Mary Fan

When a powerful viceroy arrives with a fleet of mechanical dragons and stops an attack on Anlei’s village, the villagers see him as a godsend. They agree to give him their sacred, enchanted River Pearl in exchange for permanent protection—if he’ll marry one of the village girls to solidify the alliance. Anlei is appalled when the viceroy selects her as a bride, but with the fate of her people at stake, she sees no choice but to consent. Anlei’s noble plans are sent into a tailspin, however, when a young thief steals the River Pearl for himself. Knowing the viceroy won’t protect her village without the jewel, she takes matters into her own hands. But once she catches the thief, she discovers he needs the pearl just as much as she does. The two embark on an epic quest across the land and into the Courts of Hell, taking Anlei on a journey that reveals more is at stake than she could have ever imagined. With incredibly vivid world building and fast-paced storytelling, Stronger Than a Bronze Dragon is great for readers who are looking for something fresh in epic fantasy.

Stronger Than a Bronze Dragon

Kristy Donasco

I feel like the proper main character in the story should've been Tai (and perhaps that was the gimmick of the whole narrative all along) because the entire plot has more connections to him than the protagonist, Anlei. I keep imagining how interesting it would've been (view spoiler)[ how he hears about lady warriors from afar, and when he came to visit, he immediately finds Anlei cool when she attacked him during his shadow form. It would've been interesting going through his emotions when he didn't even know if that true love spell would work in healing Anlei because they only have met for a day or two and yet his whole body already knows he's whipped for her. Seeing how Anlei's father was killed by Tai's father and seeing the death of his mother in that tomb- it really is honestly his story the entire time. It doesn't help that most of the information Anlei learns in the story are only passed on to her like hearsay from Tai or Ibsiistu(?)

Speaking of Tai, I understand that he smiles/grins/laughs whenever he's feeling negative and it's actually an interesting take for a character. I just don't know why I felt like it was overdone near the end bit of the story. Maybe because most of the time, when he is being described, it's all about laughing or smiling. It gets repetitive and the angst behind the meaning of it doesn't hit hard anymore in the end.

I also couldn't feel giddy with their romance because of the fact that they've merely known each other for a few days (though I totally understand that Tai's super crush material and he is charming af) and Anlei must be amazing with her courage and skills in combat. Idk, I just felt like there was no proper building up. That or I'm just really a lover of a slow burn.

The pace was also a bit too scattered for me after they won their fight against Mowang. The twist after twist after twist in that tomb didn't hit hard since it was o darn obvious how evil the viceroy is already, to begin with. I would've been more shocked if he showed love to Tai in the first parts, but there was even none of that from Tai's sharing, so while Tai breaks down after learning all his father's evil doings, all I could think of was -- "duh?"

I know I have lots of criticism said already, but there were really good things that I liked in the book too!

For one, what DID give me a jaw-dropping shock in the book was when it was revealed that Anlei's murderer and Tai's father were the viceroy. I didn't catch that at all! That part was fun.

Also! The author's skills and capabilities to vividly draw the setting and the action scene of the characters are really something to applaud on. I was genuinely so impressed. I don't think I have come across a writing where the paragraphs are not too long and the words used are simple, and yet the setting, scenarios, and actions in the story are very vivid and magical.

Every time Anlei looks down from the hovering ship, or when she looks at the stars, or whenever there are magical things happening, it's almost as if I'm there.

My favorite scene/moment from the entire book would be when Tai and Anlei were play-fighting in the river after they hid their stolen ship; when Tai was pinned down and the two of them were sharing a moment under a gentle noon/afternoon. That was a really pretty moment in my head. (hide spoiler)]

jess

I very much enjoyed reading Stronger than a Bronze Dragon. This book is packed with action, a fierce heroine, and a very compelling story.

I really loved the two main characters, Anlei and Tai. Anlei was such a treasure to read about; she's loyal to her family and village almost to a fault, restless, and always leaps to the occasion whenever she has a chance to, even if she knows it'll get her in trouble. I admire her bravery and sense of duty so much. Like, girl never rests throughout the entire book - she spends the whole of it fighting to live as she wants to, being a warrior, despite her upcoming marriage to Viceroy Kang forbidding her from it. It looms over the whole book, more menacing than any of the fantasy creatures that appear, and you can really see how much Anlei loves being free and able to fight for her people.

