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reposefulreads 's review for:
Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame
by Neon Yang
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The beautiful cover of Brighter Than Scale, Swifter Than Flame initially drew my attention, but the promise of a sapphic story featuring a disabled dragon hunting knight and the ruler of a reclusive nation that reveres them, kept me enthralled.
Nancy Wu provides a wonderful and immersive narration and I felt as though I was hearing a storyteller sharing a fascinating tale as opposed to merely listening to an audiobook.
The protagonist Yeva is an interesting young woman, a knight who constantly wears her armor as a shield against both dragons and personal vulnerability. She is a unique choice as an emissary to the neighboring nation of Quanbao, ruled by the enigmatic monarch Lady Sookhee.
Like with most novellas, I found myself wishing that Brighter Than Scale, Swifter Than Flame was a bit longer. While the story felt complete, the world building is wonderful and I would have enjoyed reading more about Quanbao and about Yeva’s early years as a guildknight.
Nevertheless, I loved witnessing Yeva slowly become more comfortable with a life in the palace and watching her relationship with Lady Sookhee grow. It would have been lovely to receive a glimpse of the story from Lady Sookhee’s perspective, as she feels slightly less developed than Yeva.
The ending is wonderful as well and offers a satisfying conclusion to Yeva’s story.
Thank you to RBmedia, Recorded Books and NetGalley providing access to this audiobook. All opinions expressed are solely my own.
Nancy Wu provides a wonderful and immersive narration and I felt as though I was hearing a storyteller sharing a fascinating tale as opposed to merely listening to an audiobook.
The protagonist Yeva is an interesting young woman, a knight who constantly wears her armor as a shield against both dragons and personal vulnerability. She is a unique choice as an emissary to the neighboring nation of Quanbao, ruled by the enigmatic monarch Lady Sookhee.
Like with most novellas, I found myself wishing that Brighter Than Scale, Swifter Than Flame was a bit longer. While the story felt complete, the world building is wonderful and I would have enjoyed reading more about Quanbao and about Yeva’s early years as a guildknight.
Nevertheless, I loved witnessing Yeva slowly become more comfortable with a life in the palace and watching her relationship with Lady Sookhee grow. It would have been lovely to receive a glimpse of the story from Lady Sookhee’s perspective, as she feels slightly less developed than Yeva.
The ending is wonderful as well and offers a satisfying conclusion to Yeva’s story.
Thank you to RBmedia, Recorded Books and NetGalley providing access to this audiobook. All opinions expressed are solely my own.
Content Warnings
Minor: Fire/Fire injury