Anequs' life changes irrevocably after she finds a dragon egg near her island home. Unfortunately, her people, a Native American type of tribe in an alternate colonial America, no longer remember how to shape a dragon's breath, a way of using the dragon's magic. Without such training, the dragon presents a danger to Anequs' family and friends. Her best hope is to leave her small island home and attend a dragoneer school run by the people who conquered and rule her land. Leaving her family and friends, Anequs must find her place among those who view her and her people as ignorant barbarians.

This book was amazing. Mostly because of Anequs' strong self assurance throughout the story, but also because of the setting and the social and cultural descriptions of both the Nackies (a derogatory term for the indigenes people here) and the Norse and other alternative fantasy cultures mentioned.

Anequs is a teenage girl living a quiet but happy life at home when she's chosen by the dragon whose egg she found. In order to learn how to control her dragon's dangerous magic, and to avoid causing trouble with the Norse people who conquered and rule the land, Anequs applies to a nearby dragoneer school. But the Norse aren't willing to let a native girl own a dragon, afraid of the danger she may one day become.

Anequs has to deal with racism from her snobby male classmates, from her professors, and from the media. Living among people who consider her an illiterate savage, Anequs has to put up with extreme rudeness, while trying to fit in and dress and act as expected of a proper young lady.

Despite her enemies and the trouble they cause her, Anequs strives to be a good student and to make friends with some other cast-off classmates. Standing firmly for her values and beliefs, Anequs struggles to pass her classes, while putting up with Injustice and trying to avoid sparking another war against her people.

Absolutely loved Moniquill Blackgoose's To Shape A Dragon's Breath. An enrolled member of the Seaconke Wampanoag Tribe and lineal descendant of Ousamequin Massasoit, Blackgoose has crafted a magical world around fifteen year old Anequs, a young Indigenous woman, who finds a dragon egg & bonds with the hatching. I'm at the part where she has just enrolled into a colonizer- run dragon academy & it's ramping up quickly - the Anglish conquerors of her land have specific ideas on how dragons should be raised, which differ greatly from Anequs & her people.

In reading about Blackgoose, her bio mentions her works often explore themes of inequality in social and political power, consent, agency, and social revolution, of which I am seeing much of in To Shape A Dragon's Breath. It's a smart, excellent book - highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey Books for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

"To Shape a Dragon's Breath" by Moniquill Blackgoose delivers a captivating and imaginative world. The novel presents an intricate blend of steampunk and dragon elements that are integrated seamlessly into society's culture. From the magic dragon breath to the range of technological devices, there were plenty of standout features in the novel's world-building.

The protagonist, Anequs, is a complex character whose personal journey is engaging from start to finish. Her story of navigating the dragon academy and the obstacles she faces are relatable and captivating. Anequs' journey offers a delicate exploration of the character's relationship with her dragon, Kasaqua, as well as her identity in a society where race plays a significant role.

The novel also brings important themes of identity, colonialism, and racism to the forefront, providing a grounded reflection of how societal forces impact individuals on a personal level. While the novel's stakes are not particularly high throughout most of its duration, the book's low-conflict approach provides a welcome contrast to the typical fantasy novel's fast-paced, action-driven(read as plot-heavy) structure.

That being said, the novel's plot may not appeal to readers looking for a more conventional storyline. The storytelling is character-driven rather than plot-heavy, which may be unappealing to some readers. Additionally, the shift in tone in the last quarter of the novel is unexpected and may feel out of place.

Overall, "To Shape a Dragon's Breath" is a unique and entertaining read that will appeal to fans of both young adult and adult fantasy novels. The novel's world-building is rich and expansive, and Anequs' character journey is engaging and thought-provoking. This novel is ideal for readers interested in social commentary, intricate world-building, and character-driven storytelling.

3.75 out of 5 Stars.

I always struggle with what to say when I really enjoy books and I really enjoyed this one.

