The Breath of the Dragon by Fonda Lee and Shannon Lee
Genre: YA fantasy
Length: 352 pages
Release date: January 7, 2025

Growing up I remember watching a lot of martial art movies with my dad, Enter the Dragon is a film that has so much nostalgia for me. So when I found out that Bruce Lee’s daughter, Shannon Lee was co-authoring a book with one of my favorite current authors, Fonda Lee, I knew I needed to read this one. The Breath of the Dragon was a great introduction to Bruce Lee’s teachings if you are unfamiliar or if you have that built in nostalgia like I do.

Shannon mentioned one reason she wanted to write this novel is to expose a new generation to her father’s teachings. I could feel his lessons all throughout the novel, from the varying types of martial arts all the way through his political activism that we get a taste of in the first installment of this duology. I cam away from this novel with very fond feelings for the characters and I hope we find some answers to my many questions that Fonda and Shannon left open at the end of this novel. It is clear that this book sets us up for what I am sure will prove to be a bigger picture for the next book.

A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Fonda Lee is one of my must pick up authors so to see her on here as a co-author, I had to check it out. I'm so grateful I did! This is the first time I've read anything from Shannon Lee and I really enjoyed this book. This is an action packed story with heart and lots of martial arts to boot. The characters were realistic and had lots of depth. Jun was great and memorable; however, Ren stole my heart. Absolutely loved her! There was depth and growth in the main cast of characters. I think the side characters get a bit messy during the tournament. It was a bit of a challenge for me to keep them all straight. Yes, there is a tournament. If you love the competition trope, this book has it! I could see this adapted for the screen: a movie, tv show, Chinese drama! or even an anime. This is labeled as YA but really I could see anyone in enjoying this book. I cannot wait for the next installment.

Synopsis:
Sixteen-year-old Jun dreams of proving his worth as a warrior in the elite Guardian’s Tournament, held every six years to entrust the magical Scroll of Earth to a new protector. Eager to prove his skills, Jun hopes that a win will restore his father’s honor—righting a horrible mistake that caused their banishment from his home, mother, and twin brother. But Jun’s father strictly forbids him from participating. There is no future in honing his skills as a warrior, especially considering Jun is not breathmarked, born with a patch of dragon scales and blessed with special abilities like his twin. Determined to be the next Guardian, Jun stows away in the wagon of Chang and his daughter, Ren, performers on their way to the capital where the tournament will take place.

Thoughts:
This was such an easy read for me! This is the first book that I’ve read from this author but I’ll definitely be reading more from her! The writing, characters, and plot were top-tier! Highly recommend!

This was exactly the book my 15-year-old self would've killed for. Even as an adult, this ticked a lot of boxes for me. It was incredibly well-plotted; it could be used as a text in a Creative Writing course (and I don't say this lightly, as a MFA instructor). Great twists, kept me engaged, and of course the fight scenes were excellent. If you read the description and it sounds like your kind of book, you won't be disappointed.

I loved the story but struggled with the writing style. I found it a bit too descriptive and slow moving, like I could skip whole pages and still know exactly what was happening, but other reviews talk about the great world building, and I can see where that's a good thing!


This book had so many unique elements, I can see why others really like it and I will recommend it to teens who enjoy long immersive tales!

Breath of the Dragon by Shannon Lee and Fonda Lee is a captivating fantasy that blends rich world-building with intense action. The story immerses readers in a world of dragons and magic, with strong characters and a compelling plot. Lee and Lee’s writing is gripping, making it a must-read for fans of epic fantasy and adventure.

I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about this considering I’m not particularly enthusiastic about martial arts or fight-to-the-death style tournaments, but I enjoyed this a lot. It’s different from a lot of what I read, and it’s interesting to read something based on a concept by Bruce Lee’s daughter. For someone who has never seen an entire Bruce Lee movie and doesn’t know much about Chinese folklore, I still found this book engaging.

My biggest thought going into a book like this is that the fighting in the tournament could get boring or repetitive, but the book kept things interesting, weaving in different world-building, character moments and different fighting elements to keep things interesting. The descriptions of different fighting styles kept my interest even though martial arts isn’t something I care much about. The only minor complaint I had was that maybe the fights seemed a little bit too easy at times.

The parts I enjoyed most about the book was how it resisted trends and instead focused on its unique story. I liked the build from Jun just wanting to win for his own legacy and happiness to needing to refocus for the greater good. I also appreciated how there wasn’t a romance and how Jun isn’t one of the special people. He’s not a chosen one or someone with an extraordinary power like is so common in YA books. He’s an underdog who actually has reason to distrust people who do have special powers. He has to work hard with no additional help.

The book did feel a little bit like it was for younger readers at times. The stakes never feel as intense as they should be, and even with all the fighting, it sometimes felt more middle grade because of how the characters acted and very pointed morals. The characters are world had some interesting ideas, but there wasn’t as much depth as I would have hoped for.

