Prepare yourself, world, because the unstoppable duo of Shannon Lee and Fonda Lee is about to blow your mind!

Breath of the Dragon follows Jun, a determined young man with dreams as fiery as a dragon's breath. His ultimate goal? To claim victory in the prestigious Guardian Tournament, a legendary battle that crowns the greatest warrior in the land. From the moment I turned the first page, this story gripped me tight and didn’t let go until the very last word.

This book is a masterclass in storytelling. Fonda Lee’s unparalleled prowess shines brightly here, and Shannon Lee’s contributions are nothing short of magnificent, blending seamlessly into a powerhouse of literary brilliance. Together, they’ve crafted action sequences that leap off the page. These scenes are not just fights—they’re vivid, heart-pounding spectacles bursting with intensity, beauty, and cinematic imagery.

What truly elevates this book is its perfect setup for a duology. The plot is self-contained yet tantalizingly open, leaving me ravenous for more. I’m practically counting the seconds until book two graces my hands. But make no mistake: Breath of the Dragon is a full, satisfying meal on its own. It’s the kind of story that readers will devour and rave about for years to come.

If you’re a fan of high-octane, soul-stirring tales in the vein of Mortal Kombat, Amélie Wen Zhao, and R. F. Kuang, this book is your next obsession. Buckle up and dive in—you’re in for the fight of your life!

I have come to the conclusion that Fonda Lee can do no wrong, and her writing style is my cup of tea. If Shannon Lee is taking that on, I am very much looking forward to reading more of her work as well.

Obviously, this sets up at least one more book, though I have the suspicion that the sequel will follow Mirror and then we will get the twin brothers' meeting again in book three. I want to be wrong, but this seems the most well-rounded way to show both sides of this universe and how it is preparing for war with its neighboring country.

It's hard to put into words just how much I loved reading Breath of the Dragon. The characters were all wonderfully developed, the setting was gorgeous, the politics were geniously laid out, and the martial artists were breathtaking. I will be thinking about this book for a while, and will definitely be purchasing it when it becomes available.

I’ve heard a lot lately about how we don’t have any new books that will appeal to younger boys, and I really think this is the solution. Breath of the Dragon is full of martial arts training, conflicts between different styles and rivals, and an easy to follow plot line that has characters take the time to explain any nuance to the main character. This would be a good step up in between Percy Jackson and similar series to more complicated YA, though obviously there is still fighting, violence, and even death. I think the conflict between the East and the West starts to introduce the idea of propaganda in a simple way, and I would expect the next book to elaborate on those themes as we see what the main character’s twin has been doing as they have lived very different lives.

RATING: 4.5 rounded up

Thank you to Fonda Lee, Shannon Lee, Netgalley, and Wednesday Books for the opportunity to read an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

As a bookworm who misses picking up a YA book that feels like it's was written for teenagers, Breath of the Dragon did a fantastic job of presenting a story that's a love letter to Bruce Lee films and the overall martial arts landscape.

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. But he and the contestants soon discover that this particular year of the tournament brings a drastic change where death is a possibility.

There's so much that I love about this book. The action sequences were detailed and made these scenes feel very cinematic. The world-building and lore were seamlessly weaved into the narrative. Every character played a significant role in the story. There was a classic training arc that enhanced relationships and showed Jun's physical and mental progression. And, while plot beats may seem predictable, the overall story was presented in an enjoyable way, especially with a few scenes where I liked how the element of foreshadowing was executed.

My only minor critique was wishing there were more scenes that showed tournament match-ups outside of the main character. It would have been nice to explore more fighting styles that were different compared to Jun's techniques.

I highly recommend picking up this book if you'd like to pick up a fantasy book with high stakes, and the slow burn romance is a major subplot. Or, if you're also a manga reader, I recommend this book if you're into classic battle shounen with an underdog protagonist.

This book is great for YA readers! It has epic stakes and amazing action scenes. The narrative is fairly fast paced and easily to follow. It’s great to see the main character work for his goals and be placed in situations that force him to keep developing as a character. The protagonist, Jin, is one young readers can root for and it will be interesting to see how he grows as the story continues in the next book.

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

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

I loved this book so much and I think we all need to read this beautiful book asap. My first from this author but not my last.

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

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

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

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

the narrator was fantastic as well!

Breath of the Dragon is an action-packed and cinematic start to the Breathmarked series that blends martial arts drama, themes of honor, and a touch of magic into a captivating tale. Written by Shannon Lee (daughter of the legendary Bruce Lee) and Fonda Lee, the story feels like a tribute to classic martial arts films while carving out its own identity—one part coming-of-age journey, one part philosophical exploration, and entirely a thrill to read.

