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vagaybond's review
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Genuinely one of my favourites out of all of the books I've read in the past few years. (I read about 100 a year.) I love the magic system, and I love the protagonist and the love and kindness she inspires in those around her, even and especially when she's rightfully calling people out for their behaving awfully. I love her determination to speak her mind and stick up for those around her. I feel like this book is so much of what I have always craved to see in anything meant to be in a historical setting, and it's something I wish I saw more. This is one of those books that makes me so excited for the influence I hope it has on the future of historical and fantasy books.
I want to note that I have tagged this polyam and romantic not because it is a romance book (this isn't a major theme in the book, but it is present) but because the protagonist intends to court two people by the end of the book, and it's implied that this will be developed further as it goes on. There is also a secondary character (friend of the protagonist) who prefers to communicate with a magic AAC device who, IMO, was written so well too. A teacher as well who uses a stand-in for a wheelchair. There isn't an identity I have or experience I have had that wasn't represented with care and accuracy, though I can only speak as a white settler queer disabled (neuro + physical) person who uses a mobility aid, and the author surely knows the relevant cultures and dynamics featured more than I could.
I want to note that I have tagged this polyam and romantic not because it is a romance book (this isn't a major theme in the book, but it is present) but because the protagonist intends to court two people by the end of the book, and it's implied that this will be developed further as it goes on. There is also a secondary character (friend of the protagonist) who prefers to communicate with a magic AAC device who, IMO, was written so well too. A teacher as well who uses a stand-in for a wheelchair. There isn't an identity I have or experience I have had that wasn't represented with care and accuracy, though I can only speak as a white settler queer disabled (neuro + physical) person who uses a mobility aid, and the author surely knows the relevant cultures and dynamics featured more than I could.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Forced institutionalization, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Stalking, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic friendship, Racism, and Slavery
Moderate: Violence, Police brutality, Gun violence, Homophobia, Emotional abuse, Lesbophobia, Death of parent, Death, Bullying, Confinement, Classism, Animal death, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Genocide, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, Grief, and Forced institutionalization
spicycronereads's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This one took me a while. Partly because of life but partly because the pace is a bit on the slower side and there is *a lot* of worldbuilding. I also paused frequently to double check how I was hearing character names, consulting the pronunciation guide that the author helpfully supplied.
The story is set against a backdrop of colonialism in progress. The setting moves between the “mainland” and Masquapaug, an island off the coast of, I think, Nova Scotia or the upper northeast coast of what we think of as the United States. The Maquisit and their neighbors the Naquisit are trying to live in peace and preserve their way of life amidst ongoing attempts by Norse and English forces to colonize them. The setting includes some steampunk events as well as magic.
Anequs, the FMC, is a fifteen year old “woman.” I put woman in quotes because the indigenous customs are quite different from ours - she became a woman when she bled at age 13. The story centers on her as she is the first of her people in a long time to be chosen by a dragon and goes off to dragon school on the mainland, which is ruled by, and heavily steeped in the culture of the Anglish, a people of seeming Norse - British hybridity. She’s confident, assertive, and determined to do her best to benefit those whom she loves. She’s a mender in a lot of ways, always trying to repair broken relationships or to befriend those whom others would overlook or discard.
She is surrounded by a full cast of secondary characters, including two love interests, one female and one male. This is not a love triangle. She intends to court them both according to what is permissible in her culture though it should be noted that the neither romance advances very far. Maybe .25 🌶️ for a few swoony moments. The most important secondary character is Kasaqua and she is my absolute fave! A little dragon that acts like a kitten? Yes, please! Their relationship is really sweet to see developing. There is enough depth in Anequs’ friend groups and her brother, Niquiat’s, friend group that I hope we will see lots more of them in subsequent books.
The book has a lot of diverse representation. Anequs, her family, and Theod, Anequs’ male love interest, are all indigenous. Anequs is polyamorous and there is a FF couple among the faculty. There are characters and societies that seem to draw from Muslim and Asian cultures. Liberty, Anequs’ female love interest, is Black and her background seems to draw on some elements of a vaguely African culture.
