Fifteen-year-old Anequs’ people are delighted when she finds the first dragon egg in many generations on the island of Masquapaug. They consider her to be a Nampeshiweisit (a person with a unique relationship to dragons). Unfortunately Masquapaug’s Anglish conquerors do not consider her fit to raise a dragon. They have particular ideas about how they should be reared, and who should do the rearing. With great reluctance, they allow her to attend school on the mainland, but if she doesn’t succeed there, her dragon will be killed. Anequs faces social and academic challenges, but she is smart and will do what she must to save her dragon. The world needs to change, and Aequs and her dragon may just be the ones to ignite the fire.

I tried to start this book a while ago but wasn’t in the head space for it. Luckily, I picked it back up again, because I ended up really enjoying it. I loved the parallels to Anequs’ people and Native peoples vs. their conquerors (white people). There’s a strong character arc, and I love a boarding school book. It’s got solid world building. It’s the first book in a series (the second one will be out next year), and I’m glad I don’t have to say goodbye to Anequs just yet.

Thank you Netgalley for this eArc in exchange for review.

I LOVED THIS. The start of a series and this did not disappoint. The over saturation of dragon academies gets old and this put such a nice refreshing spin on things i could not put this down. A young indigenous woman (Anequs) enters a colonizer run dragon academy and is selected by a dragon. The old ways are long gone and with one person that can teach her the ways, she makes it her mission to retain as much as she can. You meet lovable characters as you follow her journey and the world building was just enough to not feel overwhelming. Looking forward to book 2,

I enjoyed this fantasy/scifi novel very much. It was a little heavy on conflict between the “civilized world” and the “native culture,” but that is not necessarily a bad thing. Maybe some folks need to be beaten a little over the head to understand the issue!

4.5 Stars. Fantastic YA fantasy book. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for allowing me to read this amazing book. It is a fantasy book, but also historical fiction, very political. Anequs is impressive FMC and I love how she sees the world in very simple way and how Anglish society complicates everything. I cannot wait to read this author's second book!

ARC Review: To Shape a Dragon’s Breath 🐉 4 ⭐️

To Shape a Dragon’s Breath is firstly a book about the colonization of indigenous peoples in Canada and Northern America, and secondly a book about dragons. The story follows Anequs, a young girl as she is chosen as the guardian of a dragon egg. She travels off her small island to attend a prestigious boarding school for dragon tamers. There she has to navigate racism and a completely new social and academic system.

I absolutely love the name of the book and the chapter titles. They really embody the indigenous tone of the book. I am so happy that more POC authors are being spotlighted and published! I recommend listening to the first couple of chapters via audiobook as it really helped my understanding of the pronunciation. I also loved how the author brought in language to the story. How language shapes how we think and our relationship to people and things.

This is a very original story featuring a 16 year old girl facing challenges mirrored in our own world today. Unlike most YA books this one didn’t focus on personal growth. Anequs’ character arc was very flat. You know those times when you wish you had said something when someone said something rude or when you struggled with identity and wanted to fit in? Well Anequs represents that version of you. She had the perfect retorts and never wavered in her sense of identity. It was so satisfying to read such a strong character yet at the same time didn’t feel that realistic given her age and setting.

At times it did feel really on the nose but I had to remember that this is a YA book. I also really loved how dragons were a part of the story throughout the book. Unlike those stories where dragons barely had any part yet feature on the cover *cough cough -Shadow of the Gods- cough cough*

Because this story isn’t about epic adventure or personal growth it did drag in the middle and the ending wasn’t as satisfying as I would have liked. I hope the next book gives us even more dragons and delves more into their powers!

Thank you to net galley and Random House Publishing for the ARC

An exceptional debut that balances the cozy everyday of learning and our main character, Anequs, navigating a culture and people so different from her own with a harsh and often difficult to read articulation of anti-Indigenous sentiments, racism, and colonization. I loved everything about this; the world is so beautifully and clearly rendered -- it's clear that this story and Anequs matters a great deal to Blackgoose and that she has spent a lot of time in this world. I love the dragons and the found family that Anequs finds for herself. It's, perhaps, a little long, but I was just so blown away by the world building and intricate level of detail that Blackgoose wrote that it didn't really affect my reading experience.

