Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame

By: Neon Yang

Narrated by: Nancy Wu

With an armored, oath-bound hero reminiscent of The Mandalorian and the Asian-inspired epic fantasy of She Who Became the Sun, Neon Yang’s Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame is a stunning queer novella about a dragon hunter finding home with a dragon queen.

Few know the true identity of the masked guildknight of Mithrandon.

She barely remembers herself.

The masked guildknight—Yeva—was thirteen when she killed her first dragon. With her gift revealed, she was shipped away to the imperial capital to train in the rare art of dragon-slaying. Now a legendary dragon hunter, she has never truly felt at home—nor removed her armor in public—since that fateful day all those years ago.

Yeva must now go to Quanbao, a fiercely independent and reclusive kingdom. It is rumored that there, dragons are not feared as is right and proper, but instead loved and worshipped. It is rumored that there, they harbor a dragon behind their borders.

While Yeva searches for the dreaded beast, she is welcomed into the palace by Quanbao’s monarch, Lady Sookhee. Though wary of each other, Yeva is shocked to find herself slowly opening up to the beautiful, mysterious queen.

As they grow closer, Yeva longs to let Lady Sookhee see the person behind the armor, but she knows she must fulfill her purpose and slay the dragon. Ultimately, she must decide who—or what—she is willing to betray: her own heart, or the sacred duty that she has called home for so long.

“A brisk and satisfying tale full of love, hope, and yearning.”—Publishers Weekly

©2025 Neon Yang (P)2025 Recorded Books

Nancy Wu’s voice is one of my favorites

This reads like a bedtime story and I liked it! Short and very pretty wording creates a lovely world in your mind to serenade you to sleep.

worth a read

absolutely beautiful prose and dialog, the story was simple, slightly predictable, and a little one note, but the writing was beautiful so it was an enjoyable read

Great story

I was surprised by this book. I connected with the main character. She was ripped from her family and turned into a weapon. She was isolated and ridiculed by the people who should have been her peers. She is assigned to go to the area of her birth where she rediscovers her past and slowly her walls come down. She is then faced with a decision to obey orders or heal her heart and no longer be lonely.

Interesting story

It was a interesting story. I liked it for the most part but it was a bit slow going overall. I wish there was more about the types of dragons and more about the girl king and her family history. Closed door spice.

could have been longer

The book was short and sweet, but almost too short. I also feel like there were a lot of gaps in Yevas backstory, her parents past, and overall not as much action as I was hoping for in a story about a dragon hunter. The romance was good, but I also thought there could have been more moments for them together.