Not much actually happens in terms of plot. There is a lot of worldbuilding and establishing of relationships. The story mainly revolves around Anequs starting at the school and her struggles with assimilation. There is a bit of political intrigue that develops toward the end, setting the stage for the next book.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and I am intensely curious to see where it goes next. I wish a bit more had happened in this book, but what was there was done well enough that I feel good about investing more time in the series. ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75 / .25🌶️
The story is set against a backdrop of colonialism in progress. The setting moves between the “mainland” and Masquapaug, an island off the coast of, I think, Nova Scotia or the upper northeast coast of what we think of as the United States. The Maquisit and their neighbors the Naquisit are trying to live in peace and preserve their way of life amidst ongoing attempts by Norse and English forces to colonize them. The setting includes some steampunk events as well as magic.
Anequs, the FMC, is a fifteen year old “woman.” I put woman in quotes because the indigenous customs are quite different from ours - she became a woman when she bled at age 13. The story centers on her as she is the first of her people in a long time to be chosen by a dragon and goes off to dragon school on the mainland, which is ruled by, and heavily steeped in the culture of the Anglish, a people of seeming Norse - British hybridity. She’s confident, assertive, and determined to do her best to benefit those whom she loves. She’s a mender in a lot of ways, always trying to repair broken relationships or to befriend those whom others would overlook or discard.
She is surrounded by a full cast of secondary characters, including two love interests, one female and one male. This is not a love triangle. She intends to court them both according to what is permissible in her culture though it should be noted that the neither romance advances very far. Maybe .25 🌶️ for a few swoony moments. The most important secondary character is Kasaqua and she is my absolute fave! A little dragon that acts like a kitten? Yes, please! Their relationship is really sweet to see developing. There is enough depth in Anequs’ friend groups and her brother, Niquiat’s, friend group that I hope we will see lots more of them in subsequent books.
The book has a lot of diverse representation. Anequs, her family, and Theod, Anequs’ male love interest, are all indigenous. Anequs is polyamorous and there is a FF couple among the faculty. There are characters and societies that seem to draw from Muslim and Asian cultures. Liberty, Anequs’ female love interest, is Black and her background seems to draw on some elements of a vaguely African culture.
Not much actually happens in terms of plot. There is a lot of worldbuilding and establishing of relationships. The story mainly revolves around Anequs starting at the school and her struggles with assimilation. There is a bit of political intrigue that develops toward the end, setting the stage for the next book.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and I am intensely curious to see where it goes next. I wish a bit more had happened in this book, but what was there was done well enough that I feel good about investing more time in the series. ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75 / .25🌶️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Colonisation, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Bullying and Genocide
Minor: Child abuse, Gun violence, and Animal death
saltylane's review
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I enjoyed reading this book, though some parts are a bit rough around the edges, imo. The world building is thorough, but I’m unsure if it all “worked” for me. Some words were used to replace common ones, like names of chemicals/elements, and those words were used in a way that I couldn’t follow what meant what, but that may have been wholly intentional, in order to show the reader how the main character, Anequs, felt being tossed into an unfamiliar world.
Some of the scenes were rather detailed to the point that I was a bit bored with them, like a couple of the class scenes wherein Anequs had to learn detailed concepts. It’s possible they were intentionally written that way to have the reader share the confusion of Anequs upon having to learn the complex concepts, but I almost skipped the scene entirely about midway through. On the other hand, some scenes were briefly described when I might’ve liked to read more about them in detail.
The descriptions of the dragons when they first appeared were added in such a way that it was hard for me to actually picture the individual creatures in my mind. The species were almost all described at once, and I couldn’t retain what they looked like after that point because the ideas blended together. The descriptions were thorough, but being introduced to most of them all at once made it harder for me to keep up with what was what afterwards. I would like to see illustrations of them, though, because they did sound interesting to see!
The story itself is inspiring as Anequs faces much adversity in the community she’s thrust into. The analogs to real-world issues can be painful a lot of the time, but it’s informative and inspiring when Anequs fights to make change. The way she becomes an agent for change in those around her with her tenacity and kindness/empathy is heartwarming.
Overall, I enjoyed the read, and I look forward to the sequels.
Some of the scenes were rather detailed to the point that I was a bit bored with them, like a couple of the class scenes wherein Anequs had to learn detailed concepts. It’s possible they were intentionally written that way to have the reader share the confusion of Anequs upon having to learn the complex concepts, but I almost skipped the scene entirely about midway through. On the other hand, some scenes were briefly described when I might’ve liked to read more about them in detail.
The descriptions of the dragons when they first appeared were added in such a way that it was hard for me to actually picture the individual creatures in my mind. The species were almost all described at once, and I couldn’t retain what they looked like after that point because the ideas blended together. The descriptions were thorough, but being introduced to most of them all at once made it harder for me to keep up with what was what afterwards. I would like to see illustrations of them, though, because they did sound interesting to see!