I thought often of how much it would have mattered to me as a younger reader to see an Indigenous character so confident in herself and her culture and people, standing ten toes down against their oppressors. It was beautiful to read, and I'm so glad it's a narrative that exists.

To Shape a Dragon's Breath follows a young Indigenous woman entering a colonizer-run dragon academy and quickly finding herself at odds with the “approved” way of doing things. It has queer, PoC and disability representation and is clearly inspired by colonial times.

I was really excited for this one and it absolutely delivered!
Due to a happy coincidence I read Bad Indians Book Club just before this one and it made it even better. Thanks to the knowledge and awarenesss I gained through Bad Indians Book Club I notices quite a few things in this story I probably wouldn't have noticed otherwise and on top of that I was now aware of what often lies behind stories like these, too. This way I could appreciate this book even more.

To Shape a Dragon's Breath offers not just a great storyline that was slow-paced but still gripping, but also so much good representation! True, this book doesn't have any epic battles or nail biting scenes, but honestly, I was quite happy about that. I think this way the underlying issues addressed were much more able to shine and gave the story quite a lot of depth.

A small detail I really appreciated were the chapter titles. Each title gave a little teaser about what will happen in the chapter. It not only gave you an opportunity to mentally prepare for it, but was also a clever way to keep you hooked and read "just one more chapter".

Now I'm really excited to see where the story will head towards in the second book. :)

A young girl who is a member of an island's indigenous population, finds a dragon's egg and tasks herself with raising the baby dragon. There are rules for this activity, however, imposed by the colonial rulers. These rules are challenging because if she fails, her dragon will be killed. A delightful tale addressing social issues that are contemporary. My thanks to the author and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book.

When Anequs finds the first dragon egg in centuries, and the baby chooses her to be her companion, she realizes her village doesn’t know how to shape the dragon’s breath anymore. With the goal of keeping her village safe from both the dragon and the colonizers who might attack them for hiding the creature, Anequs enrolls in a dragon academy.

She wasn’t expecting her presence to cause any kind of rebellion, or Anglish people to be so racist and have so many rules. She must learn to keep away from trouble without forgetting her roots, if she wants to return home with her dragon alive.
To Shape a Dragon’s Breath was a slow paced story, where you mainly follow the daily life at the dragon academy, as well as getting to know the folklore and traditions of Anequs people. It’s also a clear portrayal of the prejudices against indigenous people, showing clearly how the colonizers (called Anglish) consider themselves superior for following hundreds of society rules that make little sense.

Colonialism, as well as how indigenous people are treated as uncivilized just because their traditions, folklore and society rules are different, it’s a very interesting and important theme, and one that we need to be educated on. I found very scary how many readers seem to be enjoying books pro-colonialism, often not even understanding what the stories are even supporting (I’m talking about books like A Dark and Drowning Tide, which was a Goodreads nominee).

It was a breath of fresh air to finally read a young adult/new adult fantasy book that handled the theme of colonialism correctly. When I learned that the author herself was part of an indigenous community, it made sense that the theme was so important in the story and so well-portrayed.

I also loved being inside this story. I adore books set in a magical academy, where you can follow the characters as they learn about their powers while they develop relationships between each other. It was great, going back to that fantastical place every time I opened this book.

While I enjoyed how the story was set, my interest in the book slowly decreased the more I read, because the pacing was too slow for me. I really appreciated the indigenous and queer representation, but I wanted the story to give me a thrilling plot to match.

Overall, I’m actually glad I read this because I really enjoyed the first part, until I started to gradually lose interest because of the pacing. To be honest, I don’t think I was quite the audience for this. If you are someone who chooses vibes over actual plot, and you love the idea of a dragon academy as much as I do, this may be the book for you. The writing was good and everything was solid, just not action-driven enough to keep my interest until the end.


*Rating: 2.5/5

I kindly received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3.5⭐️
The worldbuilding is imaginative and feels immersive and fully fleshed out. I enjoyed the plot's conflict and Anqeus' character with how headstrong and unwavering she is. The use of first person didn't feel wholly utilized, therefore was lacking a bit in details, but the tone and voice was consistent throughout. The steampunk and dragons vibe was highly enjoyable. Although I feel like I would've enjoyed the novel better in a physical copy rather than a digital one.

