The much-awaited sequel to To Shape a Dragon’s Breath is here at last! When Moniquill Blackgoose’s queer indigenous dragon rider novel was released in May of 2023, I was thrilled at the idea of getting a follow-up book. How could I not want to spend more time in that world?
Anequs and her dragon, Kasaqua, have made it through their first year of school at Kuiper Academy. Due to Anequs’s successes and skill, she has been allowed to take Kasaqua back home from the city of Vastergot to the small island of Masquapaug. They are accompanied by Theod, the only other indigenous student at Kuiper, and his dragon, Copper. However, neither of them is free from Anglish oversight now that an outpost has been formally installed on Masquapaug.
Anequs is torn. She knows that Theod has feelings for her, and she reciprocates most of them. She is also attracted to Liberty, a servant at Kuiper academy, and Anglish society would frown on their relationship for both class and gender reasons. Anequs would love to be able to marry both of them, as is relatively common on Masquapaug, but utterly unheard of in Anglish culture. Pressure is being placed on her and Theod as the dragoneers to help the people of Masquapaug and the other nearby islands to push back against Anglish overreach.
The world around Anequs is changing, though, in part due to her presence in it. People are more afraid of her and Kasaqua than ever before. Her opposition to white supremacists has resulted in many students withdrawing from Kuiper Academy in protest, but at the same time, there are now more female students enrolled at one time than ever before. She’s forced to be apart from Kasaqua more often, as the dragon has grown too large to be able to stroll along at her heels through the halls of the school (although she should soon be large enough for Anequs to ride comfortably).
Monequil Blackgoose’s world remains just as fascinating as it was on the first go around. I love the way an alternate history has been woven to reflect how the world would have developed had dragons actually existed. Characters insert the stories they are telling to one another throughout the book, adding a great level of depth to the mythology of the world. Anequs remains steadfast in her determination to live life the way she intends to do, and she has quickly become one of my favorite protagonists in fantasy fiction.
To Ride a Rising Storm hit store shelves last month, 1/27/26. I’m sorry for the delay in getting this review out to y’all, but life has been *a lot* these last few weeks. My utmost thanks, though, as always, to NetGalley and Del Rey for an eARC in exchange for a fair review.
The Swords of the Ancients 