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4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
adventurous
fast-paced
This one was a little too scary for my 8yo. Rainwings kept in a volcano prison and used by a mad scientist for experimentation. Nightwing plots uncovered. How will the dragonettes keep the peace when one desperate group is set on conquering another for their land?
Good bravery, friendship, women leaders, alternatives to killing and revenge, critique of immoral science for the sake of science, and discussion of incomplete knowledge and arrogance.
Some violence, arguments, and painful somewhat descriptive horrific deaths.
Good bravery, friendship, women leaders, alternatives to killing and revenge, critique of immoral science for the sake of science, and discussion of incomplete knowledge and arrogance.
Some violence, arguments, and painful somewhat descriptive horrific deaths.
adventurous
fast-paced
I am so glad my daughter asked me to read this series with her.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
First, a quick background refresher. My then-11-year-old granddaughter originally enthusiastically recommended this series to me. I’ve been slow reading it, not because I dislike it, but because I have so many other books, and I tend to rotate series books so I don’t burn out on them by reading them back to back. Her recommendation meant she and I could sizzle the cell towers between her place and mine by texting about the books in the series, and we’ve done exactly that. She warned me that book four, the one I’m reviewing here, was the one she liked least; the same was true of her younger brother. With her caveat in mind, I was a bit reluctant to start this. But she repeatedly assured me that the subsequent books get better.
I guess I understand where she was coming from regarding this book. I found it far more enjoyable than her cautionary attitude suggested I would, however. Perhaps she objected to the beginning—rather slow—but it got better. Let me try to explain this without giving you too much information.
For years, the various kingdoms of dragons have been at war with one another. There is an age-old prophecy that a group of five special dragonets would hatch on a specific day, and these five would find a way to unite the warring dragon kingdoms. This series elucidates the lives of these five and their misadventures. This is decidedly a middle-grade series. I can understand completely if, as an adult, you decide to give it a pass. I surely would have without the influence of my granddaughter. That said, she’s done me a real favor. The series has grown on me, and I find I’m invested in thee young dragons.
In book four, we focus on poor Starflight. He is of the NightWing kingdom. How do I describe him so that you will relate to him and understand him? He’s that nerdy kid you either were or knew. He’s the one who makes awkward conversations or quotes from long passages of favorite books and movies. Like I said, you either were that kid or you knew one just like him. The other dragonets largely tolerate him, and they’ve learned to mostly tune out his incessant bookish prattling. They don’t dislike him, and he’s part of their group. He’s just the big talker. He’s that guy you know who can walk into a meeting and talk incessantly about a problem, then walk out feeling like he solved the problem because he talked about it in the meeting. Starflight is the guy who memorizes passages from the scrolls the young dragons must use when they do homework. They are, after all, the long-prophesied unifiers of all the kingdoms, so they must study the kingdoms’ histories. Starflight is that big talker, the know-it-all, the kid last called to a team where real work is necessary. As I’ve written above, you either were that kid or you knew him.
As book three ended, the NightWings kidnapped Starflight. They figured they would have the advantage if they had one of the highly anticipated dragonets as part of their conquering force. They were determined to defeat the RainWings and take over the rain forest, since the highly volcanic island they inhabited is no longer safe. One of Starflight’s friends is Glory, the newly crowned queen of the RainWings.
Now I suspect you can see where this is going. Suddenly the nerd, the incessant talker, the guy who prattled on to hide his immense insecurities, is facing a life pivot point. Does he fall into life with the NightWings and become better acquainted with his bookish dad? Or does he find courage amidst all that talkaholic veneer and find a way to notify is friends that they are in danger.
I love how Sutherland gently develops and grows these characters in their individual books. Starflight the overly cautious chatty bookworm becomes someone quite different before this ends, and it’s not a metamorphosis that feels forced or artificial. There’s a romance here between Starflight and Sunny, who is the subject of book five. Sunny is that female you either were or knew—the one who is unfailingly polite, a peacemaker, the girl everyone admires and loves who has her own set of struggles and insecurities. If the crowd you ran with in your youth was large enough, somewhere in it was a Sunny—unfailingly kind and gentle, the one eager to patch up confrontations in the group and keep it running peacefully, the one whose personal problems are less apparent to the other members of the group. Her book should be interesting indeed.
As to the ending of book four? I didn’t see it coming, and it alters so much of what the rest of the series will be about.
