A young Indigenous woman enters a colonizer-run dragon academy—and quickly finds herself at odds with the “approved” way of doing things—in the first book of this brilliant new fantasy series.
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.
To Shape a Dragon’s Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose is a wonderful historical fantasy that will appeal to both older teens and adults alike.
While it has dragons and an academy, it really is mostly a story about colonisation, racism and the way western society tends to destroy cultures wherever it goes, while actually believing they are doing those “savages” a favour.
If you’re looking for fight scenes and adventures, this is not the book for you. However I was hooked from beginning to end. The story kept me enthralled and its pace and my interest never flagged.
I would really love to read a book where the indigenous people don’t have to scrape by to survive living close to those who have intruded on their land, and instead actually manage to fight back. However, To Shape a Dragon’s Breath, is sadly much more in line with our real world history.
It can be painfully true to life to read the condescending and arrogant way some characters talk about – and to – people that they consider to be not just other than them, but less than them. Blackgoose effectively captures the oppressors’ conviction that their superiority is somehow an entitlement and that a society where the rich don’t dominate the poor can’t be worthwhile. From all out hateful racism, to the small belittlements by those who mean well, the narrative at times just feels way too close to home.
However, the book is quite nuanced in the attitudes it portrays. Some of the characters want everything to stay exactly the same, while others do see the benefits in some of the technological innovations and aspire to become innovators who tinker to make even better machines.
Our main character is a young woman who has a very strong moral compass, and while she might be a bit too perfect at times, I absolutely loved spending time with her. Seeing her just standing her ground was a welcome sign of resistance in this well drawn but prejudiced society. While she does realize how dangerous it all could be, and tries to protect her people, she mostly says what she thinks and won’t bow to rules she often just finds stupid.
“All I’ve ever tried to do is the right thing. If that’s so very different from how things have been done before, then what’s done before was wrong.”
For example with the approach to romance and relationships. In her community it is absolutely fine to be non binary, trans, or just not fitting any “mold”. It doesn’t matter if you love men, women, or both. You can also marry more than one person, as long as all are consenting adults. Her people are way more open about it all as well, with children being asked to play away from home the day after their fathers come home from months spent whaling, so they have time to “catch up with their wives”. It just is a natrural part of life, and not a big taboo.
The difference in cultures was very well depicted, and also the way those cultural differences shape people, as we get to see many different perspectives. Black, neurodivergent, indigenous, LGBTQIA2S – all those people exist in this world, even if they shouldn’t do so, according to the colonizers. That inclusive cast was a main draw for me, and I really enjoyed seeing how normal it is in the indigenous community, while the Anglish gasp and shush those topics, or make them go away by killing off whoever they deem unfit for their society.
This is not always an easy read, leaning so heavily on hard topics, and featuring quite a few deaths. While the book itself is not graphic in how it disposes of characters, this doesn’t make the punches feel any lighter. There is a certain detachment in how we discover the details of people’s pasts – for example why someone is an orphan, or other relevant information delivered in the newspaper reports. However, that also makes it feel more real, a bit like how we are reading all the horrible things going on right now in our own newspapers and media reports.
This is balanced out by a very cute dragon and a good bond between her and her human, as well as a good, almost slice of life look into village life.
“It was strange how much Kasaqua felt part of me. I could feel what she felt; I knew when she was curious, or startled, or frightened. I knew when she was hungry or tired. I knew when she liked or disliked something. I felt these things as naturally as my own feelings, knew them the same way I’d known her name.”
I also really enjoyed the deep dive into the magic system, which is strongly bound to chemistry, and I enjoyed learning how it all works. Some might find these bits a bit boring or tedious, but I’ve always enjoyed the learning aspect, if done well.
To Shape a Dragon is an engrossing read that robustly and convincingly tackles some real world issues in a fantastic setting. In so doing, like the best of literature, it holds up a mirror for us to view ourselves in – and to take heed of.
This sounds like an incredibly powerful and thought-provoking read! I love how To Shape a Dragon’s Breath combines fantasy elements like dragons with such a meaningful exploration of colonization and cultural destruction. Anequs sounds like an inspiring protagonist—her determination and moral compass must make for a compelling character arc. The way the book contrasts Indigenous and colonial worldviews, especially in terms of social structures and inclusivity, is so refreshing. It’s also great that the author introduces such diverse perspectives, making it clear how essential representation is in fantasy. The magic system rooted in chemistry sounds fascinating too! I’m definitely adding this to my reading list—thank you for sharing such a detailed review.