Brighter Than Scale, Swifter Than Flame
Brighter Than Scale, Swifter Than Flame by Neon Yang is a queer novella published by Tor Publishing Group on May 6, 2025. This 176-page work presents a narrative centered around Yeva, a masked guildknight and legendary dragon hunter who grapples with her identity and purpose. As she embarks on a journey to the independent kingdom of Quanbao, she confronts her past and the expectations of her role in a world where dragons are revered rather than feared.
Readers will find a rich blend of action and adventure intertwined with elements of fantasy and mythical lore. The story explores themes of self-discovery and the complexities of duty versus desire as Yeva navigates her relationship with Lady Sookhee, the enigmatic queen of Quanbao. As Yeva seeks to fulfill her mission of slaying a dragon, she must also confront her own heart and the possibility of finding a true home. This edition invites readers into a world where the lines between hunter and hunted blur, set against a backdrop of dragons and epic quests.
Official synopsis Publisher
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.
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