Set in a world touched by magic and dragons, Anequs is sent to a colonizer-run dragon academy after stumbling upon a dragon egg in her remote village of Masquapaug. Her people revere the found dragon and hope this discovery will bring forth an age of abundance and success for the island.

Yet, the Anglish colonizers believe dragons are meant to be conquered and used for economic and military means, which Anequs and her dragon Kasaqua do not subscribe to. Faced with attending boarding school or Kasaqua's death, Anequs enrolls in the dragon academy only to discover there are more barriers for her to train her dragon, from the institution itself to her peers and Anglish society.

With Angeline Boulley's "Firekeeper's Daughter" emerging as the breakout novel of Indigenous representation in YA, Blackgoose's story takes notes and goes even further. Anequs' life experiences and passion for her culture shine in this book without forcing our protagonist to give up the pieces of herself to the colonizer. Not only an Indigenous representation, but Blackgoose also incorporates autistic and neurodivergent representation with well-researched care and understanding. Honestly, I was impressed with the accuracy and kindness of these character depictions and hope other authors will note Blackgoose's loving care for these groups.

Blackgoose's vivid worldbuilding draws on 19th-century America, with everything touched by magic. The detailed descriptions and expansive features of Blackgoose's novel were the novel's highlight, creating a truly believable and wondrous display of the power of a well-thought-out world. My only issue with the worldbuilding was the magic system–although creative. Unlike anything I've ever read before, the system was sometimes confusing. Honestly, I left this book not knowing how the magic and shaping of the dragon's breath work.

The social commentary on 1800s America and the treatment of Indigenous peoples was spot-on, and Blackgoose did not shy away from the horrors inflicted upon Indigenous groups during that time. With very few YA novels centered around the Indigenous experience, "To Shape a Dragon's Breath" hits the target during discussions on colonialism and assimilation.

Despite the authentic depictions and sharp commentary, it felt as if Blackgoose was trying to cover all the bases of social issues in America. From sexism, racism, classism, indentured servitude, and homophobia to ableism, "To Shape a Dragon's Breath" tackles way too many issues without diving into any of them.

For every step forward this novel takes, it takes 2 steps back in terms of the reading experience. I am all for explaining certain aspects of worldbuilding, especially if it's a vital piece of the puzzle. Still, Blackgoose spends dozens of pages explaining fantasy geometry and chemistry like a professor who lectures nonstop. These long tangents––coupled with minimal tension and too much commentary on every societal issue––made "To Shape a Dragon's Breath" a tiresome read with no payoff. Lastly, the anti-climactic ending felt as if Blackgoose got lost on the way to the conclusion and had no idea how to end the novel after the preceding events.

While a brilliant addition to the YA genre with ground-breaking representation and commentary, "To Shape a Dragon's Breath" fell flat and couldn't seem to land on its feet by the end. I wanted to like "To Shape a Dragon's Breath." but, ultimately, the messiness and minimal tension throughout the story was tiresome and left me wanting a much more polished version of the novel.

This ARC was provided by Del Rey and Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. Follow @bergreadstoomuch on Instagram for more!

Review copy provided by the publisher.

Sometimes you start reading a book and realize that it is the thing you most want to be doing at that moment. There's just that sense of "oh yes, this, this is what I wanted." And To Shape a Dragon's Breath is absolutely one of those books for me.

Have you read some of the magical academy books published for adults in the last sixty years? Brilliant, so has Moniquill Blackgoose, and she knows where all the beats in them go. However, Blackgoose is an enrolled member of the Seaconke Wampanoag Tribe, and she brings every bit of that perspective to this book. And it is delightful. There are so many places that Anequs, the heroine, has very little patience for colonizer bullshit. In our world where the "correct a character flaw" arc plot is some people's idea of How You Tell A Story, Blackgoose has the vision and the courage of her convictions to give Anequs the courage of hers. She's a teenage heroine who knows where she comes from and where she wants to go, and she doesn't have to have that shaken to have a compelling narrative.

And compelling it is. I had so much trouble putting this book down to do silly things like eat and sleep. The narrative is flowing and assured, and the characters are compelling enough that a glance at the first line of the chapter was often enough to draw me in for "just one more." Anequs makes friends, loves her family, has a great relationship with her dragon, messes with magical chemistry, fights stupid rules, does all sorts of things. It's so much fun, it's so fierce, I'm so very glad there is this book.

