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sharpenedknives's review
adventurous
hopeful
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? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Racism, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Gun violence, Violence, and War
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Racism, Xenophobia, and Colonisation
Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Genocide, Hate crime, Homophobia, Grief, Lesbophobia, and Classism
Minor: Animal death, Death, Transphobia, Blood, Medical content, and Alcohol
avacadosocks's review
informative
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Xenophobia, and Colonisation
Moderate: Biphobia, Bullying, Child abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism
finless0904's review
adventurous
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Slavery, Xenophobia, Colonisation, War, and Classism
readingwithkaitlyn's review
adventurous
tense
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Genocide, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Xenophobia, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Gun violence, Homophobia, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and War
booksthatburn's review against another edition
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Genocide, Xenophobia, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Death, Violence, and Grief
goofymango's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
4.25
A really unexpectedly wonderful, introspective and impactful book. Though I don't typically go for dragon or YA books, the plot of To Shape a Dragon's Breath intrigued me, and I'm so very glad I decided to give it a go. The world building is masterfully done and highly immersive, clearly referencing time periods and geographical locations of our own, real world in a way that still retains the imagination and intrigue of any good fantasy story. Although the framework of the story is largely centred around dragons and, specifically, the dragon academy, it merely serves as a platform for the real themes, messages and tribulations to take centre stage, and was a very pleasant surprise. Full of insight, emotion, tragedy, hope, and of course fantastical elements and world building, To Shape a Dragon's Breath is a wonderful, emotional and impactful book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Racism, and Colonisation
Moderate: Genocide, Sexism, Violence, and Xenophobia
displacedcactus's review
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
To Shape a Dragon's Breath is a book about someone who goes to school to learn how to control her dragon's dangerous breath... and then spends most of the book going to school and learning. Once you realize that this is going to be a magical school book that's about studying and navigating issues of race and class and gender, and stop waiting for something big to happen, you'll likely find that it's a pretty enjoyable book.
There are two main things that make this a fun read. The first is, of course, DRAGONS! There are different breeds of dragons in this world, and like our horses and dogs in the real world, each breed has different strengths. Some are good in battle, some are swift fliers suited to courier duties, and some are extra good at alchemically transforming things with their breath. Honestly I'd love for this series to get popular enough for us to get an illustrated companion book with the different dragons rendered in a natural history style. Also, Anequs's dragon starts out as a hatchling and remains pretty young for the duration of this first book, and she's just super adorable, like a big, scaly, feathery puppy.
But as we all have sadly learned the hard way, I'm sure, dragons alone are not enough to make a book good. Thankfully, this book also has really nuanced characters. There's very few characters who could be said to be all good or all bad. Some people do generally want the best for Anequs, but their idea of the best involves a colonizer mindset that insists she needs a "civilizing" influence. Others take action for Anequs's benefit, but only because it is in line with some goal of theirs. And even some of the antagonistic characters, you can understand that their actions are driven by a belief that they're looking out for the safety and well-being of society by ensuring everything is done By The Book when it comes to dragons.
The author avoids giving us a lot of the cliche characters or cliques that we often find in magical school style books, and thus creates a more enjoyable reading experience because we don't automatically know how each character is going to act based on the stereotype they're embodying.
Anequs is 15 years old in this book, but it's being marketed as an adult novel and doesn't really employ a lot of YA tropes. I do wonder at the choice not to market it as YA -- perhaps the future volumes are intended to age Anequs out of the YA demographic. But either way, this book should have great crossover appeal for teen and adult readers. It does deal with matters of racism and genocide, but there's not a lot of graphic content so it should be appropriate for teens.
There are two main things that make this a fun read. The first is, of course, DRAGONS! There are different breeds of dragons in this world, and like our horses and dogs in the real world, each breed has different strengths. Some are good in battle, some are swift fliers suited to courier duties, and some are extra good at alchemically transforming things with their breath. Honestly I'd love for this series to get popular enough for us to get an illustrated companion book with the different dragons rendered in a natural history style. Also, Anequs's dragon starts out as a hatchling and remains pretty young for the duration of this first book, and she's just super adorable, like a big, scaly, feathery puppy.
But as we all have sadly learned the hard way, I'm sure, dragons alone are not enough to make a book good. Thankfully, this book also has really nuanced characters. There's very few characters who could be said to be all good or all bad. Some people do generally want the best for Anequs, but their idea of the best involves a colonizer mindset that insists she needs a "civilizing" influence. Others take action for Anequs's benefit, but only because it is in line with some goal of theirs. And even some of the antagonistic characters, you can understand that their actions are driven by a belief that they're looking out for the safety and well-being of society by ensuring everything is done By The Book when it comes to dragons.
The author avoids giving us a lot of the cliche characters or cliques that we often find in magical school style books, and thus creates a more enjoyable reading experience because we don't automatically know how each character is going to act based on the stereotype they're embodying.
Anequs is 15 years old in this book, but it's being marketed as an adult novel and doesn't really employ a lot of YA tropes. I do wonder at the choice not to market it as YA -- perhaps the future volumes are intended to age Anequs out of the YA demographic. But either way, this book should have great crossover appeal for teen and adult readers. It does deal with matters of racism and genocide, but there's not a lot of graphic content so it should be appropriate for teens.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Homophobia, Racism, Sexism, Violence, and Xenophobia
shector1's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I love this book!!! I hope it reaches more people. I feel like words can't describe how I really enjoyed this book. I want Anequs to get everything she wants so BADDDDDDDDDD. I enjoyed the moments between Liberty and Anequs so much and I really wanted more. Theod definitely grew on me especially his time spent with Anequs. I am very interested to see where this story goes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, and Colonisation
Moderate: Mental illness, Xenophobia, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Biphobia, Death, Death of parent, and Murder
ezwolf's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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
I always struggle with what to say when I really enjoy books and I really enjoyed this one.
Anequs is a fantastic protagonist and I loved her relationship with her family and her people and also the way she gathered other students. Her refusal to conform to Anglish societal rules and her dedication to wanting to learn only to help manipulate her dragon's breath to help her village. I wasn't sure what to make of Marta at first, but I'm glad that she was held accountable for her actions by the author and by Anequs.
The dragon's mythology was unique and made me consider aspects of bonded to a dragon I hadn't thought of before. Another thing I found really cool was the way the author presented a story told by a character. It would have its own separate chapter titled "This is the story that ____ told".
Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review!
Anequs is a fantastic protagonist and I loved her relationship with her family and her people and also the way she gathered other students. Her refusal to conform to Anglish societal rules and her dedication to wanting to learn only to help manipulate her dragon's breath to help her village. I wasn't sure what to make of Marta at first, but I'm glad that she was held accountable for her actions by the author and by Anequs.
The dragon's mythology was unique and made me consider aspects of bonded to a dragon I hadn't thought of before. Another thing I found really cool was the way the author presented a story told by a character. It would have its own separate chapter titled "This is the story that ____ told".
Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Genocide, Gun violence, and Grief
Minor: Animal death, Transphobia, Death of parent, and Alcohol