Book cover of To Shape a Dragon's Breath: The First Book of Nampeshiweisit

Book description

“An early contender for the best fantasy novel of 2023.”—The Washington Post
 
“A very entertaining and fun read, full of loveable characters and intricate, original worldbuilding.”—NPR

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.…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

2 authors picked To Shape a Dragon's Breath as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I have never anything like To Shape a Dragon's Breath which combines colonialism, STEAM, epic fantasy, Indigenous lore, and LGBTQ+2 between two covers. Anequs is a spirited, resilient heroine who, along with her young dragon Kasaqua, is torn from her village and sent to an English school for a "proper" eduction. Sound familiar? I loved Anequs' independence and outspokenness, and look forward to the next book in the series.

Who doesn’t love a book with dragons? Bonus—a magic Hogwarts-ish school where you go to learn about how to control your dragon.

The extra twist in To Shape a Dragon’s Breath is that the story is told from the perspective of an indigenous woman, Anequs. People like her aren’t supposed to have dragons, let alone be capable of learning how to manage them. No one at the Anglish dragon school she’s forced to attend believes Anequs can succeed, but Anequs doesn’t care what the Anglish think. 

What I loved about this book was how firmly grounded Anequs is in her…

From Robyn's list on women who just won’t quit.

If you love To Shape a Dragon's Breath...

Book cover of December on 5C4

December on 5C4 by Adam Strassberg,

Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa stories–all reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!

On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argue…

Want books like To Shape a Dragon's Breath?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like To Shape a Dragon's Breath.

Browse books like To Shape a Dragon's Breath

Book cover of Gideon the Ninth
Book cover of The Unfortunates
Book cover of Didn't Nobody Give a Shit What Happened to Carlotta

Share your top 3 reads of 2025!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,298

readers submitted
so far, will you?

📚 If you like To Shape a Dragon's Breath, you might also like...

Book cover of Portrait of an Artist as a Young Woman

Portrait of an Artist as a Young Woman by Alexis Krasilovsky,

Kate from Jules et Jim meets I Love Dick.

A young woman filmmaker’s journey of self-discovery, set against a backdrop of the sexual liberation movement of the 1970s and 1980s. In Portrait of an Artist as a Young Woman, we follow Ana Fried as she faces the ultimate…

Book cover of Dark Fae Outcast

Dark Fae Outcast by Autumn M. Birt,

Trapped in our world, the fae are dying from drugs, contaminants, and hopelessness. Kicked out of the dark fae court for tainting his body and magic, Riasg only wants one thing: to die a bit faster. It’s already the end of his world, after all.

But while scoring his last…

5 book lists we think you will like!