Anequs is a fantastic protagonist and I loved her relationship with her family and her people and also the way she gathered other students. Her refusal to conform to Anglish societal rules and her dedication to wanting to learn only to help manipulate her dragon's breath to help her village. I wasn't sure what to make of Marta at first, but I'm glad that she was held accountable for her actions by the author and by Anequs.

The dragon's mythology was unique and made me consider aspects of bonded to a dragon I hadn't thought of before. Another thing I found really cool was the way the author presented a story told by a character. It would have its own separate chapter titled "This is the story that ____ told".

Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review!

This book is so exciting, but also has a great sense of calm. It feels kind of like I am listening to a story be told in a good way. Like there is plenty of time and no need to rush. The stories of the history within the main story are really interesting. There is more world building than I personally need in my stories, but the world building is done well, and I think it is definitely necessary in certain sections to help the reader understand the characters better. The conversations felt believable and the family dynamics felt believable. I also really liked the beginning where Anequs is kind of ambivalent about going to school because everything is happening so fast she doesn't really get time to process, and I feel like I would be feeling the same way. That sense of curiosity for what might come next but also not really believing what is happening so not fully processing all of my emotions.

The bold colors and gorgeous depiction of a dragon's head on this cover drew me in immediately, And the summary made it an immediate request.

This is the story of Anequs, a young indigenous girl, and the dragon egg she finds on her people's land. To learn how to raise her dragon to the best of her ability, she is forced to go to a school of the people who oppressed and massacred her own.

I completely adored this story. This is an alternate history, taking place in a colonized land. The main character, Anequs, is intelligent, passionate, and driven to learn as much as she can so she can return home to best help her people. She's not afraid to stand up for what she thinks is right, and I loved every time she questioned why something was done. Whether she was standing up to school house bullies, or the thane in charge of the whole land around her, I was cheering her on. And her collection of friends is a diverse and well fleshed out group.

With dragons and gaslamp fantasy flavors, this kept my attention the entire time. There is a particular moment in the middle of the book where Anequs learns something about dragon handling, and I actually caught my breath. In this story of an indigenous girl forced to learn her colonizer's ways because the knowledge of her people was wiped out, every little stride was so powerful.

The ending felt a little bit rushed to me, and a little bit anticlimactic from what was set up. But there was enough resolution to be satisfying, with enough loose threads to entice me if there's a sequel.

Thanks to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC.

I would like to extend my gratitude to NetGalley and Del Rey Publishing for providing me with an eARC copy of this fantastic book for an honest review.

This slice-of-life, coming-of-age novel is a refreshing fantasy that includes indigenous culture, a dragoneering school, and automata. Set in a gaslamp fantasy with viking roots, this book has some amazing world building. I loved the fables and stories that were woven into the narrative. The young indigenous protagonist, Aneques, is extremely relatable to my very logical brain. I also adored the dragons in this book, who are more like highly intelligent pets that share a deep emotional bond with their riders. The diverse cast of characters includes an autistic character, an indentured black character, and the tiny bit of romance seems to be heading towards being polyamorous.

Aneques is incredibly determined as she navigates through a world that is rarely tolerant and often violent against her people. The book is a poignant commentary on racism (both subtle and very much NOT), colonialism, and what it means to be civilized.

The hard magic system that reminded me somewhat of organic chemistry was very different from anything I've ever read before, but the book goes into detail that would surely delight those who enjoy exploring new magic systems. Overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a thought-provoking and immersive read.

Can't wait for the next one!

Teens learning to train dragons is not a new concept in fantasy novels. But this has the addition of a fish out of water story, with an indigenous girl leaving home for the "civilized" world to attend an academy. It is very uncomfortable to read at times because of the presumptions and attitudes of the "Anglish", but that is part of the point. It's well written and plotted, but definitely too long (especially considering it's YA).

Really enjoyable read. The magic system is incredibly well crafted and interesting. The alternative history setting digs into a time period that doesn't get a ton of love, and I'm a sucker for something that gives off steampunk vibes. I was particularly drawn to the discussions of racial injustice and fitting in versus standing out. As a multiracial person, that hit home. Wonderful world building, solid characters, only taking a star off because book one more stops than comes to a conclusion. Will definitely be picking up this whole series as it comes out.

