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Wings of Fire: Legends #1
Darkstalker
The first-ever special edition of the New York Times bestselling Wings of Fire series soars back in time to the origin of Pyrrhia's most dangerous Darkstalker. Three dragons. One unavoidable, unpredictable destiny. This is the beginning... of the end.In the SeaWing kingdom, a young prince learns he is an animus -- capable of wonderful magic that comes with a terrible price.In the mind of a NightWing dragonet, a thousand futures unfold -- and almost all of them, she knows, lead to disaster and destruction.And under three full moons and the watchful eyes of his NightWing mother and IceWing father, the most powerful dragon Pyrhhia will ever know is clawing his way out of his egg. Darkstalker, the dragon who will change the world forever.Long before the SandWing war, lifetimes before the Dragonet Prophecy... darkness is born.
366 pages, Paperback
First published June 28, 2016
1588 people are currently reading
9370 people want to read
About the author
Tui T. Sutherland
202 books6,308 followersOkay, I know what you’re thinking. Tui? What kind of name is that? Is it short for something?
Nope. Among the many great things to come out of New Zealand (the Lord of the Rings movies, cats that paint, my mom) is a bird called the tui—not as well known as the kiwi, but a heck of a lot noisier!
I was born July 31 (same birthday as Harry Potter!) in Caracas, Venezuela, and lived in Asuncion, Paraguay; Miami, Florida; and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, before moving to New Jersey in high school, where I started doing theatre—mostly backstage work, because (a) it was fun, and (b) you got to hang out in the dark with cute boys. (Er, I mean . . . because it was artistically fulfilling, yes.)
I graduated from Williams College in ’98 and I currently live in Boston with my husband, my perfect new baby, and my adorable yoodle Sunshine (what’s a yoodle? A puppy that’s three-quarters poodle and one-quarter Yorkshire terrier, of course!).
Much to my parents’ relief, I abandoned my theatrical aspirations after college for the far more stable and lucrative career of fiction writing.
My first two official books were beginning readers, part of Grosset & Dunlap’s “First Friends” series for kids learning to read. MEET MO AND ELLA is tough to find now, but FUN WITH MO AND ELLA should still be out there somewhere.
My first novel for teenagers was THIS MUST BE LOVE, which retells Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer Night’s Dream in a modern-day high school, from the POV of the two heroines, Hermia and Helena.
And now I'm writing in a new project called SEEKERS! It's a children's book series that I'm writing with Erin Hunter. Check out my blog to find out more!
Nope. Among the many great things to come out of New Zealand (the Lord of the Rings movies, cats that paint, my mom) is a bird called the tui—not as well known as the kiwi, but a heck of a lot noisier!
I was born July 31 (same birthday as Harry Potter!) in Caracas, Venezuela, and lived in Asuncion, Paraguay; Miami, Florida; and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, before moving to New Jersey in high school, where I started doing theatre—mostly backstage work, because (a) it was fun, and (b) you got to hang out in the dark with cute boys. (Er, I mean . . . because it was artistically fulfilling, yes.)
I graduated from Williams College in ’98 and I currently live in Boston with my husband, my perfect new baby, and my adorable yoodle Sunshine (what’s a yoodle? A puppy that’s three-quarters poodle and one-quarter Yorkshire terrier, of course!).
Much to my parents’ relief, I abandoned my theatrical aspirations after college for the far more stable and lucrative career of fiction writing.
My first two official books were beginning readers, part of Grosset & Dunlap’s “First Friends” series for kids learning to read. MEET MO AND ELLA is tough to find now, but FUN WITH MO AND ELLA should still be out there somewhere.
My first novel for teenagers was THIS MUST BE LOVE, which retells Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer Night’s Dream in a modern-day high school, from the POV of the two heroines, Hermia and Helena.
And now I'm writing in a new project called SEEKERS! It's a children's book series that I'm writing with Erin Hunter. Check out my blog to find out more!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,192 reviews
February 10, 2017
This book hurt me, physically. I don't think I've been able to muster up so much emotion ever since I hit puberty.
Where do I start?
Okay, well first. PAIN PAIN PAIN! There's just Clearsight and Darkstalker being adorable dorks and her wondering what's gonna happen and all the dark futures and I just cry everyday because from the main series, we know that Darkstalker's gonna turn evil and everything hurts when you see them happy and then there starting tension and then they don't see the signs of Darkstalker going insane but you do as the reader and it just hurts.
