When I was in elementary school, I had never really been interested in the dragon series that everyone else seemed to love. After a friend recommended it, I picked up “Wings of Fire” in sixth grade and instantly fell in love with it.
“Wings of Fire” is a fantasy series, first published in 2012 and written by Tui T. Sutherland, about dragons saving the world from various threats. The series is split into three arcs all in a chronological timeline, each containing a different cast of characters, with different points of view in every book. The world has different tribes of dragons, all with different cultures and abilities.
The first arc is about young dragons in a prophecy who have to stop an ongoing civil war between the “Sandwing” dragons. The second arc is about the next generation, where an ancient dragon threatened to return and take over as king of the NightWings. The third arc introduced a whole new island with three different species of dragons currently being ruled by a tyrant.
I love how the different arcs all tie together as, yes, there is a new cast of characters, but old characters come back, and elements from old arcs resurface and contribute to the current story. There’s a NightWing volcano that erupts in the first arc, and in the second arc, the new main characters travel there. Main characters from the previous arcs also come back to the plot often, though they’re now supporting characters. For example, the main characters of the first arc become teachers and mentors to the next generation.
The characters were the most charming part of the series, as they all had distinct personalities that stood out to me. You could have Turtle, a Seawing who was quiet and a dreamer, or Qibli, a quick-witted and sharp jokester. The various dragons all had personalities that bounced off one another well, and despite how different they were, their stories all came together in such a satisfying way.
The series also has graphic novel versions of the original books, short stories, and a prequel of the main villain in the second arc. It was definitely an experience to be able to read a book from the point of view of a character we knew was going to become a villain, and it remains my favorite book in the series.
What was so appealing about the world to me was the fact that it was so expansive, and there were so many stories that could be told in it. Compared to other series that I’ve read before, “Wings of Fire” had so much potential to keep on expanding in a never-ending story because of how many different perspectives the world could be told from.
Despite how much I enjoy the series, I can’t say it’s without its faults. As the series progressed, I felt like the author leaned too far into writing for children because suddenly, I was reading a book where a character would be speaking in caps lock, and the jokes became weaker.
Despite the flaws, it’s a great series to introduce new readers into a world of fantasy, and with rumors of new books coming out and potentially a fourth arc, I think that this is a series definitely worth reading, and one hopes Sutherland will continue writing it.
