4/5 Stars

A compelling novella that gives the lush vibes of storytelling of old - gathered around a fire or an evening meal and hearing a family legend told, even one you may have heard before. Elements of the story give Mandalorian vibes (in the helmted protagonist), but other familiar storytelling elements are present without feeling overworked or trope-y.

The story's themes of identity, the way cultures are colonized and family identity can be erased are powerful but stay subtle, without being heavy-handed.

There were some things that I felt could have been fleshed out more (Yeva's father just sort of disappears from the story/her memories, and her sacred gift and how it integrates with others in the warrior culture is never really talked about). I also put the pieces together of the main mystery fairly quickly, so experienced some annoyance at how long it takes Yeva to do so. However, I found the final wrap up to be satisfying and not exactly what I predicted, so that soothed that part of me a bit.

Some elements of the writing felt overly stiff and fragmented. As I listened on audio (at 1.25 speed), I can't tell if that is the nature of the writing, or if the narrator was just taking weird pauses in the middle of sentences. Overall, the narration was not my favorite, but served the story well.

i didn't realize this was on the shorter side, not even 5hrs long, but the story was full and i didn't feel like it was rushed at all. i loved that the romance was off screen/fade to black, i'm very much over how hard romance and smut have been shoved into every freaking genre because *sex sells*, so fade to black is my fav (well no romance at all is my fav, but if i had to pick a level, fade to black is best).

the narrator did a great job, i had it at 2.5x speed and she still sounded like, idk how to describe it, but like an old grandma telling you a tale in the middle of a storm because you got scared, loved it.

the monthly blood issue, i honestly was expecting it to be like some regular old disease that we don't even really worry about anymore, or period related, but the real reason behind it was good and i didn't connect the dots till it was revealed.

In this lyrical fantasy, Neon Yang follows Yeva, a famed dragon-slayer, as she confronts her past and questions her loyalty during a mission to a distant kingdom. With rich worldbuilding and deep emotional resonance, Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame is a powerful story of identity, love, and self-discovery.

4.5☆

I highly recommend the audiobook. The narrator was fantastic, and it added greatly to the atmosphere of the book. The book is written like the retelling of an old myth, so the audiobook format works perfectly for it.

I absolutely adore this. The setting was beautiful and vivid. I loved the lore of the dragons and the knights. Having a disabled sapphic fmc being the knight was my favorite thing ever. I loved following Yevas' journey and seeing her grow and change as a character. Even though this book was so short, it entailed a great amount of descriptive lore and character development.

While I really enjoyed the beautiful fairy tale like writing and was drawn into the world right from the very first page, I just wish we had explored Yevas and Lady Sookhees' relationship more. I'm aware that you've got to cut corners in a novella, I just wish we didn't skip the part where they fell in love since that development was quite existential to the following plot. While I do enjoy their relationship, it's purely based on my own imagination since we're barely given any reasons for them to actually be in love. It's like they simply decided to be devoted to each other one day. I loved the stakes and dynamics of their relationship, which is why I craved a less shallow exploration of it.

This was a cute coming of age story with nice magical elements set in it. I wish that it had been a little longer. I wish that we had seen more of the romance and after the big reveal. 3.5 stars

A short and powerful novella, I didn’t love the narrator for the audiobook but the plot twist and characters were great I just wish the romance between the two main characters had more of a build up.

This is my first read by Neon Yang and I'd like to read more written by them! The beginning segment was a bit slow for me, but I really began enjoying the story once we were in Quanbao. The amount of details given in this shorter book were just enough to carry the story along while not dragging anything out.

I didn't like how the story was told. It felt like it was being told to me, rather than allowing me to truly immerse myself in the world and feel with the characters. Also the narration wasn't really for me - the way the narrator read the book.
So I in the end I didn't enjoy this audiobook. But it's short and quick, so you don't lose a lot of time if you want to tap your toes into the story.

I liked this book but as most of the books in third pov it can be a bit distancing and also a bit slow.
If you like to read a sapphic romantic fantasy, give it a go. It was still enjoyable.

The voice actor did a good job, I have nothing to mark on her or the production.

This novella gave me the feeling of what I imagine a modern depiction of an Arthurian Legend would read like. The world felt rich and deep in history and the tone evoked one of an epic story.

As such, the twist might feel a little obvious to us the reader but I would argue that that might be the point. Reading this as if it were a Legend puts Yeva's character journey at the center and the revelation being for her, not us, and how she deals with the inner conflict that brings her. Looking back, her arc was truly wonderfully done.

Although short, it packed the right kind of punch with its commentary on disability, femininity, duty, and what happens when confronted with your own worldview and ideology. I will definitely be picking this up to add to my collection!

Thank you to NetGalley and Recorded Books for an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I would like to thank the publisher for giving me an audio-arc in exchange for an honest review through NetGalley.

Yeva's birthright manifested itself when she was a child, leading her to be taken in service to the Emperor. Trained to hunt dragons, she has lived in her armor, never allowing people to see her face. But when the Emperor decides to send people to Quanbao -- a place rumored to worship dragons -- it is decided that Yeva will go an investigate. Tasked with earning the trust of their queen -- Lady Sookhee -- she'll have to remove her armor and let someone in for the first time since she donned her armor.

