STRONGER THAN A BRONZE DRAGON BY MARY FAN || INT BLOG TOUR

Hullo, bookdragons. Apparently I haven’t abandoned my blog completely so it’s time for a celebration!

I’m back with a new blog tour post introducing one of my most-anticipated reads of the year: STRONGER THAN A BRONZE DRAGON by Mary Fan! Scroll down to read my thoughts about the book.

Thank you so much to Rafael @ theroyalpolarbearreads for giving me a chance to be part of this tour. Check out the blog tour schedule below to read more posts from bookdragons 👇

Stronger than a Bronze Dragon by Mary Fan

Book Depository | Amazon | Google Play |Barnes & Noble

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.

WHAT I ENJOYED ABOUT THIS BOOK:

• It’s an Asian-inspired steampunk fantasy 

I haven’t read many steampunk books but I really enjoyed this reading experience. Inspired from Qin-dynasty China, the world written by Mary Fan sits in between the modern and traditional era where mechanical dragons and arrange marriages coexist. The Asian-inspired setting really made my heart take flight because THIS IS THE CONTENT I SIGNED UP FOR. Stronger than a Bronze Dragon pays homage to Asian culture and I loved it so much for that.

• This book is full of angst

Yes we’ve got snarky little cinnamon rolls in this book. Anlei, the protagonist, is a stabby village girl intent on seeking adventure. She wants to make name for herself as a warrioress who slays monsters and protects her village from all evil. I loved how she didn’t shy away from the thrill of the fight. Her desire to claim glory for herself may not be likeable for some but I admire her for it. I felt really empowered while reading about Anlei. Somehow, I wanted to break off a table leg and wield it as a sword to fight mosquitoes and flying cockroaches. Well, they’re a far cry from all the demons Anlei has vanquished but they’re the only things my boring life can offer for now.

(Just a little PSA: killing mosquitoes is challenging. You have to give me a little credit for having the courage to defeat those little bloodsuckers.)

Then there’s Tai. He’s the male protagonist with a mysterious past. I adored reading his snarky lines and I did love his banter with Anlei. However, I didn’t really ship them as a couple. They have great chemistry as friends but I couldn’t reconcile the image of them being together. Maybe it’s just me though. I’m quite picky with my ships nowadays.

• ‎DRAGONS 

The first time I read this book’s title, I immediately clicked that “WANT TO READ” button on goodreads. That button is a blackhole, y’all. I don’t recommend being friends with it.

Anyway, I was interested with Stronger than a Bronze Dragon at first sight because when I see a word that starts with letter D and ands with an N on a book title, that baby goes into the TBR pile immediately. Well, dragons don’t play a pivotal role in this book but I still appreciated their presence (there are mechanical dragons and sort-of-ethereal dragons here y’all). Don’t mind me. I’m trash for the smallest dragon appearances in all forms of media.

• ‎All hail Mary Fan for the descriptive writing

This book has very rich descriptions which further cemented its plot. I’m a very sensory reader and the descriptions really helped me in imagining the settings and the scenes. I also applaud Mary Fan for incorporating mythology in this book. Aside from dragons, there are ghosts, moon spirits, monsters and demons which added more dimension to the story.

More insights:

I had some issues with the pacing and felt a bit disconnected to the characters when I reached the end but this one is still a fun standalone to read. Despite the predictablity of the plot twists, I still appreciated the over-all angsty feel of the book. I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO ALL THE READERS WHO WOULD LIKE TO FEEL EMPOWERED. Let’s travel to Hell and back with these fierce protagonists!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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, and blogging about everything having to do with books.

BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE 

JUNE 11

Rafael from The Royal Polar Bear Reads

Michelle from FirstBookLove

Piros from Berries & Books

Ramnele from Bookdragonism

Akisha from akithroughbooks

Camelle from Home of a Book Lover

JUNE 12 

Alyssa from The Devil Orders Takeout

Justine from The Bookish Wisps

Fatina from The Infinity Words

Kaitlyn from Kaitlyn Gosiaco

Bea from @tristhebibliophile

JUNE 13

Jenny from levicorpvsblog

Dany from Dany’s book blog

Bianca from The Ultimate Fangirl

Ian from Ian Reads (Booktuber)

Myrth from Cliste Bella

JUNE 14

Krisha from Bookathon

Jessica from Endless Chapters

Camillea from Camillea Reads

Athena from The Night Faerie

Shirley from Shirley Cuypers

JUNE 15

Nora from Papertea and Bookflowers

Kat from Novels & Waffles

Jonathan from Wander with Jon

Shaine from Wanderer in Neverland

Karina from Afire Pages

JUNE 16

Jen from Jen D Bibliophile

Dexter from Dexter Totalus

Taasia from Librae Paints Pages

Michelle from Magical Reads

Is Stronger than a Bronze Dragon in your TBR? Can you give me some steampunk recommendations?