The story pulls you in right from the prologue, where life-changing drama launches our protagonist, Jun, on his path of self-discovery. Jun, while unique and creative, follows the classic and ever-enjoyable hero’s journey—facing challenges, learning to fight, and figuring out who he is. While I adored Jun, I also found him a little exasperating at times—but that is part of his character growth and development. Jun is joined by a companion who stole the show for me, with wisdom and hints of deeper strength. I enjoyed their dynamic as mentor figure and student navigating both danger and their own destinies.

While the magic of the Dragon plays a central role in the story, the book doesn’t overwhelm you with fantasy elements. Instead, it’s grounded in themes of honor, discipline, and growth, giving it the feel of a classic martial arts tale. The fight scenes are thrilling—cinematic, intense, and beautifully described, with techniques that nod to real-world martial arts styles and legends like Bruce Lee’s one-inch punch. The worldbuilding unfolds naturally as the story progresses, immersing you without bogging you down with details. There are secret meetings, political undertones, and glimpses of rebellion that hint at much bigger conflicts to come. Some moments were painfully obvious—like a theft that I knew was going to happen—but they still hit hard emotionally and kept me flipping pages to see how the characters would handle the fallout. The balance between action, suspense, and character moments worked well, creating a story that felt fast-paced but still had room for growth and reflection. Though Breath of the Dragon is the first book in a series, it avoids the dreaded cliffhanger ending. There are lingering questions and plenty of setup for the future—politics, rebellion, personal growth—but it also feels satisfying on its own. I read it in just two days and can’t wait to see where Jun’s journey takes us next.

I’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoys martial arts stories, coming-of-age adventures, or tales with themes of honor and discipline. While not heavy on romance or wildly fantastical, it has broad appeal with its action, drama, and thoughtful exploration of training versus natural talent. I'm looking forward to more in this series.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

With thrilling martial arts sequences and the frenetic kinetic energy of a Bruce Lee movie, Breath of the Dragon was a surprisingly complex and all-around fantastically-written YA fantasy.

The book has a simple enough hook that reminded me of a cross between Fist of Fury and Enter the Dragon: a young martial arts prodigy seeks glory in a tournament bringing together the best fighters in the realm, but I was pleasantly surprised to see how much more complex the story became after. The worldbuilding, despite being occasionally vague on the political side, was intriguing and elevated the book past its simple tournament arc. Tournament stories are always fun for me, and while a significant portion of the book is dedicated to pure martial adrenaline, I appreciated the small scenes of interiority and multi-character interactions between the fights. The characters, while a bit prone to archetypical moments, were all fun to follow. The protagonist, Li Jun, especially grew on me, and I really loved his character arc–he always felt like an impulsive teenager, but his gradual emotional development and complication of his black/white worldview were especially refreshing for a YA male protagonist.

It was also particularly refreshing to see Bruce Lee’s Jeet Kune Do style incorporated throughout the book as well as aspects of his personal philosophy. Fonda Lee does a great job of describing the action sequences so that no background knowledge is required to understand the book’s martial arts its accompanying philosophy, but having just finished a university term exclusively studying Hong Kong cinema and the life of Bruce Lee, Breath of the Dragon was a fantastic homage to its original creator. While it’s likely that Shannon Lee did not play a significant part in the actual writing of the book, her conceptual insight is all over the story, from the clear allusions to wuwei and qi in the book’s magic system (Dragon’s Breath) to the various homages to Bruce Lee’s movies and persona–it’s very easy to picture the protagonist Li Jun as a collage of Bruce Lee’s most famous roles. Even the throwaway suggestion that Jun be named “Fist of Fury” had me chuckling. Breath of the Dragon may be aimed at YA and some crossover readers, but fans of Bruce Lee will find plenty to love in this book.

The only thing preventing me from giving this book five stars was my ambivalence towards the pacing and age categorization. Unfortunately, the book is a bit prone to overdoing the exposition and denouement. Even a casual fan of martial arts and tournament stories understands the need for training sequences prior to the main fights, but I felt that the first 30-40% of the book really dragged. Part of it was due to Jun’s naïveté (which I found a bit overdone at times), but even two or three less chapters dedicated to Jun’s home life in Cheon or his training under Flutist Chang would have really aided the pacing; that being said, I found the pacing to be extremely well-done once the tournament arc started.