Let me start this off by saying how much I love the whole knight versus monster plot, especially when they fall for one another. Because WOW I loved this. So you have a dragon slayer -- Yeva -- who is sent to another country with the intent to find proof of a dragon, especially since there have been reports of a dragon recently being seen fleeing the kingdom into the mysterious country of Quanbao. It's there she meets the Lady Sookhee and the mystery of what's going on slowly unravels. This was such a beautiful story, language, setting, plot. It's so well written, and to be honest, you know what's happening, you know what's going to happen eventually, but you don't know how it's going to happen and so you're waiting and holding your breath because the language is so beautiful you don't want to interrupt even with something as mundane as breathing. I absolutely adored this novella. It's short, it's gorgeous, and the ending was well done.

Plus the audio narrator did a fantastic job. Definitely recommend this one.

Actual Rating: 4.75, rounded up

This book was beautifully crafted, and I applaud the author for such eloquent writing. I loved the characters and how I could really understand the main character's ambitions and cognitive dissonance throughout the book. I think it was a little predictable, though.

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame is an atmospheric, intriguing fantasy novella with a touching sapphic romance and adventure.

I enjoyed this one, although I wished it had been longer. The story occasionally felt rushed and stiff, and I think I would have connected to it more had it been longer. The characters were intriguing, and I enjoyed the various relationship dynamics and character development. I loved the sapphic romance and the twisty, action-packed ending. Neon Yang’s prose was captivating, presenting a cinematic and compelling world and story reminiscent of The Mandalorian and Beowulf. If you’re looking for an entertaining fantasy novella, I would certainly recommend giving this one a read!

Nancy Wu was a great narrator for this one. I enjoyed her accents and depth, and she made the story wonderfully atmospheric and lush. I sometimes found it difficult to connect to her narration, but I enjoyed the audiobook.

Thank you to the publisher for the free ALC!

I did not realize going into this that it was an LGBTQ book, My mistake, sorry. DNF'd at around 15%.

What happens when a soldier who has dedicated her life to slaying dragons, unknowingly falls for one?
First and foremost, I like to think NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to listen to an audio arc of this book. I am forever thankful on my review is an honest reflection of my feelings towards this book.
This book for sure give me a lot of vibes of ancient China and warriors of that time period. For me personally the narrator was a perfect choice mainly cut her voice was perfect for telling the story.
Over all this book, kind of fell in the middle for me. Wasn’t a good book wasn’t a bad book but was pretty solid.
Whatever I recommend? I’m always recommending books that I may have not enjoyed as much because people could have a whole different opinion than me.

*Thanks to NetGalley and RBMedia for early copy for review*

Loved this novella. Quick story of dragon hunter who was taken away from part of her culture to be made into a tool. She gets the chance to go back to her mother's home country to learn more about herself, her mother and her heritage. The closeness that happens between her and the Queen and such a sweet example of a bodyguard and royal romance. The ultimate twist of the book was unfortunately given away in the summary, but was also obvious as you read it. However, if you enjoy sapphic, dragon books or Asian-inspired epic fantasy I would recommend.

This was a short novella but it definitely packs a punch! A lady knight dragon slayer travels to a neighbouring country to investigate rumours of a dragon only to fall for the enigmatic Girl King, who turns out to be the very creature she was hunting! I really enjoyed this one!

I listened to the audio for this and thought the narrator was great.

I love a good short story, but this was a book that deserved to be full-length. The world is intricate, with griffins and dragons, and I don’t think the book’s world building was fleshed out enough in under 200 pages. The plot is so freaking good though! I was immersed in the characters and the premise, but this book deserved to be closer to 400 pages.

Also, the twist about the girl king was very obvious to me. The author wanted the readers to initially believe it was a genetic blood disorder that afflicted her, like hemophilia, but anyone will a basic knowledge of genetics will know that’s inaccurate.

When there’s a disease, like hemophilia, that passes through family, women are less likely to get the ailment because they have two X chromosomes. Also, with things like hemophilia, the only way a daughter gets it is if the dad has it & the mom either has it or is a carrier. There is virtually no way both the queen and her mom had the same generational disease unless it was a fantasy-based ailment.

this caused me to piece together the “Twist” almost immediately. all around, this book had the potential to be a 4 or 5-star read if it was longer, fixed some of the plot holes, and let me fall in love with the romance more. the book cover & narrator are amazing though!

Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame is a sapphic dragon slayer fantasy novella that follows Yeva, a dragon slayer sent to Quanboo to search for a rumored dragon hidden within the city. I really love the concept, and the cover is gorgeous. The worldbuilding is amazing, and there is so much detail to explore.. However, I felt the story was a bit short, and I wish there was more to read. The audiobook is fantastic as well; it is narrated like a storyteller recounting Yeva's tale, making it a perfect fit for the audio format. Overall, I really enjoyed it, and if you want to read a quick and interesting story, definitely pick this novella. Thanks to NetGalley and RBmedia for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I, like most of you guys on here, fell for the cover. Doesn’t it look stunning?! So, I was excited when approved on NetGalley and, after finishing my last audiobook, I jumped straight in.

I read a review somewhere comparing this to Disney+’s Mandalorian and I can see that. But imagine them as a queer, disabled female dragon slayer in an Aisian-inspired fantasy world with dragons, girl-kings told in a fairy-tale/folklore style with a happily ever after ending.

Now, I do love a good novella (and this fits the bill greatly), but there are one of two things that don’t really work. The cover doesn’t really fit the style of this queer HEA story, the mystery over the girl-king blood sickness was obvious and the ending was wrapped up very quickly (an extra chapter would have helped no feel so rushed).

But I adore this world and wish this was much longer. Maybe another novella in this world would be nice…