A review by paperprivateer
Breath of the Dragon by Shannon Lee, Fonda Lee

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 

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.