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Heard on audiobook. I found this one a slow burn for me. The ending wrapped up nicely as it shows the rise and fall of Darkstalker before he emerged in book 8 of the Wings of Fire series.
The Wings of Fire series usually follows one main character as the point of view for the entire book and while that works for the main series, I'm glad that Tui didn't stick with that tradition for this entry. The story is told from three perspectives; Darkstalker, Fathom, and Clearsight. Each dragon brings their own flavor to the book that helps this one soar. The dynamic between these three characters is the driving force behind the events that play out and lead Darkstalker to becoming the dangerous animus dragon he is. I really appreciated the deep dive into the ways in which animus magic is perceived by the dragon societies as well. I think that the biggest strength of this book is in showing Darkstalker's attitude as less of a megolomanical supervillain and more a disaffected young person who thinks that their way is the best. It reminds me of the banality of evil. How so often those who commit evil deeds are doing it because they think it will lead to a greater good down the line. Fathom was a great character and his relationship with Indigo was one of my favorite things about this book. Clearsight's chapters focus a lot on her future visions and how she is going to plan out her interactions with Darkstalker. I felt as though we could have done with more time with her separate from her relationship to Darkstalker so she could show more of her character outside of his context. The book wraps up very quickly and if you've read the first two arcs of the series you know what's going to happen. But that's the thing with prequels, it's more about the journey than the destination. I can happily say this was one of my favorite and hope there is more in this style in the future.
adventurous
dark
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Moderate: Ableism, Gore, Blood
That's it, I have officially finished all the WoF books with the darkest book of them all. I've said it before, but while Sutherland does pg romance so well she also does not pull her punches on violence. Darkstalker is a villain, and while you may understand how he got there you really see how absolute power corrupts. It's so sad what Fathom goes through but I also can't say that it is wrong when you have magic like that of the Animus.
Beyond all else I am so impressed by the characters and stories that have preserved the world from destruction from the powers that be.
Beyond all else I am so impressed by the characters and stories that have preserved the world from destruction from the powers that be.
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Graphic: Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gore, Abandonment, War
Minor: Ableism
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder
Moderate: Ableism, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, War
Minor: Bullying, Death of parent
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I think back to this book frequently. It truly rearranged my brain chemistry. It's a very different tone from other books in the series but man does it take you on a journey. We don't usually get multiple povs in wof and this makes such fantastic use of the opportunity
Graphic: Death, Gore, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting
Moderate: Xenophobia, Murder
Minor: Hate crime, Mental illness, War