DNF at 38%

Anequs is a girl who finds a dragon egg which later hatches, and is sent to a boarding school away from her home on the remote island of Masquapaug. This is part coming of age story and part introduction to a supernatural world. I liked how the themes of colonialism in the book parallel actual history in many ways. This is the books true strength - while it’s definitely a story about dragons and magic etc. it is a world very similar to our own where racism and colonialism and still apparent. I wanted to like this book! I felt it was very slow, and still at 38% I’m not quite sure what the book is about/where the plot is heading. Someone who enjoys high fantasy would probably like this book and like all the little details. I found it hard to keep track of all the terminology and worldbuilding throughout. I really had to focus to try to make sense of the story.

Thanks to Random House Publishing (Ballantine) and NetGalley for the eARC.

My rating: 5 of 5 stars--

To Shape a Dragon's Breath is THE dragon-riding school fantasy of 2023 (who knew there'd be more then one contender?!). Every time I started describing this book to someone they initially thought I was referring to Fourth Wing. I can't truly compare since I haven't admittedly read the later, but I have to assume that To Shape a Dragon's Breath brings a lot more to the table.

Beyond being a great fantasy novel, it's also a biting critique of English colonization and genocide of indigenous people, communities, and culture. The main character, Anequs, discovers a dragon egg. Dragons are revered in her culture, and presented with a choice of who to bond with upon their hatching. However, Anequs's indigenous island community is overseen by "Anglish" colonizers who strictly control access to knowledge and training in dragon husbandry and riding. For Anequs to remain with her dragon, she must move to an Anglish school for young dragon riders and assimilate to Anglish norms and culture for living with dragons. But Anequs is strong and proud of her culture. In this first book in the series, Anequs struggles to keep her dragon and learn useful information gatekept by the Anglish, while resisting Anglish ideas about ownership and domination over dragons and indigenous people.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group (Ballantine) and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

To Shape a Dragon’s Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose is a page-turning indigenous fantasy. I was easily immersed in the story of Anequs and her dragon, Kasaqua, as they found their way in a world full of unfamiliar customs and rules.

Anequs is a young woman who stumbles on a dragon egg and brings it home to her village. The stories of the Nampeshiwe and Nampeshiweisit, their riders, are well known, but there hasn’t been a dragon on Masquapaug for generations. Thanks to the generosity of Headmaster Karina Kuiper, Anequs and Kasaqua are accepted on scholarship into Kuiper’s Academy of Natural Philosophy and Skiltakraft, a school for dragoneers in an Anglish city far from her home.

Anequs struggles with the judgements and expectations of the Anglish school and community as they seek to civilize her and force her to assimilate. More than a dragon story, Blackgoose’s book addresses the violent history of colonization, social inequality, the importance of heritage, and the value of storytelling.

To Shape a Dragon’s Breath keeps the reader as off-balance as Anequs, never forgetting the high stakes involved. Every word, every action she takes can put herself, Kasaqua, her family and village in danger.

The world-building is vivid and both the academy and village are populated with well-developed and likeable characters. I’m eager for book two of this series, curious to learn what’s next for Anequs, her friends, and family.

This was a good book with a great storyline. It feels like a good introduction for people who aren't familiar with indigenous peoples and the struggles they face. I appreciated the interplay between generations, each trying to find their way in the world either through preserving their history or trying to forge new paths. The use of a dragon and dragon handler as the pivotal point between old ways and new ways was over cleverly done. I also loved the use of cultural heritage as ways to preserve knowledge in unique ways. Showing that even if some of the knowledge is lost value is still found in maintaining cultural heritage.

I really tried to love this book, but unfortunately I had to DNF. While the world is beautifully rendered, and the main character sympathetic, I just never found myself fully immersed. The pacing was too slow for my taste, and the plot felt tired and overdone--too many familiar elements that overshadowed what's new and innovative about this book. I think this is a decent book that will appeal to a lot of people, I just wasn't one of them.

I am very much in the dragon book era and this book was so amazing of a start to a new YA fantasy series! This book had really amazing world building and showcased a really awesome protagonist, Anequs. This felt just different enough to keep me enthralled the whole time. My only complaint is this book seemed a little too long for me. I am so looking forward to book 2!!! Such a great start. 4.5 stars rounded down to 4.

i'm so bummed about this outcome. i really wanted to love this going in but was ultimately let down. from a strong start with our mc and a dragon egg i was excited to get into this story but then we get to the (dragon) school and it reaches a snails pace. this was too long and didn't do enough with the plot. the characters were flat, flawless, and had no struggle to overcome. she was perfect, her culture is perfect, everyone else is horrible and wrong (which i mean yes but that doesn't make for interesting storytelling when she just moves on with her life as though nothing happens and nobody challenges her). my biggest disappointment was the dragons, they are growing cats that aren't explored in this story enough. the writing was fine, the story was fine. nothing super memorable about this unfortunately, i don't know if i'll continue with the series.

