Wow, the best fantasy teen novel I've read in ages!

After being separated from his family for practicing martial arts, sixteen year old Jun sets off on an adventure to prove his fighting skills and win the elite Guardian Tournament. This book is so filled with fantastic training montages, tournament style fighting scenes, and with a hint of political intrigue on the side. Its been so long since a new fantasy series has caught my interest. Excited for the next in series!

Fonda Lee has been on my list of authors to read for years. When the publisher offered me the NetGalley widget for the first book in a new series, I immediately downloaded it.

In this world breathmarked people are born with a patch of dragon scales and possess various special abilities. At a young age, those who are blessed with a breathmark are sent away for special training. Jun's twin is one of the gifted, but when Jun reveals that their father also trained him in martial arts, he and his father are banished from their homeland while his brother and mother are taken to court. Years later, Jun has made it his life's purpose to become the next Guardian and prove himself. Seeing a reverse chosen one trope is a refreshing change. Jun has no special abilities, and it's an angle I really enjoyed.

Deadly competitions are always a draw for me, so I was excited to get to the Guardian's Tournament. Action fans will delight in the intricately choreographed martial arts scenes. I gasped more than once over unexpected outcomes. Before long Jun learns there's more to the tournament than he could ever have imagined and winning isn't all that's at stake.

The found family trope gets me every time, and it's a big part of this story. Not being a big romance fan, I appreciated that it's a very small part of the plot - and really only the potential of one. Jun's character arc is extremely well done and seeing him grow and learn is one of my favorite things about the novel.

I'll definitely be continuing with this series, and I'm anxious to see where the next book goes. Recommended for fans of strong character arcs, a main character who's not the chosen one, and novels with crossover appeal.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

In a world where honor, strength and integrity are prized above all, contestants will battle using skilled martial arts to win the honor of protecting their home and community. A clear plot line in this first book of a planned duology introduces us to twin brothers who must find their individual ways to the truth and find the way to each other to win this battle.

I loved this! The story was beautiful and I'm so excited to read the sequel - I have a feeling it's going to be emotional.

Happy release week to Breath of Dragon by @shannonlee & @fondalee!

Breath of the Dragon is the first installment in a YA duology. It's a fast-packed and action-packed release. This was a highly anticipated release for me I ate it up in a little over a day. Especially once I really got into it - I did not rest until I was finished.

This story is a love letter to the martial art philosophy and prowess of Bruce Lee in a fantastical world filled with political schemes. The main character Jun goes through it from the first page, and I would like to stay. I'm formally submitting a request to adopt him - no more suffering for my sweet summer child, please!

Jun chooses to compete in this diabolical fighting tournament in order to become the Guardian of the West and restore his honor. The action choreography during the tournament is so beautifully written and feels like you're seeing it play out in your mind (from someone who actually struggles a lot to picture things). Each scene was so exciting, and I was holding my breath everytime things got rough. And it did get rough and bloody!

The last 5 chapters have me already excited for the characters and all the different relationships I would like to see expanded on. I'm respectfully demanding the second book now, please! 🤲🏾

Thank you to @wednesdaybooks for a digital ARC!

I liked this book but didn't love it, but I don't think I'm really the target audience for books like this. I think people who love martial arts in general, and Bruce Lee in particular, will love reading a story about an underdog martial artist trying to save his people from a tyrant. It sounds like it could be a plot line from one of Bruce Lee's movies!

So, I think fans of action-oriented, martial arts stories & Bruce Lee will probably love this story, but it just wasn't for me.

Such a fun read! I used to love watch Bruce Lee movies, so this action and fight scenes filled book was a treat. Ambitious character, with a very much YA attitude - I'll do whatever I want, no matter the consequences. The growth of him, and finally understanding that there's more than himself in this world. And of course a friendship that keeps growing. I loved that the villain in this case wasn't the main character in the story, and it is more of a happy ending type of book. I feel like in the second book everything will be resolved, and it gives me hope.

There was once scene in the end that I thought was just overdone and too extended. I just wanted it all to wrap up faster, and be done. But it took such a long time, that if I would have skipped like 40 pages, I would still have understood what have happened.

Otherwise, the fighting scenes were fun. The fact that it wasn't focused on a romance, or a girl interest brought a different angle to a fantasy tale - sometimes things happen for one's own ambitions, and not for the love interest.

Excited to see what happens in the second book.

This was a really nice read! I found it very well-written, and it kept my attention throughout the story.
However I would say that this would be best suited for maybe a teenaged boy. I typically still really love YA, but being in my 20’s now, I sometimes struggle to connect with the characters as I once did - and with Jun being a younger teenaged boy, it was a little hard to connect at times.
I found the world, history, and location very interesting to read about though!

Fonda Lee is a literary icon, and this book is an incredible mash-up that only she could write. Must read for fans of hers and fans of good books!

