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A review by spicycronereads
To Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-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
4.0
This one took me a while. Partly because of life but partly because the pace is a bit on the slower side and there is *a lot* of worldbuilding. I also paused frequently to double check how I was hearing character names, consulting the pronunciation guide that the author helpfully supplied.
The story is set against a backdrop of colonialism in progress. The setting moves between the “mainland” and Masquapaug, an island off the coast of, I think, Nova Scotia or the upper northeast coast of what we think of as the United States. The Maquisit and their neighbors the Naquisit are trying to live in peace and preserve their way of life amidst ongoing attempts by Norse and English forces to colonize them. The setting includes some steampunk events as well as magic.
Anequs, the FMC, is a fifteen year old “woman.” I put woman in quotes because the indigenous customs are quite different from ours - she became a woman when she bled at age 13. The story centers on her as she is the first of her people in a long time to be chosen by a dragon and goes off to dragon school on the mainland, which is ruled by, and heavily steeped in the culture of the Anglish, a people of seeming Norse - British hybridity. She’s confident, assertive, and determined to do her best to benefit those whom she loves. She’s a mender in a lot of ways, always trying to repair broken relationships or to befriend those whom others would overlook or discard.
She is surrounded by a full cast of secondary characters, including two love interests, one female and one male. This is not a love triangle. She intends to court them both according to what is permissible in her culture though it should be noted that the neither romance advances very far. Maybe .25 🌶️ for a few swoony moments. The most important secondary character is Kasaqua and she is my absolute fave! A little dragon that acts like a kitten? Yes, please! Their relationship is really sweet to see developing. There is enough depth in Anequs’ friend groups and her brother, Niquiat’s, friend group that I hope we will see lots more of them in subsequent books.
The book has a lot of diverse representation. Anequs, her family, and Theod, Anequs’ male love interest, are all indigenous. Anequs is polyamorous and there is a FF couple among the faculty. There are characters and societies that seem to draw from Muslim and Asian cultures. Liberty, Anequs’ female love interest, is Black and her background seems to draw on some elements of a vaguely African culture.
Not much actually happens in terms of plot. There is a lot of worldbuilding and establishing of relationships. The story mainly revolves around Anequs starting at the school and her struggles with assimilation. There is a bit of political intrigue that develops toward the end, setting the stage for the next book.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and I am intensely curious to see where it goes next. I wish a bit more had happened in this book, but what was there was done well enough that I feel good about investing more time in the series. ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75 / .25🌶️
The story is set against a backdrop of colonialism in progress. The setting moves between the “mainland” and Masquapaug, an island off the coast of, I think, Nova Scotia or the upper northeast coast of what we think of as the United States. The Maquisit and their neighbors the Naquisit are trying to live in peace and preserve their way of life amidst ongoing attempts by Norse and English forces to colonize them. The setting includes some steampunk events as well as magic.
Anequs, the FMC, is a fifteen year old “woman.” I put woman in quotes because the indigenous customs are quite different from ours - she became a woman when she bled at age 13. The story centers on her as she is the first of her people in a long time to be chosen by a dragon and goes off to dragon school on the mainland, which is ruled by, and heavily steeped in the culture of the Anglish, a people of seeming Norse - British hybridity. She’s confident, assertive, and determined to do her best to benefit those whom she loves. She’s a mender in a lot of ways, always trying to repair broken relationships or to befriend those whom others would overlook or discard.
She is surrounded by a full cast of secondary characters, including two love interests, one female and one male. This is not a love triangle. She intends to court them both according to what is permissible in her culture though it should be noted that the neither romance advances very far. Maybe .25 🌶️ for a few swoony moments. The most important secondary character is Kasaqua and she is my absolute fave! A little dragon that acts like a kitten? Yes, please! Their relationship is really sweet to see developing. There is enough depth in Anequs’ friend groups and her brother, Niquiat’s, friend group that I hope we will see lots more of them in subsequent books.
The book has a lot of diverse representation. Anequs, her family, and Theod, Anequs’ male love interest, are all indigenous. Anequs is polyamorous and there is a FF couple among the faculty. There are characters and societies that seem to draw from Muslim and Asian cultures. Liberty, Anequs’ female love interest, is Black and her background seems to draw on some elements of a vaguely African culture.
Not much actually happens in terms of plot. There is a lot of worldbuilding and establishing of relationships. The story mainly revolves around Anequs starting at the school and her struggles with assimilation. There is a bit of political intrigue that develops toward the end, setting the stage for the next book.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and I am intensely curious to see where it goes next. I wish a bit more had happened in this book, but what was there was done well enough that I feel good about investing more time in the series. ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75 / .25🌶️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Colonisation, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Bullying and Genocide
Minor: Child abuse, Gun violence, and Animal death