Somehow I completely missed To Shape a Dragon’s Breath when it was published last year. Since it’s been nominated for the Lodestar Award for Best YA Book and Moniquill Blackgoose has been nominated for the Hugo Award for Astounding Award for Best New Writer, I had the perfect excuse to read it!

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Synopsis:

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.

The remote island of Masquapaug has not seen a dragon in many generations—until fifteen-year-old Anequs finds a dragon’s egg and bonds with its hatchling. Her people are delighted, for all remember the tales of the days when dragons lived among them and danced away the storms of autumn, enabling the people to thrive. To them, Anequs is revered as Nampeshiweisit—a person in a unique relationship with a dragon.

Unfortunately for Anequs, the Anglish conquerors of her land have different opinions. They have a very specific idea of how a dragon should be raised, and who should be doing the raising—and Anequs does not meet any of their requirements. Only with great reluctance do they allow Anequs to enroll in a proper Anglish dragon school on the mainland. If she cannot succeed there, her dragon will be killed.

For a girl with no formal schooling, a non-Anglish upbringing, and a very different understanding of the history of her land, challenges abound—both socially and academically. But Anequs is smart, determined, and resolved to learn what she needs to help her dragon, even if it means teaching herself. The one thing she refuses to do, however, is become the meek Anglish miss that everyone expects.

Anequs and her dragon may be coming of age, but they’re also coming to power, and that brings an important realization: the world needs changing—and they might just be the ones to do it.

Review:

To Shape a Dragon’s Breath is a beautiful young adult coming-of-age story about an indigenous girl named Anequs and her dragon. Forced by the mainland people to register and train her dragon, Anequs moves from the island home she knows and enrolls at a prestigious dragon academy. To story unfolds as Anequs befriends other students, explores the cities around her, and interacts with political figures who dislike her or see her as a pawn.

Anequs and her classmates are unique; I really liked that her friends weren’t one-noted. They’re each bright, studious, and determined, and I loved them a lot. The setting is based on historical landscapes and politics, but it’s extremely fantastical. To Shape a Dragon’s Breath is steeped in post-colonialism themes, with frank discussions on colonialism and race scattered in its pages. This novel would be an excellent introduction to those themes for the young adult age range. However, for adults or well-versed teens, those discussions may seem a little too on the nose.

Now, we have to discuss the romances. I wish Anequs wasn’t even considering marriage, especially since she is only fifteen. While it’s a historically-based novel, it’s a historical fantasy. The fifteen-year-olds didn’t have to be seriously considering marriage. I also wasn’t a fan of the way Anequs dealt with her romantic relationships. She wasn’t extremely open and forthcoming with her love interests, and one of the love interests wasn’t even aware there were multiple love interests. Neither of these things were dealbreakers for me, but they impacted my enjoyment.

Final Thoughts:

To Shape a Dragon’s Breath is ground-breaking, but it’s tinged with nostalgic notes. The characters are curious, diverse, and perfect for a YA novel. While I appreciated the own-voice storytelling and the anti-colonialism themes, the romances didn’t work for me. However, I’m still interested in continuing the series. It’s not every day you come across a historical fantasy with a dragon academy!

Rating: 3.75/5 Stars