This book was everything! The set up is a sort of alternate historical fantasy set in a mid-1800s era location that is basically what is present-day lower New England (think like Massachusetts/Rhode Island). The magic is science-based but not in a way that was confusing to understand. And I say that as someone who very much does not understand chemistry. The dragons work with their "riders" in the Anglish world, Nampeshiweisit in Anequs' culture. I liked learning about how the Anglish interact with their dragons versus the relationship that is cultivated between a dragon and a Nampeshiweisit and how the magic is used in the different cultures. There is a lot of information given in this story, but having that background knowledge will make it easier to follow the overarching series conflicts without the reader feeling confused or lacking information needed. I don't mind that this story really took its time to set the world up and give us a lot of character building. I really liked seeing the friend group form and how they all interact with one another.
There is a lot of discussion of colonization especially in the way of Anequs questioning why Anglish society is so restricting and questioning their rules and customs. I appreciated the way she never failed to question why they would do things a certain way instead of the way her community does things. Her sense of justice and refusal to budge on what she thinks is right is something I love about her character. But I also love how gentle and caring she is towards her friends. Her friendship with Sander is very sweet and I love how she will always stand up for him but also leaves him space to stand on his own and she never judges him for his reactions to things. Marta is an interesting character because she's not so much a frenemy as she is an acquaintance who could be a really good friend if she stopped caring so much about other people's opinions. I love grumpy Theod and how Anequs sort of wheedles her way into his life and pushes him to look outside of what the Anglish have taught him. Anequs' friendship with Liberty is also so sweet and fun. I can't wait to see where they all lead.
This is a kind of slow-moving plot but I expect the build up in this book will be important for the rest of series.

I am very excited to see how the story progresses in book 2!

This book wasn't for me. I really did want to like it, but what it was trying to do versus what I wanted from a story like this blended like oil and water, leaving it a struggle to finish. In a way, the book is also a struggle to review because had I not requested an ARC of it I simply would have dropped it as it became clear that its style of storytelling isn't one I enjoy. But I requested a copy because I believed I would love it from the synopsis, and I will be honest in my experience.

I'll simply focus on what didn't work for me, and if these elements are what you're looking for in a story, perhaps this review could work as an advertisement of sorts because these elements exist in abundance. Elsewise, if you're undecided and don't like the sound of things, it could help you decide to pass on it.

Anequs is a young indigenous woman who due to events in the opening chapters attends a dragoneering academy run by her people's colonizers. These colonizers, the Anglish, hold strong prejudices against her and her people, sometimes overtly hateful and sometimes due to ignorance, and they practice cultural norms that they place great value on but that Anequs is unfamiliar with.

The main issue for me is that there is no struggle, internal or external, for our lead because Anequs is largely unruffled about her situation from start to end. She is logical and never exhibits anything but good intentions, honesty, and practicality regarding every problem she faces. She has clear values and voices her opinions strongly so that others can be influenced by her, but she herself does not change or have flaw in any way. As implied by this, the morality of the story is very black-and-white, with Anequs' view being the reasonable and correct view and everyone else's needing adjustment. Her speaking her views aloud is a large part of the novel; Her being in a culture that hates her and her people and then shrugging it off and doing what she wants anyway is the main plot.

And I can imagine it being cathartic to see the sexist, racist, and xenophobic culture of a mid-1800s euroblend of countries be called out and questioned by someone who's having none of the nonsense. But man, is it... really bland and boring to read this pattern of Anequs seeing a moral failing in Anglish society, pointing out why it's bad, and being justified in pointing it out repeated ad nuseum throughout the entire book. I love books with things to say, but in this case it's not so much thought-provoking as it is annoying if you agree with it (because it really reads like a laundry list of issues with society that Anequs notices as she notices them), and it certainly won't change the mind of anyone who doesn't already agree. Her observations on society are not detailed, leaving the critiques to feel very surface-level and more focused on hitting on as many of them as possible and contrasting with how those things are better in her own culture.