Honestly, anything with dragons is an auto-buy/request for me, so To Shape a Dragon's Breath was a no-brainer. The summary also captured me by promising an Indigenous main character, a dragon rider academy, and queer characters. I ended up loving this book, in large part, I think, because it features so many tropes and settings that I tend to love. I loved following Anequs on her journey, and school settings are some of my favorite. The overall story structure felt unique as well, and didn't seem to follow the typical structure. Not knowing how the story would play out kept me turning pages eagerly, and I'm very excited for the sequel!

Overall, this was an extremely promising start to a new fantasy series and breath of fresh air!

Thank you to Random House, Del Rey, and Netgalley for granting me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Moniquill Blackgoose’s debut is some pretty direct social commentary done by way of YA historical fantasy. The world-building was in clear analogue to the real world, so that the fantasy was a fairly thin veil. I enjoyed the story and the characters to the extent that they were developed (there was a lot going on), and hope that they see more development in the sequel, which I will definitely read.

Though the description implies that this might be an academic fantasy, the book focuses more on themes relating to colonialism, discrimination, and intolerance. The academics are mostly only mentioned when they allow the author to point something out (usually fairly directly) regarding one of these themes. I do think that, more generally, this book suffered a bit from "tell don't show", and that it likely could have been substantially shorter.

Anequs is a very strong female character, but I felt that the side characters were the ones who really shone in this book, especially Sanders (an autistic character that Blackgoose treats with great dignity) and Theod (of indigenous descent but raised by the colonists). I had to sleep on it to understand why Anequs didn't shine so brightly to me, only to realize that Theod tells Anequs this in the book itself: She always has the answers. Anequs not only knows what she wants, but never doubts herself or her opinions, and this plays into the slightly heavy-handed feel of the social commentary.

I really enjoyed the dragons and the solid neurodivergent rep, and (of course) the revelation that the people of Masquapaug had held the secret to shaping dragon's breath all along. My thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC.

Fantasy books are my forte! I had been in a little bit of a slump before reading this. It took me a little bit to get into it, but I ended up finishing it and giving it 4 starts. The only thing that bothered me was it seemed like the book was too long for the story itself.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC of this work. This YA fantasy about an indigenous woman bonded to her dragon, gives an account like no other to dismantling colonialism, queerness, and more. There were parts that were particularly show that I had to skim, but overall I think this was a strong first edition to the series.

To Shape a Dragon’s Breath
By Moniquill Blackgoose
Indigenous American

First of all, I ran out of pages before I was done reading 😭 Already can’t wait for book 2!

Let’s get some buzz words out of the way at the beginning: Indigenous MC, DRAGONS, alchemical-esque magic system, alternative timeline, colonization, bi MC, major steampunk vibes.

What an amazing first book to this series! Our MC is confident, knows herself well, and wants what is best for her people. Sometimes this combination is an asset, and sometimes it is a hindrance. It’s lovely to see her remain consistent and then have to deal with the fall out of her decisions.

I feel like there could be an in-depth discussion of each character but I’ll refrain. To generalize, Blackgoose was able to insert so many stereotypical reactions to indigenous peoples both within and outside the community without making them caricatures. Evil racists, good intentioned micro aggressions, internal racism and classism. This book pretty much addresses them all in a really rounded way.

And then there are the dragons and their magic breath. Very intriguing and I fell like if I did better in chemistry I might have a better grasp of it 😬 But I was still able to follow it all and there is one plot twist in particular I really enjoyed.

There’s only one thing in worried about… and that’s a potential love triangle. It’s being set up differently than I feel is usual so I’m not crazy worried yet, but there have been so many bad love triangles done…

So basically, go get this book when it comes out in May!

Thanks to @netgalley and @randomhouse @delreybooks for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

*Received as an ARC through NetGalley

This is the exact type of YA Fantasy that I could only hope my kids pick up to read at some point. The poly, LGBTQ+, indigenous, anti-colonial, badassery of it all is enough to make me want to pick up the sequel. In addition, there's some cool world-building and character development.
The entire thing is really page-turning however the last few chapters had me devouring it all instead of tending to real world responsibilities.

Oh yeah - and dragons, academia themes, nerdy things, and coming of age type things. What's not to love?

will absolutely be picking up the sequel.

