Reviews tagging 'Confinement'

To Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose

12 reviews

theirgracegrace's review

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Blood, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Violence, Ableism, Child abuse, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Xenophobia, Genocide, Bullying, Gun violence, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Animal death, Body horror, Classism, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Murder, and Sexual content

Moderate: War and Medical content

Minor: Cannibalism, Cursing, Infidelity, and Vomit

garrettcz's review

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Colonisation, Racism, Ableism, and Classism

Moderate: Hate crime, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Racism, Genocide, Murder, and Grief

Minor: Racism, Racial slurs, Grief, Cultural appropriation, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Confinement, Child abuse, Sexism, Colonisation, Animal death, Biphobia, Classism, Murder, Lesbophobia, Death, and Death of parent

garbutch'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.

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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

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. 

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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

hawksrye's review

4.25

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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

taroroot's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful reflective 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

4.0

really great start to a fantasy series at a dragon school. i'm looking forward to seeing where Anequs's journey takes her!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Colonisation, Racism, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Violence, Sexism, Classism, Confinement, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Lesbophobia, Biphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Homophobia, Slavery, and Transphobia

Minor: Blood, Drug use, and Alcohol

novella42'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
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Such a phenomenal read, and my favorite speculative fiction book of the year! Indigenous otter dragons!!! Moniquill Blackgoose made a truly audacious worldbuilding choice I have never encountered before, and which took me something like 70 pages to understand. But once it clicked, I felt in awe of her. I won't spoil it for anyone, but the risk she took and the monumental effort she put into her worldbuilding absolutely paid off on multiple levels. 

Also, I don't know what the audiobook is like, but I can't imagine getting the same effect without a text version. I'm very glad I have the hardcopy so I could page back and forth to the pronunciations, maps, periodic table, etc. I wish I could share photos of the pronunciation guide because it's a sliver of a glimpse of the amount of brainpower Blackgoose poured into this work. I wish I could show you some of the heart, too, but for that you'll need to immerse yourself in the story.

As a lifelong wheelchair-user, I really enjoyed the steampunk wheelchair alternative (though if I were that character I'd probably try and develop some sort of smaller backup mobility aid to allow me to move into all the inaccessible places around the school where the larger device couldn't go). I loved the magical AAC device the neurodivergent character uses to communicate, too! Brilliant and respectful rep for disability, neurodivergence, queer, and polyam characters. I've been recommending it left and right. I cannot wait for the next book in the series! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Racism, Misogyny, Gun violence, Colonisation, Sexism, Xenophobia, Hate crime, Lesbophobia, Bullying, Classism, Homophobia, Ableism, Violence, Biphobia, Racial slurs, and Genocide

Moderate: Animal death, Animal cruelty, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Child abuse, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Abandonment, Toxic friendship, War, Slavery, Transphobia, Body shaming, Murder, Confinement, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Death, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Medical content, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, and Physical abuse

courtnoodles's review

challenging 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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Sexism, Gun violence, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Ableism, and Mental illness

Moderate: Classism, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, and Abandonment

Minor: Confinement and Fire/Fire injury

owlstory's review

adventurous challenging emotional funny informative reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.75

How do I describe this wonderful book? I was riveted from the first page. It felt like a response to every magic school, dragon rider book that I've read. It challenged my colonist assumptions (in the best ways) with a main character who came to the table with an "of *course* this is this way", which was refreshing. At times it became a little world building explain-y, but it's not an uncommon problem for first-time novelists that I've seen. This book stands right between teen and adult books. It's got a teen main character but she's also culturally an adult (which was an interesting thing and I'm going to be thinking about it for a while). I grew up spending parts of my summers in some of the regions mentioned. Also, can we talk about the amazing nonspeaking/semi-speaking autistic representation with Sander? I adore him so much. Also the bi rep. This also is an alternate history set in a time period and about topics we just don't talk about enough.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Sexual harassment, Genocide, Ableism, Classism, Colonisation, Hate crime, Misogyny, Fire/Fire injury, and Racism

Moderate: War, Slavery, Sexism, Biphobia, Blood, Classism, Bullying, Colonisation, Misogyny, Racism, Violence, Sexual harassment, Confinement, Genocide, Hate crime, Ableism, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Transphobia, Lesbophobia, Racial slurs, and Homophobia

readthesparrow's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring slow-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

5.0

I was a Dragon Kid.

