Reviews tagging 'Homophobia'

To Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose

94 reviews

quartz's review

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Gun violence, Racism, Sexism, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Death, Homophobia, Xenophobia, and Colonisation

Minor: Genocide and War

jainabee's review

adventurous challenging inspiring medium-paced

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

5.0

After reading the hardcopy once and listening to the audiobook twice, my appreciation for the rich complexities and top notch storytelling is even stronger. Magnificent. Listening to the wonderful character voices and accents performed by Charley Flyte brought out the intercultural class differences and complex social nuances more distinctly. 

So much happens so quickly in this first installment of the series that I missed a few important details which deepen the characters—such as the look that Frau Kuiper gives Anaqus right before her skiltakraft final. The look that Anequs cannot interpret in the moment. I think I know what it means now, but it took three reads! The complicated social and political layers of this story are profound—and quite relevant to contemporary issues.

Another aspect that took me this long to get (I am white from a colonizer heritage and this tale is told from an Indigenous POV—there’s probably a LOT MORE that I don’t get) is the stylized language throughout the book. Though most of the places and objects in the book are all places and objects that are real, they all have abstracted names; English is Anglish, a penny is a pennik, a photographer is a lichtbildmacher, radium is strahlendstone, etc… why all of this confusing terminology??? Other than sustaining the tone of the alternate reality, it also puts a reader who has been educated in a typical American school in the same confusing position as the Indigenous protagonist. The words and customs that the colonizers all take for granted are almost as baffling to the reader as they are to Anequs. If the author had simply used words any typical American would understand, the reader would not be able to empathize with the confusion and frustrations and other obstacles that Anequs must move through.

The final layer I that understood more this time I wrapped in spoiler alerts in the content warning section.

I can barely wait for the next installment!

I couldn't put this down and I told each and every one of my friends, colleagues, and quite a few strangers that they really ought to read this book! I can barely wait for the next one—so curious to see where the story goes from the astonishing set-up of the first book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, and Classism

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Hate crime, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Genocide, Gun violence, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, and Gaslighting

Finally, the third time through this story brought into sharp relief the themes of abduction and imprisonment that the characters of color all experience. Theod narrowly escaped indentured servitude, after being accused and tried in court for “stealing" a dragon, by becoming a legal ward of Frau Kuiper, Liberty is indentured to Frau Brinkerhoff and explains the unspoken complexities of paying her way out, and Anequs may appear to be making a choice, however she comes to realize that her entire village and island could be eradicated if she fails her studies. Locked doors, vehicles with smoked windows, and even her corset all remind her of how she cannot escape her predicament. Even Frau Kuiper—who seems to have some sympathy for the protagonist—threatens to let the enemies of Anequs destroy her dragon and raze her village if she fails the expectations of the “darling of the Jarl.”

bisexualwentworth's review against another edition

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This is my new favorite book. it delivered on every possible level. I adored the characters and the worldbuilding and the writing style. I will come back and write a longer review when I can express my love for this book more coherently, but wow.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Genocide, Homophobia, Slavery, Death of parent, Murder, and War

Minor: Animal death

anazap's review against another edition

emotional reflective 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? It's complicated

4.0

This book tackles a lot of heavy topics (colonialism, racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism) but I think it does it well. Anequs was an easy character to like, though I felt she had less depth than many of the other characters. This was definitely more character driven than plot driven, which was not necessarily what I was expecting but I am excited to see where the series goes. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Misogyny

Minor: Animal death, Homophobia, and Transphobia

cadence99's review

adventurous 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? No

4.75

I absolutely loved this book- incredibly lovable characters, dragon companions, romances that had me giggling and kicking my feet and a nice leisurely (though certainly high stakes at times!) plot to carry us along. I loved the intertwining of historical elements and serious subject matter woven into this fantasy world and truly cannot wait to see where the series leads

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Gun violence, Racism, and Colonisation

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Biphobia, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, War, and Classism

Minor: Genocide, Blood, and Alcohol

readwithria's review against another edition

adventurous emotional tense slow-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Homophobia and Lesbophobia

centrifugepolitics's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Homophobia

Minor: Genocide and War

The content warning are for explorations of the subjects, the book obviously doesn’t espouse any of these things

betweentheshelves's review against another edition

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

I will say, don't go into this book if you're expecting a fast-paced, action-packed fantasy because that is not what this is. It's more focused on Anequs's journey to the Anglish school, learning about a different culture, and trying to carve a place for herself in a world that doesn't necessarily accept her. There is a very heavy emphasis on storytelling, both from Anequs and from her classmates at the academy where she's studying. 

The dragon's aren't really characters in this like they might be in other dragon novels, as they don't speak to their humans, but I loved the focus on their connections. Essentially, the dragons felt like large cats and honestly, I'm totally okay with that. 

There is also a lot of discussion about colonialism and learning to co-exist with each other. This is the first book in a series, and I have a feeling that things will become more high stakes the further we go into the series. Especially as Anequs gains more power.

A lot of great diverse representation is in this book as well. Even though it was more slow moving, I found myself wholey invested in Anequs and her story. So much so that I basically listened to this entire book in two days. And I can't wait to see where this story goes next!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Racism, and Colonisation

Moderate: Genocide, Homophobia, and Violence

Minor: Animal death and Death of parent

caitb_05's review

adventurous emotional 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Racism, and Colonisation

Moderate: Ableism and Genocide

Minor: Homophobia and Misogyny

sydapel's review

adventurous challenging hopeful

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

Really compelled by Aneqes as a teenage main character who is unflappable in her ability to recognize the discrimination and injustice around her, and her deftness at navigating it. This book is uninterested in convincing you about the nuances of colonization and racism, which I respect the hell out of it for. While I don't think I 1000% understood how the chemistry/alchemy elements of the world worked, I am deeply interested in where it goes next. Oh and also, I really loved the take on dragons in this world as this deeply emotional and physical bond (think like the creatures in The Golden Compass series) - super interested to explore that further in the next installment. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Racism, Murder, and Colonisation

Moderate: Animal death, Homophobia, Violence, and Death of parent