Go to hell. This is a phrase that people often calmly scream at one another when they’re super-duper mad – like, you-just-ate-the-last-slice-of-pizza mad. (The last slice of pizza is no laughing matter, folks.) But in Stronger Than a Bronze Dragon, the main character literally goes to hell. In a valiant quest to save her village, the feisty Anlei and a mischievous punk thief named Tai must journey together to the Courts of Hell, a place where sinners are tortured endlessly by the demon king in new and creative ways. Sounds kind of like The Bad Place, doesn’t it?
Imagining herself to be the Warrioress from legends of old, Anlei braves untold tortures, bloodthirsty demons, and eternal damnation. Why would anybody who is sane in their brain (oh look – I rhymed!) willingly do that, you might ask? Well, to save a group of helpless villagers who have been unjustly trapped in the Courts of Hell. Obviously.
Held prisoner by the evil demon king, the villagers’ only hope of escape is Anlei. But instead of blasting off in the opposite direction like a cheetah on a treadmill, she steals a mechanical dragon and rides it straight into the heart of hell itself. As one does. Which got me thinking, who would I steal a mechanical dragon for? Who would I ride straight into the heart of hell to save? The answer? My fictional babies, of course. And now let me tell you why.
Darius from Darius the Great is Not Okay
Darius is too pure for this world and if anybody messed with him, I would have to unleash my inner ninja-assassin all over the perpetrator’s butt. (Bet you didn’t know I had an inner ninja-assassin, did you? Well, I do. So you better watch out).
But vicious paper-folding aside, Darius is the softest of all the softbois and if he was languishing in the depths of the Courts of Hell, I would channel all of Anlei’s reckless courage and walk there myself. (One does not simply walk into The Courts of Hell, you say? Well, just watch me!)
Prince Rhen from A Curse So Dark and Lonely
Rhen is your basic DID: a dude in distress. Cursed to become a vicious beast that delivers destruction and death to all those who cross his path, it can be argued that he’s already in hell. And boy, does he need some saving. Big time. All through A Curse so Dark and Lonely, my heart ached for him, just like my legs do after walking up a flight of stairs. (Apparently, I need to work out more.) If I could’ve done something to break that nasty spell on him, you bet your waffles I would’ve. (And you know things are serious when I’m betting on my precious waffles).
Cress from The Lunar Chronicles
For over seven years, sweet, innocent Cress was imprisoned in a satellite that orbited the Earth. A FREAKING SATELLITE, FOLKS! How many people do you know can say that their childhood was spent in a tiny metal ball that bobbed around in space? Probably not many. (In fact, probably not a single one… Well, now that I think about it, there was that one kid named Sam…)
With nobody but her netscreens for company, this dear child missed out on some important learning opportunities, such as appropriate social cues, the inappropriateness of stalking, and how, exactly, to give oneself a haircut. This awkward ball of awkwardness excels in all things digital, and could probably hack her way out of the Courts of Hell if she tried. But sadly, I don’t think computers are allowed in the demon king’s terrain. So I’d volunteer as tribute in true Hunger Game fashion and go to save this adorable little cinnamon roll with nothing but my barehands and a waffle iron. (The waffle iron is non-negotiable).
Yumeko from Shadow of the Fox
Yumeko is 50% kitsune, 50% human, and 100% adorable. Raised by monks in a secluded, middle-of-nowhere Buddhist temple, she’s lived a pretty sheltered life, but that doesn’t mean she hasn’t learned a thing or two. She’s learned that you really shouldn’t climb onto the temple roof at midnight during a rainstorm. And that if you’re going to pop out of a closet to scare a martial arts master, you should be ready to duck. And if you have to flee an angry bear in the forest by climbing a tree, you should first check that there aren’t any hornets’ nests hiding under the branches. Oh yes, the things she has learned.
Also, when Yumeko meets a hoard of bloodthirsty demons, she reaches the rational conclusion that the only proper way to proceed is to chuck RADISHES at said demons’ heads. Yup. She does that. Do you really need a better reason to love this big ball of naivety and fluff? I don’t think you do. Do you also need a better reason to wonder why she’s on this list? Again, I don’t think you do.
