To Shape A Dragon’s Breath was an intricate, grounded, and engaging story with a main character that you’ll support through anything.

We follow Anequs, a young Indigenous woman who is happy with her way of life on the island of Masquapaug – until her world shifts when a dragon hatchling bonds to her. Indigenous dragons (and their bonded humans known as Nampeshiwesit) haven’t been seen in generations, but the Anglish conquerors of the mainland have very particular ideas of how dragons must be raised and controlled.

Anequs must enroll in an Anglish school or her dragon will be killed. She goes with her head held high and a fierce determination. Though the academics are wildly different from her own knowledge and ‘polite’ societal expectations baffle her, Anequs never gives up. She and her dragon have a great amount of power and are in a unique position to start shifting their world.

The book takes place in an alternate version of our world (specifically New England) - with some added magic and dragons - but it is a story of colonization and racism and resistance that is very real. Anequs faces cruelty and violence, and has to learn how to hold her own power in a world dominated by the Anglish.

Anequs is an absolute delight of a main character. She never lessens herself or accepts things without questions or challenges. She has a lot of growth and learns a lot, but she never shifts who she is.

The supporting characters were all quite interesting as well, though all of them have a lot more growing to do. From her sole fellow Indigenous student who has no connection to his people to her well-meaning but ignorant roommate to the female heads of the school, everyone had fascinating journeys and backstories. I also absolutely loved the neurodivergent representation of one of her classmates. Fidgets in a fantasy world? Obsessed. 

There’s a super interesting magic system here, akin to chemistry but also math. Unfortunately I am terrible at comprehending both of those subjects (the way Anequs eventually connects the dots was my favorite moment of the book and helped me, too), but I thought it was incredibly unique. 

I think that the story does occasionally get stuck in the details (paragraphs of in-class lectures and textbooks) and that the plot sometimes bends awkwardly to allow Anequs to escape unscathed from every situation where she speaks boldly & truthfully, but overall this was fantastic. 

I strongly recommend it, especially for dragon lovers craving interesting fantasy books! I can’t wait for book two.

CW: racism, colonization, ableism, classism, xenophobia, sexism, violence, guns, genocide, hate crime, homophobia, slavery, death (parent), murder, fire, war, animal death, religious bigotry

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