Reviewed by Oscar and Olivia
Rating: High Five
Who I'd Recommend to: Fans of Erin Hunter, the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, and Cornelia Funke.
Synopsis (from Amazon): The seven dragon tribes have been at war for generations, locked in an endless battle over an ancient, lost treasure. A secret movement called the Talons of Peace is determined to bring an end to the fighting, with the help of a prophecy -- a foretelling that calls for great sacrifice. Five dragonets are collected to fulfill the prophecy, raised in a hidden cave and enlisted, against their will, to end the terrible war. But not every dragonet wants a destiny. And when the select five escape their underground captors to look for their original homes, what has been unleashed on the dragon world may be far more than the revolutionary planners intended . . .
Rating: High Five
Who I'd Recommend to: Fans of Erin Hunter, the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, and Cornelia Funke.
Synopsis (from Amazon): The seven dragon tribes have been at war for generations, locked in an endless battle over an ancient, lost treasure. A secret movement called the Talons of Peace is determined to bring an end to the fighting, with the help of a prophecy -- a foretelling that calls for great sacrifice. Five dragonets are collected to fulfill the prophecy, raised in a hidden cave and enlisted, against their will, to end the terrible war. But not every dragonet wants a destiny. And when the select five escape their underground captors to look for their original homes, what has been unleashed on the dragon world may be far more than the revolutionary planners intended . . .
Part One
The Dragonet Prophecy
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Reviewed by Oscar
Rating: High Five Who I'd Recommend to: People who loved Warriors by Erin Hunter Summary (from Amazon): The seven dragon tribes have been at war for generations, locked in an endless battle over an ancient, lost treasure. A secret movement called the Talons of Peace is determined to bring an end to the fighting, with the help of a prophecy -- a foretelling that calls for great sacrifice. Five dragonets are collected to fulfill the prophecy, raised in a hidden cave and enlisted, against their will, to end the terrible war. But not every dragonet wants a destiny. And when the select five escape their underground captors to look for their original homes, what has been unleashed on the dragon world may be far more than the revolutionary planners intended . . . |
Thoughts: I really liked this book. I especially liked the part when Clay (the main character) kept getting foamy and stung by the water. I thought that was really funny and well written. My favorite character was probably Peril because the author, Tui T. Sutherland, really gave her a nice humor and made her what you would imagine a dragon to be. Funny, but serious, at the times she should be. What I loved about this book was how the author brought history and legend to life to make this story what it is. For example, Sutherland made all these things that humans do with dragons instead of humans. Also, people always think they are so strong, but in this book, the humans are weak and the dragons are strong. It was hilarious how everything was almost put into the opposite. I would recommend this book to ages 7-12, girls and boys. I loved this book!
The Lost Heir
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Reviewed by Oscar
Rating: High Five! Who I'd Recommend to: Fans of Percy Jackson, Warriors, The Last Dogs, Eragon, and Dragon Rider, along with more Cornelia Funke stories like Dragon Rider. Summary (from Amazon): The lost heir to the SeaWing throne is going home at last. She can't believe it's finally happening. Tsunami and her fellow dragonets of destiny are journeying under the water to the great SeaWing Kingdom. Stolen as an egg from the royal hatchery, Tsunami is eager to meet her future subjects and reunite with her mother, Queen Coral. But Tsunami's triumphant return doesn't go quite the way she imagined. Queen Coral welcomes her with open wings, but a mysterious assassin has been killing off the queen's heirs for years, and Tsunami may be the next target. The dragonets came to the SeaWings for protection, but this ocean hides secrets, betrayal--and perhaps even death. |
Thoughts: I really loved this book. What I liked about this book was that Tsunami was always a hilarious, persistent, bossy character, but in a good I-want-to-protect-my-friends-and-will-do-so-at-all-costs way. Glory was definitely my favorite character because she had a sarcastic sense of humor. I also liked Riptide because he was funny and taught Tsunami "squid-brain" in Aquatic (the language of SeaWings). Plus, he was brave and stood up for Tsunami (even though she didn't need it). My favorite scene was when Tsunami was getting taught Aquatic by Whirlpool because he's a little too flirty. Speaking of Whirlpool, he was an interesting character to add to the story because he was so greedy and looked like a hippie. Also, none of the characters ever gave up, which I like, too. I liked how the author, Tui T. Sutherland, really made the book unique like The Dragonet Prophecy (book 1). Another thing I liked was all the humor in this book. For example, after so long, with Blister almost getting killed, in the Epilogue, she still thinks she's won the battle! Overall, another great installment in this series and I'm excited to read the next book.
