Not only am I grateful for receiving an arc of this book but I enjoyed reading this story and following the characters. I loved the martial arts and the characters, at some parts, the plot was pulling at my heartstrings because I couldn’t stop thinking about Brandon Lee. This book definitely will have a place in my heart simply because of the Lee family and I can’t wait to finish the rest of the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this wonderful ARC!

Have you ever read a title where you know the text has a strong inspiration or deeper meaning but can't catch what it is? This is how I felt reading Shannon Lee and Fonda Lee's newest novel, Breath of the Dragon.

The story was alright. It didn't wow me, but I followed along and stuck around for the fight scenes. It was interesting to interpret certain fighting styles through text when we usually view them on film. I also like a good underdog story, and this tale was the epitome of a good fight. There were times when the story lagged and became typical. The characters didn't do it for me, but I stuck it out, and I'm curious to see what happens with the unfinished plots that will wrap up in Book 2.

arts movies from the orient with a bit of love sprinkled in it and this definitely delivered. This takes place in a world with people who are blessed by the Dragon and have special abilities and people who are not. There are two kingdoms with one who only those blessed by the Dragon are thought fighting and learn how to wield their abilities and the other kingdom that no matter your ability, learning to fight is encouraged. Li Jun’s family is broken up after his brother is taken to learn martial arts and after seeing his father live in sadness Jun, against his father’s will, joins the tournament for the selection of the next Guardian of the Scroll. He sneaks into the wagon of a traveling blind flutist and his daughter but after being discovered and being tested for the job as protector of the travelers, Blindman Chang decided to train him during good way to the city for the tournament. Through the story and the events that Jun has to go through you can see him maturing and becoming a better person from the lessons learned. I can’t wait for book two.

This was a fun YA adventure story that very much felt like it had the essence of Bruce Lee mixed with teachings of Karate Kid and Avatar the Last Airbender if instead of focusing on Aang, the story focused on Sokka, who had no powers, or in this story, he would not be breathmarked.

Overall, I loved the world-building and the breathmarked magic system where the powers are completely random and range from potentially overpowered to very minor. I wish we got to explore that more, but as we follow Jun, the twin brother of a breathmarked who was banished from his nation due to being taught martial arts, it makes sense that not a lot of time was spent here.

There is a lot that makes this feel right at home in the YA genre: there is a lot of good vs. evil and our MC is very set on his path, even to the detriment of others. The things that happened with his father did not really make sense to me, other than as a way to pull him from the tournament, but also he didn’t leave??? There was a big opportunity for found family and while we got a good rivals-to-best-friends situation, the found family that could have been, was lost and not found.

Alas, I still had a blast reading this and would highly recommend it if you love asian inspired stories featuring martial arts and targeted for a YA audience.

Thank you @wednesdaybooks and @netgalley for the eARC. All thoughts are my own.

This book stands on it own with no need for sexy scorching love scenes that most authors are renown for. It’s brilliant in its execution and so well written that this reader was taken to a place she had never been before. The authors Shannon Lee and Fonda Lee use detailed descriptions of people and sceneries throughout Jun’s tragedies, competitions, and frenemy relationships.

Li Jun didn’t start as a character I loved. He was very self-centered with anger tendencies. His character continually expands while learning his life lessons and the young man at the end of the book is someone I would want by my side in a war.

Some of the other characters that are memorable are performer Ren and her father, Sifu Chang as well as Yin Yue his competition at the Iron Core school and for the Guardian Tournament.

The authors do a seamless job of shaping and growing all the characters personalities from their experiences and when the book ends all I could think of is “Please tell me the next book is soon!”.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC!

Jun, a young boy from the East is trained in martial arts alongside his twin brother by their father. His brother is breath marked, meaning he has a special power bestowed on him and he will one day be taken to be an Aspect. Jun is not breathmarked, but is a skilled martial artist all the same. On the day his twin brother is taken, Jun reveals the family secret and is exiled alongside his father to the West, where martial arts is not only legal but encouraged. Jun grows up and intends to one day be the Guardian of the Scroll of Heaven, by winning a tournament. After he is denied entrance by his father, Jun stows away on a local performer’s caravan on the way to the capital. What unfolds is not only a story of one boy’s rise to greatness, but the unraveling of a much bigger political plot that speaks to the separation of East and West and the foundation of the Empire itself.

