Guest Blogger: Jesela, Elkton Middle School
I enjoy being outdoors and doing sports, such as snowboarding, basketball, or track. I sometimes play video games and I am an artist.
I enjoy being outdoors and doing sports, such as snowboarding, basketball, or track. I sometimes play video games and I am an artist.
Wings of Fire: The Dark Secret, by Tui. T Sutherland, is the fourth book of the series, and is about the Nightwing dragonet of the dragonet prophecy, Starflight, and how he is kidnapped by his own dragon tribe and taken to their mysterious and secret volcanic island home. While he is there, he discovers the Nightwings’ secrets. The Nightwings were always keeping secrets about where they live and who their queen really is. So many questions Starflight is wondering: Why did they kidnap me? Why are they kidnapping Rainwings? Who is their queen? What is this dark secret they are hiding?
In Phyrria, there has been a war for years about which of the Sandwing sisters (Blister, Burn, or Blaze) will become queen of the Sandwings. In book three of Wings of Fire, Starflight was supposed to pick Blister as the Sandwing queen, but could persuade the other dragonets of destiny to agree. Because he had failed, he was kidnapped and taken to the Nightwing kingdom and given a second chance. But, spoiler alert, neither of the sisters were chosen, because none of the three sisters were fit to be one. A different dragon becomes queen in book five, The Brightest Night, so continue to read the series! In book three, Wings of Fire: The Hidden Kingdom, (must read book three!) the problem the dragonets were facing was, why Rainwing dragons were being kidnapped. The Dragonets were visiting the Rainforest so Glory could see where her egg was supposed to hatch, but soon they realized the Rainwings were very sluggish and lazy, meaning they just sleep all day, and they don't keep track of their dragonets’ eggs and can be easily stolen. Later in the book Glory challenges the Rainwing queens for the throne. By the end of the book, Glory is queen, and the dragonets were planning to rescue the kidnapped Rainwings, until Starflight was kidnapped, that is. One of the most horrible secrets Starflight came across in the Nightwing kingdom, was the dragonets of destiny replacements. “‘Come on, hurry up! He says you have to meet the others in case you’re the dragonet of destiny instead of me.’ She waved her talons in front of his face. ‘Wake up, dreamy face!’“ (66-67). The replacements were known as the Dragonet alternates. Their eggs were supposed to hatch on the Brightest Night, but these dragonets hatched months later. Others. What Fatespeaker had said didn’t sink in until Starflight was actually standing in the cave a short flight from the fortress, facing four unfamiliar and unfriendly faces. Red, green, brown, and white-gold. They have a Skywing, Starflight thought. And a Sandwing who looks like an actual Sandwing. He hadn’t met many Sandwings in his life, but this one’s scowl and restless hostility made her look like the opposite of Sunny, “The alternate dragonets of destiny,” Morrowseer growled, scanning them with a displeased expression. (71) The dragonets had replacements in case they were to damage the prophecy, or if they displeased the Nightwings with what they were doing. Starflight was taken to the Nightwing kingdom, because the Nightwings were becoming displeased with him, and did not like his opinion of how Blister should not be queen of Sandwings. Fatespeaker is Starflight’s replacement. She is a cute and lovable dragon, and is my favorite character in The Dark Secret. I love how even if the other alternate dragons are mean to her, she is still nice to them. “Replace her?” Viper said alertly. “Can we do that?”
“Do it,” said Flame. “I vote yes.” “Me too,” said Ochre. “He looks quiet. Quiet would be great.” “Can I be the one to shove her off the cliff?” Squid asked. Fatespeaker gave them all an injured look. “Very funny guys.” (73-74) I actually felt bad for Fatespeaker throughout the book, but I know she can take it because Fatespeaker is easy going. Fatespeaker is also a hopeful dragon, and thinks anything is possible. Either Starflight or Fatespeaker would’ve been chosen to be part of the prophecy, and Fatespeaker had no hard feelings if Starflight would be chosen instead of her. All dragon tribes believe that the Nightwings could foretell the future and read minds for thousands of years, but the truth is that they haven’t had such power for all these years. Fatespeaker was told that she didn’t have powers, and neither has any other Nightwing in thousands of years, but Fatespeaker secretly thinks that she has visions of the future. The main idea of The Dark Secret is uncovering the dark secret of the Nightwings.The Nightwings were analyzing the Rainwings because they were planning to invade their home, the rainforest. The Nightwings live on an isolated island that is destined to explode. “Do you feel the earth shaking?” Orchid asked. “I think that’s me,” Mangrove said, holding out his trembling claws. “Like all the happiness inside us is trying to burst out.” Actually, I’m pretty sure that was a real earthquake, Starflight thought. He’d felt the tremor in the earth as well, rumbling up through his talons before it stopped. (248) My favorite scene was the scene when the volcano was erupting. So much action and suspense took place! The Rainwings were planning to attack the Nightwings soon before the Nightwings were going to attack and invade the rainforest. Shortly after they went to rescue the imprisoned Rainwings, the island started to shake. “‘The entire island shook as if a giant dragon has pounded its talons into it, and Starflight felt his stomach twist with terror. The volcano was about to erupt.’ “ (263) Starflight and Glory attempted to discuss a treaty with the Nightwing queen, Battlewinner while the shaking of the island was becoming more aggressive; “Wait,” Starflight said. His brain was suddenly spinning forward- a new idea unfolding across his mind like a scroll rolling open. “Wait - maybe - maybe there’s a way to compromise. Glory stop and think. There’s a lot of space in the rainforest; the Rainwings say so all the time. What if we let the Nightwings move in and build their own village somewhere in the rainforest - but only if they all swear to accept you as their new queen.”
