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caitb_05's review
- 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
Graphic: Racism, Colonisation, and Hate crime
Moderate: Ableism and Genocide
Minor: Misogyny and Homophobia
aksmith92's review
- 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
The setup: We follow Anequs, a 15-year-old from Masquapaug, the fictional island (known as Mack Island to white people) in the world Moniquill Blackgoose set up for us - FYI the map is very cool. I highly recommend you check that out in front of the book and the pronunciation guide.
Anequs is on Masquapaug with her lovely family when she sees a dragon, something improbable since dragons haven't been around for a long time on Masquapaug. The following day, she heads towards where she saw the dragon and finds an egg, returning it to her village. Next thing you know, it hatches and imprints itself onto Anequs. Anequs finds herself in a difficult situation - either she connects with the young Kasaqua (what she names the dragon) on her home island, or she leaves to go to the closest dragon school (yes, imprinting dragons are a thing, and there is a whole school for it!). She decides the latter since she needs to better understand how to communicate and work with her dragon - the art of doing so was lost on the island when their dragons left them some centuries ago. So, Anequs finds herself on an adventure to learn everything about controlling her dragon's breath - an essential piece of the dragon education system - but also finds herself in a very different and cold environment than the one on Masquapaug.
What I liked: I absolutely LOVED the world-building and plot in this novel. At times, it might have been a little dense, especially when Anequs was at school learning about components of the dragon's breath. But I loved every second; it was beyond innovative! This was the type of world-building and fantastical elements that I love to see. It was complicated. It was unique. It was original. Ugh, I had a blast. I also loved the characters. No two characters were alike, which I appreciated. They were all layered and dimensional, even the ones that you didn't necessarily love (I'm looking at you, Martha!). This book could, at times, be somewhat challenging. It incorporated deep racist threads to our world when it came to the Indigenous community, alongside colonialism, since this took place in the "1800s." (In quotes since this is what I would argue be a parallel world to our own history). But, while it was hard to read, it was essential to read.
What fell a little flat: This was not an action-packed book, in my opinion. There was some action near the end, but it was more of a narrative. There was a LOT of telling and only a little showing or doing. The writing style was sometimes like "I went to stand by Kasaqua to watch the clouds." "I went up to my room to read." And then, that was that. It was a VERY different writing style than I was used to, but it was still engaging. It didn't sway me too much since Blackgoose was no doubt trying to make this a YA novel, build the characters, and share a lot of the world-building in this book in a series.
Additionally (and lastly), I will say that while I loved Anequs's character (her uniqueness, candidness, and authenticity), there were times when I felt that it was unrealistic that she would say all of those things back at colonizers and not somehow get in more trouble. Anequs sometimes felt perfect and unwavering. While this certainly worked for the story and made me love Anequs in many ways, I thought it was occasionally unrealistic. It wasn't too big of a deal because I enjoyed reading about Anequs and her story.
Overall, this was a fantastic read. I have yet another dragon book that outweighs some other books I think may be a little overhyped (*cough cough iykyk*). I am looking forward to continuing this series when more are coming out.
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Classism, Colonisation, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Genocide, and Grief
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Hate crime, and Violence
vagaybond's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
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.
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
- 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
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.
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
rorikae'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? Yes
5.0
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.
Graphic: Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Gun violence, Racism, Violence, Bullying, and Classism
Moderate: Genocide
Minor: Animal death, War, and Death of parent
blakeandbooks'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? No
5.0
Graphic: Violence, Ableism, Classism, Lesbophobia, Mass/school shootings, Racial slurs, Death, Death of parent, Police brutality, Murder, Sexism, Racism, Colonisation, and Misogyny
Moderate: War, Sexual harassment, and Homophobia
thecatconstellation'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? No
4.75
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
nicoleas5's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Racism, Misogyny, and Gun violence
Minor: Police brutality, Transphobia, Homophobia, and Lesbophobia
hawksrye's review
4.25
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
- 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
Graphic: Racism, Ableism, and Colonisation
Moderate: Bullying, Misogyny, Death of parent, Classism, and Hate crime
Minor: Homophobia and Gun violence