An Action-Packed YA Fantasy Duology
Official ARC review from NetGalley.
The Breathmarked YA fantasy duology is directly inspired by the life and philosophy of Bruce Lee.
Mark of the Warrior by Shannon Lee and Fonda Lee
Publication date: Oct. 27, 2026.
While this is the second book in the duology, a reader could jump right into this book without having read the first. The world is easy to grasp, clearly laid out, and the events of the first book are flashed back to enough (succinctly). I was able to jump right into book two without much confusion. (I didn’t realize this was the second book in a duology until I started reading it.)
At first, I thought this would be a straightforward action story with people fighting (which isn’t a bad thing). The plot was relatively simple without any unexpected twists or turns. The right people usually showed up just in time. The main character, Jun, didn’t seem to have to do much fighting until the end. Then I realized that might have been intentional based on the themes.
Sometimes stories with creative twists sacrifice depth, but not this book. Mark of the Warrior banked on a straightforward plot to deliver on its themes. The story focuses on division & reconciliation. The land is divided after an uprising. This is mirrored in the characters, two twin brothers, who are separated at six years old. Jun, not being breathmarked, is banished to the West after performing forbidden martial arts. Sai, the breathmarked brother, is brought up in the east to be an aspect. Both work their way to the top and become keepers of their land’s respective dragon scrolls. (This is their backstory/book one, where book two picks up from.)
The Characters and Setting Reinforce the Themes:
The story revolves around themes of division & reconciliation as well as strength & weakness.
Setting:
This is an action-packed book set in a fantasy world that could easily be modeled after our own (such as China). The land is divided into East and West. The people likewise are separated by the snake wall. The West is ruled by a monarchy but is more lenient. The East is ruled by a council but is very strict. The East outlaws any incivility, including martial arts practiced by anyone other than trained aspects who are breathmarked with dragon scales, giving them extra abilities.
Characters:
The twin brothers separated on either side of the wall perfectly mirror the division in the land. We see more from Jun’s perspective (the brother who isn’t breathmarked and is banished to the West). Jun doesn’t do as much fighting in this book as he seemed to have done in the first book. He’s still reeling in the aftermath of losing the scroll and fleeing for his life now that he’s a falsely accused traitor. Despite his many hardships and advanced fighting skills, Jun shows remarkable empathy for enemies and is a very likable character.
The themes are explored well. The ending is foreshadowed and wraps up nicely.
Favorite Quotes:
“Water smiled humorously, ‘What are hopes, if not whispers from the universe of what’s possible, Yin Yue? I simply hear the hints more clearly.’”
—Shannon Lee & Fonda Lee, Mark of the Warrior
“‘What Yama doesn’t understand is that our weaknesses are the sources of our strength. Our failures are the seeds of our triumph.’”
—Shannon Lee & Fonda Lee, Mark of the Warrior
Content warnings: moderate language, including the use of the f-word, but overall, appropriate for the YA category it’s being marketed to. (No sexual content, some violence, but not gory.)
Blurb:
In the explosive finale to the instant New York Times bestseller Breath of the Dragon, a young warrior fights to reunite his family and the realm.
Two brothers. Two nations. One destiny.
Exiled as a traitor after the Guardian’s Tournament, Li Jun has vowed to retrieve the stolen Scroll of Heaven and to honor his father’s dying wish to find his mother and twin brother, Sai.
Fleeing into the East in search of their friend Ren, Jun and his longtime rival Yin Yue have no choice but to trust the two breathmarked women who saved their lives but who answer to the mysterious and draconian Council of Virtue that tore Jun’s family apart and banished him and his father a decade ago.
Recovering the Scrolls of Heaven or Earth in order to stop the brewing war that threatens to devastate East and West alike isn’t Jun’s only seemingly insurmountable challenge. The twin he was separated from in childhood is now the High Keeper who resides in the Sun Pagoda, protecting the precious Scroll of Earth from all potential enemies…including Jun.
The fate of the entire land hinges on an inevitable reckoning between brothers that will test their skills, their loyalties, and everything they thought they knew about themselves and the nature of destiny.
About the Authors:
(No, they’re not related.)
Shannon Lee is the Founder and President of the Bruce Lee Foundation (BLF), the CEO and Owner of Bruce Lee Enterprises, an Author, Producer, Speaker, and the daughter of martial artist and cultural icon Bruce Lee. Shannon’s overall mission is to provide access to her family’s wisdom through education and entertainment and be a cause for healing and unity in the world.
Fonda Lee is the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of the Green Bone Saga, consisting of the novels Jade City, Jade War, and Jade Legacy, along with a prequel novella The Jade Setter of Janloon and a short story collection, Jade Shards. Her newest book is the science fiction novel The Last Contract of Isako.
Fonda is a winner of the World Fantasy Award, the Locus Award, and a six-time winner of the Aurora Award (Canada’s national science fiction and fantasy award), as well as a multiple finalist for the Hugo Award and the Nebula Award.
Thanks for reading—stay inspired!
Janine Eaby is the author of Beyond the Water’s Edge—a Young adult fantasy book series influenced by her faith, love of nature, and desire for adventure. for fans of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.
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