This is the story of Anequs, who discovers a dragon egg and goes to a dragon rider academy. I was initially hooked by the premise. Who doesn't want to read about dragonriders?

I liked the messaging in this book. It was continuously reinforced that oppressive treatment of indigenous people was not ok, and I admired how Anequs consistently stood up for herself in every situation. I also liked learning more about indigenous culture while reading this. A cool aspect I noticed was the chapter titles; together, they give a quick summary of the book in the table of contents.

In the beginning, a lot of the terminology was introduced without enough context, so a glossary would have been helpful. Some of the other terms were really funny though. Algebra became "al-jabr" and math became "anglereckoning".

For a book about dragons, not much happens related to the dragons, which was disappointing. I picked this up expecting a lot of action in a dragon rider academy, and instead, I got a lot of chapters on mundane classes like math, which I found boring. I initially thought I was going to be reading about classes like flying, how to train your dragon, etc., but these weren't part of the curriculum. This book was not very plot-heavy, and had a lot more dry description than necessary. The pace was very, very slow.

I will post a review to Goodreads 1 week before the publication date.

This was absolutely incredible. Characters that felt fully realistic, a nuanced exploration of colonialism and racism, fascinating world building, and a very cool (albeit jargon-filled) science-based magic system. I've never read anything quite like this--and I need more.

To Shape a Dragon's Breath is listed as part of a series, but I'm happy to say that the first installment can stand alone while leaving plenty of room for future books--no cliffhangers!

I especially loved the world Anequs lives in, which feels somewhat like if Vikings had colonized the Americas instead of the English, with has fascinating technology and steam punk vibes. The magic system, which is something of a combination of chemistry and magic, was also really, really interesting and very clever--fellow science nerds will love it.

I think it's worth noting that To Shape a Dragon's Breath does not follow a three-act structure. I am also not entirely sure whether this book falls under adult or YA--Anequs, the protagonist, is 15 but is culturally a woman, and the prose and story reads like adult to me. I couldn't find an official categorization on the publisher's website. Neither of these things diminished my enjoyment at all but may be helpful for other readers to know.

Anequs (ah-neh-KOOS) and her family live happy lives on Masquapaug Island, far away from the Anglish settlers who have caused so much strife among their people. Anequs has no desire to ever leave home; her eldest brother Niquiat works at an Anglish cannery across the bay and while she is not upset with his leaving she doesn't envy him either.

hunting along the coastline for mussels one morning, Anequs sees a wild dragon. a Nampeshiwe dragon, presumed extinct in this region, killed alongside their human companions in the period that is referred to as the great dying (basically white dude plague) and never seen there since. Anequs watches the dragon go and runs home to tell everyone what she saw. it's suggested to her that she return the next day and leave offerings and when she clambers up into the old temple ruins the following morning she finds a dragon's egg.

her people gather around the egg in their meeting hall like in all of their ancestral stories and sing and dance and speak to it. when the egg finally hatches, the little dragon chooses Anequs, and Anequs in turn tells everyone that her name is Kasaqua. when dragons bond to people a sort of empathic bond is created, and Anequs knows in her heart that this is the dragon's true name. there's a great celebration and Anequs is lauded as a Nampeshiweisit (one who was chosen by a Nampeshiwe dragon).

among Anglish people it is law that dragons and their companions (called dragoneers, over there) must be registered with the Ministry of Dragon Affairs and attend a dragon academy for further training. Niquiat returns to his family to tell Anequs that this is something she must do; if they attempt to hide Kasaqua she will inevitably be found and the consequences will be terrible for the entire island.

so Anequs and Kasaqua reluctantly send a telegram to the Ministry and are accepted into Kuiper's Academy of Natural Philosophy and Skiltakraft in the largely Anglish town of Varmarden. dragon school is unfortunately something Anequs and Kasaqua both need; dragon's breath is dangerous and destructive if it is not controlled and since their people haven't had dragons in generations there is no one else whom Anequs might learn from.

the topics at the academy include anglereckoning, minglinglore, and most importantly, skiltrakraft. the latter is the actual shaping of dragon's breath, though there's also courses on dragon husbandry and many other subjects. Anequs rooms with a white girl named Marta Hagan, the only other girl at the academy.

