My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for an advance copy of this fantasy novel that has one of the most unique stories I have read in quite a long time.

I have read a lot of fantasy books over the years, and the one thing I am always aware of while starting a new novel is the the feeling that I get from the first chapter. Is this a high fantasy story, or a Dungeons & Dragons kind of tale. Is the author serious, or will there be some humor. Or is this just plain weird. More than the world building, more than the magic, mythology or majesty of the story, this feeling, call it tone, but it is much more, means a lot to me. Again, I have read many stories, but the tone, the feeling, the presentation that I could see emanating from the pages hooked me in a way that I have not felt in quite a while. And it never let up. To Shape a Dragon's Breath, The First Book of Nampeshiweisit by Moniquill Blackgoose is a story of oppression, colonizers, mythology, magic, dragons, and keeping true to what you are, even when your culture is being dismantled around you.

Anequs is with her brother by the shore searching for food when Anequs first sees the dragon. Red and gold, with great antlers that denote age, riderless, and giving off a feeling of great sadness as it flies off to the east over the ocean. Once there were many dragons on the island of Masquepaug but that was generations ago. Anequs returns home and tells her story to her family, who are enthralled with her story. Soon Anequs comes across an egg, from which a hatchling dragon is born. The people of the island are thrilled, but the Anglish, those who control the island of Masquepaug are not. The Anglish have a way of working with dragons, and it is not the way of the indigenous people. Anequs is presented with an offer. Come to the dragon school, learn the way of the Anglish, or the young dragon, and probably herself will be killed, Anequs agrees and finds herself in a strange school, learning a strange way, but also learning valuable secrets about her oppressors, and how maybe to make some changes with her dragon.

Readers really will be hooked from the start. The setup, the writing the way the story is told is very, very good. There is a skill to the writing that is rare, one that everything from dragons, to preparing meals seems lived in, familiar and not drawn from a writer's imagination. Anequs is a fascinating character, strong, smart, humble, scared, alone, and yet determined to win this game she has been forced into. The storyline is different, with a viewpoint that will be unfamiliar to many readers, and yet speaks to everyone today. This story is about family, belief and the right to be who you want to be, and to fight for that right, no matter what the powerful say. The world is both new and familiar, and really is well thought out, and planned. Blackgoose has a very assured writing style, and really has a sense of narrative that keeps the reader wanting to know more.

The first in a series I am already waiting for. The use of characters, dragons, the rights of indigenous people to exist, dying cultures, and cultures worth fighting for. This is a fantasy of the highest caliber, and a book I am really excited for.

"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."

Indian boarding schools via Game of Thrones.

Anequs finds a dragon egg on a sacred section of her island, Masquapaug, and brings it home to her people. Dragons of its type have not been seen in many generations, and the Masquisits are thrilled when the dragon hatches and chooses Anequs to be its bonded Nampeshiweisit. Following the laws of the Anglish people who have conquered their territories, Anequs and dragon Kasaqua must go to a dragoneer school to train and be proven capable of controlling such dangerous powers. Anglish school and customs are difficult for Anequs to adapt to, and though she eventually makes some friends, there are many others glad to remain her enemies. When Anequs and Kasaqua receive actual death threats, Anequs knows that she must help to change the views of the Anglish and learn all she can to protect her people from the violence of this hostile culture.

WOW what a book! I couldn't put it down, despite the pace actually being rather slow. This is the first book in a planned series, and it is the type that starts out very deliberately building up the characters, world, and connections. There is not a lot of "action" in this book, but I found the characters and the set up compelling and I am greatly looking forward to the next in the series!

Anequs is a bold, strong heroine with plenty of compassion and intellect. The world into which she is placed is a unique combination of reality and speculation — the Anglish are a blend of what we know as English (geography, politics), German (honorifics, etymology, food), and Scandinavian (names, mythology, nobility) which I found really fun. There are hints at other cultures and religions in some of the minor characters, which is also great.

Masquapaug has an Indigenous culture and way of life, and watching Anequs interact with the Anglish goes about as poorly (for the most part) as you're thinking it does. There's something about watching historical prejudices and atrocities take place "real time" in fiction that is just so unsettling, and I think the fantasy setting makes it somehow even more disturbing.

As for the other characters, they're all endearing, but I especially love Sander Jansen and Kasaqua. I'm intrigued to see what trajectory the possible romantic interests take in book two. This is classified as a Young Adult novel, but I honestly didn't realize that until I looked at the tags on GR.

Thank you to Moniquill Blackgoose, Del Ray, and NetGalley for my advance digital copy!

A stunning Indigenous fantasy novel that I'll be talking about forever.
Anequs is our main character who is taken from her home to be trained as a dragon rider but not in her traditional ways.
Vivid world- building, badass main character, dragons, magic! My favorite thing about this book though is that the author doesn't shy away from showing colonization and racism. This book takes you through a journey and I loved it.

Here for the anti-colonial dark academia books we're seeing! (Babel, anyone?)

This is a page-turning and fantastical addition to the subgenre and provides a lot of allegory and good for thought.

I honestly love the takes we are seeing on the "magical boarding school" genre these days, especially from groups that have A History with them. Ms. Blackgoose writes a dragon training/boarding school story from the point of view of a girl growing up in an indigenous culture, and doesn't shy away from the fact that these kinds of boarding schools were used to culturally overwrite native children, We get the dueling desire in our main character to be able to make her dragon's magic work so that she can protect her and her people, and her desire to burn the entire school to the ground for how she is constantly treated as less than. We also get another indigenous kid whose parents were murdered in an uprising and raised as a servant who is unexpectedly chosen by a dragon and him being able to learn more about his family that remains from our main character. She's also adorably bisexual and poly and starts dating a woman she loves and the previously mentioned boy for them all to form a family together. The only thing I will knock her on is that the world building sometimes feels like a bunch of info dumping, but props on using the English/Viking culture mashup to highlight the white supremacy takes that the Norse Viking culture can take. I'm definitely interested in what might come next here. TLDR, do you want a dragon and magical boarding school book that's aware of the historical use of the real thing in cultural genocide? You want this book.

Anequs is a 15-year-old born and raised on Masquapaug Island. Dragons are nay but a thing of the past, of old and legend - at least on her tiny island. But one day, she happens upon a dragon leaving the island, marking itself for death. She returns the next day to find a small dragon egg and takes it to her council. They allow the dragon to choose from anyone on the island, as is tradition - and out of over 1000 people, the young hatchling chooses her. She is revered as a Nampeshiweisit, a person with a close relationship to a dragon.

However, upon hearing of her newly found relationship with her dragon Kasaqua, her Anglish conquerors force her to enroll in a dragon academy. With strict rules, new friendships, relationships, and dark secrets, Anequs is out of her zone. With a lack of formal education and understanding of social hierarchies, she is challenged and faces prejudice in all forms. However, this coming-of-age YA book reveals a strong character and even stronger loyalties.

"I was not welcomed or wanted here, and everyone I'd met was quite eager to think the absolute worst of me."

Let me start by saying I wanted to love this book. I truly did. An indigenous, queer girl who goes to a dragon riding school? Sign me up! Except for the biggest thing for me - it just... drags. With long, made-up words for the fantasy world, it sounded fantastical, but almost always dragged me away from the story. Sometimes I found myself flipping back to the words explanation because after getting halfway through the book, and no additional re-explanation, I was confused.

I had to take big breaks when I read this because unfortunately, I found the majority of it.. boring. Anequs attends dragon school, and learns about history, shaping her dragons' breath, social hierarchies, and social interactions. I'll give credit where credit is due, though - the last ~10% or so was the most entertaining the book had been throughout. Otherwise, the conversations, thoughts, and interactions felt unnecessary and contrived.

If you're a fan of any YA book with dragons, positive queer representation, or mystical fantasy, then look no further. "To Shape a Dragon's Breath" may be right up your alley. However, it just wasn't for me.

If you’re looking for a book with dragons, an indigenous mc who is also queer, and just full of indigenous culture then this is the book for you.