There was a shocked pause. “WHAT?” Battlewinner roared. Glory tilted her head at Starflight, looking skeptical but integrated. “Think about it,” Starflight said. “A new home for the Nightwings, safe a peaceful, and all they have to do is give up their cruelty and violence and obey you. You know you’d be as great as being Nightwing queen as you are at ruling the Rainwings.” (259) I am happy with the idea that Starflight came up with because it was genius. I would have never came up with that. They were able to get the Nightwings to go to the rainforest right before the volcano erupted. Starflight was one of the last dragons to get off the island and got injured trying to escape. That is really how the book ended and left me on a cliffhanger, which is why you should always purchase the next book in line so you don’t have to wait. The first five books of the series mainly focuses on one of the dragonets. Once you open a book, it has a map of Phyrria on the first page, so you could see where each dragon tribe is located. It also has ‘A Nightwings guide to the dragons of Phyrria’. It has descriptions and pictures of all the dragons in the book. I consider it very helpful, since there are seven tribes. The cover art really gets my attention too. Joy Ang is the artist behind and on the cover. She designed the cover and the pictures of the dragons. The cover is the reason why some people choose what they read, and I could see why someone would choose Wings of Fire because of the cover. Each dragon on the each of the covers are filled with amazing details and color. The title alone catches my eye too. The letters are brightened by metallic and glitter colors, and causes the wording to look wonderful. I first started reading the series near the end of 6th grade. I purchased the first book of the series, Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy. Once I started reading it, I fell in love with it. I have now read up to book five. I’ve purchased and read the first five books of the series and continue to do it for the rest of the series. Spending money on Wings of Fire series is worth it. I’m rating this series five stars, and recommending this book to anyone who is obsessed with dragons or fantasy. This series is fully packed action, fantasy, and a pinch of romance. Once you start to read, you will not be able to stop. My last overall thoughts about reading this book was: wow, I wish I could forget I ever read this book, so I could read it again and experience all the emotions the book gave me again and again!
In Phyrria, there has been a war for years about which of the Sandwing sisters (Blister, Burn, or Blaze) will become queen of the Sandwings. In book three of Wings of Fire, Starflight was supposed to pick Blister as the Sandwing queen, but could persuade the other dragonets of destiny to agree. Because he had failed, he was kidnapped and taken to the Nightwing kingdom and given a second chance. But, spoiler alert, neither of the sisters were chosen, because none of the three sisters were fit to be one. A different dragon becomes queen in book five, The Brightest Night, so continue to read the series! In book three, Wings of Fire: The Hidden Kingdom, (must read book three!) the problem the dragonets were facing was, why Rainwing dragons were being kidnapped. The Dragonets were visiting the Rainforest so Glory could see where her egg was supposed to hatch, but soon they realized the Rainwings were very sluggish and lazy, meaning they just sleep all day, and they don't keep track of their dragonets’ eggs and can be easily stolen. Later in the book Glory challenges the Rainwing queens for the throne. By the end of the book, Glory is queen, and the dragonets were planning to rescue the kidnapped Rainwings, until Starflight was kidnapped, that is. One of the most horrible secrets Starflight came across in the Nightwing kingdom, was the dragonets of destiny replacements. “‘Come on, hurry up! He says you have to meet the others in case you’re the dragonet of destiny instead of me.’ She waved her talons in front of his face. ‘Wake up, dreamy face!’“ (66-67). The replacements were known as the Dragonet alternates. Their eggs were supposed to hatch on the Brightest Night, but these dragonets hatched months later. Others. What Fatespeaker had said didn’t sink in until Starflight was actually standing in the cave a short flight from the fortress, facing four unfamiliar and unfriendly faces. Red, green, brown, and white-gold. They have a Skywing, Starflight thought. And a Sandwing who looks like an actual Sandwing. He hadn’t met many Sandwings in his life, but this one’s scowl and restless hostility made her look like the opposite of Sunny, “The alternate dragonets of destiny,” Morrowseer growled, scanning them with a displeased expression. (71) The dragonets had replacements in case they were to damage the prophecy, or if they displeased the Nightwings with what they were doing. Starflight was taken to the Nightwing kingdom, because the Nightwings were becoming displeased with him, and did not like his opinion of how Blister should not be queen of Sandwings. Fatespeaker is Starflight’s replacement. She is a cute and lovable dragon, and is my favorite character in The Dark Secret. I love how even if the other alternate dragons are mean to her, she is still nice to them. “Replace her?” Viper said alertly. “Can we do that?”