This is my second Fonda Lee story and I really like her style of writing! I cannot speak to how much of this story is really based on Bruce Lee nor can I speak to Shannon Lee as an author, but this story is engaging and not a formulaic YA fantasy story. There are some pretty high stakes and political tension throughout that was well explained and believable. The last 25% went a little crazy and was explosive and violent for being a YA novel. Overall, This was a very strong book and the ending was engaging enough that I will definitely be checking out the sequel!

I wanted to love this book, and don’t get me wrong—I did enjoy parts of it. However, something felt like it was missing. Perhaps this is because it’s the first book in a series, and some things are left to develop later?

The plot was incredible and required a lot of worldbuilding, which was handled beautifully. That said, I wish the characters had felt more emotionally connected. None of them really resonated with me on a deeper level, and they seemed somewhat distant from each other. Given the political nature of the story and the main character’s environment, maybe this was intentional? I’m not entirely sure.

One thing that stood out to me was how well the martial arts sequences were written. I could vividly imagine every fight in my head, like watching an action-packed movie unfold. The precision and clarity in those scenes added so much to the overall experience, and they were a definite highlight for me.

This book had so much potential, and while I loved its unique concept, it occasionally felt a little dull. Still, I appreciated that it was a very character-driven story. Jun’s growth throughout the book was one of the highlights for me. I just wish he didn’t have to endure so much—it was heartbreaking to witness. Hopefully, book two will be kinder to him.

One element that left me confused was the slight love triangle. It didn’t feel like a full-fledged subplot, but I’m unsure where the author is taking it. Honestly, I wasn’t a fan and hope it’s resolved in a way that feels more satisfying in the sequel. On the bright side, I’m looking forward to seeing the sense of found family explored more in the next installment.

That said, this book has all the makings of an amazing movie franchise. With its intricate worldbuilding, cinematic fight scenes, and compelling storyline, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see it on the big screen one day.

Thank you to St. Martins Press and Wednesday books and to NetGalley for the digital ARC! I’ll be waiting impatiently for book two.

I loved this! It ends on a cliffhanger that leaves me craving the next book but doesn’t leave me angry. It wraps up just enough of the minor plots to be a satisfying cliffhanger!

The action in this book is a 10/10. I have yet to read fight scenes that keep me this engaged!!

I love our main protagonist and I can’t wait to see how he grows and how his relationships develop.

The plot is really intriguing to me!! I love the light fantasy elements to it, but it’s not difficult world building at all.

Overall, I highly recommend!!

There are just some books that you’ll find aren’t suited to you. I think Breath of the Dragon is one of those for me.

This isn’t an objectively bad book. It has a great start, with an engaging and fast-paced first act. Likewise, the third act runs rampant and wild like a martial arts film on paper almost to the finish. It’s the whole second act of the book that gives me pause, along with a completely unnecessary romanticism subplot that I feel not only distracted from the main plotline but also belittled all of the main characters.

I don’t think I’ll be reviewing further entries in this series because I don’t know if I’m going to enjoy the rest of the story any more than I did this first section of it. I do think that this book is worth the read if you like tournaments, martial arts, political intrigue, great on-page fight choreography, broken families, and magic based in spirit/soul/Qi.

I was provided a copy of this title by the publisher and author via Netgalley. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. All reviews three stars and below will not appear on my social media. Thank you.

Another book I really wanted to like—and honestly, should have loved based on the premise—but it just didn’t hit the mark for me. This book is marketed as a YA fantasy with heavy martial arts influences. While the martial arts elements and nods to Bruce Lee are clear, where the book falls short is in the fantasy aspect and character development.

Let’s start with the characters. I felt no attachment to any of them. The main character came across as whiny, and I couldn’t connect with him or feel any impact from the "trauma" he experiences throughout the story. The book attempts a found family trope, but it doesn’t succeed because none of the characters have enough depth or personality to make that connection feel meaningful.

