To Shape a Dragon's Breath: The First Book of Nampeshiweisit
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • WINNER OF THE ASTOUNDING, NEBULA, AND LODESTAR AWARDS • FINALIST FOR THE LOCUS AND BRITISH FANTASY NEWCOMER AWARDS • “My favorite book of the year . . . a coming-of-age story that is cozy and hair-raising in equal measure.”—Charlie Jane Anders, The Washington Post
“I tore through it, caught up in an enthusiasm for dragons that I hadn’t experienced since I was a teenager obsessed with Ursula Le Guin’s Earthsea and Anne McCaffrey’s Pern.”—NPR
A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The Washington Post, NPR, PopSugar, Chicago Public Library, Polygon, She Reads, Autostraddle
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 tore through it, caught up in an enthusiasm for dragons that I hadn’t experienced since I was a teenager obsessed with Ursula Le Guin’s Earthsea and Anne McCaffrey’s Pern.”—NPR
A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The Washington Post, NPR, PopSugar, Chicago Public Library, Polygon, She Reads, Autostraddle
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.
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Community Reviews
I love this book. What a fantastic read!
To Shape a Dragon’s Breath is a YA fantasy that mixes dragons, science fiction, and a bit of steampunk energy. The world mirrors many parts of our own history, including colonization, cultural erasure, genocide, indentured servitude, xenophobia, sexism, and the arrogance of people who believe they alone define what “civilized” means. In this setting, dragons exist but are rare and tightly regulated. Anequs, an island-dwelling Indigenous teenager, is chosen by a hatchling from her people’s native dragon species.
That one moment changes everything, and she is suddenly expected to attend an Anglish dragoneer school. Only if she graduates on their terms will she be allowed to keep the dragon who has already chosen her. She leaves behind a community that is more matriarchal, nurturing, nature-centered, and built on a foundation of shared abundance. She enters an Anglish society that values hierarchy, extraction, and rigid social rules.
What sets this book apart is Anequs herself. While many YA protagonists in similar coming-of-age or “outsider at the academy” narratives wobble under pressure or try desperately to fit in, Anequs is a revelation. She embodies healthy confidence, grounded self-awareness, and unwavering cultural pride. She’s courteous without being submissive, curious without being impressionable, and she calls out arrogance or prejudice with refreshing clarity. Her perspective constantly exposes the cracks in the Anglish belief that they are the pinnacle of refinement (often with subtle humor or incisive honesty).
The writing is incredibly vivid and descriptive. The world feels fully alive, and the character development is thoughtful and layered. The author handles complex themes like power, language, institutional bias, and cultural pride in a way that feels natural and deeply engaging.
Overall, this book is not just good, it is absolutely top-tier. Easily one of my favorite reads of the year.
I read very little fantasy/science fiction, but after the first 100 pages I enjoyed it. Ms. Blackgoose creates some interesting characters and once you get a hang for the vocabulary changes, it's really a very good book!
Some parts were slow and the name game was a little dizzy at the end but I absolutely loved the story and can’t wait for the next book!
This book is perfect for a young adult. As I am an "old" adult, I like books with nuance, character development, and some excitement. Oh, and dragons --- I was promised dragons.
It's not a 'bad' book, it's just not for me.
Oh this world is gorgeous. The magic is very interesting; the world is tumultuous and I love the main character so much. I have given it a 9 because at times—the narrative feels a little too straightforward, and I feel like I’m being told things that I wish I could have been shown. But our narrative is direct and her thoughts streamlined—so it’s not out of place. But I long for some moments of colorful prose, because I am who I am. That being said, I love this book. At its heart—it’s a book about overcoming colonialism but embracing change. It’s a book that is familiar with racism and political assholes, but a better and more interesting war is being taught by our main character and her family. How can them embrace the change of technology; keep their ancestors proud but ensure they have a future together? That’s the more interesting tension in this book. Between learning how to shape a dragons breath and falling in love and growing up and understanding who you are; who you want to be and still be proud of who you were before. I cannot wait for more books in this series!
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