some of her classmates are absolutely unbearable, as the majority of them are from one of the white conquering peoples and thus look down on Anequs. but she makes some friends; Marta and Sander and Theod, eventually. Anequs faces an endless supply of racist commentary and stereotypes and shoulders forward nonetheless, frequently reminding everyone that her goal here is not to become Anglish; it is simply to learn how to shape her dragon's breath, and to return home as soon as possible.


this book slowed down substantially in the middle chunk, bogged down with all the schoolwork and the academy lessons. admittedly a lot of it was super interesting and well thought out, but it felt a little like I was attending school myself and it was a bit hard to get through. the author's description of how the sewing machine worked was genuinely mind boggling tho. and the latter half of the novel is honestly superb, as the people around Anequs begin recognizing that she's a force of nature and that she will change the world with her own two hands if no one else is able to help.

overall I really enjoyed this book and I'll definitely be on the lookout for the rest of the series. I'm very excited to see where Anequs goes from here! I'm hoping we'll see more of her peoples on the other side of the continent in the next books, and I'm also hoping there's gonna be a map involved in the published version (bc good god I really would've loved one lmao).

I think this is a YA book that has a lot of adult crossover appeal and I'm excited to rec it to people. it's great to see another indigenous author on the main publishing scene! also can I just spare a second to talk about the cover because it is so eye-catching and gorgeous. this is gonna look amazing on a display stand lol.



"You're not at all what I expected, Miss Anequs," he said after a long moment. "Of someone brought up on the islands, I mean."
"Dare I ask what you expected of someone raised on the islands?" I asked with a chuckle. Theod wasn't laughing.
"I'm afraid that I've been unfair to you," he said, looking over the field.
"Well," I said, bending down to pick up Kasaqua because she'd started pawing at the hem of my skirt, "it's not too late to start being fairer."



queer rep - bi/queer poly mc, sapphic love interest, bg queer characters

thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc ✨

In a grim world damaged by dragon wars, colonization, and industrialization, To Shape a Dragon’s Breath follows the story of a young Indigenous girl who becomes the hope of her people. Instead of Dragon rider, her people call her Nampeshiweisit. Throughout the book, Blackgoose digs up the older roots of fantasy and plants new life with original ideas, growing this novel into a stronger, more thoughtful story. In a whaling village, a girl watches as a rare dragon leaves its egg. It hatches in front of Anequs, who finds herself in a bond with a baby dragon. Anequs is led into the horrid, complicated politics between her people and the colonial government, which requires that she train in dragoneering at a dragon academy, far away from her people.

At Kuiper’s Academy of Natural Philosophy and Skiltakraft, students learn all about dragon academics. The sciences, philosophies, and engineering of the nineteenth century become the basis for this empirical dragon school, where tweedy teachers make the average black-gowned fantasy professor look like an angel. But where the typical fantasy makes boarding schools seem like a cozy academic fairytale, Blackgoose makes this academic colonial horror into reclaiming power.

Anequs and her dragon, Kasaqua, leave their whaling village for the steam trains of the Anglish world. I imagined this world as an epic industrial society if the Vikings lived in the Victorian age. Following the requirements of the Ministry of Dragon Affairs, Anequs studies anglereckoning and other magical academia to graduate in dragoneering. Blackgoose puts industrious thought into how the magic works. This is an intensely nerdy book—full of theories, mathematics, devices, and the wacky scientists who make them. Add that up with dragons and oral storytelling, To Shape A Dragon’s Breath made for a fun, smart read. Blackgoose brings a daring, entirely hot, take on dragonriders and worldbuilding that outshine what I’ve previously read. I love a fantasy author that pokes, prods, and questions the genre. That storytelling puts a different perspective, embracing what fantasy is truly about. It encourages growth over stagnation.

Characters in To Shape a Dragon’s Breath command the story. Blackgoose makes every character with even the smallest scenes captivating with intriguing, interesting details about them. Existing in this grunge civilization, Anequs experiences a world where everything is unkind and brutal compared to the softness of her home. While the Anglish see progress through their rose-tinted glasses, she sees atrocity, broken laws, and prejudice. Fantasy and dragons give her perspective another layer in a frightening fantasy world that truly feels like a cultural shock. Tight corsets, anthropologists treating her existence at the academy as an experiment, spending time with her lady amour in private, and restrictive rules for women and queer people all frustrate Anequs. Truly, you can feel the fire within in a world like that.

