Anequs is perfectly content to live with her people on their island, too inconsequential for the Anglish to harass. Then a dragon, the first seen locally in generations, leaves an egg for her. To properly care for little Kasaqua, Anequs must attend dragoneering school among “civilized” folk. She's smart enough to master the official curriculum, but too headstrong to accept the concomitant social indoctrination. Whether she's steamrolling conventions or uplifting her community of outcasts, Anequs is resolute and empathetic. Blackgoose meticulously maps out the ripple effects of dragons on human civilization.

I really enjoyed this book for a lot of reasons, the first of which being there just simply aren't enough books about dragons! Anequs is a really dynamic main character, she is steadfast in her beliefs and always does what she thinks is right even when others are trying to force her into a box or to act a certain way. At first, the worldbuilding in this book was a bit difficult, as it draws so much influence and imitates so much of our own world that I found myself kind of translating what the concepts in the book are into their real-world counterparts. However, once I settled myself into the vocabulary of the world, I was fully swept away in it. This book is not only full of important commentary on colonization's effect on indigenous communities and the ways that colonial empires oppress not only other cultures but also stifle their own people, but it's also full of love and science and magic and excellent story writing. I'm excited for this one to hit shelves, I can see it being popular with fans of Percy Jackson, Legendborn, and Black Sun.

To Shape a Dragon’s Breath not only works as engaging science fiction, but conveys a powerful message through the mirror of literary work. This creates a sense of two levels of appreciation — for both the story and its implications. One of the best science fiction works I’ve read recently.

To Shape A Dragon’s Breath is a Sci-Fi/Fantasy book and the First book of Nampeshiweisit series. I like that there are traditions threaded throughout the story
The writing style is different which takes a minute to get used to and I wish it had definitions for some of the words such as Nampeshiweisit and how to pronounce the characters names. I like the parallels between the boarding school experience in History and the dragon school. The book starts off slow and takes some time to get into but the lesson in the end about deciding which version of history you believe or which version is your truth. Also, based on the names, it sounds like the island is off Iceland, Sweden or a nordic country. I would give it 3/5 stars. I would recommend this book for anyone who wants to explore native culture, history and traditions through the lens of science fiction.

This is a delightful coming-of-age story of a young woman who finds magic and refuses to give up her people for the sake of power and privilege.

Anequs' live changes forever when she is chosen by a dragon to be Nampeshiweisit and restore the lost dragons' magic to her people. Unfortunately, the colonizing Anglish have different ideas about how dragons should be trained and controlled. Anequs must attend an Anglish boarding school and submit to Anglish oversight or her dragon will be killed. Even as Anequs learns to navigate Anglish society and makes new friends, she also stays faithful to her culture and heritage, refusing to bend herself completely into an Anglish mold despite the pressure exerted by the Anglish or Anglish-raised people around her. And as she learns about Anglish methods of magic, she also comes to new understandings of the knowledge of her people.

To Shape a Dragon's Breath is a fabulous book and ought to be on everyone's must-read list for 2023.

This would be a VERY good 300 page book but there is no reason for it to be this long, all it does is drag out otherwise good sequences.

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.

To Shape A Dragon’s Breath is a fantastic debut from a voice I’m excited to have in SFF. We follow a young indigenous girl Anequs who is required to go to a colonizer school after she bonds with a dragon. This is really a slice of life story. There’s not much of a plot besides Anequs trying her best to deal with the society she’s forced into and trying to hold onto her culture, but I was never bored. The characters were strong enough to make this story work.

The best part of this book is definitely Anequs. She’s a wonderful protagonist with a strong voice and I really like the way Blackgoose wrote her perspective. She’s unapologetically herself - unapologetically indigenous, queer, and polyamorous. I really loved watching her standing up to the preconceived notions of the society she’s forced into while staying true to her culture and its ideals. Also, it’s really refreshing to have a teenage main character with a family that’s not only alive, but supportive and an important part of the story.

