Title: To Shape a Dragon’s Breath (Nampeshiweisit #1)

Author: Moniquill Blackgoose

Publisher: Del Rey 2023

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 511

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spooky Reading Season

Where I Got It: Library

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 as Nampeshiweisit—a person in a unique relationship with a dragon.

Unfortunately for Anequs, the Anglish conquerors of her land have different opinions. They have a very specific idea of 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, her dragon will be killed.

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, 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.

Anequs and her dragon may be coming of age, but they’re also coming to power, and that brings an important realization: the world needs changing—and they might just be the ones to do it.

I was intrigued by the Own Voices perspective and the promise of dragons and adventure. Unfortunately, the book really fell short of the second half of that equation. The book starts out strong, but quickly becomes mired in a super naive and seemingly invincible protagonist as she navigates the academics. Quite frankly, there was too much school work talk in the middle. I wanted to really see how Anequs integrated into the society, or not as the case may be. At times she seemed to easily slide into society while also criticizing everything with no consequences. If found the no consequences aspect to be very frustrating. Not sure of the author’s message as to that angle. There was so much promise to this book, but it just didn’t land for me. I am very interested in where our book club discussion goes with this book.

Nampeshiweisit

• #1 To Shape a Dragon’s Breath

• #2 TBD

Next up on the TBR pile: