To Ride a Rising Storm

The smart and exciting sequel to Blackgoose’s Nebula Award–winning debut, To Shape a Dragon’s Breath, digs into the colonialism and classism of magic academy and dragon rider tropes. Indigenous heroine Anequs’s Naquisit community on the island of Masquapaug faces increased surveillance from the Anglish colonizers following the events of the previous book. Whisked away to the wealthy, male-dominated Kuiper’s Academy, Anequs navigates prejudice and struggles to adapt to the gendered mores of Anglish culture while studying dragon handling and skiltakraft, the manipulation of natural elements using the controlled power of dragon’s breath. She also develops feelings for both Theod, the only other “nackie” dragoneer, and Liberty, a young blackfolkish woman indentured to the school. Meanwhile, the philosophical discussion group The Disorder of the Grinning Teeth wants Anequs to join its ranks, but its members soon feel challenged by the level to which she wants them to put their ideals into action. All the invented language takes some adjusting to, but once the story gets underway, Blackgoose creates a deep sense of immersion. It’s satisfying to watch Anequs comes into her own, and Blackgoose sets things up nicely for the next installment. Readers will be eager for more. (Jan.)