We also get a great cast of side characters. Anequs has a vibrant group of friends, and when some of those friendships develop into romances, it feels natural and earned. The found family elements of the book are really well done and watching the relationships develop was one of my favorite parts of the book.

My only real issue with the book was the worldbuilding. This is technically secondary world fantasy, but it’s really just a thin coat of paint on our world. The colonizer culture is a mix of British and Norse with a bit of German thrown in, and all the places mentioned have pretty clear real-world equivalents. This isn’t necessarily an issue, but I would have preferred the book either just be set in our world, or really lean into the secondary world fantasy and take some more risks in its worldbuilding. I also really wanted to learn more about dragons. They’re more of a background element, and I think a bit more about the world and the dragons would have elevated this book for me.

Reviews to be posted 4/30/2023

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me to access an eARC of this title.

I am happy so say, I really enjoyed this book. It defied my expectations in several ways. I expected the main conflict to culminate in battles and displays of the dragons' powers. Instead, the main friction was mostly political, and focused heavily on human rights and colonialism. I really enjoyed that this was a fantasy book that took a different storytelling path.

I also did not expect the breadth of character representation (and it felt like honest representation and not surface level). There is indigenous representation, LGBTQIA+ representation, polyamourous representation, neurodivergent representation, among others I'm forgetting to list). I loved the supporting characters (Theod and Sander especially). And I really enjoyed any scenes with Anequs' brother and his friends.

I do think it was a slow start. There are a lot of new words to learn, including some necessary words to describe things that this fantasy world has that ours does not. But it also felt like the author swapped out some English words arbitrarily to make things feel less like the real world. And that just made things more difficult to understand. I thought I needed a dictionary by the second chapter.

The author also goes into great deal describing the lessons and content that Anequs is learning. Personally, I could have done with less details in those scenes.

I am looking forward to what is next!

This was an incredible read that tread new, interesting ground and went unexpected places. I loved it - absolutely blown away! The indigenous main character in a dragon fantasy story confronting colonialism was unlike anything I've read before and ran against fantasy cliches left and right. I loved reading about her tribe and their reaction to her dragon, along with the dangerous political machinations of the colonizers that their attention brought.

I did expect a different sort of primary conflict - some sort of typical dragon battle vs purely focused on "nackie vs Anglish" politics and prejudice, but it was perfect. I like how this book kept subverting my expectations of what these types of stories are. The characters were rich and interesting, including LGBTQ and neurodiverse representation. As a dark academia lover, the dragoneering academy setting was fantastic as well. I can't wait for the next installment of this series. Five stars!

Moniqull Blackgoose's new book To Tame a Dragon's Breath is a fascinating examination of the inherent clashing of cultures during colonization. Within To Tame A Dragon's Breath, North America and Europe were conquered and colonized by the Norse. This effects numerous word choices, making the setting feel foreign and mythical to many readers. Erelore is studied in school rather than history. Al-jabr rather than algebra. The story circles around Anequs, an indigenous girl, and her struggles to learn and make sense of the "civilized" world. The world of the conquerors. Many stories are told throughout the chapters of how different cultures see their own history interacting with dragons. Personal, I had difficulty placing where in North America the story was set, until halfway through the book, when a few chance names clicked. (For those interested, I believe the island that the story opens on is off the coast of Cape Cod, in New England.) I found the tale entertaining and engrossing, once I found my sense of place. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys fiction that explores culture analysis. This book was supplied to me for free by NetGalley, in exchange for my fair and unbiased review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to access an ARC of this title.

This book surprised me. For the first quarter or so of the book, the story seemed very familiar, especially to fans of fantasy. There is a young protagonist, she is chosen by a dragon, and then she must attend a magical school. By the time our protagonist was sitting in her first (lengthy!) lessons at the school, I felt confident that I knew how the book would go and I wasn't super enthused about finishing it. After looking up some reviews, I decided to press on and I couldn't be more happy that I did.