Breath of the Dragon is book one in the Breathmarked series by Fonda Lee; Shannon Lee.
Was so captivating. The character development was so well written. The character growth was amazing.
This was action packed and the writing was so well done.
Very descriptive and detailed.
A fast-paced and extremely exciting fantasy novel.

Thank You NetGalley and Wednesday Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

The Guardian’s Tournament is held every six years to entrust the magical Scroll of Heaven to a new protector. Jun is sixteen and eager to prove that he's a warrior. A mistake had banished them from his home, mother, and twin brother. But Jun isn't breathmarked, born with a patch of dragon scales and blessed with special abilities like his twin, so his father forbids him from trying. He goes anyway, and soon realizes he may be fighting for the fate of the country and the very survival of everyone he cares about.

Shannon Lee is Bruce Lee's daughter, and Fonda Lee is known for her breathtakingly detailed and riveting novels. Those who are Breathmarked in this world have the blood of the dragon, which manifests as scales. Jun and Sai were twins, but only Sai was breathmarked. Martial arts were banned as a means of violence, though Jun was skilled in it and thought displaying his talent would lead him to be taken away for training along with his brother. Instead, he and his father were exiled rather than his father sent to a work camp for teaching Jun. Following the five years of exile, his father played villains and choreographed fights for the opera and Jun was an usher and security guard. His father wanted him to study to become a civil servant, but Jun would rather fight. It doesn't help that tensions between East and West Longhan had worsened, with no other way to see Sai again without that Guardian's Tournament.

The world-building for Longhan is subtle and gradually introduced. Jun isn't the type to pay attention, but his friend Ren is, and she instructs him. His various teachers approach his ability in different ways, setting up the varying styles of martial arts and views on its utility and purpose. Even the contest rules themselves have changed, turning lethal. The tournament isn't just about who is the best fighter to protect the nation. It becomes propaganda and a means to push for war between nations, setting up future novels. Jun progresses from trying to prove himself to his father and twin, to fighting for the purest expression of the art and his ability. He learns that rivalry and envy are a source of torment, keeping him from being his best self. It was great to see Jun grow, moving past tragedy, and know that he has the potential to be truly great.

Thank you to NetGalley, Fonda Lee, Shannon Lee, and St. Martin's Press for my advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Are you kidding me that I have to wait for another installment?! This was fantastic and I could not put it down-- imagine a politically charged, fantasy, Karate Kid. Fonda's fight sequences continue to blow me away, and her love of martial arts clearly shows through her writing. I know this book is tagged as a YA novel, but please don't let that stop you from picking it up. Breath of the Dragon does a fantastic of crossing boundaries between the young adult realm and the adult world with mature writing and themes. If you are a fan of Asian-inspired fantasies and martial arts, this is a must-read. I was captivated throughout and cannot wait for the announcement of book two!

I’ve only read one other Fonda Lee book, Untethered Sky. I loved it. When I love the first book I’ve read of a certain author, that book becomes the gateway book for the author’s backlist and anything the author touches, especially if the second book I’ve read from the author also proves awesome. Breath of the Dragon, with one exception, exceeded my expectations. Let us also not forget the co-author, Shannon Lee. I grew up on martial arts movies with fighting contests and high stakes, and oh, man, this book was nostalgia between two covers.

Jun, our MC, who is a young man—quite the anomaly, as so many YA fantasy main characters nowadays seem to be young women—and mostly predisposed toward vengeance or some other self-serving activity. Even better, Jun’s story starts out in the best way for a story like this. Jun’s father and grandfather have an incredible legacy of teaching martial arts, which the kingdom in which they reside forbids. The family is torn apart, and Jun and his father are exiled to another kingdom.

Of course, as all these stories go, the one banished for learning to fight becomes the ultimate fighter, and joins a contest to fight for a great reward or position of authority that allows him to to rectify the wrong of his youth. Take back the kingdom. Fight for the downtrodden. Sounds cliche, but the story isn’t old in the telling. All classic tales of heroes fighting empires and reuniting with their lost loved ones offer an appealing story that never gets old no matter the way they’re told.

Lee and Lee write fantastic characters, complicated relationships, gut-wrenching reunions (more authors for the list of those who won’t leave my darlings in peace), and awesome action. I’m surprised, yet again, that this book did not get picked up by a box or a bookstore for a special edition.

With one exception for way too much adult language in a YA book, I give this book high marks. I can’t recommend it for its marketed audience, because of content, but an adult who doesn’t mind language and likes similar books in this genre will love this one.

My thanks to NetGalley, and Wednesday Books for the eARC, for which I willingly give my own, honest opinion.

3.75 stars

I enjoyed this book and thought that the plot flowed smoothly. We start out the book with the main character as a kid and then explore the rest of the story when he is a teenager taking part in a tournament. The tournament’s purpose is to become the Guardian who helps protect the Scroll of Earth and this is a very sought after job.

