Reviews with content warning for War - To Shape a Dragon's Breath

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To Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose

47 reviews

spookylettuce's review

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

I cannot put into words how much I love this book.
There is such a variety of representation and allusion to painful history that fits within the world-building.
I loved the dragons, and underlying magic/science system.
The chapter “And had a revelation” had me weeping on my commute. It resonated with something deep within me that I also cannot put into words. I am an Indigenous person in the sciences who used to carry around the dictionary because it had a copy of the periodic table in it. Reading

Anequs have the revelation that Traditional Knowledge of skiltakraft was still being passed on and hidden in plain sight , and it being relearned after being lost to colonisation and violence

made me feel so much.

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kylieqrada's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional 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

5.0

Maybe my favorite book of the year so far. Fascinating world-building in an alternate US shaped by Scandinavian colonization. Incredible characters, queer/poly rep, an Indigenous heroine, DRAGONS, an academy setting… I could go on. Please please please read this!!!

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theangrystackrat's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful reflective 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

4.0

A young indigenous woman and her dragon must learn to navigate colonizer society in order to be safe. But they will also learn about themselves and their own power. This was excellent. The narrator was solid and the story flowed easily. I loved the characters personalities, flaws, and traumas. Blackgoose also is so matter of fact in acceptance of people who would be considered different. Overall just a good read

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kimapede's review against another edition

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adventurous informative 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? Yes

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leweylibrary's review

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adventurous reflective tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

So I really love the idea of this book. It's basically Harry Potter meets Fourth Wing but much better than both of those things lol. The dragon element is well done and a lot of fun imo, and I love watching the MC's dragon grow up 🥹

I think my biggest issue with the book is the pacing. It's super slow, like the first 300ish pages only covers like 5ish months of time. I was totally cool with that pace, although I was starting to wonder when something significant was going to happen. But then the pace started picking up and time started moving in bigger chunks, but it didn't feel like it was moving towards anything? At least not anything big. And then something big at the end just happened and you're like WHAT but then it's super quickly resolved. I was just confused and now I'm annoyed that who knows when the second book will come out 🫠 I do want to know where the story goes from here, though.

BUT! This book's reflections on colonialism, racism, and classism were absolutely by far the best part. It wasn't quite as intricate or well-developed as something like Babel (that world map was...idk how to feel about that lol), but I think this is probably more a YA speed, so that's alright. I liked that it had characters that showed the different levels and aspects of those isms. Like we have the MC who's a proud of her indigenous culture and doesn't know anything else and therefore doesn't think Anglish is at all better versus Theod who is also indigenous but has been raised in an Anglish world and taught to believe that culture is best.

I also loved her friends, especially Sander. Her relationship with him is just so wholesome. Oh! And the love interests were fun! We love some LGBTQIA+ rep, and it was refreshing that Anaqus' culture just respects those differences and doesn't think they're a big deal like the Anglish do. Last thing, we love the pronunciation guide! So helpful.

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foxwish's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful medium-paced

Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

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theirgracegrace's review

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emotional hopeful inspiring slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

Flying in with a masterpiece, Moniquill Blackgoose sets up a world with this first instalment of the Nampeshiweisit series. The story centres around Anequs, a young Indigenous woman who discovers a dragon egg on an island near her home. When it hatches, the dragon bonds to her, and the Anglish settlers of her land order that she join a local dragoneering academy.

My favourite part of this book was the worldbuilding! Blackgoose builds a world like our own, but without a Roman Empire or Christianity, the Europeans have a distinctly Norse flair that matches well with the themes of resistance against colonialism. Each character has distinctive features, mannerisms and traits that make them real and powerful parts of the narrative.

Eagerly awaiting the next book of this series, particularly in light of the final handful of chapters!

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