Review by Booklist Review
Readers of Blackgoose's debut, To Shape a Dragon's Breath (2023), will be excited for its sequel. Anequs and her dragon Kasaqua, as well as her friend Theod and his dragon Copper, are on their way to the island of Masquapaug to spend the summer where she grew up. There, they begin to encounter new political struggles among leadership, as Indigenous communities and their allies among the jarls begin to push for more representation and control over their own governance, ushering in a racism-charged backlash, led by Herr Andulfsson and by the Ravens of Joden who made themselves known in an act of violence that ended book one. The politics sometimes take second stage to make space for Theod and Anequs's awkward teen courtship, particularly as he tries to wrap his head around her community's views on queerness and polyamory. As a result, Blackgoose's exposition feels more unnecessarily drawn-out without the benefit of book one's fresh newness. Still, her take on dragons and on classic fantasy through an indigenous lens will enchant many readers.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
Anequs has excelled in her first year at Kuiper's Academy, much to the surprise of her teachers and the general Anglish public. As she and her dragon Kasaqua head home for the summer with Theod, the academy's other Indigenous student, they discover that now there is a stronger Anglish presence on the island of Masquapaug, one that is eating away at their freedom. Later, on returning to the academy, Anequs must deal with new teachers, new friends, and the same issues of race and class that have plagued her people for years. The more Anequs is taught about Anglish society and dragoneering, the more she wants to live, and love, by her and her people's customs. She is willing to fight for what she believes, and Anequs and Kasaqua will have to, as civil unrest rises to the point of battle. The romance of Anequs with Theod and Liberty also slowly unfolds, while opening the story to more secondary characters who help Anequs explore her own identity and opinions. VERDICT Blackgoose follows up To Shape a Dragon's Breath, her alternate-historical fantasy debut that centers Indigenous characters and culture within a predominantly white landscape. This multifaceted story of acceptance and coming of age also explores issues of sexism, classism, and racism.--Kristi Chadwick
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