To Shape a Dragon's Breath

The First Book of Nampeshiweisit

By: Moniquill Blackgoose

Narrated by: Charley Flyte

Length: 16 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • “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.

©2023 Moniquill Blackgoose (P)2023 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“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

“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

immediate re-listen

I have this on Kindle for when I don't want to wake everyone with the audiobook. I've just finished and will be immediately re-reading to savor it again. A thoughtful, much needed story.

World building

Just upset the second book hasn’t been announced yet
Wonderful story loved every minute
Wish I had this story when I was younger

I found myself laughing, crying, and at times holding back screams while listening. It consumed me.

I have never read a book quite like this and it’s a shame. To have been brought up with fantasy novels like this one would have made for a rich, culturally aware childhood.

Phenomenal Novel!

Great take on the dragon rider goes to school trope. this time as told by an Algonquin living in an alternate history Massachusetts. A true story of friendship, culture, and determination.

Wonderful story and narration with modern twists

I enjoyed it all thoroughly - this was great for readers 9 - 99 years old. And the alternative reality angle is well done also!

Love the story

Loved this story but can’t do the narrators side character voices. I liked her main voice but everyone else’s was distracting.

Excellent storytelling

This book was so good! I'm glad I listened to the audiobook, it was really helpful with names of places and characters. This book has a great, diverse cast of characters, and the narrator did an excellent job doing different accents to help set them apart. I never had trouble knowing who was speaking. My only complaint is that I thought this was a stand alone and now I have to wait for the next one to come out!

Absolutely amazing

This story was so engaging. The indigenous perspective that Moniquill uses to tell her wonderful coming of age fantasy is exactly how stories should be told. I loved the school setting and the was the main character distinguished herself apart from her schoolmates. 10/10. Can’t wait for the rest of the series.

Can’t wait for her next book!

Imaginative, vivid and so hard to pause. I’ll take a vacation day for her next release so I don’t have to interrupt the experience!

Loved the POV

Loved the pov, it’s not the first time I’ve run across books with Native Americans having dragons but it is the first book with with them as the dragon riders. Technically the main character in the book seems as if they are in an analogous alternate universe, so the pov character could be First Nation in Canada or Samoyed of Europe or Ainu of Japan but the language seemed very like what I’ve seen and heard in USA. Regardless, it is an excellent book, I’ll be looking for sequels.