The Hidden Kingdom
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Reviewed by Olivia
Rating: High Five Who I'd Recommend to: Fans of Erin Hunter (or, the Erin Hunters - actually, Tui T. Sutherland is one of the Erin Hunters), Percy Jackson, and Cornelia Funke. Synopsis (from Amazon): Deep in the rain forest, danger awaits... Glory knows the dragon world is wrong about her tribe. After all, she isn't "as lazy as a RainWing" -- she isn't lazy at all! Maybe she wasn't meant to be one of the dragonets of destiny, as the older dragons constantly remind her, but Glory is sharp and her venom is deadly... except, of course, no one knows it. When the dragonets seek shelter in the rain forest, Glory is devastated to find that the treetops are full of RainWings that no dragon could ever call dangerous. They nap all day and know nothing of the rest of Pyrrhia. Worst of all, they don't realize -- or care -- that RainWings are going missing from their beautiful forest. But Glory and the dragonets are determined to find the missing dragons, even if it drags the peaceful RainWing kingdom where they never wanted to be -- in the middle of the war. |
My Thoughts: Yay! I finally get to review one of the Wings of Fire books, because most of the time my brother, Oscar, insists on reviewing them.
Anyways, I just love these books. The characters are hilarious, the writing fun and easy, the mystery incredible, and everything else about it amazing. I loved hearing about the NightWings and how Sutherland eases the reader slowly into the dragon's world of war and shows us a little more of the mystery with each book. (Mystery being with the NightWings, RainWings, Blister, the prophecy, and the replacement dragonets...). Glory's POV was one I have waited for for a LONG time (OK, I've a waited for all of them, but who wouldn't want to hear about Starflight, or Sunny, or Tsunami, or.... ALL OF THEM) and it didn't disappoint. Her character was spot-on, and we finally got to learn a little bit more about her feelings towards being a RainWing. Blaze was hilarious - exactly the opposite of her sisters, kind of like a mix between Sunny and Queen Red Riding Hood from the Land of Stories - and Queen Glacier left me curious and intrigued about her character. (As a side note, I'm still confused about why there isn't an IceWing dragonet. It doesn't mention it in the prophecy - maybe the author added it in to show how flawed the prophecy really is? I don't know. Has anyone else realized this?) The end of the book, with SPOILER, Glory trying to become queen, was awesome, too.
Pretty much every about this book, this series, was amazing, fun, rolling on the floor with laughter, PERFECT. :)
Anyways, I just love these books. The characters are hilarious, the writing fun and easy, the mystery incredible, and everything else about it amazing. I loved hearing about the NightWings and how Sutherland eases the reader slowly into the dragon's world of war and shows us a little more of the mystery with each book. (Mystery being with the NightWings, RainWings, Blister, the prophecy, and the replacement dragonets...). Glory's POV was one I have waited for for a LONG time (OK, I've a waited for all of them, but who wouldn't want to hear about Starflight, or Sunny, or Tsunami, or.... ALL OF THEM) and it didn't disappoint. Her character was spot-on, and we finally got to learn a little bit more about her feelings towards being a RainWing. Blaze was hilarious - exactly the opposite of her sisters, kind of like a mix between Sunny and Queen Red Riding Hood from the Land of Stories - and Queen Glacier left me curious and intrigued about her character. (As a side note, I'm still confused about why there isn't an IceWing dragonet. It doesn't mention it in the prophecy - maybe the author added it in to show how flawed the prophecy really is? I don't know. Has anyone else realized this?) The end of the book, with SPOILER, Glory trying to become queen, was awesome, too.