Not only does the world feel real, but the characters have personalities beyond their dragons. Anequs is both a clever protagonist and a delightfully rageful one in equal measure. I am charmed by her unfiltered tongue, like her confusion about expressing love in public or her grumblings about women having to wear such restrictive clothing. I like that she does not conform or feel sorry for refusing to conform to their culture’s expectations of her. She’s so wonderfully dry-humored in a dark world, which is exactly the balance I look for in a great dark fantasy novel. There’s a genuine feeling that she wants to follow in the footsteps of her ancestors, and points out that there is nothing wrong or backward about that. But as a student she is confronted with the poisonous attitudes the Anglish have about her people, making her increasingly invested in her people’s liberation.

Every character in To Shape a Dragon’s Breath is fully realized—some have quirks, oddities, family obligations, dislikes, tempers, and money to earn. I enjoyed seeing that the author wrote such nuanced, complicated queer and disabled characters, including a teacher who fought in a dragon war. And all of them are imperfect and flawed. The relationships are richly written too, be it father and daughter or grumpy classmates to good friends. My favorite is Theod, who when first introduced to Anequs says “I am the offspring of murderers.” His prickly relationship with her turns into something very deep and full of heartache, which readers will particularly be
pulled towards. I am used to Fantasy novels that portray a dark world where sensitive feelings are portrayed as unimportant and weak. I love that Blackgoose shows characters feelings towards courtship or towards family as something to appreciate. The development of everyone in To Shape a Dragon’s Breath felt visible as clear glass.

To Shape a Dragon’s Breath is one blazing epic gulp of a fantastic tale. Queer, anticolonialist, and full of dragons. Moniquill Blackgoose’s writing is easy to love: cutthroat, smooth, and reminds me of a story being told over an open fire.

The pacing wasn't entirely ideal, in that the last 10% of the book contained most of the action...though there was enough political/social machinations going on throughout the novel to keep me interested. This book was a great start to a new fantasy series. The storytelling was amazing and I cannot wait for the next installment. A great start to a new fantasy series.

Really loved this amazing YA fantasy by author Moniquill Blackgoose!!

This novel tackles colonialism and racism within an epic dragon lore world. I really enjoyed learning about the different types of dragons, and the bonding system between dragons and their chosen person. Seeing Anequs face prejudice and ignorance was a dose of reality for what people had to go through throughout history. I also loved the casual bisexual and polyamory rep!

The format of short chapters took some getting used to, and the ending seemed a tad abrupt, but I was really impressed with this novel and look forward to the sequel.

4 1/2 stars rounded up to 5 stars.

This books reads like the sort of fanfiction I used to stay up until four to read (and I actually did stay up that late reading it), and that’s the highest form of compliment I can pay any book.

It has so many things I absolutely love and crave in fantasy—indigenous people, anti-colonial themes, dark academia where the darkness is white people behaving like white people. It’s excellent. It’s quite possibly my new personality.

Did I wish it went a bit harder on the anti-colonialism? Yes. I also wish the tension was sustained a bit better, all the way to the end. I felt like, at times, the book refused to let Anequs have messy feelings. For example, her estranged brother finds out about her dragon and is the one to persuade her that she needs to go a white school in order to keep it, but he never prepares his sheltered sister, who has rarely dealt with white people, for the completely unsafe situation he wanted to put herself in. And they never have a conversation about it, she’s never angry or even frustrated that she wasn’t warned, and she never realizes he seems to be more concerned with his own dreams and how she can help him, than with hers. That felt frustrating to me. In one hand, if it’s the author’s vision, so be it. But on the other, it does feel like almost no flaws were tolerated when it comes to the indigenous characters, and that wasn’t needed to prove that there were not two sides here. All the white characters are incredibly racist and more often than not, pretty cruel. So I’ll definitively read any of the other books coming from this series, but I do hope the next few have a little more conflict and grant these characters a little more space to be human and have negative feelings sometimes.