The target audience was also a bit confusing to me. Just taking the plot and age of the characters under consideration, Breath is very clearly a YA book, albeit with a violent edge given the gritty violence of the martial arts sequences. The brief romance and Jun’s own teenaged impulsiveness further added to the YA categorization. However, there were some moments of genuinely graphic tournament violence that made it seem as if the book was also trying to appeal to adults. I don’t mind a good crossover book, but the writing at times felt as if it were flipping between YA and adult. There’s quite a few moments of juvenile swearing that felt at odds with the serious tone–I really doubt that a 16 year-old facing potential death in an arena would have the breath to string together multiple curses about the mother goddess’s ass. This isn’t to say that YA books aren’t allowed a healthy dose of swearing–I mean, have you ever heard a teenaged boy speak lol–but it could feel shoehorned at times. I think committing to the YA-ness of the protagonist and story while adding a deeper, more adult-leaning philosophical undertone would have helped the book’s appeal to both audiences.

Despite its minor flaws, however, Breath of the Dragon is a very welcome addition to the YA Asian Fantasy genre and one I thoroughly enjoyed. Finely balancing the line between action, politics, and Chinese martial philosophy, this book is guaranteed to be a hit with all YA readers.

4/5 stars
Many thanks to Wednesday Books (St Martin’s Press) for the physical and e-ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This is the type of book I miss from the YA section and it definitely brought me back to when I first fell in love with fantasy. I don't care for romance heavy fantasy, which a lot of YA is trending towards, so I was very happy with the direction this book took. I think Fonda Lee is fantastic at characters. While she isn't the sole author of this book, her character work was clearly there. I love an imperfect main character, and Jun is just that. He's arrogant, obnoxious, and brash, but a good fighter. He manages to enter a tournament in which the winner becomes the Guardian of the scroll.

The setup of this book is fairly straightforward, but not at all boring. The empire has been basically cut in half with what I visualized as similar to the Great Wall of China, into East and West. Each side holds a different scroll that holds some sort of secret, and has different views of Breathmarked individuals. Basically, some people are born with dragon scales and some aren't. One one side only Breathmarked are allowed to practice martial arts, and on the other anyone can.

This book was jam packed with action, which is another thing that Fonda Lee does well. With much of the inspiration taken from Bruce Lee, Shannon Lee's father, the fights felt real. One thing that I tend to dislike in books with a lot of fight scenes, or tournaments, is that the main character never seems to struggle. There may have been a bit of that here, and that is basically the only thing I disliked about it. Sometimes things just felt too easy for Jun. Not his situation or where he is in life, but the fights only.

Overall, I am definitely looking forward to the rest of this series. It was a very solid start to a promising YA fantasy.

Definitely a four star read for me! This story was extremely well-told and very immersive. The authors clearly know a lot about (or did lots of research for) mixed martial arts. I enjoyed the tournament aspect as well, and the startling plot twists, especially towards the end. Lately I find myself drawn towards duologies rather than longer series because it's less of a commitment and I don't have to wait so long before the next installment is released. The characters are all unique and unpredictable, and I'm really looking forward to part 2 - especially to see if Jun is ever reunited with his mother and twin!

This book was everything. I am so mad that I must wait for the second book in this series, but I can’t wait to see what happens. Jun is such a dynamic character that just leaps off the pages. His journey to become the next Guardian is just filled with ups and downs. This book will enchant readers and leave them wanting more. I need to know what happens sooner rather than later. I can’t wait to see who his twin has become.
Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

Beautifully written story about a tournament in which Jun wishes to restore his father’s honor. Though he is told not to fight, he disobeys and proves his worth. This would make an amazing movie!

A martial arts fantasy that combines Fonda Lee's masterful storytelling with Shannon Lee's unique vision? Count me in! Breath of the Dragon is a tribute to martial arts that feels both fresh and deeply respectful.

I will say this was not at the level of the Green Bone Saga trilogy. This read as very YA, so go in with that mindset. Despite that, I still enjoyed the story very much.

While the MC, Jun, might not be the most immediately likable character—he was hot headed, rash, and arrogant—his defiant determination to be the best fighter won me over and I just wanted to see him succeed. What begins as a personal quest to redeem his family's reputation evolves into a potentially higher-stakes journey where Jun may find himself fighting not just for himself, but for the entire country's future.

I really enjoyed each of the side characters but I sort of wish we got a little more from them or maybe a stronger found family element here.

Fonda's descriptive prowess truly shines in the fighting sequences. I could clearly picture each fight in my head.

Shannon and Fonda created a perfect blend of martial arts legacy and fantasy storytelling. I'm already looking forward to book 2!

