Name: Julie Betler's review of To Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose
Item: To Shape a Dragon's Breath
Rating: 4.5
Author: Julie Betler

Moniquill Blackgoose

"A young, Indigenous woman enters a colonizer-run dragon academy after bonding with a hatchling-and quickly finds herself at odds with the "approved" way of doing things-in the first book of a brilliant new fantasy series. 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: a Person Who Belongs to a Dragon. Unfortunately for Anequs, the Anglish conquerors of her land have a quite different opinion. They have a very specific idea on 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, then her dragon will be destroyed. 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 and 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. For the world needs changing-and Anequs and her dragon are less coming of age in this bold new world than coming to power"--

To Shape a Dragon's Breath

Sophia 

 Grandma said with a crack of dry laughter. “I knew it! Daughter of my daughter, you're going to teach us all how to dance with dragons again."

Julie Betler

Book one of a story of an Indigenous dragon rider who claims a wild dragon in a world where the colonizers control all the dragons and the dragon school. It’s a YA kind of enemies to friends, scrappy outsider type story. I am kind of a sucker for “kid comes in and messes up the system” stories so I of course like it and it’s exactly what I love to listen to when I am just painting and want something on to keep the vibe up. Let’s go book 2!

Apiecalypse Jen

I absolutely LOVED this book, and I can’t wait to continue reading sequels! Indigenous, LGBTQ+, Autism, and disability rep all in one. A dragon academy?! Say less. Not totally sure if this is being categorized as adult or YA, but I enjoyed it either way. A vibrant and compelling historical fantasy that I would highly recommend!! 

Julie Betler &
To Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose

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Julie Betler &To Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose

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Julie Betler &
To Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose