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A review by the_rainydayreader
To Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This was a good book, and I think anyone looking for a dragon book that is NOT like Fourth Wing might like To Shape A Dragon’s Breath. However, this is not just a dragon book and it is not even mostly about dragons. It is more about colonialism, racism, and sexism. If you like heavy, global topics like that, you will like this book. The dragons do not do a lot other than being cute in this book. If you are looking for a more action-heavy dragon book, this is not for you. People who like school settings will also like this book.
That being said, the talk of colonialism, racism, and sexism does not go very deep and feels black and white. Anequs continuously points out what is wrong with white/anglish(clearly likened to real life english) culture (points I wholeheartedly agree with) without considering the good parts of the culture or the negative aspects of her own culture. Multiple times in the book Anequs is shown to be frustrated with her culture’s stubbornness about adapting to modern culture and her family’s reluctance to allow her to choose her own path in life, but she never reflects upon this.
The other weak point was the lack of an arc with Anequs. I felt that her personality and her beliefs were the stagnant throughout the book. And from the beginning, she always knew that she was doing the right thing, so there was no tension of her having to make a tough decision. The characters who I thought had interesting arcs were Marta and Sander. Theod maybe could have been included in that list but I just didn’t really like him.
After listing these negatives, I have to mention that I really liked seeing Anequs venture into the Anglish world for the first time, and I liked hearing her thoughts about the many social customs. And I l like what she chooses to do with her career as a dragoneer (no spoilers!) . Additionally, the description of the dragons and their attachments to their dragoneers was wonderful. Kasaqua was so cute and I could sense her bond with Anequs
That being said, the talk of colonialism, racism, and sexism does not go very deep and feels black and white. Anequs continuously points out what is wrong with white/anglish(clearly likened to real life english) culture (points I wholeheartedly agree with) without considering the good parts of the culture or the negative aspects of her own culture. Multiple times in the book Anequs is shown to be frustrated with her culture’s stubbornness about adapting to modern culture and her family’s reluctance to allow her to choose her own path in life, but she never reflects upon this.
The other weak point was the lack of an arc with Anequs. I felt that her personality and her beliefs were the stagnant throughout the book. And from the beginning, she always knew that she was doing the right thing, so there was no tension of her having to make a tough decision. The characters who I thought had interesting arcs were Marta and Sander. Theod maybe could have been included in that list but I just didn’t really like him.
After listing these negatives, I have to mention that I really liked seeing Anequs venture into the Anglish world for the first time, and I liked hearing her thoughts about the many social customs. And I l like what she chooses to do with her career as a dragoneer (no spoilers!) . Additionally, the description of the dragons and their attachments to their dragoneers was wonderful. Kasaqua was so cute and I could sense her bond with Anequs
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Misogyny, Racism, and Sexism
Moderate: Biphobia, Violence, and War
Minor: Animal death and Lesbophobia