by Neon Yang
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
It’s too bad this world, its characters, dragons, and story are not more fleshed out. There is a whole epic fantasy that could be unpacked here. Usually I love short stories for their snappiness but today I wanted this to be longer. I wanted so much more of every scene. An opportunity to really languish in this realm of dragons and war mongering emperors and young, girl kings.
That’s not to say that Neon Yang has done anything wrong with this sweet little story. They haven’t. It’s just that I think it could have been so much more in every way. Sometimes reducing a story to its bare minimum is the wrong choice and I think that it was here. At least a 300 page story could have been composed here; if not a full 600 page epic.
As the reader, we are asked to question motivations, love, loyalty, and routine in this short story. Brighter Than Scale, Swifter Than Flame brings us into a structured world in which hunting dragons is a job; and seen as a calling of the highest order. Our MC is a girl who, despite a disability, with a tad of OCD, and social anxiety; manages to do very well for herself. She had a mysterious air about her due to her ‘quirks’ and so is surprised to be sent on a solo mission. One with a conflicting agenda; and one that will change her life forever.
The flow of the story is good and Yang brings it all together nicely. I just wish there was more to it.
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
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My rating: 4 of 5 stars
It’s too bad this world, its characters, dragons, and story are not more fleshed out. There is a whole epic fantasy that could be unpacked here. Usually I love short stories for their snappiness but today I wanted this to be longer. I wanted so much more of every scene. An opportunity to really languish in this realm of dragons and war mongering emperors and young, girl kings.
That’s not to say that Neon Yang has done anything wrong with this sweet little story. They haven’t. It’s just that I think it could have been so much more in every way. Sometimes reducing a story to its bare minimum is the wrong choice and I think that it was here. At least a 300 page story could have been composed here; if not a full 600 page epic.
As the reader, we are asked to question motivations, love, loyalty, and routine in this short story. Brighter Than Scale, Swifter Than Flame brings us into a structured world in which hunting dragons is a job; and seen as a calling of the highest order. Our MC is a girl who, despite a disability, with a tad of OCD, and social anxiety; manages to do very well for herself. She had a mysterious air about her due to her ‘quirks’ and so is surprised to be sent on a solo mission. One with a conflicting agenda; and one that will change her life forever.
The flow of the story is good and Yang brings it all together nicely. I just wish there was more to it.
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
Follow me on Goodreads