Pretty much every about this book, this series, was amazing, fun, rolling on the floor with laughter, PERFECT. :)
The Dark Secret
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Rating: High Five
Who I'd Recommend to: Fans of Erin Hunter (or, the Erin Hunters - actually, Tui T. Sutherland is one of the Erin Hunters), Percy Jackson, and Cornelia Funke. Synopsis (from Amazon): Like all the dragonets of destiny, Starflight has always wanted to see his home -- but he's also been afraid of his fellow NightWings. Starflight doesn't have mindreading powers like his tribe, and he doesn't understand why they're so secretive. No one has ever even seen the NightWing queen. But now Starflight is the dragonets' only hope -- he must find a way to negotiate with his fellow NightWings to free the RainWing dragons they've captured, and perhaps end the war in Pyrrhia altogether. Starflight is the smartest of the dragonets... but is he brave enough to speak up? Or will he falter in his mission, and accidentally betray them all? |
The Brightest Night
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Reviewed by Olivia
Rating: High Five Who I'd Recommend to: Fans of Erin Hunter, Percy Jackson, and Cornelia Funke Synopsis:One will have the power of wings of fire . . . Sunny has always taken the Dragonet Prophecy very seriously. If Pyrrhia's dragons need her, Clay, Tsunami, Glory, and Starflight to end the war, she's ready to try. She even has some good ideas how to do it, if anyone would listen to her. But shattering news from Morrowseer has shaken Sunny's faith in their destiny. Is it possible for anyone to end this terrible war and choose a new SandWing queen? What if everything they've been through was for nothing? Buried secrets, deadly surprises, and an unexpected side to scavengers are all waiting for her in the shifting sands of the desert, where Sunny must decide once and for all: Is her destiny already written? Or can five dragonets change their fate and save the world . . . the way they choose? |
My Thoughts: I would say this is an amazing end to an amazing series..... however, there are still what - three more books in the series? It just doesn't make sense, because the next few books have a completely NEW topic, with completely NEW characters. :/
Anyways, I just love Wings of Fire. The characters, the charm, the humor, the mystery, the EVERYTHING. (sorry, I'm in a mood for caps today :) ). I could repeat everything I've said in the previous reviews about the writing, but I'm sure that will bore everyone to death (it did with my brother) so I'm just going to stick with the story and characters today.
SUNNY! To be honest, when I started this book, Sunny kind of blew me away. Sutherland just made her seem... so one-sided in the previous books, but then when actually get her perspective there's an overflow of thought, depth, and emotion. Her faith to the prophecy, the way she has a kind excuse for everything everyone does, and her undying love, trust, and loyalty in her friends is what we previously think makes Sunny Sunny. But there's so much more layered in - her hurt and annoyance at the way people look at her- treat her, rather - her understanding, her search for the good in everyone... it's all a lot deeper than expected. I really enjoyed her perspective, and actually liked her indignance (spelling? again, sorry).
Thorn, Smolder, and Deathbringer were also some of the highlight characters, in my opinion, from the story. Deathbringer wasn't actually in the book that much, but when he is, I can't help laughing out loud at his comments. Thorn seemed like the perfect mother for Sunny...fiercely protective, loving, overall caring and loyal, but sharing some other qualities similar to Tsunami, too, which made me laugh as well. Smolder was an interesting character....I won't elaborate, but I wonder how differently Tsunami, Clay, Glory, and Starflight would have treated him.
The ending was great... suspenseful, action-packed, everything you want in the climax of a series.
