A review by pandact
To Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose

adventurous emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

I like the other review saying the author would be friends with R. F. Kuang, and I'll add Brandon Sanderson because it's almost as similar to the Rithmatist as it is to Babel.
It hits all the right notes If you like magical realism that combines science and mysticism in an alternate history world with multicultural mythologies foreshadowing worldbuilding. The dragons and Skilta system could be developed more, but it almost qualified as math magic and still didn't distract me too much with trying to figure out if it was chemistry or alchemy...
All the more reason to look forward to the sequel because the third act passed five stars! Maybe I'll also read the next one during finals and student protests 🎒

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