4.5 stars

Anequs found an dragon egg on an island near her home on Maskquapaug. Dragons had not been seen in her area for a very long time. She took the egg back to her village and everyone waited for it to hatch. When a dragon was born, it chose a person to raise it. The dragon chose Anequs and her name was Kawaqua. Those in her village with the knowledge on how to raise and train a dragon were long dead and their knowledge had not been passed down. Anequs learned of a school in Varmarden, a ferry and train ride away, that could teach Anequs what she needed to know. The school was in the part of the region settled mainly by the Anglish, who also ruled the area including where Anequs lived. They were responsible for colonizing the area and killed many indigenous people during that time. The Anglish were not trusted by those on Maskquapaug. Although many of her family was against it, Anequs applied to the school so she could learn what she needed for Kawaqua. Kiuper's Academy of Natural Philosophy and Skiltakraft offered her a scholarship to attend. She would be one of two female students at the school and one of two students who were indigenous. Anequs's people did not have formal schools. They learned from any elder who wanted to share knowledge with them. The other students had formal schooling as was their custom. Anequs was at a disadvantage from the start. In addition to needing to know how to properly train Kawaqua, Anequs needed to learn how to function in Anglish society. The rules of Anglish society made little sense to Anequs and she often made missteps. It would be a long and trying year ahead for Anequs.

I loved this story. Anequs was a brave and intelligent main character. She did her best to adhere to the Anglish rules and those set set by her school, but she was not afraid to stand up for herself or her dragon. There were so many who did not want her to have Kawaqua or have the knowledge she was trying to learn. She was bullied by the other students, but was able to make a few good friends. The descriptions of how Kawaqua was changing as she grew were excellent. I could picture how she looked and moved. I look forward to the next book to see how Anequs grows in knowledge and in life. This was a wonderful debut by Moniquill Blackgoose.

I received an e-ARC for To Shape a Dragon's Breath and want to thank Moniquill Blackgoose, Del Ray Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to voluntarily read and give an honest review of this book. I plan to post my review to my Goodreads, Instagram, StoryGraph, and BookJournal.app accounts the week of April 30, 2023.

This has everything I want in a novel. It's a YA fantasy that doesn't really read as such. You know I've been having trouble with those. It's historical. There's own voices representation, which is so important. I can't tell you how many times I've tried to read about Native Americans, or another minority group, only to find the book has been written by a white author. No, thank you. I don't want that. And do we have a hint of poly in the future?

Anequs is a Nampeshiweisit, having bonded with a dragon. Her people used to bond with dragons, but it has been a long time since they have had one. She is sent to an Anglish school to learn their ways, and more importantly, to learn to shape a dragon's breath. I'm almost always wary of beautiful covers, but this story is beautiful as well. Parts of it I skimmed, but I'm interested enough to pick up the sequel.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

Indigenous dragons in an alt history steampunk New England? Heck yes. I enjoyed this a lot, although it is more of a magical school novel of manners than anything else - sometimes the dragons did feel like a bit of an afterthought. I especially liked the focus on storytelling, oral tradition and how different cultures understand the world, and will absolutely be looking out for the sequels.

I am curious how this is going to be marketed, since while the storyline feels very YA (not meant in a bad way at all) it doesn't seem to be advertised as such. I've also been trying to parse why some of the worldbuilding felt off to me and I think it's how weird it is that despite the setting having a seeming absence of Christianity - the colonizing force in this setting's northern North America is Viking/Norse - the social norms especially about gender and sexuality feel straight out of regency England (women in high society must be chaperoned; monogamous, often arranged, marriages only between men and women, etc). Obviously we can't know for sure how Nordic societies would have developed if the Christianization of Scandinavia hadn't happened, but it feels weird for the social mores, and even fashion, to be so close to real-world history when so much else has changed. At points it ends up feeling like the names for things have just been swapped to make it feel cool and steampunk, but certain aspects aren't really thought through.

To Shape A Dragon's Breath? You mean one of the best books I've ever read?

I could comp this book to greats like Babel, The Hunger Games, Iron Widow, etc, but this book is something I hope joins these incredible titles. Drawing parallels between TSADB and actual history is just continuous kicks to the gut over how we treated the indigenous people for centuries. There's not much I can say as a white person that has already been said, but ugh this is just a master class in character, plot, and all aspects of storytelling. I need more Anequs now!

this would be an excellent 300 page book that for some reason the author decided to make over 500 pages. i simply don’t need a multi page exclusively dialogue lecture about fantasy geometry. the first chunk ruled to hell and then it fell apart sorry to say.