Anyways, I just love Wings of Fire. The characters, the charm, the humor, the mystery, the EVERYTHING. (sorry, I'm in a mood for caps today :) ). I could repeat everything I've said in the previous reviews about the writing, but I'm sure that will bore everyone to death (it did with my brother) so I'm just going to stick with the story and characters today.
SUNNY! To be honest, when I started this book, Sunny kind of blew me away. Sutherland just made her seem... so one-sided in the previous books, but then when actually get her perspective there's an overflow of thought, depth, and emotion. Her faith to the prophecy, the way she has a kind excuse for everything everyone does, and her undying love, trust, and loyalty in her friends is what we previously think makes Sunny Sunny. But there's so much more layered in - her hurt and annoyance at the way people look at her- treat her, rather - her understanding, her search for the good in everyone... it's all a lot deeper than expected. I really enjoyed her perspective, and actually liked her indignance (spelling? again, sorry).
Thorn, Smolder, and Deathbringer were also some of the highlight characters, in my opinion, from the story. Deathbringer wasn't actually in the book that much, but when he is, I can't help laughing out loud at his comments. Thorn seemed like the perfect mother for Sunny...fiercely protective, loving, overall caring and loyal, but sharing some other qualities similar to Tsunami, too, which made me laugh as well. Smolder was an interesting character....I won't elaborate, but I wonder how differently Tsunami, Clay, Glory, and Starflight would have treated him.
The ending was great... suspenseful, action-packed, everything you want in the climax of a series.
Part Two
Moon Rising
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Reviewed by Olivia
Rating: High Five Who I'd Recommend to: Fans of Erin Hunter, and Percy Jackson, Cornelia Funke. Synopsis (From Amazon): Peace has come to Pyrrhia . . . for now. The war between the tribes is finally over, and now the dragonets of the prophecy have a plan for lasting peace: Jade Mountain Academy, a school that will gather dragonets from all the tribes and teach them to live together, perhaps even as friends. Moonwatcher isn’t sure how she feels about school, however. Hidden in the rainforest for most of her life, the young NightWing has an awful secret. She can read minds, and even see the future. Living in a cave with dozens of other dragons is noisy, exhausting--and dangerous. In just a few days, Moon finds herself overwhelmed by her secret powers and bombarded by strange thoughts, including those of a mysterious dragon who might be a terrible enemy. And when someone starts attacking dragons within the academy, Moon has a choice to make: Stay hidden and safe? Or risk everything to save her new friends? |
My Thoughts: To be honest, my brother wasn't a big fan of the new books in the Wings of Fire series (Winter Turning, Moon Rising, etc). However, I really enjoy them, although I miss some older characters like Tsunami (who still is in the book for a couple scenes) and Sunny. Glory is in this series a lot more, being the queen of the Rain and NightWings.
Moonwatcher (aka Moon) is an amazing character - everything was spot on and fit her perfectly. Quiet, intrigued, curious, wary, friendly - so many things rolled into one, yet they all came together to make Moon, Moon. Winter, Qibli, and Carnelian fascinated me. Plus, it was really interesting seeing Moon's perspective on their thoughts, and how she reacts to them in their sort-of friendship. Kinkajou, as always, was awesome :), as were all the other old characters.
I can't go on enough about this writing - easy, speculative, more in the back of your mind so that you focus on the story, making this book devoid of dullness. Sutherland does a very good job of making me want to know more - the mystery is always something I look forward to in this series. The author eases you into it, giving away little clues at a time until you realize what happened, either a split second before or after the characters in the book. Either way, this technique makes you cheer for Moon and her friends during the fire/explosion scene (also with the Icicle scene and Starflight).