“Do it,” said Flame. “I vote yes.” “Me too,” said Ochre. “He looks quiet. Quiet would be great.” “Can I be the one to shove her off the cliff?” Squid asked. Fatespeaker gave them all an injured look. “Very funny guys.” (73-74) I actually felt bad for Fatespeaker throughout the book, but I know she can take it because Fatespeaker is easy going. Fatespeaker is also a hopeful dragon, and thinks anything is possible. Either Starflight or Fatespeaker would’ve been chosen to be part of the prophecy, and Fatespeaker had no hard feelings if Starflight would be chosen instead of her. All dragon tribes believe that the Nightwings could foretell the future and read minds for thousands of years, but the truth is that they haven’t had such power for all these years. Fatespeaker was told that she didn’t have powers, and neither has any other Nightwing in thousands of years, but Fatespeaker secretly thinks that she has visions of the future. The main idea of The Dark Secret is uncovering the dark secret of the Nightwings.The Nightwings were analyzing the Rainwings because they were planning to invade their home, the rainforest. The Nightwings live on an isolated island that is destined to explode. “Do you feel the earth shaking?” Orchid asked. “I think that’s me,” Mangrove said, holding out his trembling claws. “Like all the happiness inside us is trying to burst out.” Actually, I’m pretty sure that was a real earthquake, Starflight thought. He’d felt the tremor in the earth as well, rumbling up through his talons before it stopped. (248) My favorite scene was the scene when the volcano was erupting. So much action and suspense took place! The Rainwings were planning to attack the Nightwings soon before the Nightwings were going to attack and invade the rainforest. Shortly after they went to rescue the imprisoned Rainwings, the island started to shake. “‘The entire island shook as if a giant dragon has pounded its talons into it, and Starflight felt his stomach twist with terror. The volcano was about to erupt.’ “ (263) Starflight and Glory attempted to discuss a treaty with the Nightwing queen, Battlewinner while the shaking of the island was becoming more aggressive; “Wait,” Starflight said. His brain was suddenly spinning forward- a new idea unfolding across his mind like a scroll rolling open. “Wait - maybe - maybe there’s a way to compromise. Glory stop and think. There’s a lot of space in the rainforest; the Rainwings say so all the time. What if we let the Nightwings move in and build their own village somewhere in the rainforest - but only if they all swear to accept you as their new queen.”
There was a shocked pause. “WHAT?” Battlewinner roared. Glory tilted her head at Starflight, looking skeptical but integrated. “Think about it,” Starflight said. “A new home for the Nightwings, safe a peaceful, and all they have to do is give up their cruelty and violence and obey you. You know you’d be as great as being Nightwing queen as you are at ruling the Rainwings.” (259) I am happy with the idea that Starflight came up with because it was genius. I would have never came up with that. They were able to get the Nightwings to go to the rainforest right before the volcano erupted. Starflight was one of the last dragons to get off the island and got injured trying to escape. That is really how the book ended and left me on a cliffhanger, which is why you should always purchase the next book in line so you don’t have to wait. The first five books of the series mainly focuses on one of the dragonets. Once you open a book, it has a map of Phyrria on the first page, so you could see where each dragon tribe is located. It also has ‘A Nightwings guide to the dragons of Phyrria’. It has descriptions and pictures of all the dragons in the book. I consider it very helpful, since there are seven tribes. The cover art really gets my attention too. Joy Ang is the artist behind and on the cover. She designed the cover and the pictures of the dragons. The cover is the reason why some people choose what they read, and I could see why someone would choose Wings of Fire because of the cover. Each dragon on the each of the covers are filled with amazing details and color. The title alone catches my eye too. The letters are brightened by metallic and glitter colors, and causes the wording to look wonderful. I first started reading the series near the end of 6th grade. I purchased the first book of the series, Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy. Once I started reading it, I fell in love with it. I have now read up to book five. I’ve purchased and read the first five books of the series and continue to do it for the rest of the series. Spending money on Wings of Fire series is worth it. I’m rating this series five stars, and recommending this book to anyone who is obsessed with dragons or fantasy. This series is fully packed action, fantasy, and a pinch of romance. Once you start to read, you will not be able to stop. My last overall thoughts about reading this book was: wow, I wish I could forget I ever read this book, so I could read it again and experience all the emotions the book gave me again and again!
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