To Shape a Dragons Breath, Moniquill Blackgoose
To Shape a Dragons Breath, Moniquill Blackgoose
List: $25.00 | Sale: $17.50
Club: $12.50

To Shape a Dragon's Breath
The First Book of Nampeshiweisit

Author: Moniquill Blackgoose

Narrator: Charley Flyte

Unabridged: 16 hr 53 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/09/2023


Synopsis

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • WINNER OF THE NEBULA AND LODESTAR AWARDS • FINALIST FOR THE ASTOUNDING, LOCUS, AND BRITISH FANTASY NEWCOMER AWARDS • “My favorite book of the year . . . a coming-of-age story that is cozy and hair-raising in equal measure.”—Charlie Jane Anders, The Washington Post

“I tore through it, caught up in an enthusiasm for dragons that I hadn’t experienced since I was a teenager obsessed with Ursula Le Guin’s Earthsea and Anne McCaffrey’s Pern.”—NPR

A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The Washington Post, NPR, PopSugar, Chicago Public Library, Polygon, She Reads, Autostraddle

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.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Esta on February 17, 2025

This Nordic-inspired, steampunk-adjacent, anti-colonial, polyamorous, queer, dragon academia fantasy with dragons on literally every page (no exaggeration), was really original and captivating. If you liked Andarna from that other dragon fantasy war college book, there is a good chance you’ll be enam......more

Goodreads review by Mai on March 05, 2025

This has the makings of what I want in a novel. It's a YA fantasy that doesn't really read as such. It's historical. There's own voices representation, which is so important. And do we have a hint of poly in the future? Anequs is a Nampeshiweisit, having bonded with a dragon. Her people used to bond......more

Goodreads review by Draconic on July 24, 2024

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 dr......more

Goodreads review by Christine on April 24, 2023

LOVED this book! It is the queer poly indigenous dragon riding book dismantling colonialism in an academic setting that I had no idea I so desperately needed. I'm extremely into it. It's got adult/YA crossover appeal and is perfect for teens who are really into dragons, adults who used to be or stil......more

Goodreads review by Tricia on November 22, 2024

This was fantastic, and I would like book two yesterday. Thanks.......more


Quotes

“Imagine a world full of dragons where a newborn chooses you to be its caregiver. Imagine you have to go to a special school to learn how to train it. Imagine that almost no one at the school wants you there. This is how the well-written, compelling tale of To Shape a Dragon’s Breath begins, and once underway it doesn’t let you go.”New York Times bestselling author Terry Brooks

“My favorite book of the year . . . a coming-of-age story that is cozy and hair-raising in equal measure.”—Charlie Jane Anders, The Washington Post

“I tore through it, caught up in an enthusiasm for dragons that I hadn’t experienced since I was a teenager obsessed with Ursula Le Guin’s Earthsea and Anne McCaffrey’s Pern.”—NPR
  
“Blackgoose uses the social microcosm of the school world to focus on the issue of assimilation and resistance, and the relations of power—cultural, social, and economic— between coloniser and those that they have colonised. . . . Blackgoose is deft with her characters, good at showing the interiority of individuals other than her viewpoint protagonist. . . . It’s tensely explosive and deftly done. To Shape a Dragon’s Breath is an entertaining story and a striking debut.”Locus

“A thorough delight . . . To Shape a Dragon’s Breath reveals a world that is complex and political through deft, thoughtfully drawn characters who, like their world, are complicated and believable. I love Anequs!”—K. Eason, author of How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse

“This is a classic fantasy at its finest . . . The indigenous quest to maintain culture and identity within a paralyzingly restrictive imperialism determined to stamp out natives and their beliefs, and Anequs’ stubborn will to remain herself, create a fresh take on this setup and make this a must-read high-fantasy series.”Booklist (starred review)