Now, about the world: The concept of the breathmarked people is intriguing and well-thought-out, but the execution is lacking. The breathmarked are not the focal point of the story, and their abilities end up feeling pretty underwhelming. The world itself is confusing. I’m still not sure what time period this is set in because the political system and the tournament seem to belong to one era, while the dialogue suggests a completely different time.

That said, the action scenes are well-written, and I enjoyed the martial arts elements. While the main character does develop over the course of the book, I still found him to be rather boring.

Thanks to NetGalley, the authors, and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

First book in a fantasy duology based on the teachings of Bruce Lee. Penned by his daughter Shannon and Fonda Lee author of the Green Bone Saga the story is heavy with martial arts. A divided kingdom and a brewing war lead our hero Jun into a tournament to become the Guardian of a sacred scroll. As Jun begins this journey it is interesting to see him change as he is exposed to the lovely Ren and becomes familiar with Prodigy Yin. Morality and principle battle evil in this story although there are always shades of grey. Looking forward to part II. A thank you to both Goodreads and Netgalley for this advanced copy.

An action-packed fantasy and beautiful homage to martial arts, co-written by the daughter of Bruce Lee. Wonderfully complex characters on exciting journeys of self-discovery throughout the book as our characters grow amidst political turmoil and strife during a tournament that could decide the fate of a divided nation, with even larger implications and repercussions.

🥋 Book Review 🥋

Breath of the Dragon by Shannon Lee and Fonda Lee
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I enjoyed this book. It’s not my typical genre, but the premise was very intriguing. The worldbuilding was great. We got a fully developed world with history, a complex conflict, and political intrigue. The characters were interesting, and we got a wide variety of them. However, the book overall felt a little flat to me, because so much of the book was spent on talking about martial arts, and there were so many fight scenes that they began to feel redundant. I would’ve liked more character development, more about Jun’s family, especially his brother Sai, more focus on the relationships between characters overall, and I would’ve liked at least a little romance.
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My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice level: 0 🌶️
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Read if you like:
▫️martial arts
▫️rivals
▫️deadly tournament
▫️rebellion against a corrupt government
▫️found family
🥋
Thank you to Wednesday Books, St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, Shannon Lee, Fonda Lee, and NetGalley for the ARC. I received an advanced copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.

I got this book as an ARC from netgalley.

If you like fighting, tournament-style novels with some rebellion and politics thrown in, you'll love this book! I enjoyed the characters and their development. I'm giving 4 stars instead of 5 because the first half of the book was very slow and hard to get through. The world-building was great, but at times was heavy and caused the story to slow.

Things really picked up once the tournament started, and I couldn't put it down! Things happened very quickly over the course of just a few days. This felt somewhat unbelievable, but good for story progression. The characters were loveable, and you could see their development across the novel.

I really enjoyed how the author wrote about the political side of things. There were so many moments I felt incredibly frustrated for the characters because of the government's lies. I was so believable, and you could feel the characters' emotions.

I will definitely read the next one, as you could follow some breadcrumbs the author was leaving. I'm excited to find out if Ren does have a breathmarked ability and to meet the older Sai!

I have posted my reviews on Goodreads and StoryGraph.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC of Breath of the Dragon! All opinions are my own.

This book had me in a chokehold from the second chapter and I couldn't consume it fast enough. From the character arcs, the relentless obstacles, an amazing and intriguing magic system, and the abundance of political corruption, I was absorbed.

Jun our main character had me a bit concerned in the beginning. He's quick to act without much thought at the beginning leading to some challenging consequences, but he really came into his own and grew through the book. What really carried the book for me was the side characters. Chang gave Uncle Iroh and Toph Beifong energy that made me excited for every scene that he was in. Ren was relentless in her wisdom and setting Jun straight with his bs. Even Jun's rivals, there were many, helped to further the plot in such an intentional way.

I'm not typically one for a plethora of fight scenes in a book and can understand how this would deter some readers, but I really enjoyed seeing how Jun grew from each of these fights and learning about the varying styles of martial arts based on region and school.