I swear to god that is what it felt like reading this book. We got to explore the old Night Kingdom and it's beauty and peace and wonderfulness. It was a place of culture where the NightWings thrived and were happy. We stepped into the past. But already reading the main series, and knowing the fates of all the characters in the books, there was no hoping for things to get better, there was no deus ex machina to pull the characters out of trouble, there was just watching in horror as everything unfolded. I don't know right now if this was a weakness or a strength of the book. I felt like there were some parts that were very emphasized in the future that didn't get a lot of attention in this book.
(Jesus, I suck at reviewing)
There were other things about this book, though. I loved how rich the characters were, how three-dimensional and funny they were. The writing is on point, and through the narrative, we could feel the colors and emotions, I could see flashes of pain and fear in my head. I felt a literal knot in my stomach, worrying about Darkstalker and the characters and everything happening. One thing I really have to complement the author on is the fact that we knew what was going to happen to the characters (if you've read the main series), but you still felt the suspense of the events. It was super hardcore.
Agh, I can't. I really can't review. I tried. I attempted. This book is a treasure and I need Tui T. Sutherland's next literary artwork. Everything about this series is gold. I genuinely can't think anymore. I need Talons of Power or I will literally combust.
Edit: Along with not being able to review, it seems I cannot spell or grammar, but I'm too lazy to fix it.
Where do I start?
Okay, well first. PAIN PAIN PAIN! There's just Clearsight and Darkstalker being adorable dorks and her wondering what's gonna happen and all the dark futures and I just cry everyday because from the main series, we know that Darkstalker's gonna turn evil and everything hurts when you see them happy and then there starting tension and then they don't see the signs of Darkstalker going insane but you do as the reader and it just hurts.
"The hardest thing about being a seer [...] is seeing that the future is always a million possibilities [...] But the past is only one thing. Once something happens, that's it."
I swear to god that is what it felt like reading this book. We got to explore the old Night Kingdom and it's beauty and peace and wonderfulness. It was a place of culture where the NightWings thrived and were happy. We stepped into the past. But already reading the main series, and knowing the fates of all the characters in the books, there was no hoping for things to get better, there was no deus ex machina to pull the characters out of trouble, there was just watching in horror as everything unfolded. I don't know right now if this was a weakness or a strength of the book. I felt like there were some parts that were very emphasized in the future that didn't get a lot of attention in this book.
(Jesus, I suck at reviewing)
There were other things about this book, though. I loved how rich the characters were, how three-dimensional and funny they were. The writing is on point, and through the narrative, we could feel the colors and emotions, I could see flashes of pain and fear in my head. I felt a literal knot in my stomach, worrying about Darkstalker and the characters and everything happening. One thing I really have to complement the author on is the fact that we knew what was going to happen to the characters (if you've read the main series), but you still felt the suspense of the events. It was super hardcore.
Agh, I can't. I really can't review. I tried. I attempted. This book is a treasure and I need Tui T. Sutherland's next literary artwork. Everything about this series is gold. I genuinely can't think anymore. I need Talons of Power or I will literally combust.
Edit: Along with not being able to review, it seems I cannot spell or grammar, but I'm too lazy to fix it.
June 9, 2017
This book was SPECTACULAR.
Let me preface this review by saying Wings of Fire has always been a kinda light snack of a book series for me. I love it, but I'd never gotten SUPER excited for new book until Escaping Peril (because, let's face it, we were ALL freaking out about finally getting a story from Peril's perspective).
But Darkstalker...oh boy, I was HYPED for this book. The life story of a complex character - one who has an important place in the lore of the series, a set of classic "It Comes With A Price!" powers, and life that's already been established as super tragic and mysterious? SIGN ME THE HECK UP, TUI SUTHERLAND!!
This book promised me great things, and I am glad to say that it did not disappoint!
(Spoilers below - just read the thing RIGHT NOW; you'll love it!)
Where do I even begin? Okay, first of all, let me talk about the one thing that immediately made me LOVE the idea of Darkstalker's story, before this book was even announced.
The price of animus powers has bugged me for this reason: it takes away all the depth and development that could have gone into making an animus character a villain.
A magical dragon becomes evil? Surely he/she couldn't have ended up that way through rational greed, impulsiveness, jealousy, or any other personal vice that makes real people do bad things when they get too much power. No, it must have been because MAGIC DRIVES DRAGONS INSANE.
I'm sure the author, Tui Sutherland, didn't do that on purpose, and to her credit, she hasn't used the aforementioned reasoning as an excuse for lazy writing yet. It's not that bad (certainly better than not explaining a character's villiany *coughQUEENSCARLETBACKSTORYcough*), it just bugs me.