This is a must-read for fans of martial arts-inspired fantasy and coming-of-age narratives. Thank you to NetGalley & Wednesday Books for this ARC.

Read if you love:
🐲 martial arts ya fantasy
🥋 fighting tournaments
🐲 dragon-based magic system
🥋 political intrigue

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

Breath of the Dragon carries the spirit of Jin Yong’s Legends of the Cedar House series in a modern and stylish form. The titular breath of the dragon gives those who are born with it special abilities unique to each person. These people born with dragon’s breath are highly valued and often revered. In this story Fonda and Shannon give us twin protagonists, one born with and one without. The twins are separated and end up on either side of a political split, but Jun (born without the dragon’s breath) is determined to become the Dragon Guardian in a martial tournament.

The strength of a wuxia novel will always succeed or fail on the action and I am pleased to report that the training and battles in this book are as captivating as they are exciting. Don’t let the YA genre tag scare you off of what is a fun read that is hopefully the first of many adventures for Little Dragon Jun.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Breath of the Dragon by Fonda Lee and Shannon Lee is a third person-POV Chinese-inspired YA fantasy. Jun and his twin brother Sai do everything together, including training in forbidden martial arts. However, Sai is Breathmarked, one of the chosen descendants of Dragon, and Jun is not. When the Aspects come for Sai and their mother, they discover that Jun has been taught martial arts and exile Jun and his father, separating their family for a decade.

I immediately picked this up the moment I found out that Shannon Lee was involved. Like a lot of Americans, I’m a fan of Bruce Lee, so seeing that not only was his daughter one of the writers but that Breath of the Dragon is based on his teachings made this a must read. This is also Fonda Lee’s return to YA after her massive adult hit with Jade City and her well-received novella Untethered Skies and the cover is absolutely stunning in its minimalist color palette and gorgeous details. All of these things set up really high expectations before you even read the blurb.

To me, this read a lot like a shounen manga. I grew up on Dragon Ball, Naruto, Bleach, Yu Yu Hakusho, etc. so I have a real soft spot for shounen-style tournaments though this is more condensed as we don’t really have the room for a twenty episode tournament arc in a prose novel. The other thing that makes this read like a shounen is the love triangle between Jun, Yin, and Ren. I can genuinely say that I do not know exactly how this love triangle is going to work out even if my gut says it’s going to end with Ren and Jun together. There are hints that Ren might have feelings for Yin or could be more receptive to his affections and it’s very clear that Yin has feelings for her, but because everything is in Jun’s POV, we don’t know if it’s only his perception of how Yin and Ren are interacting versus how they actually are talking to each other.

The worldbuilding is super cool. The breathmarked being the descendants chosen specifically by Dragon to have special abilities and how they manifest creates a huge variety in who gets what powers and what they could do with them. In the East, they are taken in by the Aspects and trained to also be Aspects, the only people allowed to learn martial arts. In the West, some of them learn martial arts at special schools and can compete in the tournament to determine who is the Guardian of one of the sacred scrolls for the next six years. This is really focused on fight scenes and the prose handles those scenes well instead of feeling tedious. I sometimes struggle to remember where everything is if there are a bunch of moving parts and pieces, but I didn’t feel overwhelmed here as there is a good balance of the interior and the exterior.

I would recommend this to fans of shounen manga looking to get back into prose novels, readers who love Bruce Lee films looking for a Chinese-inspired fantasy, and those looking for a YA that has a love triangle that is present but isn’t super prominent.

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

Thanks to St Martin's Press and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

Breath of the Dragon starts off as a typical fantasy centered around a tournament. The main character spends around 40 percent of the book preparing for the tournament. The results of the tournament are somewhat predictable. Thankfully the fights along the way are exciting and engaging.

Soon we learn that there are layers of plot hidden behind the simple exterior. What first seems to be a typical plot soon takes twists and reveals new things. The final section of the book could have been predictable as well but it quickly takes new turns and builds up to excitement for the next book.

Fans of martial arts will enjoy watching the development of Jun as he learns that winning doesn't always mean what you expect. By the end we just glimpse the smallest layers of the different dragon aspect powers that can manifest in this world. Things resolve in a satisfying conclusion that left me hyped for the sequel and what it might bring.

The main reason this does not get 5 stars is it does not reach the level of Fonda Lee's prior trilogy, The Green Bone Saga. For other authors this would be an impressive debut. The plotting is much more coherent than most first books because it doesn't jump around to multiple points of view.
4/5