Overall, I’m excited for the sequel to this. I think the world and character relationships have a lot of potential, and it was a fun, fast-pasted read.

This is a great YA novel that I enjoyed. This is fantasy but not bash you over the head fantasy and you have some pretty cool fight scenes. I enjoyed this book and can’t wait for more! If you like martial arts or you’re a fan of Bruce Lee this book is for you!

In "Breath of the Dragon", Fonda Lee delivers an engaging and immersive martial arts-inspired story that blends action, character growth, and world-building. The ties to Bruce Lee, with his daughter Shannon Lee's involvement, add a special layer to the narrative. The world-building is intricate and beautiful, especially the tournament concept, which provides the backdrop for a slow-burn, yet rewarding plot.

The protagonist, Li Jun, initially feels inconsistent, but his flawed, reckless nature and eventual growth make his character arc relatable and satisfying. While some readers may struggle with the slow pacing at times, the payoff in Jun's development and the overall story progression makes it worthwhile. Though the romance takes a backseat, which is refreshing in a genre dominated by YA romantasy, the book still teases potential relationships that could develop in future installments.

Overall, this book is highly recommended for YA readers, martial arts fans, and anyone looking for a well-crafted story full of action, tension, and character depth.

What a wild ride! I loved the concept of this book, and the plot was executed perfectly. I'm a little disappointed at how fast everything happened after the competition, but I'm really excited to see what happens in the next book. Definitely going to have to keep my eyes peeled for the sequel.

"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.

Breath of the Dragon is the first novel in its duology about sixteen year old Jun and his journey to fight in the Guardian’s Tournament and become the protector of the Scroll of Earth.

This was so beautifully written, I knew I would enjoy this book, but it really captivated me with the storytelling! The fear and sadness that Jun felt really showed across the page. I appreciated that he acted like a teenager and made choices that felt real. I loved the magic system they used for the breathmarked and the fact that even though Jun was not, his power still shone through! I loved all of the action scenes, I felt like I could actually visualize what was going on as if I was watching a movie.

I’m super excited for the next book in the series and I can’t wait to see what we learn about more characters, both old and new.

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday books for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

“Call him . . . the Little Dragon!”

4.25 ⭐️’s

I was absolutely immersed within the first chapter. I knew this book would be well written because of the authors, and they definitely delivered. Brilliant story and very well told. Highly recommend.

Thank you to SMP and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book. Fonda Lee is one of my favorite writers and this book clinched it for me. I loved the ties to Bruce Lee and that his daughter was involved in writing this book. I loved the world, the angst, the tension and the character work. Li Jun was flawed, reckless and immature, but I found his character development and growth so relatable and well done. As his sense of himself, talent and worldview grows, so does his actual world and I found the way the story progressed so satisfying. I had a hard time with the pacing at times since this is a very slow build, but the payoff was definitely worth it. I will for sure be reading this whole series and will continue to pick up and buy everything Fonda creates, and I love this collaboration.

(Thanks to Wednesday Books for giving me an eARC of the book.)

The premise of martial arts mixed with magic captured my interest. The story shines in describing the action scenes. It started slow with the setting up at the beginning but speeds up at around 45% of the book when the tournament happened. As the story progressed, the plot became more complex. The main character had good character development; the side characters were varied and distinct. I liked how the story ended in a natural spot, without a massive cliffhanger or sudden ending, and set up for the next part of the story. However, I did think there were too many different curse phrases. That being said, I'm excited to read the second book.

(Content Warning: death, grief, cursing, mentions of blood/injuries from fights)

The Lee’s do it again. The queen of fantasy is back. This book did not disappoint, you need to pick it up!

I thought this book was incredibly addicting and I absolutely loved the writing and can't wait to see where the story goes

This book was a generally entertaining read. I thought the world-building was beautiful, and I loved the idea of the tournament. I had a hard time with Jun as a character because he felt inconsistent, but it wouldn't be enough to deter me from reading the next book. I'm interested to see where Jun and the rest of the story goes.

Shannon and Fonda Lee are such strong writers. The fight scenes were intense, planned and thought out. The writing was immaculate.

I chose this book because I saw Shannon Lee's name and that the story was inspired by her father, Bruce Lee. I had not yet read anything by Fonda Lee. Let's just say that I will be adding more of her books to my TBR. The writing was fun, engaging, and solid. The fights were in-depth and obviously some thought was put into how to immerse the reader into this world of martial arts. I really enjoyed the world-building as well.
I did not really take to Jun at first, but he grew on me. The rest of the characters were a little more grabbing from the beginning. I will say that I am not much for the potential love triangle that was hinted, but romance is a small blip on this story which was rather refreshing in the world of YA romantasy stories taking the world by storm.
I highly recommend this story to YA readers as well as anyone who enjoys martial arts-inspired stories, adventure, action, and fun.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really engaging read. While I'm not an avid anime watcher, I could still see its influence here with the style of the high-energy battles, the training sequences, and the importance on emotional beats & self-discovery. Overall, I really enjoyed it.