Monday, May 26, 2025

To Shape a Dragon's Breath

       



Title: To Shape a Dragon's Breath
Series: Nampeshiweisit #1
Author: Moniquill Blackgoose
Publisher: Del Rey, May 9, 2023
Pages: 519
Genre: YA Fantasy

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.

Stunning. Infuriating, of course. But absolutely beautifully done.

I say of course it's infuriating because of the heavy implications of colonization. It's disgusting really. Only because it's so accurate. I mean, minus the dragons. But the dragons are amazing! 

From meeting the first dragon, to seeing how dragons coexist with the people in this world, and how that's maybe not how things should be. It's just a really interesting world and I can't wait to see what's going to happen in the next book. There's quite a lot of political intrigue happening, and people trying to control Anequs. And she just wants to live her best polyamorous life with her dragon on her little island. And I hope desperately that she gets to do so.

Ratings
Stars: 5/5

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