Squad 312 from Aurora Rising
These guys are 100% Squad goals (literally, since they are like…an actual space squad). And although I’d travel to Octavia III (which is arguably as bad as the Courts of Hell) and back for these guys, I don’t think they’d actually need my help. This group of elites and misfits are more than capable of saving their own necks, and they’d do it all while serving up a plate-load of witty banter and scathing sarcasm too.
About the Book
Stronger Than A Bronze Dragon by Mary Fan
Published on June 11th 2019 by Page Street Kids
384 Pages Long
Classified as Fantasy & Young Adult
Cover Design by Laura Gallant
ISBN 162414733X
Obtained as an eArc (Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher so that I could participate in this blog tour.)
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.
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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
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JUNE 13
JUNE 14
JUNE 15
JUNE 16
Who are some fictional characters you love so much that you would travel to the Courts of Hell to save?
What do you think of my precious babies? Would you, like me, go to Hell to save any of them?
Have you read Stronger than a Bronze Dragon? What did you think of it?
How is it that I have not read Darius the Great yet! Huhuhu that book sounds amazing! As for me, I believe I would venture to the Courts of Hell for Tamri from The Watermight Thief, Kiko from Starfish, and Anshui *heart eyes*
Darius is really a great book! I listened to the audiobook last month and it was 💛💛💛 I’ve yet to read Starfish, though I’ve been meaning to for the last… EVER (my tbr is never-ending tbh *insert sobbing here*). Thanks for reading 💛
Awww Yumeko is the most adorable ever 🥰🥰🥰
I agree – She’s a cutie 💛💛💛
omg yes I totally agree about Yumeko!! She is everything and my fave character in Shadow of the Fox! <33
I’m so glad you agree with me about her 💛She was SO much fun to read about and I can’t wait to see her again in the second book that comes out SOOOOON *squeals from excitement*
YES to Cress and Yumeko… I so need to read A Curse So Dark and Lonely. I love the cover so the book should be as good!! ❤️ I enjoyed Stronger Than a Bronze Dragon even though its not perfect. I loved the whole spirit thing.
I cannot recommend A Curse So Dark and Lonely enough! It has been one of my favorite books so far this year! And Stronger Than a Bronze Dragon had some really unique and fun aspects, didn’t it? Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting – it means a lot 💛💛💛
Although he is more than capable of saving himself, and probably just needs a good hug more than anything else, I’d totally wade through the trenches for Kaladin from The Stormlight Archive!! 😂
I’ve not read any of The Stormlight Archive, but I’ve heard great things about Brandon Sanderson’s books! I’ve been meaning to pick up something of his for a long time – maybe I’ll finally get around to it this summer!
Ahh what a great post! Darius has been on my TBR forever and I really can’t wait to read it so, seeing him on your list makes me so, so impatient to get to it now ahah <3 <3
Thanks, Marie 💛 And my gosh, I think you will love that book! It’s so full of emotion and heart, I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on it 💛
Rhen and Cress must be saved at all costs <3
AGREED !!
Fantastic post, Kat! This book sounds super interesting, I can’t wait to read it! I’d go through any lengths to save Morozko from The Winternight Trilogy and Leo Valdez from HoO :D
Thanks so much, Tasya! 💛💛💛 Stronger Than A Bronze Dragon had a lot of interesting and unique elements to it, for sure! And Leo from HoO MUST BE SAVED AT ALL COSTS haha :)
I think this blog post is officially my fave thing of all time – your GIFs are just ON POINT ❤️ And holy guacamole, I could name the number of actual humans I’d travel to the depths of hell to save on one hand, but the list of fictional babies is ENDLESS.
OH MY GOSH, THANK YOU SO MUCH 💛💛💛 That really means so much to me (especially the GIF part because I may or may not spend wayyyy too much time picking out GIFs haha). And I totally agree with you – I’ve got soooooo many fictional characters that I love. It was hard to pick just 5 for this post haha.