What's even more odd is that Anequs never seems to face consequence for expressing her values despite being in such a hostile situation. Academic struggles don't cause her any meaningful distress because she's smart and simply learns the material anyway without help, and until very close to the end of the novel the plot actually seems to go out of its way to make sure she has no consequences on a personal level. When she messes up social niceties or expresses a view radical to those around her like support of transgender people, there are some gasps, but then life goes on. People tell her not to do things because they might be dangerous, but no danger ever follows her actions when she does act. As an example, Anequs kisses another female character within this novel. This is a potentially massive upheaval for both her and the character due to the homophobic culture of the Anglish (a culture the other character was raised in), but the other character ends up having already come to the conclusion that she likes women long ago, meaning after a brief talk later they simply both go on with their lives as before. No one who could cause conflict finds out.

Then there are the dragons, or rather the lack of them. The bond between Anequs and her dragon, Kasaqua, is present for the opening chapters and then disappears into the background when they move to the academy, and it remains there ever on. There are some fun facts about the dragons dropped in here and there, but aside from one class on dragon handling that the reader witnesses, there is nothing of note pertaining to them. Kasaqua is a cute and cat-like, but do not go in expecting her to be a character in her own right or for their bond to be explored.

What the story does have a lot of focus is on a fantasy version of chemistry with all the elements and main terms renamed into new ones. You sit in on lectures for the subject and listen to side characters talk about how they're going to use the subject to make new engines and machines. If you have a background in chemistry you'll be able to piece together which real life elements correspond to which fantasy names and get a general idea of how they're building things, but the detail was far more than the story necessitated and I'm struggling to figure out why chemistry lessons were dropped directly at the reader so frequently unless the reader was meant to understand them as Anequs did. That did not work.

The side characters also felt very one-note and limited to one or two defining character traits each, and as someone who is often a character-focused reader, it made things even more boring to me.

But yes, despite all of this, there was clear love put into this book, and I did enjoy the premise and several individual scenes, particularly those within Anequs' village. I hope those who will like this book find it.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this opportunity to read an ARC of "To Shape a Dragon's Breath" by Moniquill Blackgoose in exchange for an honest review.

A story set in a world where colonialism is going strong and still in the midst of its most destructive tendencies, the tale of Indigenous Anequs being chosen by a dragon hatchling and finding herself thrust into the world of the colonizers is one rife with things that will make you want to punch someone. Blackgoose has no issues with going hard at the most racist and irrational elements of colonialism where even the 'good' colonialists fail to see how awful they're being. It's a powerful and thought-provoking element, but I'm afraid I found it often took me out of the great story being told.
Anequs, her fellow students, and the adults she's surrounded by create a world that feels real and affecting despite there being dragons in their midst. The clash of worlds and cultures is as interesting as the way everyone interacts with different expectations and prejudices, where even a friend thinking they're doing kindness is in fact being incredibly insulting.
It's a powerful story of being strong in the face of negative expectations and staying true to yourself that boldly faces difficult topics and lets the characters tell their story. I enjoyed it despite the fact that it made think about hard and dark things, or maybe even because of that.

Happy thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for the excellent, thought-provoking read!

Anti-colonial tale about dragons. Anekus, a young Indigenous woman, finds a dragon egg, Her people lost most of their dragon-lore (and their dragons (and their lands and lives)) when the Anglish invaded about 200 years earlier. When the egg hatches, the dragon chooses her. She must attend an Anglish dragon school to learn how to direct her dragon's breath. Once she has learned skiltacraft, Annakus wants to return to her island with her dragon to help her people, the Masquisit.

There is a lot of culture-clash, Anekus is not impressed with the Anglish or their laws. The ultra-conservative Anglish really do not like that a dragon bonded with her, an indigenous woman, instead of an Anglish boy from a good family. She is thrown into politics and become a symbol whether she likes it or not.