The compelling factor of this book lies in how the protagonist, an indigenous young woman, handles adversity while maintaining a concrete belief in her upbringing. Anequs faces racism and xenophobia in the society where she receives her education. Throughout it all, she explains her beliefs and why they make sense to her. She doesn't suffer fools and always stays true to herself and her culture. I love that this book was written from the point of view of an indigenous person- it made the story more compelling and I found Anequs' society to be very supportive and loving of each other. All in all, I would definitely recommend this book and look forward to the next installment.

Wonderfully unique new dragon fantasy set through the eyes of an indigenous protagonist/community. Many of the situations uncomfortably mirror our own society’s mistakes and transgressions in an illuminating manner. The story takes place during the first year of dragon school, which, I hope means we have more books to come in this entertaining new world!

My thanks to NetGalley for making an eARC of this book available to me.

This book (intended as the first in a series) is about a young woman who discovers a (rare) dragon's egg, and ends up bonded to the newly hatched dragon. This causes her to have to attend a school for training her in dragon related skills. We get a harsh (but not necessarily unrealistic) look at colonialism, racism, gender discrimination, society snobs, bullies, culture clashes, and more.

There were a few places where the descriptions of one or another aspect of culture or of the magic system bogged down the actual plot progression a bit too much. And while this book is definitely targeted at a YA audience, its world-building makes it interesting for older (though not necessarily more mature) audiences.

Definitely looking forward to the next book in this series.

I had never heard of this author before but was intrigued by both the cover art and the unique book title. I was like "What does it mean to shape a dragon's breath? Let's find out!" I am SO GLAD I read this story because it was really, really good.

In "To Shape A Dragon's Breath", we follow Anequs and her dragon, Kasaqua. Anque is a young indigenous woman who travels from her island of Masquapaug to attend an Anglish school for "dragoneering". After arriving at her new school, Anequs is unfortunately left dealing with various hardships (racism/bullying/xenophobia) from her peers, her professors, and the Anglish community as a whole. Heart-breaking.

I rated this story as 4.5/5 stars. I fell in love with the (good) characters. As the story continues we (the reader) learn very quickly that luckily, Anequs is highly adaptable, intelligent, stubborn, and completely ignorant of Anglish customs and social practices. As you can guess, this more often than not has Anequs getting into trouble without her even realizing it. I really enjoyed Anequs' character arc as she learns to engage with those around her in a way that neither compromises who she is nor conflicts with what she stands for.

I also REALLY appreciated the representation (LGBTQ+/indigenous/polyamorous/women/neurodivergent people). The portrayals were extremely well done and thoughtfully considered.

I'm excited to see where any sequels will go with this story. This will absolutely be bought in hard-copy version as soon as it is available. Terrific story!

Dnf at page ~50.
The premise and the lore is lovely, but the writing is ALL tell, no show. I can't get a sense of place or the characters. It's like a clinical retelling of events.

I think some people won't mind the writing style and will enjoy the other elements, but this book just isn't it for me.

