li Jun who at a young age was separated from his mother and brother and is determined to make a name for himself as the Guardian of the scroll.
He makes so many decisions that impact so many peoples lives but we will see if they end up panning out.
So many political moves and underground movements to follow and enjoy. There was a tournament with fighting to the death at times. It’s hard to know who to trust and to know who is in control. There is a General who was trying to fix the tournament with no pushback from the emperor.

Need more Silent Flute Society right now!

The vibes: Martial arts, special powers, trials/competition, YA, coming of age, politics & rebellion

I enjoyed this buddy read! This is a good ol classic coming of age story, paying tribute to the legendary Bruce Lee. (Shannon Lee is his daughter!) Our main character starts out as a skilled but impulsive and hot headed teen, but machines growth and discipline on his journey. I thought the martial arts competition and action scenes were fun, especially knowing how much of the style and philosophies are Bruce Lee’s.

I will say that the predictability and somewhat matter-of-fact/simple storyline might make this boring to people. If you’re not a fan of action and martial arts scenes, this probably isn’t for you. I still had a good time, and found it to be a nice easy read.

I had a great time reading this book, it's filled with action pack scenes while not compromising on character depth. It felt cinematic as well, and I could picture several pivotal scenes clearly. Fans of Fonda Lee's work will no doubt enjoy this new book.

A YA action adventure novel based on characters and teachings from Bruce Lee that drew me in from the very first page!

When I heard Fonda Lee was co-writing a YA book focusing a fantastical, martial arts competition, I was both excited and nervous. Excited because I adore Fonda Lee’s writing. Nervous because fantasy books heavy on fighting and battles usually turn me off.

But I’m so glad I gave this story a chance because I loved it! For readers like me who prefer either a character-driven story or a novel rich in world-building and lore, you’ll also get plenty of both those things in Breath of the Dragon.

Our main character, Jun, goes through so much growth just in this first novel. After his father forbids him from participating in the elite Guardian’s Tournament, held every six years to entrust the magical Scroll of Earth to a new protector, he stows away in the wagon of blind Chang and his daughter, Ren, performers he’s worked with at a local theater, to the capital where the competition is held.

Jun’s always been impulsive, leading to a horrible mistake that caused his and his father’s banishment from their home, mother, and his twin brother, Sai. Fleeing from the East to the West, he grows up learning to become a martial arts warrior, despite not being born breathmarked like his twin- born with a patch of dragon scales that grant magical abilities.

While his impulsiveness irritated me at first, and I was afraid he would be the typical
YA protagonist that gets under my skin, Jun grows into a self-reflective and thoughtful young man, his character arc both complex and nuanced. I also really enjoyed almost all the main side characters, especially Yin Yue and Ren. Their friendships changed and grew and made the characters feel real to me.

The lore and mythology of this world were the strongest element of this story for me! I absolutely loved learning about why and how the East and West separated, how Dragon’s Breath works, the political makeup of the two countries, the history of this world and the mystery behind the Scrolls.

If you enjoy Asian-inspired, martial arts fantasy, Fonda Lee’s storytelling, and action paced stories filled with rich lore, I’d highly recommend picking up Breath of the Dragon!

*Thank you to NetGalley, Wednesday Books and St. Martin's Press for the digital arc. All opinions are my own.

I had such high hopes for this book as the story sounded so interesting! That being said, I just couldn’t get into it and I am DNFing at 15%

Personally I felt that the way the story was being delivered was a little too heavy on the telling rather than the showing. I also didn’t really feel very connected with our MC, Jun. I’m a person that wants to feel connected to characters, and I just found him a tad annoying.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of the book!

After a grave misstep that separates Jun and his father from his mother and beloved twin, Jun is looking for a way to redeem himself. Because he isn’t breathmarked like Sai, June has to fight for his honor without using special dragon-grated abilities. To do so, he sets his sights on competing in the Guardian’s Tournament, despite his father’s wishes for him to give up the martial arts entirely. However, as Jun competes, the battle becomes less for his honor and more for the whole country's sake.

This was a delightful foray into the martial arts! It was delightfully refreshing to have a fantasy main character who isn’t super powerful through magic but through hard work and grit! I would not consider Jun to be lovable, but you can't help but root for him through impossible odds. I love the stage this book set and genuinely feel like book two has been paved a seamless path to follow. I'm excited to follow along with Jun's journey through even higher stakes and more political intrigue.

Enjoyed this a lot. The action scenes were great, described vividly and with detail, I like the character work done on our MC as he showed growth throughout his journey from training to tournament. The relationships he forms and harms are reflective of his teenage arrogance. There are however minor plot holes that I found that do nothing to hinder my engagement with the story. The political and military aspects are easy to understand and as this is a YA novel, I can't complain.

I would have appreciated if the perspective of his parents and brother had been shared but I can imagine that will come in the second book which I am looking forward to.

***Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ebook.

Breath of the Dragon is a captivating fantasy adventure set in what seems to be a feudal-era world, where martial prowess and magical abilities are deeply intertwined. The novel follows Jun, a sixteen-year-old warrior-in-training with a burning desire to prove himself and make his father proud. You will like this book if you enjoy: intricate world-building, well-executed fight scenes (like seriously, well done!) and emotional character growth, this book offers a fresh take on classic fantasy tropes while delving into the themes of perseverance, identity, and redemption.

At the center of the story is Jun, a determined (...stubborn!) young man who dreams of competing in the prestigious Guardian’s Tournament, where the Scroll of Earth—an artifact of great power—is entrusted to a new protector every six years. However, Jun’s path to the tournament is complicated by the fact that he was not marked with the “dragon’s breath,” a mystical sign that grants chosen warriors their power. Undeterred by his lack of the mark, Jun is resolute in his goal to prove that he has the skill and strength to be a protector, hoping that his victory will restore his father’s honor, lost after a grave mistake led to their banishment from the East, and the separation of his twin brother and mother.

After winning the first contest that would allow him to compete, Jun’s father unexpectedly stops him from continuing on his journey. In defiance, Jun leaves his ailing father behind, running away with what little money they have. He finds guidance in the form of Chang, a wise blind man, and his daughter Ren. Together, they teach Jun how to tap into his own inner strength, learning that power is not defined solely by a dragon’s mark but by the will to fight and the wisdom to harness one’s potential. There's also so much going on that Jun doesn't understand until it's far too late (both politically--and in his own personal life with his father--but no spoilers!)

One of the book’s strongest points is its fight scenes. They are vividly described and easy to follow, which can sometimes be a challenge in fantasy novels where battle sequences often become muddled in excessive detail. Here, the choreography of Jun’s battles is clear, fast-paced, and the stakes leave you biting your nails...especially with the Leopard character.

The novel also excels in its portrayal of political dynamics. The tension between the East and West, along with the intricacies of the "Breath marked" and their place in society, provide a backdrop of conflict that feels both authentic and integral to the story. The political landscape is not overwhelming or overly complex, and adds an additional layer of intrigue to the plot, influencing Jun’s journey and his relationships with others.

Jun’s personal growth throughout the novel is well done. Initially stubborn and focused solely on himself, Jun’s journey is as much about overcoming his internal struggles as it is about defeating external opponents. As he learns to harness his own “dragon’s breath” through the guidance of Chang and Ren, Jun begins to realize that true strength comes not just from physical prowess but from wisdom, compassion, and inner resolve. This emotional evolution makes Jun a compelling protagonist, and readers will find themselves cheering him on every step of the way.

To add to this, I just cannot wait for Jun's story to continue, to see Yun and Ren again. To meet Sai the twin (at least...hopefully)!

Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)

Unless something absolutely egregious happens in the next like 200 pages I feel absolutely comfortable writing this review. I think this book is wonderful. It really dives into martial arts and how ingrained it is into the society of Jun's world. I enjoyed how easy it was to follow the fight scenes (that's not always easy to do with writing).

4.25!

“The first one to show doubt loses.”

I am so glad I started my Fonda Lee journey with this book because it gave me such a good idea of her writing, it was so addicting and so fun to read like it wasn't anything mindblowing but the concept was very well thought and the way it was written was so easy to get invested in. I feel like the story itself was very unique. It's a series so I won't be too critical about the world building but it was severely lacking in this book. There were occasional glimpses of it but nothing rock solid for the book to have a foundation so I hope the next book explores a bit of that. I really enjoyed reading the about the magic system and of about the breathmarks and how it works and who they are and how they're chosen. It was right up my alley.

"Li Jun is only sixteen, born under the Red Star. He's the youngest competitor at the tournament, and even though he doesn't have a breathmark, he fights as if divinely inspired by Dragon himself."

The main focus of this book is about Jun, a twin who is not breathmarked and banished alongside his father for practicing the art of fighting because it is forbidden in the east whereas his mother and his twin who is breathmarked are taken to be raised and morphed into soldiers, I feel like Jun not being breathmarked was the part that I really liked becaaue it didnt make the main character to be the strongest like he wasnt given that, he had to train and figth and earn it and his passion for it was amazing to read. The lengths that he went through to get there was also something I appreciated and the brief emotional points that we got to read between him and his father were also well done. Yin Yue and Fen (I maybe confusing her name) were nice additions to the story as side characters. I liked the bond of friendship that they made over the span of this story.

"I had a good sifu,' Jun said, 'who told me that the only way to master others is to master yourself first."

The plot was overall also an enjoyable factor of this book. The whole tournament kinda gave me that first season of beyblade vibes lol, the arena and the way the contestants fought was something that I was craving to read, I liked the journey that Jun had to go through to be on that level the overlapping plot wasnt really that gripping for me, I was more interested in reading about the tournament and one more thing that I felt could have been way better were the action sequences in this book, I feel like they could have been more descriptive than they were. It would have set the mood and the tone of those scenes much better but besides that I didnt really have any problems that bugged me.

Overall, I would recommend!