The story itself is inspiring as Anequs faces much adversity in the community she’s thrust into. The analogs to real-world issues can be painful a lot of the time, but it’s informative and inspiring when Anequs fights to make change. The way she becomes an agent for change in those around her with her tenacity and kindness/empathy is heartwarming.
Overall, I enjoyed the read, and I look forward to the sequels.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Colonisation, Misogyny, Classism, Sexism, Racial slurs, Racism, and Violence
Moderate: Genocide, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Death, and Murder
Minor: Cursing, Death of parent, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Pandemic/Epidemic, Miscarriage, Grief, Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Transphobia, Slavery, War, Alcohol, Blood, Child death, Physical abuse, and Pregnancy
_lostinthetrees's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
It was a privilege to read this book. I genuinely loved it, and the story it told, though I wanted to jump through the page and scream at some of the adults in it more than once.
Anequs was such a lovely, dynamic main character. Also, Kasaqua was just the bestest dragon.
As far as books about dragons go, this one is top tier; well thought out descriptions and lore abound.
I loved the varied cast of characters who are in Anequs' orbit; at least, the ones who didn't cause her so much grief, anyways.
Overall, I definitely hope to reread this book one day, to appreciate the story all over again. This one deserves to become a classic, and I cannot wait for the next book in this series.
Anequs was such a lovely, dynamic main character. Also, Kasaqua was just the bestest dragon.
As far as books about dragons go, this one is top tier; well thought out descriptions and lore abound.
I loved the varied cast of characters who are in Anequs' orbit; at least, the ones who didn't cause her so much grief, anyways.
Overall, I definitely hope to reread this book one day, to appreciate the story all over again. This one deserves to become a classic, and I cannot wait for the next book in this series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Colonisation, Bullying, Ableism, Emotional abuse, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Death, Death of parent, Violence, and Transphobia
trips's review
adventurous
challenging
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Wow! I wish more people were reading this book! I know there is a dragon craze right now (in 2023 as I'm writing this) so please pick this up!! Its got dragons!! Small bits of romance!! Written by an indigenous author with an indigenous MC!! Cute dragons!!
This was a wonderful YA debut. There were a lot of aspects of this book I thought would bother me but ultimately they didn't by the end of this book.
-I initially felt eh about the colonizers being called the Anglish but honestly, I kinda loved how Anequs kinda lumps all the Anglish as one amalgamation of culture from her perspective, cause that is exactly how we see Native American culture being represented in white media...
-I was worried Anequs would be whisked away to dragon school and we wouldn't learn much about her people and culture, but, without spoiling much, I'm happy to say this wasn't the case! I'm super happy with how this played out in the story.
-I loved that Anequs has loving parents and siblings that all love and support her. I feel like this is so rare in YA fantasy. It honestly brought a tear to my eye as it was so nice to see a young girl with a huge worldly burden with a family that totally had her back.
There were some parts that really did feel like "Baby's first worldbuilding" but the events and plot of this story wholly makeup for it.
This was a wonderful YA debut. There were a lot of aspects of this book I thought would bother me but ultimately they didn't by the end of this book.
-I initially felt eh about the colonizers being called the Anglish but honestly, I kinda loved how Anequs kinda lumps all the Anglish as one amalgamation of culture from her perspective, cause that is exactly how we see Native American culture being represented in white media...
-I was worried Anequs would be whisked away to dragon school and we wouldn't learn much about her people and culture, but, without spoiling much, I'm happy to say this wasn't the case! I'm super happy with how this played out in the story.
-I loved that Anequs has loving parents and siblings that all love and support her. I feel like this is so rare in YA fantasy. It honestly brought a tear to my eye as it was so nice to see a young girl with a huge worldly burden with a family that totally had her back.
There were some parts that really did feel like "Baby's first worldbuilding" but the events and plot of this story wholly makeup for it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Violence, Ableism, and Child abuse
Minor: Classism and Bullying
rorikae's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
'To Shape a Dragon's Breath' by Moniquill Blackgoose is a fantastic start to a new YA fantasy series about a girl training to be a dragonrider so that she can bring dragon's back to her homeland.
