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Stronger Than a Bronze Dragon

Mary Fan (Goodreads Author)

4.57 · Rating details · 14 ratings · 14 reviews

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 th ...more

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Hardcover, 384 pages

Expected publication: June 11th 2019 by Page Street Kids

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YA Novels of 2019

745 books — 1,443 voters

YA Releases of June, 2019

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· 14 ratings · 14 reviews

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Jan 11, 2019 Ashlee » Library In The Country marked it as to-read

Woot woot! Just got an ARC of this and I am thrilled! This cover is beautiful and the synopsis is SO GOOD.

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Jun 12, 2018 Aimee ♥ | Aimee, Always marked it as to-read

Shelves: 2019

i totally forgot every single dynasty i studied in chinese history class, but hello chinese warrior girls ♥♥♥

flag 7 likes · Like · see review

Nov 19, 2018 julianna ➹ marked it as to-read

Shelves: really-want, unreleased, diverse-to-read

HOLD THE HECK UP. WHEN DID THIS COVER REVEAL AND WHY DID MY ASIAN SIXTH SENSE NOT KICK IN

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Jan 29, 2019 Russ Colchamiro rated it it was amazing

Stronger Than a Bronze Dragon, which is maybe the best book title ever, is another powerhouse from Mary Fan, one of the best YA authors out there today. This book's got romance, vivid descriptions, an amazing heroine, and some totally badass action sequences you won't soon forget. A great book from a great writer. Loved it.

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Nov 05, 2018 Cindy ✩☽ Savage Queen ♔ marked it as to-read

Sounds promising, I love dragons so hopefully this delivers

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May 06, 2018 Elise (TheBookishActress) marked it as releases-2019

this is fantasy set in the Qing dynasty and oh man, it sounds as if it could be intriguing.

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Jan 28, 2019 William Herr rated it it was amazing

I had the privilege to receive an ARC (advance review copy) from Mary Fan for her new book, Stronger than a Bronze Dragon. The book has not yet hit shelves, but it may be pre-ordered (although the cover has not yet been released on Amazon). Pre-order this book. Do it.

First, this is not genre fiction. It is, but it isn’t. I know genre fiction, and I’ve read it all my life. Such work focuses on established tropes, arranged in hopefully meaningful and original ways, and tells the expected story. Is I had the privilege to receive an ARC (advance review copy) from Mary Fan for her new book, Stronger than a Bronze Dragon. The book has not yet hit shelves, but it may be pre-ordered (although the cover has not yet been released on Amazon). Pre-order this book. Do it.

First, this is not genre fiction. It is, but it isn’t. I know genre fiction, and I’ve read it all my life. Such work focuses on established tropes, arranged in hopefully meaningful and original ways, and tells the expected story. Is this present in Stronger than a Bronze Dragon? Of course. If one looks only at the plot and its devices, this is classic steampunk with a magical flavor, set in Qing dynasty China. It is a sweet romance tied around a hero’s journey, flavored with clockwork and spirits. And yet, there is so much more.

From the back-copy:

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.

That is the story, and it is as epic as advertised, but again, there is more. This book has more than simply an Asian flavor to an accepted theme. It’s flowing descriptions border on poetry. One suspects, as they read, that it is a love-letter to a China of yesteryear, a whisper to its people that the magic of their beauty has not been forgotten. As I read, I found myself falling into this world which was at the same time so new and yet so foriegn. I reread passages five and six times, letting the alliterations and tempo of the text roll on the back of my tongue. This was a book which wanted to be read aloud, and I confess that much of it was, in my case. Repeatedly.

The protagonist Anlei and her friend Tai struggle through a world in the midst of an industrial revolution, replete with the weapons of war that such advances inevitably generate. As they travel between provinces, the whistful language of the text reminds one that the old ways are often to be mourned when they are cast aside. Like Tolkien’s descriptions of the Shire, she spins a web of regret for all that has been lost. It is as if Fan wrote in italic text that traditions have place and purpose, and define us as much as we define ourselves. She tells us that the slow, inevitable roll of industrialization cannot replace pastoral peace, is not necessarily preferable, and in fact can be anathemic. She tells us that, despite our suspicions of superiority, progress must come with a price–one that we do not expect, nor should be expected to pay. So many themes, and yet these are the ones that most strongly grabbed me by the collar and shook me.

