Reviews tagging 'Violence'

To Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose

63 reviews

dragonstuck's review

challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism and Racism

Moderate: Violence, Classism, Misogyny, and Sexism

Minor: Biphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, War, Lesbophobia, Transphobia, Genocide, Colonisation, Miscarriage, Slavery, Racial slurs, and Homophobia

susanatherly's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Slavery, Religious bigotry, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death of parent, Sexism, Violence, Bullying, Gun violence, Colonisation, and Classism

star_charter152's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted reflective medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Mass/school shootings, Bullying, Hate crime, Violence, and War

Minor: Slavery, Animal death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Sexual harassment, and Homophobia

dani_dragon's review

adventurous challenging emotional 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? Yes

4.5

Soooo good! Definitely hard at times with the language and the intense world building/science and the racism elements. But I adored it! The characters are great and well-rounded, even the unlikeable ones have their moments and make sense. Cannot recommend it enough and so excited for more

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Violence, Gun violence, Racism, and Classism

sustainably_lucia's review

hopeful lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

I was hooked after 4 pages! Strong indigenous FMC, dragons, anti-colonialism. It’s a slow-paced and low-stakes story that gets major points for diversity and inclusion. The realities of racism and prejudice are seamlessly integrated in a way that feels real and honest. I could tell it was written from experience. I would classify this as a cozy fantasy because of the low stakes but it definitely doesn’t shy away from the hard stuff. Anequs is a spitfire 15-year-old who is always challenging the status quo. She grew up in a supportive community where she didn’t have many opportunities to doubt herself.

The beginning was great but it dragged in the middle and I lost the main plot line. I wasn’t sure what the goal of the MCs was. The ending was good but not as well crafted as the beginning. Overall, this was a great book and I loved the prominence of indigenous culture and I recommend reading it for that alone.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation and Racism

Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, and Violence

Minor: Animal death

booksdogsandcoffee's review

adventurous challenging emotional informative tense medium-paced

4.75

An absolute masterpiece. Blackgoose melds the perfect combination of political intrigue, an in depth view of colonization, inequality and adds in dragons to create this world that is very parallel to ours. 

If you weren't uncomfortable while reading this book, you missed the point. To Shape A Dragon's Breath invokes every emotion imaginable while reading.

 I loved everything about this book and will be eagerly awaiting the sequel. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Bullying, Violence, Racial slurs, Sexism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Xenophobia, Gaslighting, Racism, Classism, Misogyny, Ableism, and Death

Moderate: Homophobia

Minor: Lesbophobia and Genocide

1_800_fuck_off's review

adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring 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? It's complicated

5.0

wow…. WOW 

this book!!!!! 

one of my favorite reads this year for fucking sure 

the MESSAGE??!!! the ROMANCE??!! THE DRAGONS???? THE CULTURE?!?!? THE CHARACTERS!!!!!!
 

perfect everything perfect 

i don't even usually like romance but this one just hit different it ended exactly how i wanted it to and it's the first of its kind that i've read (IT’S POLYYYY POLY ROMANCE IS SO RARE AND THIS ONE!! UGH this book set up such a perfect path for the romance to enhance in the second book for SURE) i'm so in love with it and guys the characters can not empathize them enough!! i loved the mc and her friends and her family they're the best especially my boy sander he'll live in my heart forever and i just can't recommend this book enough it has such an important message to society about how indigenous people are treated and have been treated for years it also shows just how beautiful their culture is and just how necessary it is to listen to their voices and how society could stand to adopt at least a little bit of the way they see the world 

it would be a much better place 

can not wait for the next book <3

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism

Moderate: Violence, Bullying, Genocide, Death, Sexism, Murder, and Colonisation

Minor: Slavery, Homophobia, Blood, Gun violence, War, Racial slurs, Injury/Injury detail, and Transphobia

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

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

Minor: Animal death

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

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

Minor: Alcohol, Blood, and Genocide

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: Colonisation, Ableism, and Racism

Moderate: Homophobia, Genocide, and Violence

Minor: Animal death and Death of parent