When Anequs found a dragons egg one morning she was ecstatic, and so was her whole village on Masquapaug. In her culture dragons are rare, sacred, and the community rejoices at the discovery, gathering to celebrate the egg as they wait for it to hatch. The celebration is cut short when they find out that the Anglish, who have colonized the lands, have very strict rules regarding dragons. Either you attend the Anglish run dragon academies or your dragon will be put to death. Anequs, unwilling to let her dragon Kasaqua die, decides to attend the academy.

There were many elements of this story that I really enjoyed. I adored some of the side characters, especially Sander (he is definitely neurodivergent and that made my neurodivergent heart happy), Theod, and Liberty. I also loved Anequs. She’s such a kind-hearted, smart character and her relationship with Kasaqua is one of my favorites of the entire book. I also really just loved how easily/casually the topics of bisexuality and polyamory appeared in the book (and I’m so excited to see how these relationships develop).

This book also does a really good job at showcasing the different ways that Anequs and other indigenous characters in the book experience racism. Niquiat (Anequs’ brother) talks about how hard it is to find a landlord who will rend to indigenous people. At school Anequs is regularly talked down on for being “uncivilized”, her customs are made fun of, and there are near constant microagressions made by peers and teachers alike. I know that this lines up with the life experiences of many indigenous people across the world and it was handled very well.

My only major complaint is that some parts of the book were much slower paced than the rest of the book. A lot of the scenes that take place in the classroom are just pages of lectures from the professors which just didn’t hold my interest. I also think a decent chunk of this book (it’s over 500) pages is just world building and setting things up for future books which just drug the pacing down for me.

Overall though I did really enjoy it (I mean of course I did… there are dragons). So thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for the gifted ecopy of this book. This is my honest review.

AMAZING! I cannot say that word enough! It had everything and more when it came to a book about dragons! You can tell the author took a lot of time and care to craft the world. The main character, Anequs, bonds with a dragon and ends up at an academy for dragon riders. This world is a fictionalized version of the 19th century, with magic abounding! This book keeps amazing pacing throughout the tale and makes you want to get to the next chapter to see how the world continues to unfold. I was astonished that this was a debut novel because of how good it was! Can't wait to see more from this writer!

Thank you Del Rey Publishing and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. I really enjoyed this book! Anequs discovers a dragon egg, dragons haven't been seen on her homeland in a really long time. As a result she is invited Anglish school, the people who colonized her lands. There she is met with discrimination, harassment, and violence. But she is determined, with the help of her dragon, to help her people and make them proud. This book is fun, deep, and extremely relevant! If you love dragons you will love this book! Can't wait to read it again!

This was a solid 4 stars until the end, which felt very rushed and vague and I really have no idea why it stopped where it did.

This was an extraordinary book - so many of the best pieces of so many genres! Very fantasy, a bit steampunk, a fair bit of alternate history, all through a gloriously indigenous lens. The writing is steadily-paced and the protagonist's determination carries it through both dramatic and mundane moments. That said, there's shockingly little in the way of dragons in this dragon book, and way too much chemistry in a language similar to Icelandic. I may make it sound like I didn't enjoy this read, but I absolutely did. Anequs is an admirable woman navigating colonization and a foreign way of life with confidence and aplomb. Her entire outlook in life is unapologetically of her people, despite so many trying to shape her into something else - she doesn't even need to rail against their efforts, simply lets them roll off her back. She knows exactly who she is.

m not even sure where to begin with this book. I loved the characters, the plot, the dismantling of colonialism, and of the dragons, of course. The pacing felt a little slow at times, but I already can’t wait to read the next book.

Anequs is a smart character, who does not hold back to protect those she loves or to defend her beliefs. She absolutely refuses to take any B.S. from the society who colonized her people and I am here for it. I also loved her love interests: Theod and Liberty. Yes, interests. This is giving poly vibes and I am hoping that it comes into fruition in the next book. I will say that I like Theod a little more than Liberty, but I think that together they’d be a lot of fun.

The plot of this book is going to be considering lacking by some. It has a lot of set-up for the world-building and what is going to become the main overarching plot of the series. This is part of the reason I said that the plot is a little slow at times. The author clearly did a lot of work for the world-building and wanted to show it to us, but all the explanations for the holidays and to an extent the magic system were probably not truly needed for most readers. They’re something that could have been explained over the course of the series or if this becomes popular in a companion book. So, while the plot goes quickly in the beginning and the end, it is bogged down by these details a bit in the middle.

