3.5 stars rounded up.

If you are a fan of classic dragon slaying fantasy, but you want it wrapped in beautiful prose and metaphors...look no further. I will say some of the metaphors felt like they were there just to be there, but in such a short story it didn't pull me out of the story. If you are a fan of a story with the narrative framing device of someone telling you the truth behind a legendary figure...this is also for you. I really appreciated going on the emotional journey of self-discovery with the protagonist of this story. Taken from her home at a young age due to her ability to channel dragon-slaying magic she is weaponized by a foreign empire on their quest to slay all dragons in the world. She is sent on a diplomatic mission to a kingdom near her hometown and her training clashes with the worldview she grew up with, and it is such a poignant journey. I don't want to say more than that as it is a short standalone novella, if that at all sounds intriguing I would highly recommend you pick it up.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me a copy to review via NetGalley.

My first time reading Neon Yang and certainly not the last! This is a novella about a dragon-slaying knight who is sent to a neighboring nation to, of course, slay another dragon—but what she discovers during her stay there will change her life forever.

This is a very solid, short read. Yeva's character arc is emotionally satisfying, the prose flows smoothly, and there is a very sweet (if a bit surface-level) romance between her and the neighboring country's girl-king, Lady Sookhee.

I do think this book's page count falls at an awkward length; a touch too long to justify the telling-not-showing narration that crops up more than once, but too short to be able to properly expand on the worldbuilding, side characters, and romance. The twist at the end is wntirely predictable, but that didn't necessarily detract from my overall enjoyment. Overall, I think this is a short and sweet 3.5/5 stars, and I am curious to try Yang's other novellas in the future.

Brighter than Scale, Swifter than flame is a queer novella about a famed guild knight of Mithrandon, the dragon hunter Yeva, who is sent away from home at just thirteen after she’s discovered to have a magical gift. The story follows her as an adult as she is sent on a mission to a kingdom close to her childhood home. There, she soon finds herself drawn to the girl king and a culture similar to the one she was forced to leave behind.

There is a lot to like about this novella, but don’t go into it expecting a lot of action or dragon hunting. Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame is a very introspective little book that is primarily considered with Yeva’s internal conflict as a knight struggling to decide where her loyalties lie and a woman uprooted, now trying to reconnect with her culture.

Yang accomplishes a lot of worldbuilding in a very little space, but what ultimately hindered my enjoyment was the pacing and predictability of the plot. There aren’t really any surprises, and I was hoping for a little more out of the ending. I also struggled to connect with Lady Sookhee, whose character has a lot of potential but feels flat.

Oddly, this felt a lot like a gothic romance. It has all the right elements — secret tunnels, a powerful and mysterious lover who seems to be hiding something… If you want a high fantasy Crimson Peak with dragons, I’d give this one a try.

Neon Yang wrote this perfectly and enjoyed the world that was created. It had that element that I wanted from an Asian fantasy element. It was everything that I was looking for and enjoyed the characters and the way it worked with the plot. I was engaged with the dragon hunter element to this.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor/Forge for sending me an ARC!

I had such a great time with this story. It’s a short novella, but it packs a punch.

A queer, legendary dragonslayer falls in love with a girl-King, while a dragon-filled mystery unfolds. It’s a beautiful story about embracing your identity and questioning your beliefs.

I’m not a particularly huge fan of dragon books, but this changed that for me. I would do anything to have more books set in this world. I loved everything from the writing, to the dragon lore, to the pace of the novella.

I don’t really stop to read novellas, but I want to get to more in the new year. I find the pacing works better for me and my short attention span. It’s a game changer. But it also made me realize I avoided novellas/short stories because I thought they couldn’t possibly hold up against a full novel. Oh how wrong I was.

Highly recommend and I’m excited to check out more of Neon Yang’s writing.

Neon Yang is an author I finally got to reading recently, and I’m so glad they’re finally on my radar cuz their storytelling is so good! I love the world built in Brighter Than Flame and Yeva is such an interesting character. I love her journey and the way she smashes down who she was growing up when she’s sent to the Imperial city, and how going to Quanbao opened her back up to softness and her past. The romance between Yeva and Sookhee is almost quiet in its development, but I liked the way their care for one another came through. I guessed very early on what the situation was with the dragon Yeva was sent to hunt, but the execution was still satisfying, and the end was such a good conclusion. Loved this book, and looking forward to more stories from Neon Yang.