Set in an alt Massachusetts and Rhode Island where the Vikings conquered northern Europe and colonised the Americas. Refreshingly, Christianity is not a major religion or force, yet many other major religions and cultures still exist. The story is told in small tale-like chapters, weaving indigenous knowledge systems and practices into its rhythm. The Masquisit society is utopian.

Worst thing I can say about the book is that Anekus is a little too perfect; she always does the right thing, even when it is the hard thing.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this Arc!

The Nampeshiwe dragons have not been seen for some time until Anequs spots one and shortly after locates a dragon egg. She takes the egg back to her Masqupaug community and soon after the hatchling chooses Anequs to be her bonded partner. After Kasaqua (baby dragon) breathes fire on one of her people, Anequs is convinced to take Kasaqua to an Anglish dragoneer school to tame her. Once she is there, she is thrown into an unfamiliar world and faced with sexism and hostility from the white teachers and students who don’t accept her cultural differences.

Anequs does manage to make a few friends throughout the story. Theod is another Indigenous kid who was taught to believe the people he came from are uncivilized, but learns a lot throughout his friendship with Anequs. Sander is an autistic boy who is treated poorly by people who assume is far less intelligent than he is. We also meet Liberty who is a black kitchen maid who is indentured to the school and Marta who tries to assimilate Anequs to how she believes a proper lady should be behaving.

This book has a ton of great representation and deals with heavy topics in a way that feels natural to the story. However, at times I felt like we were trying to touch on too many heavy topics. We deal with colonialism (main plot point), ableism, classism, sexism and homophobia and sometimes it felt like the heavy topics pulled away from the overall plot of the story.

I really loved the world that the author created, however, there was a lot of info dumping in the first half of the book. I felt like there was too much focus on the intricate details of how to train a dragon and made the book feel dense. I did appreciate the creative approach to dragonfire, but I felt like the book could have been 150-200 pages shorter without compromising the overall story. I loved all the information that we received surrounding the bond between a dragon and their rider and I loved how Kasaqua wasn’t just treated like a pet to Anequs.

Overall, this was a solid read and a VERY solid start to this series. If this had been shorter, To Shape a Dragon’s Breathe would have likely been a 4-5 star read. The first half of the book was a lot to get through, but it finds its footing and soars through the second half. I think this is a strong debut novel and I am so excited to see where the story goes from here!

Fifteen-year-old Anequs finds a dragon’s egg and bonds with its hatchling. Her people are delighted, revering Anequs as Nampeshiweisit—a person in a unique relationship with a dragon. The Anglish conquerors have a very specific idea of how a dragon should be raised, and who should be doing the raising, and it's not Anequs. She's reluctantly enrolled in a proper Anglish dragon school on the mainland. If she cannot succeed there, her dragon will be killed. Anequs is socially and academically challenged, but she's determined to learn what she needs to help her dragon. The one thing she refuses to do, however, is become the meek Anglish miss that everyone expects.

Beginning with life in the village, we see the way Anequs and her people revere nature, Dragon's, and their way of life. The Anglish and the other cultures they conquered have a very precise and structured way of looking at the world, with rigid class structures and gender roles. Their conquest and "civilizing" those "savage" lands winds up stripping it of resources and organizing everything according to "best" use. Even dragons are treated as tools to be trained properly, and the native people are treated as illiterate and unwashed masses. It's appalling and has us sympathizing even more with Anequs at how callous she's treated. Her headmistress, cold and distant at first, had to break gender norms to become a dragonrider, much less rise to headmistress, and we soon enough discover that she hopes Anequs will become a role model and help break even more barriers at the school.