To Shape a Dragon’s Breath is a lush, imaginative fantasy with sharp parallels to Indigenous history and the realities of anti-Indigeneity. The novel tackles colonialism, assimilation, racism, and the fight for cultural survival with authenticity and care. I loved the representation- POGM, autism, queerness, which were integral aspects to each character's identity without being made to feel like tokenism. PLUS, such an inspiring main character who is a queer, poly Indigenous youth deeply rooted in her culture, bonded to her dragon, and fiercely devoted to her chosen family.

The worldbuilding is this book is incredibly immersive (we love dragons!), and the portrayal of Indigenous relationships with land and animals as sacred and reciprocal stands in powerful contrast to Western worldviews. Brilliantly layered, this is a fantasy that challenges colonial narratives and imagines a world shaped by Indigenous wisdom and inclusive love. I can’t wait for book 2!!!

3.5 Stars
To Shape a Dragon's Breath wasn't what I was expecting, but it was still a satisfying surprise.

To be honest, I'm not sure what I was expecting of the book, but I heard really good things about it and decided to jump into it when I got an eARC thanks to NetGalley.

The book isn't shy enough to present the themes it explores. Discrimination and classism, seen through the lens of a female indigenous teenager in a world akin to the 18th century United States, but it's a big world filled with dragons who can transform the world with their breath.

I really liked Anequs as a protagonist. It was inspiring and infuriating reading how she has to face challenge after challenge in the academy she has to (forcefully) enroll in to save her dragon. The rest of the characters don't fall behind too far; most of them were entertaining enough, fulfilling well their place in the story, but the highlight for me is Theod.

The writing was well-done and served the story right. I also appreciate how the name of every chapter when put together tells the story of the book in a simplified manner.
My biggest (and it's not that big) problem with the book is the world. While it is detailed enough, I feel it had more lore-dumps that is tolerable and for a book centered around dragons I think there wasn't enough of them and how their existence changes the world. I hope the sequel for the book does better in this aspect.

To conclude, To Shape a Dragon's Breath is a great experience to explore themes around discrimination and femininity in a fantasy academia. Less thrilling action than I expected but more than enough feelings to make up for it.

4.75
All the dragons on the island of Masquapaug have been gone for generations until Anequs sees a dragon and later finds her egg. The young dragon chooses Anequs, and she becomes 'someone who belongs to a dragon'. Everyone is overjoyed until the colonizers, the Anglish conquerors, find out that she has bonded with a dragon. They are quite upset that a dragon has chosen her, as they only wish dragons to bond with men of 'polite society' and have strict believes on how a dragon should be raised and which should be allowed to live. They demand that she attend their dragon riding school if she wishes to allow her dragon to live. She agrees, only because no one on her island has a dragon and there is no one to support her in her bond with her dragon.
She quickly realizes that the Anglish few a bond with a dragon very differently than her people, seeing them as inferior and equivalent to a dog or horse. Further, they see her, as inferior, a savage, and do not understand her people and truly see them. Anequs is strong in her sense of self, her culture and community and will not forget who she is or change to fit 'polite society'. She will stand for what is right.

Honestly, this book was phenomenal. I think one of the most powerful messages in this book is how the Anglish view the dragons, versus how Anequs' people see them. The Anglish see them as something to be tamed and controlled, whereas Anequs' people see it as an honor to belong to the a dragon. I think this really parallels (I think purposefully by Moniquill) how many Indigenous Peoples see the land versus how colonizers view the land. The English saw and many settlers see the land as something to be owned and to serve us, whereas many Indigenous teachings tell us that the land is a teacher, and a relative, something to be honoured and protected.

It also really reveals the discrimination and racism that did and still does exist here in Canada. So powerful.

The only thing that I noticed was that there was not any growth in Anequs character, she is so sure of herself and of everything, I didn't find that there was any room for growth or development. I am hoping that we will see some growth in the next book.

I just finished this, so I'll probably add more when I have time to think about it. But I was hooked from the start to the end, watching the characters develop. I adore Kasaqua, this is definitely a new favourite dragon book of mine.

I did not realise this was polyamorous until I read it! The romance is definitely a subplot, but it's there. Maybe we'll see it develop more as the story goes on?

