Tag magic school

A illustration of a dragon like mask with horns. Pine trees are in the background.

To Shape a Dragon’s Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose

Julia M Leave a comment
A illustration of a dragon like mask with horns. Pine trees

By Julia M.

When I’m looking for a new book to read, any book with a dragon on the cover immediately calls my name. To Shape a Dragon’s Breath caught me at the title, and with a gorgeous red-and-black illustration of a fierce dragon on the cover, I was sold! 

To Shape a Dragon’s Breath is the debut novel from author Moniquill Blackgoose. It’s a queer, Native American dragon rider story, full of originality and anti-colonial power. The magical worldbuilding is strong, and the cultural commentary is not subtle but refreshingly straightforward. We get dragons, Indigenous and LGBTQ+ representation, magical academia adventures, political intrigue, and more in this first book of the Nampeshiweisit series.  

Blackgoose cites Peter Beagle’s The Last Unicorn and Terry Pratchett’s Discworld as her favorites of the fantasy genre, and hers is an important and timely addition to the fantasy literature canon. I was instantly struck by Blackgoose’s clear, cutting prose, the rich alternate-history Victorian universe, and the strength of the characters. It’s easy to claim “strong female protagonist” as a checklist item, but it’s harder to make good on that claim, and Blackgoose achieves it thoroughly. Anequs is a protagonist who refuses to let her will be shaped by others, and though our main character knows herself from the start of the book, we watch her discover who she will become in a world that seeks to make her into something else—a world that is inhabited by humans that are crueler than the dragons they try to control. 

Like any good dragon book, there are dragons on every page. They are controlled by the alternate-universe Vikings, known as the Anglish, who colonized the land they live in, and claim ownership of land, people, and dragons whom Anequs is aware cannot be owned by anyone. Due to the colonizers’ control over the dragons, the book’s main character is the first among the indigenous people to be chosen as the partner of a dragon hatchling in many generations, and the story follows Anequs as she travels to the Anglish-run Kuiper’s Academy of Natural Philosophy to train in all aspects of raising and keeping a dragon.  

Although it’s set in an alternate history, the social and political events that occur in Anequs’s life mirror those of the real world, and it’s a story that deals frankly with the harms of colonization and racial injustice. The book delves into societal issues of prejudice and deep-rooted worldview differences between Anequs and the colonizers who run the dragon academy. We see through Anequs’s eyes as she confronts the depths of racism, colonialism, sexism, and homophobia that are ingrained in the colonizer society. Her strength in the face of their bigotry is refreshing and powerful, and presents a complex examination of tokenism, while questioning the white colonial savior complex and reminding readers that Anequs and her Indigenous people never needed saving or advancement.  

Blackgoose’s version of the dragon-rider archetype is unlike anything I’ve read before, but readers who enjoyed books like Eragon or Fourth Wing will love this refreshingly original dragon story, told in Anequs’s direct, clear voice. I hope you’ll join me in eagerly awaiting the sequel! 

To Shape a Dragon’s Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose is available in print and e-book.

Julia is a Teen Instructor & Research Specialist at the Glenwood Branch + Makerspace. She loves reading YA books, playing the cello, practicing martial arts, trying new cookie recipes, and generally trying to squeeze as many hobbies into a day as possible.

A black cover with gold text and a mysterious illustration of the phases of the moon, a mystical eyes, and spiral all centered above a book.

A Deadly Education

juliefitzreader 1 Comment
A black cover with gold text and a mysterious illustration of the phases of the moon, a mystical eyes, and spiral all centered above a book.

By Gabriela P.

Did you think your high school years were tough? Count yourself lucky that you could at least eat lunch without having monsters come at you. In Naomi Novik’s A Deadly Education, Galadriel “El” Higgins goes to her classes, studies, and navigates her social sphere all while trying to stay alive. She attends the Scholomance, a school for magic, where there are no teachers, holidays, school events, or friendships. Attending students are suddenly thrown into this school located within a terrifying inter-dimensional void. With monsters, or “mals”, in every shadow and around every corner, the students have only one goal – to graduate, which means staying alive.

El is a junior at the Scholomance, and has a unique problem. While every other student has to figure out how to protect themselves from mals and students-gone-dark, she has to concentrate on not destroying everything she touches. A rather bothersome prophecy, something about her being the bringer of mass destruction, keeps her more preoccupied with making sure she doesn’t end up destroying the world than with making friends. Though in this school, friendships are usually strategic. When we are introduced to the snarky, anti-social El, she makes it clear that her only plan is to make it as close to graduation as she can without attracting unwanted attention to herself. Then, in her senior year, she plans to figure out how to impress students from well known magical enclaves to guarantee her and her mother’s safety during and after graduation. However, her not-so pleasant disposition means her chances are slim.

Orion Lake, a student from a major enclave with a major savior complex, is famous among the student body, mainly because he is pretty much responsible for the higher-than-normal survival rate of their junior class. When he saves El’s life once, then twice, the spotlight suddenly turns to her. Suddenly El has to figure out how to use the attention for her benefit, but ends up finding herself drawn into a much bigger problem. On top of all that, she finds herself stumbling upon the discovery that she might be…making friends.

A Deadly Education is a refreshing spin on well-known tropes; magic schools, I-hate-him-I-like-him, monsters with a taste for children – the usual. Naomi Novak skillfully builds a fantastical universe with dynamic characters that you can’t help but fall for. Darkly funny and terrifyingly captivating, this book is definitely one that you won’t put down until the end.

You can borrow A Deadly Education as a book, an eBook, and an eAudiobook.

A dark green cover with golden text and illustration of a keyhold with points and rays, and a dangling key.

The story continues (which you will want to do immediately) with The Last Graduate, and the third installment, The Golden Enclaves, is due this fall. The second book is also available as an eBook and an eAudiobook.

Gabriela is a customer service specialist at the Miller Branch. She loves long walks, reading with her dog, and a good cup of coffee.