"To Shape A Dragon's Breath" is the story of Anequs, a young girl on the island of Masquapaug whose life changes in the blink of an eye when she spots a dragon, the first dragon seen in her village in 200 years.
As Anequs retells her family about spotting the dragon, her grandmother tells her to take juniper and tobacco to Slipstone Island to the Temple, where she first saw the Nampeshiwe as an offering. However, she finds a dragon's egg when she reaches the Temple. Anequs carries the egg back to the village to show her family and await the hatching of the first Nampheshiwe in 200 years.
When her brother arrives from Vastergot with an application explaining that the Anglish will want her to attend the Dragon Academy because all dragon riders must learn to shape a dragon's breath, Anequs's grandmother is insulted by this announcement because the dragons were their people first, why should the Anglish tell them what to do. Anequs's brother explains that if she does not attend then and shape Kasaqua's breath, the Anglish will come and put him to death.
Later that day, the siblings are walking along the beach when Kasaqua accidentally releases his breath for the first time, causing injury; it is then that Anequs makes up her mind to attend Karina Kuipers Academy for Dragons.
Once Anequs arrives at Kuipers Academy for Dragons, she is not greeted with the warmest of welcomes. Instead, Anequs is treated as a second-class citizen since she is from Masquapaug and known as a Nackie; it is felt that she is undeserving of Kasaqua in the first place. Moreover, professor Ezel, the most important of her instructors that teaches skiltikraft, absolutely abhors her for no other reason than he thinks she's a savage.
But Anequs is there for one thing and one thing only; she's a girl on a mission. To save Kasaquas life and to return to her family as a proud Nampeshiweisit of Kasaqua.
Anequs journey will not be easy; along this colonizer route, she will encounter sexual harassment, extreme prejudice, physical violence to herself from other classmates, and deliberate scheming by Professor Ezel to set her up for failure.
Also, we will see how Blackgoose intertwines the beautiful relationship between Anequs and Sander, who is on the Spectrum. Who's mother is so self-absorbed that she has frightened him to the point of writing only; while Sander can speak, he would instead write than speak so as not to appear clumsy. So Anequs gives him a voice that no others have ever given him, finally helping his fiercely loving sister to stand against their mother for him.
Blackgoose uses the old adieu of telephone and how damaging it can be. How one story is passed on and on can eventually be delivered wrong.
Without the perseverance of Anequs, Theod would always be an outcast. But Anequs made him open his eyes and see beyond the trees and see the horizon.
Marta and Anequs are the only female dragon riders at the school, so they are paired to room together. The two have a lot to learn from each other. Throughout the book, the unlikely pair will form a bond while each tries to teach the other their ways.
I must admit there were times I truly wanted to knock some sense into Anequs and tell her to "ZIP IT" for a once and listen. Then I thought to myself, "why should she have to?" Why should she have to bow down to these "Colonizers?" and conform to their ways? She, A., Doesn't want to be like them. B. Has no desire to stay in their city and live amongst them when school is finished. C. She only wants to shape Kasaqua's breath, and then she wants to return to her village. So why does she need to conform to the harassment inflicted upon her? "SHE DOESN'T"
I adored Anequs for her gutsy ways; she spoke up for herself and never let people push her around. Anequs didn't let the fact that she wasn't like them make her feel "SORRY" for herself.
Blackgoose does an excellent job of teaching self-love, loving the skin that you were born in, no matter what race, class, or caste you are delivered into, be proud of who you are because no one else is going to be proud of you.
Anequs was very proud to be from Masquapaug, that whaling village of only 1000 people, and more than happy to return. So even when the insults flew, she reflected and slung them right back.
Blackgoose also teaches, "PEOPLE NEED TO WALK A MILE IN ANOTHER PERSON'S SHOES TO UNDERSTAND FULLY." People can always sympathize, but they can never understand the burden, oppression, and pain unless they truly live it.
Blackgooses word building is "Phenomenal," and the imaginative, picturesque worlds were portrayed "BRILLIANTLY."
I am thrilled that there will be a sequel to this eye-opening book; I look forward to knowing what will happen to Anequs, Theod, Sander and Marta, and especially Kasaqua.

"SPLENDIDLY DONE"
"BRAVO"
"WOMEN OF COLOR ROCK"
"INDIGENOUS WOMEN FOR THE WIN"
"BLACKGOOSE NAILED THIS ONE"

Thank you, NetGalley/Moniquill Blackgoose/Random House Publishing Group Ballantine.Del Rey
#lovethenameblackgoose
#loveballantineDelRey
#loveNetGalley

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey, and - most importantly - Moniquill Blackgoose for this eGalley copy of To Shape a Dragon's Breath.

This book was a incredible ride. It's got dragons, epic worldbuilding, biting criticism of colonial imperialism (both historic and - less blatantly - modern), genuine anguish, and relatable characters. I strongly recommend this book.

I was given the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey and to NetGalley!

I acknowledge, with respect, that the lands I live on are the traditional and ancestral homelands of the Arapaho, Cheyenne, and Ute Nations and peoples.