Always love indigenous representation in books!

I think the second book is published in January 2026? I can't wait! Already very excited.

I hadn't heard of this work until it became a nominee for the 2025 Astounding Award for Best New Writer (sponsored by Dell Magazines). I was sure I wanted to read it from the description.

A sample excerpt was included with my voting packet - with instructions to request a full copy from Netgalley if you wanted more. I did. But by the time I finished the excerpt — I was too impatient to wait for approval. Or for my library's copy to become available. I bought the Kindle version. And when I finished the book, I pre-ordered the next.

It is by no means a perfect book. It is however a very engaging one. I actually want to support that. Best way I know to have an author keep writing what I like.

Highly recommended.

A young native american girl is chosen by a dragon, she was happy with her life, but Kasaqua, her dragon, now needs her to be more, so she does, and the first step is to know how to shape Kasaqua's breath, sadly the only ones who have that kind of knowledge this days are the Anglish.
Anequs tells the story of native americans but with dragons, everything is extremely similar to actual history, and I believe that is the whole point, these stories need to be read, heard and understood, nobody discovered a new world, they found something they did not have and took it from their rightful owners.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story, the MC its super proud and challenging, but for once its not because she " is not like other girls" or because she likes to take risks and nobody understands her, tropes that honestly annoying even for teenage MC's, she is proud and will not change for the sake or respect of people who do not offer her the same graces.

Specifically about the prose, I found it a bit technical, the author takes a great deal of time describing how everything works, sometimes for the sake of the plot, sometimes just world building, I personally like it, but it can get tiresome.
Overall its a strong read, I thorougly enjoyed it, we need more colorful voices and different stories, even if its the same story, we need a different narrator.
I cant wait to read the next part.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In the vein of fantasy like Earthsea and *redacted due to the author being a POS*, this book is one that I would say is aimed at teens to early twenties readers, but has something to be appreciated and enjoyed by people of all ages. To Shape a Dragon's Breath is a bold and fresh take on the magic school trope following a young indigenous girl forced to attend a coloniser-run dragon school. One thing I especially loved is Anaqus's complete rejection to conform; she fiercely argues with anyone and everyone, consistently explaining how she is not attending through choice but instead necessity because of how society is shaped. With friendship dynamics akin to Babel, Anaqus meets fellow students who become friends and enemies, and studies under professors who accept, put up with, or reject her. These friendships explore queerness, autism, privilege, ignorance, and so much more in very direct and clear ways. It is for this reason that I consider this book aimed at younger audiences. Everything is communicated in very clear and direct ways, which for readers of fantasy that like subtlety or greyness will be a negative. For me, I can appreciate Blackgoose having a very clear thesis for what this book is for and why it exists, and choosing to nail that down much like Anaqus herself. My main issue with this book is that the pacing can sometimes really slow to a halt which can feel especially long considering how short the chapters are. It can feel like you've read forever getting through short chapters and made no real progress at all. I am also conflicted because this book lacks any real action scenes which didn't help the pacing, but I also love the bold decision to not indulge action scenes for action scenes sake.

Overall, I feel a good 3.5 rating and can see real potential for the second book!

Unfortunately a DNF for me. I couldn't connect to the main character, though the worldbuilding was really interesting and intricate. I just felt she was being pulled along by the plot and it sometimes felt very one-dimensional. I also enjoyed the story more outside of the school setting, and I think I'm just done with magic school settings in general. I may come back to it one day if I come across a copy but I didn't feel a strong pull to continue as is.

I was fortunate enough to get this as an ARC and I am honored to have been chosen to read and review it. If it weren't for Netgalley I dont think I would've ever heard of this book and that is such a shame. It is such a great story! I hope it just explodes in the book world because more people need to read this! I love that it is a coming of age story and that Anequs is such a strong female lead. This would be a great book for teenage girls who are trying to find their place in the world. It would help them see that they can be strong and make a difference to those around you, that you dont need to change yourself or who you are for others or for this world to accept you. I also really enjoyed learning more about the native culture and stories. I feel like the world needs more books like this one!

4.5 stars this was an incredible and challenging read. Such a unique take on dragons with the shaping of their breath and a mix of indigenousculture, steampunk, and academia vibes. More info in my TikTok review!