Now let’s spend a minute talking about Shannon McManus. Someone could have scanned all of God’s created worlds and not found anyone more suited to narrate this series than is McManus. Her voices and expression simply don’t have parallel where this series is concerned. She breathes so much life and color into these characters that you can’t be confused by them, and you remember from book to book what they will sound like, and you anticipate each new book because of her narration. What Jim Dale and Stephen Fry did for Harry Potter and friends Shannon McManus does for these five dragonets and their associates.
I guess I understand where she was coming from regarding this book. I found it far more enjoyable than her cautionary attitude suggested I would, however. Perhaps she objected to the beginning—rather slow—but it got better. Let me try to explain this without giving you too much information.
For years, the various kingdoms of dragons have been at war with one another. There is an age-old prophecy that a group of five special dragonets would hatch on a specific day, and these five would find a way to unite the warring dragon kingdoms. This series elucidates the lives of these five and their misadventures. This is decidedly a middle-grade series. I can understand completely if, as an adult, you decide to give it a pass. I surely would have without the influence of my granddaughter. That said, she’s done me a real favor. The series has grown on me, and I find I’m invested in thee young dragons.
In book four, we focus on poor Starflight. He is of the NightWing kingdom. How do I describe him so that you will relate to him and understand him? He’s that nerdy kid you either were or knew. He’s the one who makes awkward conversations or quotes from long passages of favorite books and movies. Like I said, you either were that kid or you knew one just like him. The other dragonets largely tolerate him, and they’ve learned to mostly tune out his incessant bookish prattling. They don’t dislike him, and he’s part of their group. He’s just the big talker. He’s that guy you know who can walk into a meeting and talk incessantly about a problem, then walk out feeling like he solved the problem because he talked about it in the meeting. Starflight is the guy who memorizes passages from the scrolls the young dragons must use when they do homework. They are, after all, the long-prophesied unifiers of all the kingdoms, so they must study the kingdoms’ histories. Starflight is that big talker, the know-it-all, the kid last called to a team where real work is necessary. As I’ve written above, you either were that kid or you knew him.
As book three ended, the NightWings kidnapped Starflight. They figured they would have the advantage if they had one of the highly anticipated dragonets as part of their conquering force. They were determined to defeat the RainWings and take over the rain forest, since the highly volcanic island they inhabited is no longer safe. One of Starflight’s friends is Glory, the newly crowned queen of the RainWings.
Now I suspect you can see where this is going. Suddenly the nerd, the incessant talker, the guy who prattled on to hide his immense insecurities, is facing a life pivot point. Does he fall into life with the NightWings and become better acquainted with his bookish dad? Or does he find courage amidst all that talkaholic veneer and find a way to notify is friends that they are in danger.
I love how Sutherland gently develops and grows these characters in their individual books. Starflight the overly cautious chatty bookworm becomes someone quite different before this ends, and it’s not a metamorphosis that feels forced or artificial. There’s a romance here between Starflight and Sunny, who is the subject of book five. Sunny is that female you either were or knew—the one who is unfailingly polite, a peacemaker, the girl everyone admires and loves who has her own set of struggles and insecurities. If the crowd you ran with in your youth was large enough, somewhere in it was a Sunny—unfailingly kind and gentle, the one eager to patch up confrontations in the group and keep it running peacefully, the one whose personal problems are less apparent to the other members of the group. Her book should be interesting indeed.
As to the ending of book four? I didn’t see it coming, and it alters so much of what the rest of the series will be about.
Now let’s spend a minute talking about Shannon McManus. Someone could have scanned all of God’s created worlds and not found anyone more suited to narrate this series than is McManus. Her voices and expression simply don’t have parallel where this series is concerned. She breathes so much life and color into these characters that you can’t be confused by them, and you remember from book to book what they will sound like, and you anticipate each new book because of her narration. What Jim Dale and Stephen Fry did for Harry Potter and friends Shannon McManus does for these five dragonets and their associates.
We listened to the audio on a car trip and it was actually pretty good. I've only read book 1 before this but my kids love this series and helped fill me in when things got a little confusing. It's a pretty complicated world for middle-grade readers with well-developed characters. But it can get a little intense and violent at times. But still, highly recommend for groups looking for that next step in reading but maybe aren't quite ready for YA.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5 stars - some good reveals in this book. Thoroughly enjoying this series. Really looking forward to Sunny's book!