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A review by boglord
To Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
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
4.0
(Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.)
Spoiler Free Summary: Anequs, a young woman from an indigenous community on the outskirts of Anglish country, becomes Nampeshiweisit when she is gifted a dragon egg by one of the indigenous dragon species thought to be extinct by her community. Faced by the threat of prosecution by local Anglish laws, Anequs must take Kasaqua, her dragon, to an Anglish dragoneering school in order to properly master Kasaqua's breath, a powerful force when unshaped. In the course of her first year at the school, she makes friends, falls for two different people at the school, and deals with racism and bigotry. In the end, this is a character-driven novel that investigates the relationship marginalized communities have within this fictionalized 19th century America.
I really enjoyed this book. The relationship Anequs has with her friends was constantly touching, and I was thoroughly impressed by the author's ability to fit so many important discussions on racism, homophobia, ableism, and colonialism in a very digestible yet meaningful format. I've seen other reviews speaking of the book as though it was boring; I was never bored. But I did not know what to expect coming into this book- if you're looking for a fantasy adventure this is not one. The book focuses on Anequs in her attempt to figure out how she can exist genuinely in her indigenous identity in a society that wishes she would assimilate. If you're looking for a story of a brave young woman struggling to assert herself in a world that's trying to put her down, while uplifting other marginalized people who she befriends along the way, this is a feel-good, hopeful story that shows how strong we can be when we are together.
I have to say that the plot struggles at some points near the end. The culminating action that takes place in the last couple chapters feels extremely rushed and I wished that some major plot points weren't glossed over, as they would have not only been extremely exciting bits of action to read, but they also would have been great instances to interact with what all the characters who are introduced think and feel as the story wraps up. As it is, I think that the author leaves a lot unsaid, where throughout the rest of the story we are entrenched in the characters' thoughts and feelings.
At times I also struggled with the intense academic nature of the story- there was one chapter near the beginning of Anequs' story that was incredibly difficult to read and digest. Later in the book it became clear that this was intentional to highlight how difficult it was for Anequs to understand, also an outsider to the germanic technical terms used throughout.
I recommend this book and give it 4 stars! I am very excited for this series to continue as I can imagine many ways that the story might progress now that Anequs has grown into a mature and determined young woman.
Spoiler Free Summary: Anequs, a young woman from an indigenous community on the outskirts of Anglish country, becomes Nampeshiweisit when she is gifted a dragon egg by one of the indigenous dragon species thought to be extinct by her community. Faced by the threat of prosecution by local Anglish laws, Anequs must take Kasaqua, her dragon, to an Anglish dragoneering school in order to properly master Kasaqua's breath, a powerful force when unshaped. In the course of her first year at the school, she makes friends, falls for two different people at the school, and deals with racism and bigotry. In the end, this is a character-driven novel that investigates the relationship marginalized communities have within this fictionalized 19th century America.
I really enjoyed this book. The relationship Anequs has with her friends was constantly touching, and I was thoroughly impressed by the author's ability to fit so many important discussions on racism, homophobia, ableism, and colonialism in a very digestible yet meaningful format. I've seen other reviews speaking of the book as though it was boring; I was never bored. But I did not know what to expect coming into this book- if you're looking for a fantasy adventure this is not one. The book focuses on Anequs in her attempt to figure out how she can exist genuinely in her indigenous identity in a society that wishes she would assimilate. If you're looking for a story of a brave young woman struggling to assert herself in a world that's trying to put her down, while uplifting other marginalized people who she befriends along the way, this is a feel-good, hopeful story that shows how strong we can be when we are together.
I have to say that the plot struggles at some points near the end. The culminating action that takes place in the last couple chapters feels extremely rushed and I wished that some major plot points weren't glossed over, as they would have not only been extremely exciting bits of action to read, but they also would have been great instances to interact with what all the characters who are introduced think and feel as the story wraps up. As it is, I think that the author leaves a lot unsaid, where throughout the rest of the story we are entrenched in the characters' thoughts and feelings.
At times I also struggled with the intense academic nature of the story- there was one chapter near the beginning of Anequs' story that was incredibly difficult to read and digest. Later in the book it became clear that this was intentional to highlight how difficult it was for Anequs to understand, also an outsider to the germanic technical terms used throughout.
I recommend this book and give it 4 stars! I am very excited for this series to continue as I can imagine many ways that the story might progress now that Anequs has grown into a mature and determined young woman.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Lesbophobia, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Misogyny, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, and War