The book ends with many questions and I cannot wait to see what Shannon Lee and Fonda Lee cook up for the next book(s) of this series!

My only critique, which is just a me thing, there were no actual dragons in this book. As a dragon girly, I was hoping for maybe an appearance, but the lore and magic system made up for that.

"I will not defeat myself" will be ringing in my head for a long time to come.

In a kingdom where only those blessed with the "mark" are trained in martial arts and those without it are banned from studying, one boy's life is turned upside down when his twin brother is taken because he has the mark and his family is torn apart because of their secret training of martial arts.... and now years later Jun dreams about becoming the greatest martial arts master in the kingdoms to regain honor for his family and reunite them. Jun's family is torn apart when he accidentally reveals that his father has been teaching him martial arts. His brother is taken to be trained as an Aspect, since he was born with the breathmark and those with the mark are gifted with special abilities, his brother's being that he can mimic anything he sees, while Jun and his father are exiled to another kingdom for 5 years and his mother moves with his brother. Jun's only true dream in life is to become the greatest martial artist in all the kingdoms, despite how much his father forbids him. Jun doesn't care for anything else and dreams about entering into the great martial arts competition to become the next Guardian. The Guardian is gifted with powers, money, and fame... and being in charge of one of the two ancient mystical Dragon scrolls. Jun doesn't care for any of that, all he wants is to prove that he is a great warrior, and if that means sneaking off to join the competition against his father's wishes, then so be it. Jun will train harder than he's ever trained, meet other martial artists, and find himself put into the middle of a political war all the while learning to strengthen his skills and take his own fate into his hands. This is the first book in a series and an absolutely amazing read. The story just sucks you in and you can't help but root for Jun as he grows and learns. The story felt like watching a movie, I was so invested in the journey and can't wait to see where the next book goes and what Jun does next. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a character journey!

Release Date: January 7,2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

For me three stars, for a teen into martial arts four stars. For a teen boy into martial arts and fantasy a potential five stars. Solidly written and a quick read but it is very YA and I’ll admit I like YA where the character doesn’t really read as a teen…. This lead is very much a brash boy. For the right readers this is an excellent book. And I really have enjoyed Fonda Lee’s other books a great deal, I’m simply not the target audience and that’s ok.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

In a country divided in two, Jun has a grievous relationship with both the East and the West. In a day they’d hoped would never arrive, Jun’s family is discovered for a seemingly innocent secret and broken in two—his mother and twin remaining in the East while Jun and his father are exiled to the West. While his father struggles to grieve his family, Jun throws himself into martial arts, determined to make a name for himself. When a national martial arts competition approaches, the winner of which becomes second only to the emperor, Jun resolves to participate at any cost.

Huge thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan, and Fonda Lee + Shannon Lee for the ARC. This is my first book by Fonda Lee and OH MY GOSH, I get the hype!!! Jun is an impulsive, hot-headed teen, and the narration does an incredible job of letting his voice shine without being irritating or obnoxious. Jun experiences so much growth throughout this book and it was a highly enjoyable experience to watch it unfold so naturally. Also, as an homage to Bruce Lee with insight from his daughter, the action scenes were such a highlight. They were so well written. I look forward to the (undoubtably heart-wrenching) next installment.

Content Warnings: violence, gore

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the e-ARC.

Did not finish for the following reasons:
- dry, emotionless writing style
--difficult to connect to characters
-predictable plot beats
--lack of intrigue
-- no drive to pick back up after putting the book down

A Bruce Lee inspired YA fantasy novel by the lovely Fonda Lee, the author most known for Jade City, and co writter shannon lee. Taking place within a Chinese-inspired fantasy world, the book follows the protagonist, Jun, a young boy who was banished from his home kingdom with his father when his active practice of martial arts was discovered. Now, as a teen living on the opposite side of the kingdom, he pursues the chance to win a fighting tournament. Action sequences, fighting. It gave me MAJOR visions of The Combat Codes, another martial arts fantasy I highly recommend.