The Dragonet Prophecy by Tui T. Sutherland (Mini Review)

Series: Wings of Fire, #1
# of Pages: 336
Publication: July 1st, 2012
Source: Library Audiobook
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
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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 . . .

This isn't a complex middle grade series, but it's one that can be hard to rate because it has a level of gore that isn't typically apparent in most middle grade novels. I would definitely recommend this book for children that are 11 or older.

The Dragonet Prophecy, the first book in the Wings of Fire series, focuses on a band of dragons that were stolen from their clans to fulfill the dragonet prophecy. Unlike some books, this book is told from the perspective of dragons as they train and learn more about themselves and the prophecy. My first recommendation when reading this book is to write down the different clans that each dragon belongs to. These clans have specific characteristics and powers and it can be rather hard to keep up with all of the information. The plot is fast paced and the reader must understand the complexity of the world.

"When the war has lasted twenty years...the dragonets will come. When the land is soaked in blood and tears...the dragonets will come."

As the dragons escape to learn more about their origins and purpose, they run into other dangerous, yet interesting dragons. Sutherland does an amazing job with the character development and the pace of the plot. At first I felt overwhelmed; however, when I got into the book I couldn't stop reading. My favorite character definitely is Tsunami. Her strength and character benefits the dragonets in more ways than one. If reading this book, it is wise of the reader to not expect much human involvement. They are quickly referenced to as scavengers and don't necessarily appear to play a major role in the development of the plot of this book.

'"I've never met an IceWing,' Clay said, edging back a step. 'I've never met much anyone, really. I mean, I guess I read that you were all the color of ice, but I didn't realize ice came in so many colors. Like, you know, blue. Very surprising. It's cool, though. Oh, ha ha, no pun intended.'" 

Overall, this was a phenomenal introduction into this series and the ending had me wanting to pick up the next one immediately. I often have a hard time visualizing animals as the main characters of stories so I was definitely surprised that this book kept my attention.