The remote island of Masquapaug has not seen a dragon in many generations—until fifteen-year-old Anequs finds a dragon’s egg and bonds with its hatchling. Her people are delighted, for all remember the tales of the days when dragons lived among them and danced away the storms of autumn, enabling the people to thrive. To them, Anequs is revered as Nampeshiweisit—a person in a unique relationship with a dragon. Unfortunately for Anequs, the Anglish conquerors of her land have different opinions. They have a very specific idea of how a dragon should be raised, and who should be doing the raising—and Anequs does not meet any of their requirements. Only with great reluctance do they allow Anequs to enroll in a proper Anglish dragon school on the mainland. If she cannot succeed there, her dragon will be killed.
For a girl with no formal schooling, a non-Anglish upbringing, and a very different understanding of the history of her land, challenges abound—both socially and academically. But Anequs is smart, determined, and resolved to learn what she needs to help her dragon, even if it means teaching herself. The one thing she refuses to do, however, is become the meek Anglish miss that everyone expects. Anequs and her dragon may be coming of age, but they’re also coming to power, and that brings an important realization: the world needs changing—and they might just be the ones to do it.
"All I've ever tried to do is the right thing". Moniquill Blackgoose's To Shape a Dragon's Breath is a stunning YA debut, a massive fantasy novel that takes its time to explore its world and has very poignant things to say about colonialism and racism. The writing is simple but sharp; the bare bones are those of your typical boarding school book, but the author does very interesting things with it despite the format being very repetitive.
We follow Anequs' first year of training as she struggles against a world so different from her own, against systemic racism and a deeply flawed society. She's a strong protagonist and doesn't shy away from making it known that she won't adhere to the colonizer's worldview, and she won't be a domesticated "nackie" (Native). She's also smart, and it was a delight to see her thrive academically and turn out to be a far better teacher than one of her Professors. The plot in this installment is pretty straightforward, laying the groundwork for the rest of the series, which promises to be explosive.
The world-building is impeccable, vivid and lush. It's kind of an alternate history, where the Vikings colonized America and their beliefs weren't wiped out by Christianity. They kept their gods and their customs (like the holmgang) and they push them onto the lands they colonize. On the other hand, it's a society on the cusp of the Industrial Revolution, with a steampunk flare, and a staggering set of rules about polite behavior. The dragons are a joy, with many different species all different from each other; in order to being able to shape a dragon's breath, a rider needs to master a wide array of subjects. And so the book has a strong focus on mathematics and chemistry, with complex concepts being explained in great detail.
This book features the first steps towards a polyamorous relationship. Anequa is bisexual, and she's interested in pursuing a relationship with both a man and a woman. This is normal in her society, but the Anglish are a queerphobic people and this has stopped Anequs from actively pursuing the relationship with the woman, or to start a proper conversation between all three of them. There's also a side wlw relationship that might take some spotlight in the coming books.
To Shape a Dragon's Breath is a YA novel that's perfectly enjoyable by adults.
✨ 4 stars
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