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A review by sarahbythebook
To Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose
adventurous
hopeful
informative
relaxing
slow-paced
4.5
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
To Shape a Dragon’s Breath is a refreshing mix of a novel of manners and YA fantasy. We follow Anequs, a young indigenous woman by her society’s understanding and an uncivilized “nackie” girl by white Anglish reckoning, as she finds a dragon egg and becomes bonded to the dragon inside. Their pairing causes an uproar among the Anglish, and in attempts to soothe their fears and her own, Anequs must face Anglish society and attended Dragoneer schooling, making new friends and challenging social expectations along the way!
I thoroughly enjoyed To Shape a Dragon’s Breath. Anequs is smart, opinionated, and unfair of ruffling the feathers of white society. While the pacing is a bit slow, it’s call backs to a novel of manners is unique among fantasy. This is the second book I’ve read lately that offers a fantastical explanation for the Industrial Revolution—in this case a dragon’s breath. The fictional science is cleverly done while still being recognizable as something from our own world in a way. The author does an excellent job showing the arrogance of white settler colonialism in contrast with a society more socially progressive and caring than its own. I cannot wait for the second book to come out and will absolutely be continuing this series!
A fun read for teens and adults who enjoy fantasy and some Jane Austen!
To Shape a Dragon’s Breath is a refreshing mix of a novel of manners and YA fantasy. We follow Anequs, a young indigenous woman by her society’s understanding and an uncivilized “nackie” girl by white Anglish reckoning, as she finds a dragon egg and becomes bonded to the dragon inside. Their pairing causes an uproar among the Anglish, and in attempts to soothe their fears and her own, Anequs must face Anglish society and attended Dragoneer schooling, making new friends and challenging social expectations along the way!
I thoroughly enjoyed To Shape a Dragon’s Breath. Anequs is smart, opinionated, and unfair of ruffling the feathers of white society. While the pacing is a bit slow, it’s call backs to a novel of manners is unique among fantasy. This is the second book I’ve read lately that offers a fantastical explanation for the Industrial Revolution—in this case a dragon’s breath. The fictional science is cleverly done while still being recognizable as something from our own world in a way. The author does an excellent job showing the arrogance of white settler colonialism in contrast with a society more socially progressive and caring than its own. I cannot wait for the second book to come out and will absolutely be continuing this series!
A fun read for teens and adults who enjoy fantasy and some Jane Austen!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Xenophobia, Ableism, Colonisation, Sexism, Body shaming, Death of parent, Gun violence, Racism, and Slavery