Of course, I HAVE to add in a part about Darkstalker. DARKSTALKER. Ugh! I can't tell what's up with him - why are you doing this to me, Tui T. Sutherland? The worst part is that Darkstalker isn't in the book that much in Winter Turning, leaving us on a sort-of cliffhanger. At times, Darkstalker seems kind, funny - similar to Deathbringer - but others, you can tell he's lying to Moon. He seems manipulative, yet at the same time, caring - but then you wonder, is he just caring about Moon because she's the only one that can free him?
Overall, I just love this series, and can't wait to read more!
Moonwatcher (aka Moon) is an amazing character - everything was spot on and fit her perfectly. Quiet, intrigued, curious, wary, friendly - so many things rolled into one, yet they all came together to make Moon, Moon. Winter, Qibli, and Carnelian fascinated me. Plus, it was really interesting seeing Moon's perspective on their thoughts, and how she reacts to them in their sort-of friendship. Kinkajou, as always, was awesome :), as were all the other old characters.
I can't go on enough about this writing - easy, speculative, more in the back of your mind so that you focus on the story, making this book devoid of dullness. Sutherland does a very good job of making me want to know more - the mystery is always something I look forward to in this series. The author eases you into it, giving away little clues at a time until you realize what happened, either a split second before or after the characters in the book. Either way, this technique makes you cheer for Moon and her friends during the fire/explosion scene (also with the Icicle scene and Starflight).
Of course, I HAVE to add in a part about Darkstalker. DARKSTALKER. Ugh! I can't tell what's up with him - why are you doing this to me, Tui T. Sutherland? The worst part is that Darkstalker isn't in the book that much in Winter Turning, leaving us on a sort-of cliffhanger. At times, Darkstalker seems kind, funny - similar to Deathbringer - but others, you can tell he's lying to Moon. He seems manipulative, yet at the same time, caring - but then you wonder, is he just caring about Moon because she's the only one that can free him?
Overall, I just love this series, and can't wait to read more!
Winter Turning
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Rating: High Five
Who I'd Recommend to: Fans of Erin Hunter (or, the Erin Hunters - actually, Tui T. Sutherland is one of the Erin Hunters), Percy Jackson, and Cornelia Funke. Synopsis (from Amazon): Daring mission... or deadly mistake? Winter has been a disappointment to his royal IceWing family his whole life. When his sister, Icicle, runs away from Jade Mountain Academy, fleeing terrible crimes and possibly planning to commit more, Winter knows that they both need a second chance to make things right -- if only he can find her. Winter’s new clawmates, Moon, Qibli, and Kinkajou, won’t let him make this dangerous journey alone. They don’t seem to understand that IceWings, the most superior of all dragon tribes, can fix their own problems. When their search leads the dragonets straight into Queen Scarlet’s vicious talons, Winter is grateful to have some help. But even the bravest dragons can’t follow him to the Ice Kingdom, where he’ll have to face the greatest threat of all: his own family. |
Escaping Peril
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Reviewed by Olivia
Rating: High Five Who I'd Recommend to: Fans of Erin Hunter, the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, and Cornelia Funke. Synopsis (from Amazon): Peril has been loyal to Queen Scarlet, who used her fatal firescales to kill countless dragons in the SkyWing arena. Now, Peril is loyal to Clay, the only dragonet who has ever been her friend. So when Scarlet threatens Jade Mountain Academy, Peril sets off to find her former queen, stop her, and save the day, no matter what it takes. There's just one problem: a strangely persistent SeaWing, Turtle, insists on coming along, too. Turtle is worried about his friends, who left to search for Scarlet and haven't returned. Peril is worried that she might accidentally burn Turtle -- or burn him on purpose, for being so annoying -- and frustrated that she keeps saying and doing the wrong things. She can't escape her firescales, and she can't escape her reputation as the deadliest dragon in Pyrrhia. So when she's offered a chance to trade everything for a second chance, Peril has to decide who she's really loyal to . . . and whether her own scales might actually be worth saving. |
Thoughts: I am literally blown away by this book. Sutherland has really outdone herself - in fact, I feel like her books only continue to improve. That's not to say that I didn't have a few issues with this book - but those were very minimal and hardly took away from the story.
The plot was the only issue I had, actually. It felt like Sutherland wrote this whole book, and then decided that the ending wasn't memorable enough so she added in half of the next book to leave us on a cliffhanger (it worked). This, I found, was very frustrating, despite the added tension and excitement. Other than that, this book was amazing! I loved every one of the characters and how they've evolved over this series, although I would've liked to see some more of Winter, Kinkajou, and Qibli, some of my favorite characters. Peril's character was spot-on - the entire time, you could really feel her emotions. Although I originally wasn't too excited about the prospect of a book dedicated to Peril, I grew to love her character and was rooting for her by the end of the book. I loved the twist, too, and how it tied in with the brilliant prologue. The writing didn't stray far from its normal humor, suspense, and adventure - honestly, I think that the Wings of Fire series is the best series for middle grade readers. And although this book took a bit of a dark turn at the end, I'll be eagerly awaiting the next installment in this series.
The plot was the only issue I had, actually. It felt like Sutherland wrote this whole book, and then decided that the ending wasn't memorable enough so she added in half of the next book to leave us on a cliffhanger (it worked). This, I found, was very frustrating, despite the added tension and excitement. Other than that, this book was amazing! I loved every one of the characters and how they've evolved over this series, although I would've liked to see some more of Winter, Kinkajou, and Qibli, some of my favorite characters. Peril's character was spot-on - the entire time, you could really feel her emotions. Although I originally wasn't too excited about the prospect of a book dedicated to Peril, I grew to love her character and was rooting for her by the end of the book. I loved the twist, too, and how it tied in with the brilliant prologue. The writing didn't stray far from its normal humor, suspense, and adventure - honestly, I think that the Wings of Fire series is the best series for middle grade readers. And although this book took a bit of a dark turn at the end, I'll be eagerly awaiting the next installment in this series.
Talons of Power
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Rating: High Five
Who I'd Recommend to: Fans of Erin Hunter (or, the Erin Hunters - actually, Tui T. Sutherland is one of the Erin Hunters), Percy Jackson, and Cornelia Funke. Synopsis (from Amazon): The war is over. The false prophecy has been fulfilled. But the dragonets still have enemies. A dark evil, buried for centuries, is stirring. And a young NightWing may have had the first true prophecy in generations . . . Something is coming to shake the earth Something is coming to scorch the ground Jade Mountain will fall beneath thunder and ice Unless the lost city of night can be found. |
Darkness of Dragons
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Reviewed by Oscar
Rating: High Five Who I'd Recommend to: Fans of Erin Hunter, the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, and Cornelia Funke. Synopsis (from Amazon): Qibli knows Darkstalker must be stopped. And he knows he could stop him -- if he had magic. With even a sliver of the ancient dragon's all-powerful scroll, Qibli could rewrite history the right way: end war forever; make every dragon happy; perhaps even cast a very small spell so that everyone would like him . . . Instead, as Darkstalker's dangerous influence spreads across Pyrrhia, entrancing or killing every dragon in the seven tribes, Qibli can only grasp the small animus objects he's borrowed from Turtle. With some clever thinking, Qibli's talons finally hold the power to make a difference. But prophecies are not easy to rewrite. Can Qibli be the magical force Pyrrhia needs, or will he be the one to bring Jade Mountain -- and his family, his friends, his whole world -- crashing down? |
Thoughts: This book was so so so amazing! Sutherland made each chapter build and grow on each other like a skyscraper that keeps getting higher and higher. I loved how this book was so creative with the different villains. It added a lot of suspense to the story. I also thought it was so cool how Sutherland made the prologue all mysterious, and it's only explained near the end. Another thing I cherished about this book is how Sutherland talked about Qibli's backstory, something we've kind of been kept in suspense about since Book 1. Overall, I loved this book and, in general, the Wings of Fire series.
