rachaeltobindodd's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Amazing. Beautiful. I couldn’t stop reading. It is heartbreaking and hopeful. I can’t wait for book 2. The magic system is so interesting and unique and I can’t wait to learn more as Anaqus learns more.
bookishcrimson's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
5.0
jenyakohnson's review against another edition
i had so much fun but ngl they lost me with the fantasy chemistry. anyway i kept picturing baby zym from the dragon prince
mags83509's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
#23for23 challenge Book #14
This book was fantastic. I am the point in my reading journey that I have a hard time with books with characters that teenagers- I think I have a hard time relating to them anymore. But this book, despite Anequs being 15 really worked for me. I loved the world building and obviously, THE DRAGONS (some really interesting dragon descriptions)! The book is filled with social commentary as Anequs moves to a dragon academy after she is bonded with Kasaqua (her Nampeshiwe/dragon) and is forced to reckon with the Anglish customs and their expectations of her coming from an isolated Indigenous island community. Sometimes it felt a little overkill that the Anglish were every single evil- sexist, racist, homophobic- but I also understand that that the book centers on an Indigenous woman entering a colonizer run dragon academy; that for all their apparent civilization and their view of the Masquapaug as uncivilized, the Anglish are the ones who really aren’t civilized; and that this is a YA novel directed at a younger audience who might need a little less subtlety. That said, it is tempered with characters who are Anglish who while flawed, demonstrate that individuals aren’t all evil, even if the society to which they belong is bad. I wish the middle of the book moved a little faster- I felt like there was great build up to school and then the settling in, but then the middle I felt like it was just in a holding pattern waiting something big to happen. I enjoyed Anequs and seeing her day to day life, so it didn’t prevent me from reading, I just felt like I was waiting for the climax to come for a long time.
A kind of odd comment, I really liked the structure of the chapter titles. The way they are structured made it easy to skim back and find details when I wanted to check something I knew I had read earlier. It would be easy to get a quick summary of Anequs’ journey by flipping through the table of contents.
Overall, this was a great book and I am looking forward to the next one!
This book was fantastic. I am the point in my reading journey that I have a hard time with books with characters that teenagers- I think I have a hard time relating to them anymore. But this book, despite Anequs being 15 really worked for me. I loved the world building and obviously, THE DRAGONS (some really interesting dragon descriptions)! The book is filled with social commentary as Anequs moves to a dragon academy after she is bonded with Kasaqua (her Nampeshiwe/dragon) and is forced to reckon with the Anglish customs and their expectations of her coming from an isolated Indigenous island community. Sometimes it felt a little overkill that the Anglish were every single evil- sexist, racist, homophobic- but I also understand that that the book centers on an Indigenous woman entering a colonizer run dragon academy; that for all their apparent civilization and their view of the Masquapaug as uncivilized, the Anglish are the ones who really aren’t civilized; and that this is a YA novel directed at a younger audience who might need a little less subtlety. That said, it is tempered with characters who are Anglish who while flawed, demonstrate that individuals aren’t all evil, even if the society to which they belong is bad. I wish the middle of the book moved a little faster- I felt like there was great build up to school and then the settling in, but then the middle I felt like it was just in a holding pattern waiting something big to happen. I enjoyed Anequs and seeing her day to day life, so it didn’t prevent me from reading, I just felt like I was waiting for the climax to come for a long time.
A kind of odd comment, I really liked the structure of the chapter titles. The way they are structured made it easy to skim back and find details when I wanted to check something I knew I had read earlier. It would be easy to get a quick summary of Anequs’ journey by flipping through the table of contents.
Overall, this was a great book and I am looking forward to the next one!
thecatconstellation's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
This was really enjoyable. A decent amount of plot and a lot of excellent world building. I enjoyed the various folklores, the representation of queer and poly relationships, and the autistic representation. The dragons! So many different dragons. I love reading about them. I also love the bond that they have with their chosen people. The pronunciation guide at the beginning is super helpful!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Racism, Colonisation, Murder, and Sexism
Moderate: Hate crime, Genocide, Racial slurs, Death, Classism, Transphobia, Suicide, Slavery, Sexual harassment, Misogyny, Bullying, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Police brutality, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, and Gun violence
Minor: Sexual content and Alcohol
renstrange's review against another edition
i expected to love this book, and i did at the start, but it’s so boring. i kept asking myself what was missing and then it hit me: there’s no conflict nor is there any character development. anequs literally can’t grow from where she is. it feels like this story only exists to address racism against indigenous peoples. this is something we should talk about, but a novel also needs a story.
patlo's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
4.5 stars Really interesting foundation for what I hope is a long series. The presentation of a world of dragons and academia in YA format was really fun. In addition, the the emphasis on anti colonialism, explorations of leadership and gender and sexuality are strong. I especially liked the exploration of a character coded as autistic. The pace is odd at times, But I look forward to what I hope is along series in this world.
sarafultz's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75