Welcome back, fellow readers! This week, I’ve decided to shift gears and dive into a shorter, yet no less impactful, story. There’s something uniquely satisfying about a novella—concise yet rich with meaning, delivering a complete experience in a fraction of the time of a full-length novel. Today, I’m excited to share my thoughts on Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame, a story that captivated me from the first page and lingered in my mind long after I finished. Let’s dive in!
Title: Brighter Than Scale, Swifter Than Flame
By: Neon Yang
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 176
Release Date: May 6th, 2025
Rating: ★★★★★
Summary from Goodreads:
A new Queer, Asian-inspired fantasy novella about a renowned dragon slayer who never takes her armor off in public, Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame reads like She Who Became the Sun meets The Mandalorian, with dragons!
The fiercely independent nation of Quanbao is isolated, reclusive, and something of a mystery to the rest of the world. It is rumored that there, dragons are not feared as is right and proper but instead loved and worshiped.
Yeva is perhaps a strange emissary to these people. Not only because their face has never been seen in public, but because they are a hero born to a birthright that makes them suited for their task—hunting dragons.
And so the dragon hunter must woo Quanbao's queen—the Lady Sookhee—to understand what secrets she is hiding. A woman reasonably suspicious of Yeva's intentions, and the imperial might of the throne she represents, Sookhee bears the burden of the safety of her entire people. How can she trust this stranger newly arrived to her court, a weapon forged in blood and fire, to understand what her people need and how best to safeguard their future?
Review:
Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame by Neon Yang is a stunningly lyrical and mysterious novella that absolutely gripped me from start to finish. The slow unraveling of the dragon’s enigma was masterfully done, building a quiet, taut tension that never let up. Yang’s prose is immersive and haunting, pulling readers through a world that’s both fantastical and deeply emotional. The mystery surrounding the dragon kept me guessing, and the ending—both powerful and unexpected—landed with the kind of impact that lingers long after the final page. An easy five stars.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
No comments:
Post a Comment