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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Overall rating: 4.5 stars

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.