To Shape a Dragon's Breath is an alternate universe story about an Indigenous woman who suddenly finds that a dragon egg has been left on Slipstone Island. She brings the egg back to her village, where it is celebrated by the whole community. They sing songs, tell stories, and care for the egg until it hatches - and Kasaqua chooses Anequs as her Nampeshiweisit. Unfortunately because her people have not had Nampeshiwei (the dragons native to their land, that were thought to all be gone) in hundreds of years, nobody can tell her what she needs to know in order to shape Kasaqua's breath. When an accident happens, Anequs chooses to follow her brother's advice and apply to a school to become a dragoneer in the Anglish manner, so she can learn what she needs to and then return to her people. This book details her first year at school, from the cultural differences, racism, educational barriers (of course the Anglish expect her to know THEIR peoples' history, when they know nothing of hers!), and more. Anequs meets all sorts of obstacles that challenge her in different ways.

I really, really enjoyed this book. It was a bit of a slow wind-up but once it got rolling, it was hard to put down! If you enjoy books about schools - the ones that focus on social, educational and political plots, then this one is for you! If you're looking for more sword fights and action, you'll be disappointed. This is not about a young woman who literally fights through her obstacles. There is, of course, some fighting because.. well, it's a school, whose almost all the students are rich older sons. There are a few exceptions - Anequs is roommates with the only other girl in the school, Marta. The only other nackie (Indigenous) person at the school is Theod, who came by his dragon egg in an even more unusual manner than Anequs. Sander is the brother of one of Marta's oldest friends - I definitely read him as autistic and I assume the society just hasn't come up with a word for it yet.

Marta, Sander and Theod experience just as much culture shock as Anequs does. Theod was raised solely by, and among, the Anglish so even though he is nackie, he knows nothing about his heritage except what the Anglish have told him.

One of the things that would occasionally take me out of the setting were the words that clearly had common root with english - for example, lood for lead or silber for silver. But I also see it as an intentional world-building choice. Some of it seemed to almost bring an experience or feeling of being an "outsider" or disconnected from the Anglish - which I almost wonder if that was also intentional, to pull white readers into a different mindset when reading. (I'm a white reader who only speaks one language, so whether it was an intentional choice or just a happy accident of the world building, I do think it gave me a different experience than I would have otherwise had.)

I love the system by which they shape a dragon's breath! It's clearly based on the periodical table of elements and chemistry. I found it intricately fascinating and can't decide if I'm head-canoning the symbols they use as similar to what we use in chemistry, or if it is also slightly different. As a science nerd, I really appreciated this extra detail, instead of a "shrug, magic". I like when magic systems have some kind of basis in the world-building that makes sense.

There is some queer rep in Anequs, who is bisexual and talks about the way her culture sees LGBT+ members of their community (it's good!) and even about polyamorous marriages (yay!). Sander is presumably autistic. Theod might be serving as an example of what being raised outside of your heritage & culture can lead to - I love seeing him slowly opening up to Anequs and questioning what he's been told his entire life.

Overall, I found this book INCREDIBLY enjoyable and I'm looking forward to the next one!

When readers are shouting for diversity in novels this is exactly what we are looking for! Many of the themes in this book are reminiscent of the Native indigenous people and their struggle against racism, colonialism, colonization, and outright whitewashing. While most of the book takes place at the academy we’re introduced to a rich and vibrant world with a cast of characters who are as diverse as the world we live in. While this feels like a cozy fantasy novel it’s laying the groundwork for what I expect to be an epic, dare I say, high fantasy series. This is the perfect novel for anyone seeking cozy fantasy, diverse representation, steampunk academia, and/or political/historical genre.

Pros
-Rich world-building
-Representation for LGBTQIA+ and Autism
-Strong Female Lead MC
-Complex Theme
-Indigenous Representation
-Fantasy
-DRAGONS!

Cons
-Some of the world-building was a little heavy-handed/information overload.

Overall a fantastic story! Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for allowing me the opportunity to get an early copy of this story.