To Shape a Dragon's Breath (Nampeshiweisit, #1) in Beyond Reality

Sep 21, 2023 John rated it liked it

I can’t write a summary of what happens because I listened to the audiobook and there is no way I’m spelling anything correctly without more work than I’m willing to do. Basic story: girl among a colonized people finds a dragon egg and bonds with the hatchling then has to go to a school to learn dragon things and also because the dominant culture wouldn’t take kindly to a dragon outside of their control.

On the whole, I enjoyed this and will continue reading the series, but there was something v ...more

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Apr 10, 2024 Natalie rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy

I had hoped for a fascinating tale about dragons and their masters. And the story started out with an interesting tribe of people and a long list of types of dragons. But it turned into a conventional story about a girl from a small island encountering friction in the big city and at the private school she attends. The dragons, except for a couple instances, are merely gentle pets.
Anequs lives within a small community on the island of Masquapaug. A dragon soars overhead, then leaves an egg and t I had hoped for a fascinating tale about dragons and their masters. And the story started out with an interesting tribe of people and a long list of types of dragons. But it turned into a conventional story about a girl from a small island encountering friction in the big city and at the private school she attends. The dragons, except for a couple instances, are merely gentle pets.
Anequs lives within a small community on the island of Masquapaug. A dragon soars overhead, then leaves an egg and takes off again. The community puts the dragon egg in the community meeting house and when it hatches, Kasaqua chooses Anequs as it's master. She soon learns she is supposed to register the dragon and attend dragon school. Her brother, Niquiat, who lives in the big city of Varmarden, working at a canning factory, submits applications to dragon schools. Anequs is admitted to Kuiper Academy.
Many assume Anequs can't read, is very poor, and has no manners. Her roommate, Marta, tries to teach her the rigid social rules of the Anglish people. Over and over, the Anglish come across as close minded, prejudicial, and overly strict. Anequs explains her culture and points of view and usually those around her agree she's right. She falls for a black maid at the school, Liberty, but is rebuffed because the Anglish disapprove of those types of relationships. She also makes friends with Theod and Sander, two students who do not fit in. She becomes attracted to Theod and entertains the idea of marrying Liberty and Theod together, something her community looks positively on (regardless of how difficult that would be emotionally!).
Despite the opposition, Anequs studies hard, makes friends, and mends relations with her family on the two breaks she takes to go home. In the end, a man who is part of a group who oppose the island people makes an attack but Anequs ends up okay.
The prose was strong but the story very predictable and the contrast between the awful Anglish and the wonderful Nampeshiweisit people a bit overdone. At times I had to push through the story because it was just about quotidian stuff. There was far too little about dragons! ...more

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