Totally agree with you on Prince Rhen and Cress! Cress is definitely my favorite Lunar Chronicles character, and I’m not the least bit sorry about that.
Agreed! Cress (and especially her relationship with Thorne) is so pure and sweet and I just …. *sighs happily* 💛💛💛 And wasn’t A Curse So Dark and Lonely such a wonderful book? I thought that the author did a great job creating a Beast that felt unique and different from what I’d read before!
This is such a creative post for the blog tour, Kat!! Darius is so pure and soft and I wouldn’t want any harm to fall on him! And aahh I have to say I’m not very excited about Aurora Rising but that art is absolutely GORGEOUS!!
Thank you so much, May! 💛 It was definitely a fun post to write. And I 10000% agree with you about the art – it is just eye-meltingingly beautiful. And don’t even get me started on the book’s cover. Charlie Bowater is an absolute illustration GODDESS.
*pushes books higher up on my immediate TBR*
*adds Darius and Bronze Dragon to said TBR*
*backs out of room slowly so nothing topples over*
Bwahahaha I loved this comment 💛It made me smile sooooo big. ALSO, I’m glad that this post brought some new books to your attention (Darius especially – I really enjoyed that one).
Aaah, I love this list!! Literally everyone you listed is either a cinnamon roll who I would take a bullet for, or a mess™ who needs the help too. I would crawl into the depths of hell to save Aled Last from Radio Silence, because there’s a boy who needs help but won’t ask for it. Lovely post!! 💕
CHANA!!! Thank you so much 💛💛💛Cinnamon rolls and messes are my favorite kind of characters, apparently haha. And I’ve not read Radio Silence, but now you have me intrigued about Aled! Thanks for the lovely comment :)
Ahh what a lovely take for this book. I just posted my review for this book yesterday and loved it :) I haven’t read any of these books yet but Darius is so high on my list :)
P.S. I was on blogging hiatus and visiting your blog after so long and loving the whole new look :D It’s wonderful.
Darius is SO amazing – It’s a raw, emotional read that really spoke to me. I hope that when you get around to it that you’ll like it as much as I did 💛
Also, thank you so much! Your kind words mean a lot!
aaskdfdkndfk I love your humor but your blog makes me so hungry for waffles ughhhh. one of the reasons I love literature so much is finding new characters do love with my whole heart and be willing to walk into hell for, so this post personally spoke to me. Darius is literally so high on my tbr, especially since it’s pride month. and A Curse So Dark and Lonely sounds like something that i will enjoy, especially since there’s an HDID in there (hot dude in distress). Shadow of the Fox is also on my tbr, and the antics you mentioned that Yumeko gets herself into is so wiiild. I am now so hyped, or rather even more hyped, to read all of those books!!
AHHHHHHHH YOU ARE TOO NICE TO ME. But seriously, thank you! I’m glad that you get hungry for waffles when you visit, because obviously this is my secret (and evil) plan haha.
And yes, I agree. A character can really make or break a book for me. If I don’t connect with the characters, or if they just feel flat/boring, I’m less likely to continue reading.
Darius, ACSDAL, and Shadow of the Fox are all books that I really enjoyed (like, LOVED actually), so I hope that you get to around to reading them soon! I would love to hear your thoughts if you do read them 💛
I know this is probably NOT the purpose of your post, but uh… I have added a bunch of books to my TBR now. I already have an arc of Stronger than a Bronze Dragon I need to read, but I live for characters I need to protect with my life!
Making your TBR grow is ALWAYS the purpose of my posts *cackles maniacally* I hope you enjoy reading Stronger than a Bronze Dragon!
This is such a fun and creative post! I LOVE It! Cress and Yumeko are the sweetest most precious gems in the entire sea, and I would go to hell and back to save them. They’re both so timid and sweet, yet strong and determined. Ah, I adore them so much! <3
I completely agree. WE MUST PROTECT THEM AT ALL COSTS hahaa