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A review by fatimareadsbooks
To Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose
4.0
Honestly, this reminds me of a Tamora Pierce-style story! Despite the main themes being heavy, it’s quite a cozy story.
The main premise is that Anequs, an Indigenous teen, finds the first dragon egg seen in her community in generations. According to the Anglish who conquered her people’s land, Anequs must now enroll in an approved dragon academy and raise the hatchling by its standards, or the creature will be killed.
It’s always interesting seeing how different books incorporate dragons into their world. Blackgoose’s focus is more on the technology-powering alchemy of a dragon’s breath, which I found to be an interesting approach. In the academy, there’s info-dumping and long stretches of lectures sometimes, but I’d really urge you to keep reading and not get too bogged down by the details! Everything eventually makes sense, and Blackgoose skilfully weaves a very compelling story.
Even though Anequs is 15, this is very much not written like a typical YA novel. To me, it makes sense - Anequs even tells us that according to her cultural practices, she’s an adult. I feel like this is why this book’s tone seems to straddle that childhood/adult line. Anequs has a solid sense of self and is defiantly blunt, unlike most YA protagonists.
I also love how this book effectively captures the dissonance Anequs feels as she’s thrust into a new culture. The portrayal of racism & colonialism is just SO realistic (which makes sense given that the setting is basically a Viking steampunk parallel reality of our world).
One thing that has been criticised about this book is the way the story is told. It has a very straightforward linear plot that’s quite predictable. However, there’s a beautiful simplicity in that. I personally enjoyed how we let the school part of the story breathe without involving some other overarching subplot.
To Shape a Dragon’s Breath is truly a breath (no pun intended) of fresh air. The premise is unique, the world-building is excellent, and the writing is rhythmic. I can’t to see what Blackgoose has planned for the sequel!
The main premise is that Anequs, an Indigenous teen, finds the first dragon egg seen in her community in generations. According to the Anglish who conquered her people’s land, Anequs must now enroll in an approved dragon academy and raise the hatchling by its standards, or the creature will be killed.
It’s always interesting seeing how different books incorporate dragons into their world. Blackgoose’s focus is more on the technology-powering alchemy of a dragon’s breath, which I found to be an interesting approach. In the academy, there’s info-dumping and long stretches of lectures sometimes, but I’d really urge you to keep reading and not get too bogged down by the details! Everything eventually makes sense, and Blackgoose skilfully weaves a very compelling story.
Even though Anequs is 15, this is very much not written like a typical YA novel. To me, it makes sense - Anequs even tells us that according to her cultural practices, she’s an adult. I feel like this is why this book’s tone seems to straddle that childhood/adult line. Anequs has a solid sense of self and is defiantly blunt, unlike most YA protagonists.
I also love how this book effectively captures the dissonance Anequs feels as she’s thrust into a new culture. The portrayal of racism & colonialism is just SO realistic (which makes sense given that the setting is basically a Viking steampunk parallel reality of our world).
One thing that has been criticised about this book is the way the story is told. It has a very straightforward linear plot that’s quite predictable. However, there’s a beautiful simplicity in that. I personally enjoyed how we let the school part of the story breathe without involving some other overarching subplot.
To Shape a Dragon’s Breath is truly a breath (no pun intended) of fresh air. The premise is unique, the world-building is excellent, and the writing is rhythmic. I can’t to see what Blackgoose has planned for the sequel!