What a beautiful ride this was, short, sweet, and thought provoking.

This is a story we have seen time and again in the real world reimagined in a story rich in culture, fantasy, and dragons. Our main character Yeva is removed from her home as a child because of a power she possesses that is used to hunt and kill dragons. After an encounter where she kills a baby dragon leaves her handicapped she is transported to a world she doesn't know do become a killer for a kingdom she doesn't love.

Her life becomes a hollow series of duties where she pushes herself to the max to be more, better, legendary, to fill the void in her that was left after leaving her home and becoming disabled. In this new land her internal and external value is calibrated by what she can provide and not who she is. She truly identified as this powerful knight to the point where she can not take off her armour. She must hide her true self in order to fit into the mold she's made herself.

A fateful series of events has her traveling back to her homeland to investigate the potential of dragons there and she is met with the uncomfortable truth that her life isn't at all what she thought it was and the skin of her warrior self starts to feel too tight. Without ruining the story this part of the story truly is beautiful and a little heart breaking.

This is a story of self discovery, love, and about reclaiming lost/stolen identity. It is short and very powerful. I thoroughly enjoyed this magical journey, it will have me thinking long after I set down this book.

4.5⭐️ Thank you Tor Publishing Group & NetGalley for the opportunity to read the ARC for an honest review!

This lovely little sapphic novella read like an epic and I could not have been more obsessed. AND THAT COVER I MEAN COME ON. When you market a book as Lady Mandalorian x dragon slayer, you’ve hit me in a weak spot. Yang’s writing is truly some of the most beautifully descriptive prose I’ve ever encountered. From her depictions of the cold barracks of Mithrandon to the idyllic mountain town of Quenbao, I was enchanted from the start. Then we witness Yeva’s rise as a guildknight where she becomes a sterile, yet savage, extension of the emperor. But this all slowly dissipates as she interacts with the townspeople and the court of Lady Sookhee. The lore of the Quenbao region and its reverence for dragons slowly changes Yeva’s perspective of the beasts she’s hunted her whole career, but it’s not until a local secret is revealed that her heart is truly changed.

My only wish is that we could get more of Yeva, Lady Sookhee, and this magical world Yang has created.

wowwww!! this was a great novella!

this is a sapphic fantasy novella following yeva who’s a legendary dragon slayer sent to an unfamiliar kingdom in search of a hidden dragon. but then yeva meets lady sookhee, where yeva finds herself slowly opening up to the beautiful queen. despite their growing relationship, yeva must fulfill her duty, but what happens when she stars to question what she’s been taught?

i adored the exploration of identity, the symbolism of the armour yeva wears and how the closer she grows to lady sookhee, the more she lets her see. i also loved the vivid and beautiful storytelling, and the attention to even the smallest details. this has everything i love in books: dragons, lady knights, lesbians, & political intrigue.

thank you to netgalley & tor for the e-arc <3

Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame follows Yeva, a dragon hunter, and Sookhee, the girl-king. Yeva comes to Quanbao looking to slay a dragon rumored to be hiding among Sookhee’s people. I enjoyed this story, but I felt it leaned more on "telling" than "showing," which kept me a bit distanced from the emotional depth of the characters and events. The relationship between the characters was promising, but lacked the development I was hoping for—there were tender moments, but the connection felt underexplored. The ending was predictable, but still very satisfying. The novella is short enough to finish in one sitting, and has an interesting storyline.

Between the lesbians, dragons, absolutely gorgeous cover art, and storytelling prose, I recommend this book to anyone looking for a short sapphic fantasy read!

Thank you to Tor Publishing Group and NetGalley for the review copy, this review is my honest opinion :)

This was a very fast and short read about how a bite from a baby dragon can lead to the discovery of powers and how those powers dictate how Yevas life will turn out. Duty and love clash in here and the main conflict wrapped up kind of quick but how it ended up I was satisfied with. If you like dragons and lesbians this one is for you.

