Scan barcode
readingwithkaitlyn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Genocide, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Xenophobia, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Gun violence, Homophobia, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and War
blacksphinx's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This is a book that only could have been written by a Native American, and is a shining example of what we're all missing out on when publishers don't give minority voices a space in SF/F. This book tells a steampunk story in a magic school about a Girl And Her Dragon, while also being an unflinching account of the struggles of indigenous people at the turn of the century. Despite having a plethora of characters along almost every axis of diversity I can think of, no one felt like a hollow check mark on a list to me. I especially liked that the indigenous characters are not uniform in their opinions on how to shape the future (you know, like real people!). As you would also expect, the range of white characters realistically behave in ways of their time, with well-intentioned ones also being various degrees of racist/ethnocentric. It's a story that's both "important" while also being a great read on it's own, you know?
I found the plot itself to be beautiful while not neatly fitting into a standard action-oriented structure. If you need some sort of central mystery or struggle to unfold and then be solved by the end of the book, this one might not be for you. There's a revelation around the 60% mark that brought tears to my eyes. While it's not a YA novel, it's the kind of fiction that would have blown my mind as a young teen and I hope going straight to paperback allows it to fit into as many hands as possible.
My only complaint is that I wish there was a glossary of terms, even though I feel it was intentional so we feel as overwhelmed and out of place as our protagonist. While she eventually got the hang of things, my dyslexic self constantly struggled.
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Racism, and Colonisation
Moderate: Child abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Homophobia, Slavery, Transphobia, Violence, Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Animal death and War
ezwolf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
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!
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Genocide, Gun violence, and Grief
Minor: Animal death, Transphobia, Death of parent, and Alcohol