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A review by selbs2004
To Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose
emotional
inspiring
reflective
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
5.0
"I was going to make sure that the Anglish understood that we had never gone anywhere. That despite their best efforts, we were still living among them on the lands where we'd always lived. I was going to show just how many of us there were" Page 420 - To Shape A Dragon's Breath
This is a novel that I never knew I needed to read. It is remarkable in its rich and complex storytelling, without overly complicating or holding your hand through the story. It's such a unique take on fantasy that takes on large topics and executed them in such a refreshing way.
For one, Ill start with the nuances and complexities of all the characters throughout the story. Each character, especially Anequs all felt extremely three-dimensional, and though out. And What I appreciated was that the characters didn't just feel like roles in a story but read like we are seeing a part of their own story. They all had unique motivations for their action and emotions, and they all were written with the ability to be understood even if you disagreed with their actions, but most of all, they all felt so real.
In a book that tackles large topics like colonialism and institutional racism. Blackgoose makes it clear how important it is to tackle all sides of the conversation throughout her story, and that added a layer of nuance to an already strong premise. We are allowed to see not just one perspective about this issue, but many from very different races and background of people, and I believe that allows for the message of the story to be understood in a way that greatly differentiates itself from other novels. The variety of Indigenous perspective when it comes to colonialism, world progress, and racism and traditionalism allows the reader to understand that their more than one way to believe, and that the goal was not trying to convince the reader who is right and who is wrong but that racism can influence people in many different ways, which I thought was incredibly thought-provoking.
I appreciate that Blackgoose takes the time explaining things that often an author may skip over due to seeing it as lacking of importance, but to me almost every detail in the story only added to the brilliance, and I was honestly shocked this was a debut novel.
I loved the way magic is connected to indigenous culture, it's something that deeply connected with me and made the book extremely memorable, while creating a sense of everything coming together and fallen into place.
This novel is strongly character driven with Anequs leading the story and interactions, but since Anequs is such a strong female lead, her story never felt devoid of action or depth.
The representation of bisexuality and polyamory are very well handled and structured, allowing the potline to flow nicely into the story and the message the book is trying to tell when it comes to stereotypes and racism, without it feeling like a gimmick.
Overall, this book is breathtaking in every way, and I couldn't recommend it more for readers that what something that wants a fantasy that isn't afraid to be different and to take risks when it comes to storytelling.
This is a novel that I never knew I needed to read. It is remarkable in its rich and complex storytelling, without overly complicating or holding your hand through the story. It's such a unique take on fantasy that takes on large topics and executed them in such a refreshing way.
For one, Ill start with the nuances and complexities of all the characters throughout the story. Each character, especially Anequs all felt extremely three-dimensional, and though out. And What I appreciated was that the characters didn't just feel like roles in a story but read like we are seeing a part of their own story. They all had unique motivations for their action and emotions, and they all were written with the ability to be understood even if you disagreed with their actions, but most of all, they all felt so real.
In a book that tackles large topics like colonialism and institutional racism. Blackgoose makes it clear how important it is to tackle all sides of the conversation throughout her story, and that added a layer of nuance to an already strong premise. We are allowed to see not just one perspective about this issue, but many from very different races and background of people, and I believe that allows for the message of the story to be understood in a way that greatly differentiates itself from other novels. The variety of Indigenous perspective when it comes to colonialism, world progress, and racism and traditionalism allows the reader to understand that their more than one way to believe, and that the goal was not trying to convince the reader who is right and who is wrong but that racism can influence people in many different ways, which I thought was incredibly thought-provoking.
I appreciate that Blackgoose takes the time explaining things that often an author may skip over due to seeing it as lacking of importance, but to me almost every detail in the story only added to the brilliance, and I was honestly shocked this was a debut novel.
I loved the way magic is connected to indigenous culture, it's something that deeply connected with me and made the book extremely memorable, while creating a sense of everything coming together and fallen into place.
This novel is strongly character driven with Anequs leading the story and interactions, but since Anequs is such a strong female lead, her story never felt devoid of action or depth.
The representation of bisexuality and polyamory are very well handled and structured, allowing the potline to flow nicely into the story and the message the book is trying to tell when it comes to stereotypes and racism, without it feeling like a gimmick.
Overall, this book is breathtaking in every way, and I couldn't recommend it more for readers that what something that wants a fantasy that isn't afraid to be different and to take risks when it comes to storytelling.