As for Tai, I just want to wrap him up in a blanket and tell him everything will be okay. He was so good and bright and happy throughout most of the book, but part of it is a farce and he's also been through so much and it makes me want to protect him so badly. The romance was actually really cute - yeah, it was a bit insta-love, but there was so much great banter between Tai and Anlei and I'm a sucker for banter and snark between love interests. They had such a great dynamic together at all points of their storyline, and I liked seeing Anlei figure out her complicated feelings around Tai.

Stronger Than a Bronze Dragon has some really incredible worldbuilding--and by that I mean it takes place in a magical steampunk equivalent of China. It's something you wouldn't immediately think would work well, but it works excellently, blending elements of Chinese history and culture and the steampunk aesthetic seamlessly. There are so many different kinds of magic and worldbuilding that I've never read about before, with two very fascinating types of spirits playing a role in the story: Ligui, shadow spirits, and Yueshen, living light spirits. I'm not sure if it comes from Chinese culture/mythology or not, but I loved reading about new ideas in fantasy and seeing how everything came together.

The story is super fast-paced and packed with action from beginning to end. There's a lot to this world, so the book takes a bit of time to really get going, but once it does it never stops. It does get a little tiring to read at times because it doesn't allow much time for quieter scenes - I do think that the book could be a little more evenly paced, and I did find the writing somewhat awkward at times. But I definitely think that it's really easy to binge this book - I read the last third in one sitting.

I definitely recommend Stronger Than a Bronze Dragon, especially to anyone who's looking for new, interesting, and diverse fantasy worlds. It's a very fun book that's filled with adventure, and a great addition to the compendium of YA fantasy.

Ashlee

While I enjoyed this book, I can’t say I love it or that anything stood out to make it really stellar. Unfortunately it really didn’t fully grab my attention until after the halfway point, as the beginning half felt rushed at times, then slow, and really the pacing was just off, overall. The second half was much more engaging and interesting, and had some fantastic twists!

A good story, for sure, just not quite enough to keep my eyes glued to the page.

Sheila Goicea

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley from Page Street Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! In no way does this affect my rating or review.

While the concept of this story was enticing, it just didn't "hit the mark" for me. I love dragons (although they weren't represented in the way I anticipated), the steampunk factors were present. Nothing in the plot really stood out to me or was memorable for that matter. 

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Jessica Nottingham

This Chinese-inspired fantasy gave me a fluttery heart from the moment that I saw its cover. Let's be honest, it's a great time to be a reader in this movement of own voices books. I couldn't wait to see how Mary Fan would blend this rich history, a bit of steampunk, and a heavy dose of fantasy into something new. To say I was excited for this book probably doesn't even cover it, but we'll leave it at that. I was ready to be swept away.

Now, in all fairness, I am an extremely character driven reader and Anlei took a long while for me to actually enjoy. It's not that she's a bad character, by an means. Fan has created a young woman who is bright, fierce, and full of honor. Anlei isn't afraid to speak her mind, or to step into the face of danger to protect others. However the first third or so of the book it almost felt like Anlei's character was trying too hard to be the exact opposite of a Mary Sue. She was fierce and combative to the point of it feeling like she was a cardboard version of what she wanted to be. That was rough for me. As the story went on though, and I followed her through her adventures, I fell more in love with her attitude. If only a little more polish had been given to the dialogue that she had with a lot of other characters at the beginning, I feel like we could have started off on a better foot.

In terms of world building, which is my second necessity in fantasy reads, this one fell a little short. While the steampunk aspects were absolutely stunning (mechanical dragons anyone?), there wasn't enough explanation of Anlei's world to really make things feel solid. I tripped along with her as she flew across her land, headed for danger, but I never really felt like I was actually there. If I could wish for anything, it would be more time to really sink into the world and find my place in it. Maybe the finished book will have a map inside, which would be amazing! I would have loved to feel like I was actually there with Anlei.

The last thing I want to address is the plot, and this is a touchy one because I don't want to give anything away for potential readers. I'll simply say that this is a rich story, full of mythology, but it definitely drags in places. I honestly believe that this story could have done with some tightening up. Watching Anlei and Tai travel around and battle evil was fantastic. Following along with their banter and their harrowing adventures was a lot of fun. However some of their journey, and some of their dialogue, felt more forced than it should have. It made the book drag at times to the point I needed to skim ahead, but it didn't stop me from reading on.

Truthfully, I did enjoy my time with this book. Maybe not quite as much as I had originally hoped, but it was still so refreshing to get lost in such a culture rich story. If you're a fan of fantasy that has strong women and epic battles, this is a story for you.

Stronger Than a Bronze Dragon

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