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A review by annbutnotanne
The Dragonet Prophecy by Tui T. Sutherland
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I must say, considering this is a novel for children, I was surprised by how much death and violence was in here. Don't get me wrong, I liked every second of it, but it wasn't what I was expecting.
So far I can't really say I'm all that attached to any of the characters so far, mostly because they all fit into certain molds perfectly. I felt like I'd read a version of all these characters at some point, which was irritating. Clay as a main character was so annoying for so long here, talking about something that genuinely did not matter in the slightest.
I did find the world-building to be interesting when we got it. Seeing how the Sky Wings differ from Mud Wings in terms of societal structure was really interesting, especially from a novel for children. I also liked how because one race of dragons is considered inferior compared to every other, it's clear not many races are aware of their full capabilities and talents since they couldn't be bothered to study them properly. Making it so not everyone has the same amount of knowledge and depth in regards to different societies is always a good sign of good world-building.
As far as writing goes, it was fine. I always felt like we were following dragons instead of humans when it came to action scenes and body movements, which was nice. The dialogue on the other hand was cringe-worthy. There were so many lines that were supposed to be jokes but fell so flat it made me uncomfortable.
I will say though I really enjoyed Peril as a character, particularly her dynamic with Clay. I liked the fact that her being possessive was explicitly portrayed as a bad thing and that she listened when Clay told her he wasn't okay with it. Possessiveness in relationships is far too often shown as a positive in media, and I'm glad kids can grow up knowing it's not normal and it's not healthy.
All in all, it wasn't amazing but it's much stronger than a lot of other fantasy middle grade series, maybe even some YA fantasy series. If you're choosing between this and say, Keeper of the Lost Cities, this blows it out of the water.
So far I can't really say I'm all that attached to any of the characters so far, mostly because they all fit into certain molds perfectly. I felt like I'd read a version of all these characters at some point, which was irritating. Clay as a main character was so annoying for so long here, talking about something that genuinely did not matter in the slightest.
I did find the world-building to be interesting when we got it. Seeing how the Sky Wings differ from Mud Wings in terms of societal structure was really interesting, especially from a novel for children. I also liked how because one race of dragons is considered inferior compared to every other, it's clear not many races are aware of their full capabilities and talents since they couldn't be bothered to study them properly. Making it so not everyone has the same amount of knowledge and depth in regards to different societies is always a good sign of good world-building.
As far as writing goes, it was fine. I always felt like we were following dragons instead of humans when it came to action scenes and body movements, which was nice. The dialogue on the other hand was cringe-worthy. There were so many lines that were supposed to be jokes but fell so flat it made me uncomfortable.
I will say though I really enjoyed Peril as a character, particularly her dynamic with Clay. I liked the fact that her being possessive was explicitly portrayed as a bad thing and that she listened when Clay told her he wasn't okay with it. Possessiveness in relationships is far too often shown as a positive in media, and I'm glad kids can grow up knowing it's not normal and it's not healthy.
All in all, it wasn't amazing but it's much stronger than a lot of other fantasy middle grade series, maybe even some YA fantasy series. If you're choosing between this and say, Keeper of the Lost Cities, this blows it out of the water.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, and Death
Moderate: Emotional abuse