“Imagine a world full of dragons where a newborn chooses you to be its caregiver. Imagine you have to go to a special school to learn how to train it. Imagine that almost no one at the school wants you there. This is how the well-written, compelling tale of
To Shape a Dragon’s Breath begins, and once underway it doesn’t let you go.”
—New York Times bestselling author Terry Brooks“Blackgoose’s worldbuilding is rich and fascinating . . . but what makes [
To Shape a]
Dragon’s Breath such an absorbing read is Anequs herself: clever, resourceful, generous and uncompromising in the face of colonial condescension. This novel has garden parties and classroom scenes that are more suspenseful than most books’ epic battles.”
—The Washington Post “Magical schools have always been a staple of the fantasy genre, but these days, I find that it’s hard to read a boarding school setting without considering the inherent colonial undertones of such institutions, even when they’re imaginary.
To Shape a Dragon's Breath cuts right to the chase and is
about that, offering a scathing rejection of the idea that there is one right way for a person to be educated. . . .”
—NPR “Blackgoose uses the social microcosm of the school world to focus on the issue of assimilation and resistance, and the relations of power—cultural, social, and economic— between coloniser and those that they have colonised. . . . Blackgoose is deft with her characters, good at showing the interiority of individuals other than her viewpoint protagonist. . . . It’s tensely explosive and deftly done.
To Shape a Dragon’s Breath is an entertaining story and a striking debut.”
—Locus“A thorough delight . . .
To Shape a Dragon’s Breath reveals a world that is complex and political through deft, thoughtfully drawn characters who, like their world, are complicated and believable. I love Anequs!”
—K. Eason, author of How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse“This is a classic fantasy at its finest . . . The indigenous quest to maintain culture and identity within a paralyzingly restrictive imperialism determined to stamp out natives and their beliefs, and Anequs’ stubborn will to remain herself, create a fresh take on this setup and make this a must-read high-fantasy series.”
—Booklist (starred review)
“To Shape a Dragon’s Breath is all the things a good fantasy series opener should be — immersive, thoughtful, and captivating. This alternate history of New England and its colonization will be a hit for fans of Babel and House of the Dragon!”