Anequs lives with her people on the small island of Masquapaug. They get by, luckily avoiding much attention from the conquering Anglish... Until Anequs finds a dragon egg, and the hatchling chooses to bond with her. Dragons haven't been found on Masquapaug in centuries, so there is no one local to help Anequs develop the skills she needs. She applies to attend an Anglish dragon school, hoping to learn what's needed and then return home. Anequs is determined to succeed, no matter how many are against her.

I really enjoyed this novel. It stands out in the field. I've not read any fantasy that focuses so thoroughly on indigenous characters, so that was new and interesting. There are definitely some huge parallels to our world in this fantasy. The slightly changed words and mythology definitely caught my attention. I appreciated the pronunciation guide at the start of the novel. Once Anequs leaves home, she is constantly fighting against the small-minded bigots who think her people are "savages". But she never wavers in her determination. She's intelligent and strong, likely to change the world. Of course, I love the dragons, especially Kasaqua, who gets the most focus, being Anequs' partner. The magical system is very scientific, and I actually did enjoy the depth to which the author explained it in this first entry. There's a bit of romance, though it's not really a central focus. I'm sure it will be further developed as the series goes on, but so far, I like the love interests. A school setting will always pull me in, no matter how far I get past my own school days. Besides Anequs and Kasaqua, Sander was a highlight. Can't wait to see where this series goes.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A twist we've needed on the Colonists v First Nations, GratitudeGifting v Theft, Who discovered Who story! And spice it up with **Dragons!** Yes!

Anequs, a teen who is officially a woman, and who has found a one-in-a-billion egg, is our narrator and leads us through her experience as she fights her way to becoming a dragoneer. Oddly enough she's headed off to boarding school to do it. She faces modern shade and trials, with her dragon in tow, but faces down all comers. She pulls no punches, whether it's misuse of her name or her right not to follow Anglish rules, or making sure others understand her expectations of them.

I appreciated this young woman's presence, and her dragon's. . . .but then, I'm a little dragon-crazy and must confess to a wholesale bias.

4 fire-breathing stars - all unshaped and unfettered. Would love to read where this leads. . .

*A sincere thank you to Moniquill Blackgoose, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and independently review.* #ToShapeaDragonsBreath #NetGalley

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a great book! Anequs was a lovely character to follow, and the world that Blackgoose created was captivating. I loved the cast of side characters as well. This book was a well structured and well-written debut that sucked me into the world from the very first page. I only wish we could have seen more of Anequs's culture, instead of focusing so much on the colonizers' culture.

My only valid complaint is that it was quite slow-paced. For a YA fantasy, this book was looooong at over 500 pages. It could have benefitted from cutting about 100 pages of repetitive or boring/slow scenes.

In this world, North America was mostly colonized by Scandinavians. Treaties and the honoring of them was accordingly different and Anequs, our main character, has grown up on a small island that is moderately independent of but still a part of the rest of the nation, off the coast of Massachusetts. Anequs becomes a dragon's person early in the book and it's decided that she should go to the Anglish school for dragonriders for many reasons. Anequs hasn't had much occasion to leave her island before and Anglish culture is quite foreign to her but she must be a representative for her people to maintain a precarious balance of independence. There are Anglish who hate "nackies" (this book's word for Indigenous people which made me wince slightly every time I read it) and who would love nothing more than an excuse to wipe out the remaining nackie settlements on the east coast. Nackies who have not been subdued by the Anglish continue to fight further to the west.

Anequs just wants to do right by her dragon. This is a magic school book- Anequs must learn history, chemistry, geometry and more to be a good dragonrider and keep her dragon. Stakes are high because although Anequs's people venerate dragons, the Anglish see them as animals and will put a dragon to death if either it or its rider do not measure up. Since dragons bond at birth to their people, it's not possible for another rider to bond with a dragon if the first rider is unsuccessful.

Anequs makes friends with some other students at the school who are also misfits and she becomes further involved in politics than she wants to be.

What I loved about Anequs is that she never gave into the Anglish way of seeing her as a savage or somehow less because she was not part of the Anglish culture. She had great faith and belief in herself and her people and stood her ground without misgivings whenever anyone tried to bully her for who she was. I don't think I would have done nearly as well in her place. Anequs had empathy for others and curiosity about how the world worked. What was important to her was her own family and she took steps to reconcile some distant family members. She supported her friends. She found another way into learning a subject when one of her instructors refused to help her learn. I really liked her!

The alternate world is well thought out. The different cultures in ascendancy have changed things and school subjects, for example, have different names because of how the Anglish name things. This is sort of a steampunk world and one of Anequs's brothers has gone to live among the Anglish to learn more about technology so that he can bring innovations back to his home island.

This book is supposed to be the first in a series, I think, and I very much hope to see the next book by the author before too long!

What I adore about this book it all the diversity of characters. It doesn't feel force on but just everyday types of people who happen to use dragon's breath to create things.

Wild ride for those who are into Fantasy and those who enjoy the Steam Punk genre. Fantastic character developments with truly slow (beginning) to great pacing. It is based on colonization of Indigenous People in complex worlds and politics.

Triggers: Racism; violence.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey Books for this digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

I read so much fantasy that I definitely attributed incorrect magic school in an uncolonized fantasy world expectations on the story premise when I first read it. My expectations could have easily led me towards dissatisfaction in not having them realized in this story. Instead, I was enchanted by the story Blackgoose created instead. The dragons are dragoning, the sibling relationship between Anequs and her brother feels so real, as are her conflicting emotions towards her love interests and the society she's forced to ascribe to. I look forward to the rest of the series and will set no expectation except anticipation.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me access to the free advanced digital copy of this book.

I cannot wait to see where this series goes from here!

If your looking for your next dragon series, you found it. This book had me immersed and engaged. I found the beginning to take some effort to really get into, though I find that is the case for me with a lot of fantasy novels in the early world building chapters. And I wouldn’t change anything about it as the beginning does a great job at establishing the world as well as taking the time to establish the contrast between the main characters indigenous worldview and deep connection to dragons as compared to a colonial worldview and more oppressive and possessive connection to dragons.

By the middle to end of this read, I was so engrossed in the relationships of the characters and where the plot would end up. I cannot wait for the next installment of this series as the ending left off suggesting that things are about to pick up speed and we may see a stronger culture clash that we already have explored.

I highly recommend listening to this as an audiobook as narrator Charley Flyte did a great job bringing each character to life.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the ARC of this book.

The book had a slow start and resembled far too many coming-of-age fantasy novels where the young protagonist finds out they are special in a magical way. The only part that was intriguing was the Indigenous North American setting and characters which was new and fresh. I would also have enjoyed having a pronunciation guide. I like to hear the words and names in my head as I read and I found myself just skimming over the words and names. When they were several in one sentence, it made for an uneven reading experience.
I really wanted to like and recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am loving all of these dragon fantasy books that have been coming out recently! This one was unique too because it was a debut Indigenous fantasy novel and I am always here for more BIPOC books!

I enjoyed this book quite a lot. The layers of hard topics and complexities were so well done and there were several times that I had to pause my reading because I needed to sit there to fully absorb what I read.

Not only is this book tackling racism, colonialism, structural violence, and parental abuse, it also tackles gender and sexual fluidity, autism spectrum, and how important oral histories are to communities.

I am excited to see where this story goes and what the author’s future works will be.

This is an absolute fantastic debut for dragon fantasy lovers!
I was immediately intrigued by the summary, and I was NOT disappointed.

Anequs is a 15 year old girl living on an island that hasn't seen a dragon for years. So when she finds an egg and begins to bond with the hatchling it's totally a big deal. However, some people on the island are total karens and think they know how to raise the dragon best. They make a deal with Anequs to send her to a dragon school. If her and the dragon don't succeed, the dragon will be killed.

Firstly-Why kill a dragon when you haven't seen one in centuries??

That's besides the point. This book was a very fun and light fantasy read. There is something special reading about this bond that grows between the dragon and Anequs. The world building was super impressive and I was completely immersed. The only thing I could wish for was a little more drama!! Fantasies always need a bit of conflict, and although there was some, I want more!

This book is so delightful. Blackgoose is such a wonderful writer who has such a keen sense of writing and character building. Anaqus is an Indegenous person on Masquapaug. She is incredibly happy with her life, until it is shaken up by receiving a dragon egg. She is then pushed into a New England-like world during the time before the Revolution.

I loved Blackgoose's world. Anaqus is proud of her heritage and she will fight for her own humanity. I loved how often she is able to ascertain the judgments of others and how little they matter in her own world. I loved the worldbuilding and the use of dragons, and how the teaching and use of science and lore was able to layer into the story. It was a great book, and I cannot wait to continue.

What a great start to a series.

Dragons have disappeared from Masquapaug Island. 15 year old Anequs witnesses a dragon flying off the coast and eventually discovers a dragon egg. When the dragon, Kasaqua, choses Anequs as her person. To learn how to control her dragon's breath, Anequs must leave her island home to attend an "Anglish" school on the mainland. She is expected to assimilate into Anglish culture, which is very different from her own.

A lot of this book is outsider goes to an elite academy, which is one of my favorite tropes. Anequs is a great protagonist. She really knows who she is and what she wants. She understands that she needs to conform to learn what she needs to, but she does not compromise herself. She makes friends and allies in this new world. She is subject to extreme racism and prejudice.

The world building is excellent. The details of the indigenous cultures are rich with details and we learn about Anglish Society through Anequs's eyes. The big bad is colonization, and not just one evil person. I can't wait for the next book!