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Breathmarked #1
by Shannon Lee, Fonda Lee
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.
"The unpredictable plot twists and innovative magic system, which incorporates religious elements, are intriguing and, along with Jun's realistic emotional development and reactions, create a gripping narrative...A complex, hard-hitting, epic martial arts journey." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"The authors extol Bruce Lee's principles while continually raising the stakes and surprising readers with thoughtful twists in this relentlessly paced and exquisitely choreographed martial arts fantasy series opener." —Publishers Weekly
"I'm genuinely awestruck by the brilliance of this coming-of-age novel. Infused with the vital essence of Bruce Lee's intellect, martial arts prowess, and philosophical depth, it's a captivating journey that transcends the ordinary––a master class in storytelling. I loved it and cannot wait for the next book!" ―Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author of The Many Daughters of Afong Moy
"Breath of the Dragon is fantastic cinematic mayhem lovingly molded in a deadly martial world. The wisdom and philosophy of great Bruce Lee serve as a guiding hand in so many deep aspects of young Jun's journey. The Lees make a dynamic team!" ―Wesley Chu, #1 New York Times bestseller
This information about Breath of the Dragon was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Fonda Lee is the World Fantasy Award-winning author of the epic fantasy Green Bone Saga, consisting of Jade City, Jade War, and Jade Legacy. She is also the author of the acclaimed young adult science fiction novels Zeroboxer, Exo and Cross Fire. Fonda is a winner of the Locus Award, a four-time winner of the Aurora Award, and a finalist for the Nebula Award and Hugo Award. The Green Bone Saga has been translated into a dozen languages and named to TIME Magazine's Top 100 Fantasy Books of All Time. A black belt martial artist and former corporate strategist, she resides in the Pacific Northwest.
As the steward of her father's legacy, Shannon Lee serves as the CEO of the Bruce Lee Family Companies and the chairperson of the Bruce Lee Foundation. Her mission is to provide access to her father's philosophy and life through education and entertainment. She is the author of Be Water, My Friend: The Teachings of Bruce Lee. An in-demand speaker, she has spoken at TED, TEDx, and CreativeMornings, among others. Shannon is the cocreator and host of the Bruce Lee Podcast, which has more than four million downloads, and the Executive Producer of Max's Warrior series based on a treatment written by Bruce Lee.
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