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.
Mary Fan is a YA and SFF author hailing from Jersey City. Her books include STRONGER THAN A BRONZE DRAGON (YA steampunk fantasy, Page Street Publishing), the STARSWEPT series (YA sci-fi, Snowy Wings Publishing), the FATED STARS series (YA fantasy, Snowy Wings Publishing), the FLYNN NIGHTSIDER series (YA dark fantasy, Crazy 8 Press), and the JANE COLT trilogy (space adventure, Red Adept Publishing).
She is also the co-editor of the BRAVE NEW GIRLS sci-fi anthologies about tech-savvy teen heroines (proceeds from sales are donated to the Society of Women Engineers scholarship fund). Her short works have been featured in numerous anthologies, including THRILLING ADVENTURE YARNS (Crazy 8 Press), LOVE, MURDER & MAYHEM (Crazy 8 Press), MAGIC AT MIDNIGHT (Snowy Wings Publishing), and MINE! (ComicMix). In addition, she is the editor of Crazy 8 Press's upcoming anthology, BAD ASS MOMS (due out July 2020).
When she's not writing, she can usually be found splitting bags at the kickboxing gym, tangled up in aerial silks, or singing too loudly at choir rehearsal. Find her online at www.MaryFan.com.