eARC Review: Breath of the Dragon by Shannon Lee and Fonda Lee
Release date: 7 January 2025
Rating: 5/5
Book box(es): None, though the first printing has sprayed edges
Synopsis: A young warrior dreams of proving his worth in the elite Guardian Tournament, fighting not only for himself but the fate of everything he loves.
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 Heaven to a new protector. Eager to prove his skills, Jun hopes that a win will restore his father’s pride—righting a horrible mistake that caused their banishment from his home, mother, and twin brother.But Jun’s father strictly forbids him from participating. He believes there is no future in Jun 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.
As Jun competes, he quickly realizes he may be fighting for not just a better life, but the fate of the country itself and the very survival of everyone he cares about.
Review
I’ve only read one other Fonda Lee book, Untethered Sky. I loved it. When I love the first book I’ve read of a certain author, that book becomes the gateway book for the author’s backlist and anything the author touches, especially if the second book I’ve read from the author also proves awesome. Breath of the Dragon, with one exception, exceeded my expectations. Let us also not forget the co-author, Shannon Lee. I grew up on martial arts movies with fighting contests and high stakes, and oh, man, this book was nostalgia between two covers.
Jun, our MC, who is a young man—quite the anomaly, as so many YA fantasy main characters nowadays seem to be young women—and mostly predisposed toward vengeance or some other self-serving activity. Even better, Jun’s story starts out in the best way for a story like this. Jun’s father and grandfather have an incredible legacy of teaching martial arts, though the kingdom in which they reside forbids it. The family is torn apart, and Jun and his father are exiled to another kingdom.
Of course, as all these stories go, the one banished for learning to fight becomes the ultimate fighter, and joins a contest to fight for a great reward or position of authority that allows him to to rectify the wrongs of his youth and take back the kingdom. Fight for the downtrodden. Sounds cliché, but the story isn’t tired in the telling. All classic tales of heroes fighting empires and reuniting with their lost loved ones offer an appealing story that never gets old no matter the way they’re told.
Lee and Lee write fantastic characters, complicated relationships, gut-wrenching reunions (more authors for the list of those who won’t leave my darlings in peace), and awesome action. I’m surprised, yet again, that a fantastic book did not get picked up by a box or a bookstore for a special edition.
With one exception for way too much adult language in a YA book, I give this book high marks. I can’t recommend it for its intended audience because of the adult language, but an adult who doesn’t mind language and likes similar books in this genre will love this one.
My thanks to NetGalley, and Wednesday Books for the eARC, for which I willingly give my own, honest opinion.
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