Anequs is a tough cookie, refusing to conform to "civilized" society or allow herself to be belittled and made small for others' amusement. She and her dragon are definitely underdogs, but so are other students dismissed for being different. I enjoyed the world-building, in the ways that the Anglish are Nordic and much of the culture is heavily influenced by what we know of the Norse Vikings as much as the Regency and Victorian ideas of class and the "right" to conquer and "civilize" others. We see the culture of Anequs' people and the stories that she collects from others. As she learns the subjects she needs to know to become a dragoneer by Anglish terms, she also grows more into herself as a person. She always loved her people and home, which carries her forward through hardships, but there's less fear of the unknown or handling difficult situations. I read each chapter with rapt attention, eager to know more about her journey. I'm so glad this is the start of a series, because it's such a fantastic world with wonderful characters, dragons, and places to explore.

I am in a deep dragon phase right now so when I heard about this title I requested it right away. What I really liked about this book was that it was very different from any other dragon title I have read before. It was a lot slower pace than I expected but I think it fit the plot very well and the author is a fantastic writer. It is an indigenous inspired story and she dealt with tough topics and harsh realities in a insightful and poignant manner, I am excited to see where this series leads.

Anequs is a young Indigenous woman born and raised on the island of Masquapaug, far from the colonizing influence of the Anglish people. After spotting a Nampeshiwe, one of the dragons once common in the area, she quickly goes home to tell her family what she has seen. Uncertain if it was really there or just a vision, she ventures back out the following day and finds not the adult dragon, but a Nampeshiwe egg—the first one seen in generations.

When the baby Nampeshiwe hatches in front of the entire community of Masquapaug, she chooses Anequs to be her bonded partner. Anequs names her Kasaqua and becomes the first Nampeshiweisit (dragon partner) in the memory of anyone on the island. Now Anequs would've been perfectly content to stay in her family home and raise the dragon there until Kasaqua, in a moment of fear and pain, releases her breath weapon. Seeing the raw destructive power even a baby dragon possesses convinces Anequs to follow her older brother's advice and apply for Kuiper Academy, the Anglish dragoneer school in the distant city of Vastergot.

Soon, Anequs is off to another world, one where the white men control everything from how history is taught to who gets to be paired with a dragon. The school accepts her application, but the threat of death for Kasaqua if she can't learn to be tamed to their standards looms over everything.

Anequs doesn't fit in at the school, since she wasn't raised in Anglish society. She doesn't know the rules that she's supposed to follow, and so she rapidly befriends the other "misfits" of sorts, including an autistic student (in one of the most accurate and sympathetic portrayals I've ever encountered in literature), the one other Indigenous dragoneer, and one of the laundry maids. She spurns the use of the assigned surname Aponakwesdottir, insisting that the only name that she needs is Anequs. She can read and write, which is more than many of the white students and professors expect of her. In short, neither Anequs nor Kasaqua are what the students and staff and Kuiper anticipated. Nor is the school what Anequs had hoped for, with the narratives and views of white men dominating every aspect of the society. Now she must navigate adolescence, dragon-rearing, school, and an openly hostile culture that would prefer her not to exist.

To Shape a Dragon's Breath is brilliant. The world is simultaneously strange and familiar, set on an Earth in the early industrial age with technological innovations driven by dragons, who can break matter down into component elements with their breath. The breadth and depth of the worldbuilding is staggering, with tremendous care put into the little details. The scientific processes are as thoroughly explored as any contemporary fantasy's magic system, with almost every aspect having a real-life counterpart. I loved following Anequs as she learned about the world beyond the boundaries of her island, and I can't wait to come back to the world of the Nampeshiweisit.

Moniquill Blackgoose's To Shape a Dragon's Breath is out in the wild today. Go catch yourself a copy.

My utmost thanks to Random House/Ballantine and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This review originally appeared here: https://swordsoftheancients.com/2023/05/09/to-shape-a-dragons-breath-a-review/

Monumentally good. Beyond any expectations I've had for young adult fantasy; just phenomenal.