The book is super critical of colonization and people imposing their culture over others. Anequs has so many excellent criticisms of a traditional patriarchal society that I absolutely loved. Women are meant to aspire to get the best husband they can? No. People cannot transcend their social classes? No. Our way is the only “civilized” way? No. Anequs can dismantle it down to the bare bones and I will cheer. I’m here for her making the Anglish clutch their pearls.

The dragons are also super interesting in this. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. I have a feeling that the author did some reading to find inspiration for different dragon types around the world. They have horns, webbing, frills, and are just generally adorable when described. Kasaqua, Anequs' dragon, is still small in this book, but I think she is going to be fierce in the follow-ups.

Overall, I would recommend this for fans of Iron Widow, Babel, and dragons. We have a badass female characters, a potential poly romance and a fairly strong academic setting. I know it is dangerous to compare books to others, but those were the two this made me think of while reading. However, just in general, if any combination of the elements I mentioned sound interesting to you, I would recommend giving it a go. I only just wish that I didn't have to wait for the next one.

Note: I have received an Advanced Reader Copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I started this book excited to read about a girl and her dragon. I ended this book reflecting on what intersectionality in feminism looks like.

To Shape A Dragon’s Breath very clearly draws on the real and devastating effects of colonialism and white oppression on the world, and how racism destroys everything with hate. Anequs expects to grow up and inherit her family’s home, and continue her life taking care of her community. While the threat of white (“Anglish”) settlers hangs over their heads, Anequs wants for little as her community cares for her as she does them.

When Anequs is forced to attend the Anglish school as to not put her community at further risk from either her dragon or the Anglish, she goes to learn how to care for her dragon. Anequs goes to this school already a complete person with her own culture and heritage, yet the Anglish see her as primitive because of the cultural differences. Even the friends that Anequs makes often make ignorant remarks and take offense at being called on them. Instead of apologies, Anequs is often met with their tears because they didn’t mean to do anything hurtful, and then expect comfort for it.

Anequs is young, and the reader may often forget this for how clever and mature she is, especially when set against ignorant and hateful people. I am very eager to see where she and Kasaqua will travel to together next, as Anequs has a long journey and tough battles ahead.

I recommend this book for everyone regardless of your journey in life, but especially for those who have had harder ones.

When I first started this book, I'll be honest, I wasn't totally into it. But the more I read, the more just completely sucked in I was despite the slow pace of this book. I really loved Anequs and Liberty and Theod and Sander and so many of the other characters. I can't wait to find out what comes next.

I'm going to be thinking about this book for a long while, and longing for the next book in the series for even longer. Blackgoose has an absolute winner of a debut novel and series, a deft entry into the genre of fantasy school series that firmly addresses the societal issues of the time while carrying a sense of wonder and hope for the future.

Because the worldbuilding isn't just dragons and colonizers, it's a whole what-if, descending from the thought experiment of if the Vikings had continued their colony in Newfoundland and had, even further, colonized most of Europe as well and what that means for the lands we know as New England. This brings with it a lot of the same issues our own 1800s faced - racism, sexism, wars, societal unrest, technological advancements versus traditions - but also a sense that there's still a pivot point, a crossroads, and Anequs has been thrust right in the middle of it all.

At its heart, this is a school story - Anequs comes to bring a dragon's egg back to her community, and while she knows that there used to be knowledge of how to live with dragons in her culture, it has been lost and the only way to avoid disaster is to see what the colonizers have to say, which requires enrolling in their dragoneer's academy. But what is wonderful is that Anequs has the full support and love of her family and community, a strong connection to her home and her culture, and brings all of that with her as she has to go through the gauntlet of living away from them, fiercely holding to what she knows is right and dear to her in the face of those that tell her she is uncivilized (all while being a mirror in which to see which practices are truly in need of change). She takes classes and makes friends, learns about the people that would as soon see her and her dragon dead, and through it all, Blackgoose keeps to the heart of the story, that it is about connection and agency, of respecting those connections and the people Anequs holds dear.