I read the first Eragon book to tatters, and obsessively read the third around four times a year. Dragonology was my favorite -ology book. It was Lady Trent’s Memoirs, a series about dragon naturalism, that broke me out of my four year reading slump. 

I haven’t read a good dragon book in a while, but I’ve been itching for one. To Shape a Dragon’s Breath is exactly what I needed to scratch that itch.

WORLDBUILDING

The story is set in an alternate history version of America based upon not Christian English beliefs but Anglo-Saxon, Old Norse, and Old English religion and culture. I loved how Blackgoose reinterpreted and structured these inspirations; for example, the political system is a cross between the real world early American democracy and the Anglo-Saxon aristocratic system with a king, thanes, and halls. 

The magic system, too, is so well-done. It’s more of a magical alternate science system, which I would describe as a cross between chemistry and alchemy. Though the vocabulary is different (for example, iron is called isen and elements are called skiltas), the foundational concepts are the same, making it easy to follow as we learn about it beside Anequs. 

I adore dragon fantasy stories that reinterpret our own history and natural science through its own lens. That’s no easy feat to accomplish, much less do it well. With To Shape a Dragon’s Breath, Blackgoose has created not only a fantastic science fantasy but also one of the best dragon fantasy books I have ever read. 

FOLKLORE IN TO SHAPE A DRAGON’S BREATH

I could write an essay on the way Blackgoose implements folklore into her storytelling. However, this is a book review, and as such I shall restrain myself to a few paragraphs. 

Folklore—more specifically, the telling of stories—is a major theme in To Shape a Dragon’s Breath. More than one chapter is a story within a story, framed by Anequs asking another character to tell her a story or telling a story herself. It’s obvious to me that Blackgoose is passionate about folklore, reinterpreting lore from real-world cultures with care.

Even the presentation of the novel itself has links to folklore. The chapter titles, when considered together, read as a bare-bones bedtime story version of the narrative. It’s so clever, and I absolutely cannot wait to see how Blackgoose continues the theme of folklore in the rest of the series. 

PLOT

I sometimes struggle to enjoy some fantasy titles, as they tend to incorporate tropes and narrative beats I find tiring (for example, the love triangle and poorly handled fantasy racism). 

However, Blackgoose not only avoids these tropes but actively challenges them. In example,

although Anequs is interested in two characters, she plans to pursue both of them, avoiding a tiresome love triangle that so often drags books down for me.

She also handles racism and bigotry on several levels. For example, by reflecting problematic tropes and narratives present in real-world literature through in-world books Anequs encounters, and exploring how those racist narratives effect Anequs’ life and relationships.

And now we come to the only caveat I have to say about To Shape a Dragon’s Breath.

The plot is largely concerned with worldbuilding, society, and culture. If you’re expecting a high-octane adventure fantasy, you will be disappointed. There are no sky battles or magic duels or special ancient weapons.

I’ve seen some other reviewers complain that nothing happens in this book. I disagree. 

Things do happen, it’s just that those things concern cultural, scientific, and political worldbuilding, the navigation of social settings, and the development of character relationships.

At its core, To Shape a Dragon’s Breath about exploring a world through the eyes of an Indigenous teenager living in a colonial world and moving through a restrictive social structure she refuses to assimilate into. 

The plot, therefore, is about what she learns and who she learns it with. For someone expecting dragon battles or a fantasy boarding school mystery, it may feel as though nothing is happening, but something is happening: an exploration of the crossroads of race, gender, religion, class, and culture in this fictional setting throug nuanced, well-written dialogue between diverse, well-written characters. 

It is a slow paced book, but like a good hike, the pleasure is in the journey and who you’re walking with. 

To Shape a Dragon’s Breath provides a breathtaking trail and excellent company. 

FINAL THOUGHTS

After finishing To Shape a Dragon’s Breath, I already missed the characters and the world. This is the first installment in a series, and I cannot wait to see what else Blackgoose has in store for us.

If you love dragons, science fantasy, or well-written diverse characters, I cannot recommend To Shape a Dragon’s Breath enough. 

Thank you to Del Ray for providing a digital ARC via Netgalley. If you are interested in To Shape a Dragon’s Breath, it is available now. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Colonisation, Racism, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Bullying, Genocide, Hate crime, Lesbophobia, Classism, Confinement, Homophobia, and Grief

Minor: Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Death, Transphobia, and Medical content