Just a few generations after a "great dying", indigenous natives of North America must deal with the effects of their vastly disease-reduced population and with their great outnumbering by invading settlers, in an alternate history/Earth in which Vikings, a dominant European civilization, have established cities on the continent, in part with the might of their dragons. Anequs, a teenage woman of Masquapaug, witnesses an extremely rare native dragon—a Nampeshiwei—lay its egg, and becomes that egg's Nampeshiweisit—an emotionally, spiritually, and psychically connected partner to a dragon; a guardian, companion, and trainer. But because Nampeshiwei have not been on Masquapaug since the dying, and because of the island's constrained relationship with the colonizing Anglish, Anequs must venture into an Anglish school on the mainland, to try to glean from members of a society that denigrates and subjugates hers, all that she needs to know about shaping a dragon's breath—a powerful, dangerous substance which can be used for a kind of atomic chemical breakdown or alchemy.

Full of incredibly detailed and believable, firmly grounded world-building, and just excellent lore—the stories from different cultures about the different connections societies have made with dragons were absolutely fascinating. Perfect for fans of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell and other detailed, deliciously realized fantastical historical fiction. An absolutely remarkable tome for huge nerds!! I would camp out for a sequel.

2 stars, promising in parts but a poor fit for my tastes

This book just was not for me. I was expecting something along the lines of Harry Potter meets Eragon but with more thoughtful social critique. But that's not really what this was. To be sure, there is thoughtful social critique but the actual story kind of forgets about the bond between Anequs and her dragon as soon as possible and focuses more on magical chemistry and fitting into high society. It's not bad for what it is but I felt misled about where the story's attention would be spent and really, really, really didn't care for sitting through high school chemistry classes all over again. I'm sure somewhere out there is a socially conscious high school student who can't get enough of chemistry classes who would love this book (and to be fair, I think its exploration of LGBT romance is interesting) but I think the story is going to fall flat for anyone who doesn't have a poster of the periodic table of elements somewhere in their bedroom.

"I don't believe that any of the changes that you or others seem to expect of me would be improvements," I said. "My clothes are clean, and in good repair. I can make myself understood. I am honest, and I endeavor to be kind. I don't speak ill of others regarding things beyond their control, and I don't speak against anyone who hasn't given personal insult to me or my loved ones."

This book is PERFECTION. Anequs lives a comfortable life on her island with her parents, grandma and siblings. She likely would have stayed there until a moment of fate intervened and she saw a dragon over the horizon and found an egg. This greatly upsets the Anglish colonizers who only want dragons to be bonded with them. Unfortunately, the bonds between a human and dragon are strong, and they have extremely reluctantly accepted her to their dragon school.

There are so many things I LOVED about this book, but let's start with Anequs's relationships. So many people at the school want to change her - to something more palatable to their tastes as what a woman should be. She's faced with outright hostility, sexism and the equivalent of white liberals who may be kind to her but want her to change. I found this blend of people to be so realistic and I loved how Anequs would stand up to her roommate Marta when she would try to "civilize" her as a compliment. Anequs is confident in herself and her moral character so she has no issue pushing back against those who despite her for it.

Throughout all this, she does manage to make a few friends, Sander - a autistic boy that mostly uses a tablet to communicate and is extremely kind to her from the beginning Another being the other Indigenous kid Theod who goes some despising his heritage and wanting to assimilate to embracing himself and learning more about his culture. I loved their friendship so much. The other is Liberty - a Black kitchen maid that forms a friendship with her while she's indentured to the school. Yes - there's romance between all 3 of them, Anequs, Theod and Liberty and never once is that seen as weird to Anques - in fact the book ends with her saying that she wishes to court both of them. I loved how normalized poly relationships are for her and her pushback against the Anglish's bigotry against poly, queer and trans people.

Now - the DRAGONS! there are so many - and I loved reading all the parts where Kasaqua (her dragon) is brought up and trained! I loved seeing moments of their bond and just little moments of her frolicking and enjoying attention. Anques is incredibly respectful of Kasaqua and see's her as much more than a pet - they belong to each other which is a view the Anglish don't share. Personally, I cannot wait to read book 2 and see where this story goes!

rep// Indigenous, Black rep, bi and poly rep, autistic, mute, wheelchair rep

cw// racism, sexism, violence, colonialism, genocide