The book was very combat heavy so if you like fight sequences, you will love this book and if you don’t, this might not be the book for you. The combat style was martial arts with many different styles you encounter during the tournament that the main character was a part of.

Some people have abilities (this is called breathmarked) that they use during the tournament which brought a lot of excitement to the fight sequences because you never knew what kind of fight it would be. The main character was a twin and his twin had an ability but he did not so it made it exciting to see how he would go through these fights because he had a clear disadvantage.

There was a small cast of side characters and I wish there was more time spent building them up because I would have liked to know more about them. They were important to the story and I just wanted to have that explored a bit more.

The main character seemed a little flawed at times and I felt like they could have used some development but then he was also a 16 year old so it was realistic with some of the decisions he made.

Overall, it was a fun read and I look forward to finding out what happens in the next book in this duology.

A fun action packed read that I wished I could have consumed as a movie.

I wish there was more I could say about the book but it was pretty standard. Some political intrigue, an interesting world setup, and plenty of action. The characters were fine but I never really got attached to them to care what happened to them. But I didn't mind following Jun and company around on their journey and discoveries.

I started this book when I initially had access to the book months ago but I did put it down in wanting to read other things. But when I came back to it I found that I still remembered what I had read despite so much time passing between reads. The book is sort of heavy on the action/martial arts descriptions and if you're not into that sort of thing then the story may feel a little boring and repetitive. Overall, it was a decent coming-of-age story.

Breath of the Dragon is an amazing work of fantasy, blending martial arts philosophy with dragon mythology in a way makes you hold your breath through every fight. For people who enjoy epic fantasy, complex characters, and intricate world-building, it’s a book worth diving into!

Set in a land divided in two, Breath of the Dragon follows Jun, a talented but stubborn young man who dreams of competing in the Guardian's Tournament. Every six years, martial artists participate in a week long tournament to gain the title of the Guardian, the protector of the magical Scroll of Heaven. However, the rules are different this year, and as political unrest heightens throughout West Longhan, Jun learns that his fight might not only be to restore honor to his family, but maybe even his country.

Yall I will eat up anything that Fonda Lee writes. Like all of her books, she does such an amazing job creating such vibrant and immersive worlds. Not only is there the aspect of a brewing rebellion, but there's also so much history, mythology, and culture that is introduced in this book. And while it's very much YA, I felt like the way it was written can definitely be enjoyed by readers who tend to sway more towards adult fantasy. Also this is co-written by Shannon Lee, aka Bruce Lee's daughter?? And this book is based on the teachings of Bruce Lee?? Like how can you not want to pick this on up?!!

Aside from the superb worldbuilding, Breath of the Dragon is filled with action-packed scenes. The character develop for Jun is also great. I had a bit of a hard time liking Jun at the beginning but at the end of the book, he truly grew on me. He's this incredibly impulsive teenager, yet becomes the type of character that you can't help but root for as he matures and grows.

Overall, Breath of the Dragon is a super solid start. I'm so excited for what's to come in the next book and can't wait to see what the authors have in store for Jun!!

I wish I could say that I loved this but it feel flat for me. It took me a while to get into the story because I didn't connect with the MC. I'm also not the biggest martial arts fan so while that aspect was very well done, it wasn't for me. I love Fonda Lee's writing but I feel like it was too adult for this story.

I found this to be a strong debut to a new series! The world building is probably the strongest part - it is a nicely fleshed out world with political intrigue and some interesting magical elements that I really loved. This book largely revolves around martial arts and includes a fighting competition - I personally love a good fight scene and competition, but I realize this isn't everyone's cup of tea. I ended up listening to the audiobook for most of this book, and the narration was great, so I didn't mind all the fight scenes nor did I find them to drag. I enjoyed the character growth the MMC underwent through this first book. Some moments in the book were heart-wrenching 🥺. I did feel like the relationships in this book in general were a bit superficial but while the authors could have gone in deeper, I suspect this was perhaps by design and will occur more in the sequel based on the storyline.

All in all, I enjoyed it and am very much looking forward to the sequel!

CW: Violence, gore, death/death of a loved one, xenophobia.

A big thank you to Wednesday books, St-Martin's Press, MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for the ARC and ALC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio and Wednesday Books for this ARC Copy!

Though this is not my typical genre to read I knew that this would be a phenomenally written book and I was not wrong. The writing of the fight scenes were so descriptive and capitating that I really felt like I was watching a movie inside my brain. Personally there was more fighting than I am used to or prefer in a book but I knew that would be the case going into it and expected to just glaze over the scenes but that definitely never happened. If you have any interest in martial arts in any way at all you will enjoy this book. I wish that we had gotten deeper into the story and the politics in this book but I understand why we needed to be kept in the dark on some things but that just means that I can not wait for the next book to come out. I want to know more about the world and how everything will play out.