Sapphic romance and dragons, SIGN ME UP PLEASE!!! This novella follows Yeva, a renowned dragon slayer, as she faces the unfamiliar court life of Quanbao and their queen, the Lady Sookhee. One of my favorite aspects of this story was Yeva's struggle with her identity, particularly her struggle with her armor. It was such a powerful line of tension. As for the pacing, the plot moves fairly quickly, and I often found myself wanting to slow down, to really settle into the politics and the romance. That said, I absolutely adored reading this. It has a unique lens of viewing, reading, at times, like a true legend. And though the reveal isn't difficult to guess, it also doesn't take away from the story. All in all, I think I would have enjoyed this even more if it had been novel-length. The story was beautifully assembled, and I simply wanted more. What a wonderful novella. Thank you to the NetGalley team at Tor/Forge for this ARC!! 4.0 / 5.0 ⭐️

Neon Yang’s *Brighter Than Scale, Swifter Than Flame* is a captivating short fantasy that deftly explores identity, belonging, and transformation. In just a few pages, Yang crafts a rich, immersive world where dragons and magic become powerful metaphors for self-discovery.

At its heart, the story is a tender exploration of queer identity, seamlessly integrated into the narrative. Yang celebrates queerness as a natural and empowering part of the protagonist’s journey, making the themes of self-acceptance and growth resonate deeply.

I’ve read other novellas from Neon Yang, but Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame was the most captivating by far! Yang did such a fantastic job weaving complex stories (with developed characters and backgrounds) in such a short time! Love love loved this book!

I love a sapphic fantasy. I found the author to be very talented and the worldbuilding was gripping. Unfortunately however wasn’t super wowed by this. The twist was very predictable and something about the prose seemed off. The main character I also found very unlikable.

What more could I ask for than a sapphic fantasy with dragons and warring kingdoms? This was everything I could have asked for and more.

Brighter Than Scale, Swifter Than Flame is centered around Yeva, an armored knight who has been hunting dragons ever since she was thirteen. When Yeva is sent to a neighboring kingdom to hunt further, she instead discovers the land of her mother, where dragons are revered rather than feared. It is there that Yeva removes her armor for the first time, and meets the king, Lady Sookhee.

I loved the way we were introduced to Yeva, and later Sookhee, and the way that their pasts were slowly revealed. Yeva’s in particular was really interesting to read, and I thought her struggle with her identity was portrayed incredibly. I also loved the concept of dragons and how differently they are viewed by different empires. The way their history slowly bleeds through the pages was absolutely magical!

Much thanks to Net Galley for the opportunity to read this fantasy filled novel. My god have you seen the over for this book , my jaw dropped the color and the artistry in itself draws you in, I’m a sucker for an amazing book cover.

Once the cover gets you in, the synopsis draws you in even more ! What is more kick butt than having a dragon slayer. Yeva has some inter struggles on being the emperor defender or going out to do what she was mean to be!

Yeva the dragon slayer travels to Quanbao, the land of the girl-King (Soohkee),to appease her Sun Emperor and look for a dragon. Along the way she must choose whether to shed her literal and figurative armor in order to foster friendship, community, love, and acceptance.

Yeva wields a sacred weapon named Varuhelt, which burns blue and harnesses her power to kill dragons. Will she use it in Quanbao?

Yeva also brings with her a wyrmhound with wings and a nose for hunting dragons. She rides mighty gryphons and travels with two in tow, Carys and Meteor. Yeva is a badass - let’s be honest. She is also just a human, seeking understanding and connection! This story touched me.

When I found myself disjointed by the POV of the story I tried to remind myself that it is written so that a grandmother could be telling the tale to a granddaughter. A legend. It is not first-person perspective because it is written the way myths are, person to person by word of mouth. This did help to bring me back to the story and find connection.

Because the “twist” is not so much a twist, it is easy to spot, it wasn’t the kind of read that gripped me with excitement. It was a pleasure all the same!

I enjoyed this book. It was a quick and fast-paced read that kept me engaged throughout. I thought that the story was interesting and I was not expecting that twist in the end. But as with most novellas and shorter books I was left wanting for a little bit more. I wish we got to see the relationship between Yeva and Lady Sookhee with a bit more detail. I wanted a little bit more of the romance between them than just the bedding. I still think that this was a good story with an interesting plot.

Yeva’s story was short, and emotional but satisfying. Yeva is a faceless knight(a dragon slayer?), sent to investigate dragons in a foreign country covertly. Once in that country doing the investigations, she begins to struggle with the choice between loyalty to her emperor as its weapon or her allegiance to the culture she grew up with—Including the Queen in it. I do think there was more of the telling vs showing here, but again, edits can be done. Characters, world & most of the writing were great. It was still a good short read for me and I still need more.

Thank you Tor Publishing & NetGalley for the opportunity to read the ARC for an honest review.