Like people the world over, the Masquisit used to bond with dragons. But generations ago, most of their dragons died, leaving them vulnerable to Anglish conquerors. When Anqeus becomes the first Masquisit in many decades to bond with a dragon hatchling, the Anglish insist that she attend one of their schools for dragon-riders. Fearing the consequences if she refuses, and also determined to be the best possible partner for her dragon, Anequs agrees. At Frau Kuiper’s school, she has to contend with difficult academic studies, unfamiliar customs, and the prejudices of her fellow students and the professors. If she fails, her dragon Kasaqua will be put down. If she succeeds, she may just be able to change the world.
I loved the dragons in this book, and especially the concept for how their breath works. Rather than simply being an elemental blast, a dragon’s breath enacts an alchemy-like transmutation on anything it touches. Dragon-riders (called dragoneers by the Anglish and nampeshiweisit by the Masquisit) can learn to guide this transformation to control what is produced.
To Shape a Dragon’s Breath tackles the weighty subject of colonialism head-on. The Masquisit, Naquisit, and other Indigenous peoples, have been driven off most of their traditional homelands. Some of them—including one of Anequs’s uncles—were killed for resisting. The Anglish don’t always respect treaties they make with the Indigenous nations. When Anequs arrives at the school for dragoneers, she’s confronted by overt prejudice from some members of the community, willingness to welcome her if she conforms to Anglish social traditions from others, and well-meaning ignorance from still others. Despite all this, Anequs doesn’t give up hope. Her determination and resilience, and her growing confidence in herself, allow her to build alliances and to regain some of the knowledge her people have lost.
While there are clear parallels between the history of the world in Dragon’s Breath and real-world European history, there are also some major differences (besides the presence of dragons). The Anglish society of the book seems to have been heavily influenced by Scandinavian culture: the major gods worshipped are Joden and Fyra, and there’s an important holiday called Valkyrjafax. Perhaps this world’s analog of Alfred the Great didn’t win the decisive victory against the Danes that the real-world Alfred did? Scientific terms are derived from German rather than Latin, which also suggests a different history for the development of scientific methodology. This combination of familiarity and difference made the setting very interesting.
My one quibble has to do with something I mentioned briefly earlier: Anequs rediscovering knowledge her people had lost during the Great Dying (which killed many humans as well as dragons) and subsequent subjugation by the Anglish. Putting that recovered knowledge to practical use seemed like it would be the natural climax of the book, and that didn’t happen. This was still a very exciting and enjoyable book, and I look forward to seeing what larger impact Anequs’s discovery has in the sequel.
Outside of a Dog 