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allthatissim 's review for:
Stronger Than a Bronze Dragon
by Mary Fan
Full review on: Flipping Through the Pages
[b:Stronger Than a Bronze Dragon|41150325|Stronger Than a Bronze Dragon|Mary Fan|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1547228964s/41150325.jpg|61584197] is a story about Anlei who wants to be a warrior like her dead father. She is with guards whose job is to protect the village from the evil spirits called Ligui, who had been mercilessly attacking her village for years. The Emperor refuses to acknowledge their suffering or send aid so it was the guards’ duty to protect the village as best as they can. But one day Viceroy Kang arrives with his mechanical dragons and fleet and saves the village from another Ligui attack. He promises to provide aid to the village from further attacks but in return, he wants the village’s magical River Pearl and one of the village girls as his bride. He chose Anlei as his bride and takes her to his city. When the River Pearl is stolen, Anlei decides to go after the thief and return it to the Viceroy so that he doesn’t break his promise to protect her village. But she never knew that by going after the thief, she will embark herself on a journey full of adventures and spirits.
Content & trigger warnings: Parental death, torture, violence, death, imprisonment
Diversity: All Chinese cast, female MC with Dyslexia, Brown side character
What I Liked
=====================
1) I loved the overall concept of the book. It is not just fantasy, rather a mix of elements. There are mechanical cyborgs, automatons, paranormal Ligui, Yueshen spirits and the River Dragon mythology. It was certainly a refreshing take and it was fun to read about a world where science and magic work simultaneously.
2)Stories with enemies to lovers trope are my favourite. Though the duo in this book were not exactly enemies, I loved their journey. The initial banter between Anlei and Tai was full of sarcasm, wit and sass and enjoyed reading their story.
3) I loved how the author has portrayed our MC, Anlei, as a strong warrior. I a world where girls were married in quite young age, Anlei was devoted to protecting her village from Ligui. She is a badass heroine, a heroine you would love.
4) It was amazing how both Anlei and Tai were devoted to their communities and were ready to do anything for them. Their love and loyalty for their family and village made them perfect for each other.
5) The pace of the story was quite good. The world-building has been introduced nicely as the story progresses. The reader doesn’t have to make an extra effort to understand the world and thus the book feels quite fast-paced. The action scenes in the story were written quite well too.
6) I loved how the author has delivered the concept of stories, that they have several versions and in each version, there could be a different hero. People modify stories as per their will. While some believe in them, for others they are just stories. For some the characters are heroes but for a few, they are mere characters.
7) I really appreciate how the romance wasn’t a large part of the story. You can tell from the first encounter of Anlei and Tai that there would be love between them, but I was glad it didn’t take the centre-stage in the story.
What I didn’t like
========================
1) I wasn’t able to understand the true purpose of Viceroy Kang, what he actually wanted. He was like a typical villain who was just power hungry. There wasn’t any real motivation. I wish his side was explored a bit more and his character was developed in a much better way.
2) I was able to predict most of the turning points, so there was no surprise element for me.
3) The title and cover don’t really relate to the story. There was no actual bronze dragon or anyone to be stronger than it. The dragons mentioned in the book were mere mechanical and were part of the Viceroy Kang’s fleet. I wish there was an actual dragon.
Overall
================
Stronger Than a Bronze Dragon has its share of flaws but still I really enjoyed it. If you love things like Asian mythology, strong and kickass warrior girls, witty banter, unique world-building, steampunk elements, magic, thieves, birth secrets and adventures, then this story is for you. Though it started as a revenge story, it is more than that. It is a story about community and family, about love and sacrifice and what it means to be the hero of our own story. It is a fast and fun standalone which will certainly entertain you.
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[b:Stronger Than a Bronze Dragon|41150325|Stronger Than a Bronze Dragon|Mary Fan|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1547228964s/41150325.jpg|61584197] is a story about Anlei who wants to be a warrior like her dead father. She is with guards whose job is to protect the village from the evil spirits called Ligui, who had been mercilessly attacking her village for years. The Emperor refuses to acknowledge their suffering or send aid so it was the guards’ duty to protect the village as best as they can. But one day Viceroy Kang arrives with his mechanical dragons and fleet and saves the village from another Ligui attack. He promises to provide aid to the village from further attacks but in return, he wants the village’s magical River Pearl and one of the village girls as his bride. He chose Anlei as his bride and takes her to his city. When the River Pearl is stolen, Anlei decides to go after the thief and return it to the Viceroy so that he doesn’t break his promise to protect her village. But she never knew that by going after the thief, she will embark herself on a journey full of adventures and spirits.
Content & trigger warnings: Parental death, torture, violence, death, imprisonment
Diversity: All Chinese cast, female MC with Dyslexia, Brown side character
What I Liked
=====================
1) I loved the overall concept of the book. It is not just fantasy, rather a mix of elements. There are mechanical cyborgs, automatons, paranormal Ligui, Yueshen spirits and the River Dragon mythology. It was certainly a refreshing take and it was fun to read about a world where science and magic work simultaneously.
2)Stories with enemies to lovers trope are my favourite. Though the duo in this book were not exactly enemies, I loved their journey. The initial banter between Anlei and Tai was full of sarcasm, wit and sass and enjoyed reading their story.
3) I loved how the author has portrayed our MC, Anlei, as a strong warrior. I a world where girls were married in quite young age, Anlei was devoted to protecting her village from Ligui. She is a badass heroine, a heroine you would love.
4) It was amazing how both Anlei and Tai were devoted to their communities and were ready to do anything for them. Their love and loyalty for their family and village made them perfect for each other.
5) The pace of the story was quite good. The world-building has been introduced nicely as the story progresses. The reader doesn’t have to make an extra effort to understand the world and thus the book feels quite fast-paced. The action scenes in the story were written quite well too.
6) I loved how the author has delivered the concept of stories, that they have several versions and in each version, there could be a different hero. People modify stories as per their will. While some believe in them, for others they are just stories. For some the characters are heroes but for a few, they are mere characters.
7) I really appreciate how the romance wasn’t a large part of the story. You can tell from the first encounter of Anlei and Tai that there would be love between them, but I was glad it didn’t take the centre-stage in the story.
What I didn’t like
========================
1) I wasn’t able to understand the true purpose of Viceroy Kang, what he actually wanted. He was like a typical villain who was just power hungry. There wasn’t any real motivation. I wish his side was explored a bit more and his character was developed in a much better way.
2) I was able to predict most of the turning points, so there was no surprise element for me.
3) The title and cover don’t really relate to the story. There was no actual bronze dragon or anyone to be stronger than it. The dragons mentioned in the book were mere mechanical and were part of the Viceroy Kang’s fleet. I wish there was an actual dragon.
Overall
================
Stronger Than a Bronze Dragon has its share of flaws but still I really enjoyed it. If you love things like Asian mythology, strong and kickass warrior girls, witty banter, unique world-building, steampunk elements, magic, thieves, birth secrets and adventures, then this story is for you. Though it started as a revenge story, it is more than that. It is a story about community and family, about love and sacrifice and what it means to be the hero of our own story. It is a fast and fun standalone which will certainly entertain you.
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