Dragons are scarce on Masquapaug so it is a surprise when Anequs finds a dragon egg and bonds with the hatchling. When the Anglish colonizers hear that a dragon has been born, they are unhappy and reluctantly allow Anequs to enroll at the dragon academy to study and potentially become a dragon rider. But at this new school, Anequs has to face a society that looks down on her people and doesn't believe that she is capable of studying at the school, let alone being a dragon rider. But Anequs' presence at the school has the potential to affect the political landscape and she is determined to do what she can so that she and her dragon can live and bring dragons back to Masquapaug.
This is such a fantastic start to a fantasy series and I cannot wait until we learn more about the next installment. Blackgoose has created an engaging world reminiscent of North America, with steampunk and fantastical elements. She weaves together an engaging coming of age story that touches on colonization, representation, academia, and more. Her characters are easy to root for and fully fledged people that feel like they could walk right off the page. I'm fascinated to see where this story goes next as the first book introduces so many great concepts, a fascinating world, and great characters. If you like dragons, I cannot recommend this book enough. A wonderful start to a new fantasy series.
Dragons are scarce on Masquapaug so it is a surprise when Anequs finds a dragon egg and bonds with the hatchling. When the Anglish colonizers hear that a dragon has been born, they are unhappy and reluctantly allow Anequs to enroll at the dragon academy to study and potentially become a dragon rider. But at this new school, Anequs has to face a society that looks down on her people and doesn't believe that she is capable of studying at the school, let alone being a dragon rider. But Anequs' presence at the school has the potential to affect the political landscape and she is determined to do what she can so that she and her dragon can live and bring dragons back to Masquapaug.
This is such a fantastic start to a fantasy series and I cannot wait until we learn more about the next installment. Blackgoose has created an engaging world reminiscent of North America, with steampunk and fantastical elements. She weaves together an engaging coming of age story that touches on colonization, representation, academia, and more. Her characters are easy to root for and fully fledged people that feel like they could walk right off the page. I'm fascinated to see where this story goes next as the first book introduces so many great concepts, a fascinating world, and great characters. If you like dragons, I cannot recommend this book enough. A wonderful start to a new fantasy series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Gun violence, Racism, Violence, Bullying, and Classism
Moderate: Genocide
Minor: Animal death, War, and Death of parent
thecatconstellation's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
This was really enjoyable. A decent amount of plot and a lot of excellent world building. I enjoyed the various folklores, the representation of queer and poly relationships, and the autistic representation. The dragons! So many different dragons. I love reading about them. I also love the bond that they have with their chosen people. The pronunciation guide at the beginning is super helpful!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Racism, Colonisation, Murder, and Sexism
Moderate: Hate crime, Genocide, Racial slurs, Death, Classism, Transphobia, Suicide, Slavery, Sexual harassment, Misogyny, Bullying, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Police brutality, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, and Gun violence
Minor: Sexual content and Alcohol
hawksrye's review
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Animal death, Confinement, Bullying, Child abuse, Grief, Genocide, Slavery, Colonisation, Homophobia, Blood, Hate crime, Death of parent, Gun violence, Ableism, Alcohol, Misogyny, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Transphobia
discarded_dust_jacket's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
If you want to read an incredibly well-written fantasy with vivid and expansive worldbuilding (which will, to the American reader, seem verrrry familiar) that involves dragons, some queer romance, and, most importantly, a clever young Indigenous woman handily beating the racist colonizers at their own game even with all the chips stacked against her, then this is an absolute MUST.
I read this in audiobook format on a couple long drives, and I thought the narrator, Charley Flyte, was really impressive. It was an engaging and thrilling listening experience.
This story will make you laugh, it’ll make you cheer, and it’ll most certainly make you viscerally angry. I highly HIGHLY recommend it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Ableism, and Colonisation
Moderate: Bullying, Misogyny, Death of parent, Classism, and Hate crime
Minor: Homophobia and Gun violence
quartofgoats's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This book is such an absolute gem I don't know what to say. I can't wait for more of this series.
The protagonist is the very very best of humanity and forges through horrible circumstances and upfront racism with unbelievable grace and eloquence. Which, while unrealistic, was inspiring and heartening. It was also just tremendously fun. I read it in like 24 hours.
The protagonist is the very very best of humanity and forges through horrible circumstances and upfront racism with unbelievable grace and eloquence. Which, while unrealistic, was inspiring and heartening. It was also just tremendously fun. I read it in like 24 hours.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Bullying, Classism, Genocide, Homophobia, Racism, Sexism, Colonisation, and Misogyny
Moderate: Xenophobia, Animal cruelty, Racial slurs, and War
Minor: Gun violence