I loved it. It was brilliant. It was on the level of literature, in a work of character-driven genre fantasy. It was Moby Dick on clockwork steroids. I have already pre-ordered it, and you should too. Really. If you do not dissolve into the world she has illuminated, you have no soul. ...more

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Feb 19, 2019 S.E. Anderson rated it it was amazing

I'm a massive fan of Mary Fan, who wrote one of my favorite YA SF books of all time, Starswept (see my review!). So when I saw the announcement for this book, I knew I just had to read it. A hero's journey through a fantastical Qing dynasty China, where we have steampunk technology mixed with magic, a lady warrior who wields a dangerous blade... this is the exact book I needed in my life, and it was perfect in every way.

Anlei is one of those fierce Warioress characters who jump out of the page.

Anlei is one of those fierce Warioress characters who jump out of the page. A village girl, trained as an acrobat and struggling with dyslexia, trying to find her place in a village where a woman's place is in the home. It is a vocation she respects, but knows deep down is not for her. Being able to fight for her village takes courage, but not so much courage as when asked to marry a complete stranger in order to solidify the promise of protection for her people.

Tai, a thief with many mysteries up his sleeves, is the perfect foil to her character. He always seems to have the perfect joke or quip to catch her off guard. They make a perfect fighting pair, a team built on respect and trust. I loved seeing the two of them fight together both with a sword or with their words.

And the magic, the technology - the concept itself is so cool. I love the idea of giant bronze dragons soaring through the air, ships propelled along the breeze, swords harnessing ancient magic. All this to fight an enemy straight out of a nightmare.

Once again, Mary Fan proves she is the master of twists. She manages to take a story that seems to be going one direction, then swing it around until it is going another - while making me wonder how I couldn't have seen it before. This book constantly keeps you on your toes!

While I haven't read many Chinese tales, I feel like Stronger Than a Bronze Dragon reads like a cross between YA fantasy and a Chinese hero's ballad, almost poetic in a sense, a journey to save one's people, an ode to family, culture, and tradition, in the face of massive danger. The author's writing is somehow even more lyrical than in her Starswept books, which I assumed we musical simply from the fact they were about music - turns out Mary Fan can bring this same music to Steampunk China.

If you're looking for a story you will never have seen anywhere else, with characters you can fall in love with while simultaneously want to fight alongside with, then you are going to love Stronger Than a Bronze Dragon.

...more

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Dec 14, 2018 Louise ✨ marked it as to-read

Shelves: 2019-releases

A dragon, a bride and a thief? I'M SOLD

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Dec 06, 2018 Stephanie L (catteabooks) marked it as on-the-radar

Shelves: young-adult, protagonist-asian, 2019-publications

quietly adds this to my growing army of books inspired by Asian mythos with an actual Asian lead written by an Asian author.

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Feb 09, 2019 Seema Rao rated it really liked it

Engrossing ~ Compelling ~ Exciting

tl; dr: Village girl in alternative history China becomes mixed up with robot dragon rather than marry an (evil) ruler.

This story takes place in a Qing dynasty with all the Confucian piety but way more dragon robots. I loved the idea of steampunk, Chinese historical fiction mash-up. It is incredibly well-done, with the world building occurring seamlessly. Anlei, the main character, is an appealing, strong girl, who will not be giving her body to the Viceroy. Al ...more

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Jan 24, 2019 Amber (The Book Bratz) rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2019-reads, fantasy, mini-reviews, netgalley, reviewed, young-adult

The full review + more can be found at The Book Bratz

*Thank you so much Page Street Kids & NetGalley for the eGalley in exchange for an honest review!*

I ended up enjoying Stronger Than a Bronze Dragon more then I thought I was going to. I'm peculiar when it comes to steampunk books so I knew this book was going to be either a hit or miss for me. But Chinese warrior girls and steampunk dragons basically had me sold.

I really enjoyed Anlei's character and the fact she made the decision to ma ...more

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Jul 11, 2018 Taasia (libraepaintspages) marked it as to-read

I'm a history buff. I'm Chinese. I love both of these separately and together. I'm down.

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Jan 16, 2019 ♠️ Tabi ♠️ marked it as to-read

mechanical dragons + mutual thieves probably eventually falling for each other?? yes please

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About Mary Fan

Mary Fan

287 followers

Mary Fan is a hopeless dreamer, whose mind insists on spinning tales of “what if.” As a music major in college, she told those stories through compositions. Now, she tells them through books—a habit she began as soon as she could pick up a pencil.

Mary lives in New Jersey and has a B.A. from Princeton University. When she’s not scheming to create new worlds, she enjoys kickboxing, opera singing, an ...more