anchovysaurus's reviews
246 reviews

Babel wonderfully handles the lived experiences of POCs in a white world. Personally, the most resonant aspect is Robin Swift's evolving perspective of the world he lives in. As a white-passing Chinese man raised in upper-class England, Robin's interactions with his surroundings continually shape how he thinks of his motherland, Oxford, the empire, and his place in society.

The book's tone is heavily academic with many descriptions of Oxford and footnotes about etymology, which may put some readers off.

To Shape a Dragon's Breath is a character-driven historical fantasy novel that deals with important themes like identity, colonialism, and culture. The worldbuilding was by far my favourite aspect of the book! The cultures are clearly contrasted in terms of beliefs, attitudes towards dragons, and social norms. 

Our protagonist, Anequs, is a strong woman of Masquapaug who handles the colonists’ challenges with grace. She has a strong sense of self and doesn’t struggle with feelings of inferiority even though the Anglish constantly try to put her down. Throughout the book, she makes sound decisions regarding her journey and her people.

However, this book focuses on Anequs interacting with Anglish society at the expense of other, more fantasy-related aspects. For example, there is little emphasis on explaining the bond that Anequs and Kasaqua share. I also would’ve adored some illustrations of Kasaqua as she grew! I've never seen a dragon with antlers before, and it would add to the ever-growing body of non-European dragon art.

While this book predominantly followed Anequs's first forays into Anglish society, I expect the next book[s] to have a more political focus.