The worldbuilding is bright and wonderful. It's fun to slowly recognize the locations and connections of how traditions made their way down through the Viking and their counterparts in our world, holidays and place names and events taking different context in this alternate history. Equally fun is the secret behind the shaping of dragon's breath, of translating the stilkas and how magic and chemistry collide in this universe and how it becomes a point of figuring out how different cultures interpreted the same understanding of the world around them, the same knowledge passed down in different ways. The story and Anequs' understanding and conviction unfold like a flower, and I loved watching it grow.

I also dearly love Kasaqua, how cat-like she is in her mannerisms, instantly recognizable and endearing, and I can't wait to see how she grows as well.

This is a beautifully written debut novel. Our main character Anequs is of an indigenous group of people in a world that has been colonized by Viking like countries, Anglish people. While living her normal day to day life, Anequs discovers a dragon’s egg and is then bonded with the hatched dragon. Once the dragon is discovered, she is forced to attend a dragoneer for the Anglish to learn how to tame her dragon.
Firstly, this book is not for someone who is looking for epic battles and heart pounding adventure. It is a beautifully written coming-of-age story as we follow Anequs navigating this hate-filled new world. The story takes its time showing us everything Anequs goes through from the moment the egg is found to the end of her first year at the academy. It brings up topics of racism, classism, segregation, sexuality, and just what it means to be a part of a people that is hunted and harassed day in and day out. I could see some people getting upset while reading this if they don’t want to read of such topics.
I truly enjoyed this book. There were times where I did want to skim a few pages (I didn’t but I REALLY wanted to) but every piece of information that author gives is important to the story. Every interaction shapes the way the story progresses.
I cannot wait to read the next book!

This is an eloquently written story that people need to read as soon as it hits the shelves!!

After discovering a dragon on her island, Anequs has to leave home and attend a prestigious institution run by colonizers so she can keep custody of her dragon. She spends the majority of the story dealing with the colonizer mindset, as well as the different customs they have. Through it all, Anequs refuses to give into those ideologies and stays true to her true self and continuing to embrace her indigenous identity.

The representation is incredible!! Anequs is bisexual and polyamorous, and there is a non-verbal autistic side character.

The setting is very well described, especially in the academic setting. Moniquill Blackgoose did a great job laying out the course of study and the lore that Anequs learns at the school.

Overall rating: 4.5 stars

This is an honestly written, compelling coming-of-age story with dragons. Anequs is a good narrator and easy to relate to. Elements and events of her world will unfortunately be recognizable in ours, and her stories facilitate reflection and discussion of our own history in the United States. The worldbuilding is immersive with comprehensive descriptions of the social and political systems of Anglish society. We spend the majority of our time with Anequs at school, learning to be a dragoneer, and the subject explanations and depictions of day-to-day life as a student are engrossing. Multiple complex identities are explored among her family, classmates, and acquaintances. This could be described as a slow build in that most of the major plot driving events are introduced in the last 2/3, but the pacing and overall plot are fine; the story relaxes into and builds on itself. The ending does a good job setting up the sequel, which I am eagerly anticipating. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a diverse cast of characters, anyone who appreciates a straightforward, direct protagonist, and anyone who loves books that have dragons.

Moniquill Blackgoose used every page to perfection. Every scene and interaction was expansive use of character development, world building, social and political commentary and examination, storytelling, wordplay, and so much more. I cannot say fully with words how amazing this book was.

If you enjoyed The Priory of The Orange Tree and/or Babel, you need to pick up this text.

This amazing feat of writing is diverse, queer, fantastical, emotional, and entirely proud to be itself, standing apart from others within its genre. Not only is the fiction entertaining, it necessitates the reader look critically at modern societal conventions, how those have been affected by the past, and how that affects themselves and others.

To Shape a Dragon’s Breath gave me everything I want in a book and more. I can declare now that it is one of my favorite books of the year - of ever, and that I will not be able to stop thinking of it for a long time yet.

A beautifully written book, with dragons and magic! It's a no brainer for me! The story was very entertaining, but this book is a bit longer than I tend to prefer. I hope that the Author continues the series!