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kimapede'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? Yes
Moderate: Biphobia, Genocide, Hate crime, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Lesbophobia, Racism, Colonisation, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Suicide, War, Homophobia, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
dragonstuck'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? It's complicated
5.0
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
garrettcz's review
- 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: 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
cadence99's review
- 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: 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
batesbarb'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
4.0
Moderate: Ableism, Racism, Animal cruelty, Cultural appropriation, Homophobia, Biphobia, and Colonisation
taroroot's review against another edition
- 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
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
- 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
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!
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
owlstory'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? It's complicated
4.75
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
bookish_afrolatina's review
- 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
According to the author Moniquil Blackhoose, “To Shape a Dragon’s Breath takes place in southern New England (Rhode Island, Massachussetts) in the 1840s in a very alternate timeline — the Roman Empire never existed, the British Isles were settled by Scandinavian seafarers, and the European colonization of the east coast of the US is proceeding differently. “ Therefore, all of the names of the countries, religious practices, and culture of the colonizers of Turtle Island are almost entirely different from our reality.
I think that Blackgoose handled discussions of race, eugenics, queerness, polyamory, and the autism spectrum with care despite ableism, homophobia, and racism being acceptable by Anglish society. Anequs is our moral guide, in a sense.
I loved the pacing of this book. I found that no matter how many times I thought I knew what would happen next, I was wrong! So that was such a treat. I especially loved the way the characters shared their cultural stories.
The audiobook was lovely thanks to the narrator Charley Flyte! Part way through it I began to wish I had a print copy. Now that I’ve finished the book I know I absolutely want the print since I expect I’ll reread it before the second book comes out.
Y’all need to read this!!!
Graphic: Genocide, Child abuse, Bullying, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Racism, Ableism, Classism, Colonisation, Gaslighting, and Homophobia
Moderate: Hate crime, Animal cruelty, War, Biphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Alcohol
avacadosocks's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.75
Graphic: Xenophobia, Sexism, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Ableism, and Colonisation
Moderate: Homophobia, Child abuse, Genocide, Bullying, Death of parent, Hate crime, Biphobia, Gun violence, Lesbophobia, Classism, and Fire/Fire injury