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

reflective slow-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

4.25

I've been describing this as if RF Kuang wrote Temeraire - Blackgoose brings that same acuity of one's place in a society as a machine and how that affects Anaqus' interactions with her peers. I loved how that was contrasted with Theod's experiences, paralleled with Sander's and Liberty's and her professors'. Moreover, the way the author reshaped our world a step further than just renaming a country left just enough mystery in the worldbuilding to wonder what may come next, but it left room for a development in the magic system that felt like a reflection from 'Braiding Sweetgrass' - understanding that cultural tradition was born out of a pattern of observation and shouldn't be dismissed simply because it doesn't fall in mainstream confines of science. Some dialogue during lectures dragged and became walls of text, but I'm excited to see where the author goes next in this world.
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