Back to Darkstalker. Darkstalker is a great character because his magic DOESN'T drive him insane. Oh, he certainly goes insane by the end of this book (I'm still really creeped out by what he did to Arctic) but he's driven to villainy by his own flaws rather than some random curse that he can't control.
Instead of using the whole "magical insanity thing" to excuse his actions, the author gave us a beautifully crafted character with a believable backstory. We get to see the ups and downs of his life. Every sweet and relatable moment with him makes his inevitable downfall even more powerful. I love it!
Darkstalker definitely stole the show for me - a tragic hero from a broken home, with a complicated past steeped in powerful politics - I mean, come on, you KNOW he's the best character, too! But Clearsight and Fathom, who share the spotlight with him, are also very intriguing dragons in their own right.
Ever since Moon Rising introduced the idea of NightWings seeing multiple futures, I've been wondering how a dragon with the power to see those alternate timelines could possibly stay sane. Clearsight, as if to answer my prayers, appeared in this book and answered my question.
She's a wonderful character, whose personality contrasts really well with Darkstalker's (I guess they WERE destined to meet). Their constant push-and-pull struggle of "let me do this" and "listen to me", all culminating in that sad end that we've been expecting since Moon Rising...
Honestly, I was shocked at how well Tui Sutherland pulled it off. No offense to her; she's a wonderful author, but I wasn't expecting such a crazy, complicated, well-written romance from this book. The first few books in the Wings of Fire series seemed to have a lot of lovey-dovey, "crush at first sight" stuff in them.
This one, on the other talon (see what I did there), had a high stakes romance that defined the fate of the world. It was surprisingly beautiful and brilliant and well-executed, if a liiiiittle bit rushed at the end (that's just a nitpick).
Fathom, the animus grandson of Albatross, was a fascinating character. Unlike Darkstalker, whose story I have been waiting for for ages, Fathom was one of those characters who surprised me by becoming so interesting.
I think the first half of his character arc was the strongest. Seeing him evolve from an eager animus trainee to a cautious, shell-shocked survivor was heartwrenching and poignant.
In the latter half of his book, I felt like Fathom kind of faded into the background as a "voice of reason" or "cautionary tale" for Darkstalker's story. His romance with Indigo was sweet, but predictable and unecessary, and I wish we could have seen more development for his character in the third part of the book.
I guess that last complaint can be chalked up to simply too many awesome characters and not enough pages to explore them all. I still love everything about his character. Hopefully there will be more about Fathom in the upcoming books. I really want to know what happened to his kids.
And am I the only one who was super intrigued by Fathom's sister, Pearl? She must have had one heck of an inner journey, going from a snotty little dragonet to the Queen of the freakin' Sea Kingdom. I hope we get a winglet or something about her...maybe after a winglet about a certain SkyWing...a queen...with a name that starts with "S" and ends with "carlet". (Am I being too subtle?)
Anyway, it was SO COOL finding out about daily life in the NightWing's old kingdom. I was fangirling at every little detail. We finally get to find out what NightWing society was like back when they had powers. I'm going to have to reread this book several times just to pick up all the little details about the ancient Night Kingdom.
The other main setting, the ancient Sea Kingdom, was just as cool. Call me crazy for this, but I'm actually super interested in dragon politics. The world of Pyrrhia 2000 years before the present series has an entirely different political landscape, one that I wish I could have read even more about.
The setting, the characters, the writing, it was all expertly done. I felt like this book had something different to it, something that the main Wings of Fire series never had. It just feels bigger, grander, and older, like some sort of classical tale or legend. You know, the kind of ancient story where a guy eventually kills his family or marries his mom or something.
I guess that's because it IS one of those stories. The tragic hero rises up and wins it all, then loses it all thanks to his own flaws.
The name of this series (sub-series? special edition series?), Legends, is perfect for this book. It really feels like a dragon legend, brought to life and finally told in truth after centuries of lies.
This is the first time a Wings of Fire book made me think so deeply. It must have been the perfect cocktail of characters, story, charm, and tragedy. Congratulations, Tui Sutherland, you've transcended the other children's book authors and actually made me feel sad.
Now, Darkstalker isn't perfect, but it's PRETTY DARN CLOSE!!!
My biggest complaint? It was so good that it left me wanting more. I want to know what happened to Whiteout. I want to know where Clearsight went. Did Clearsight have any children, does she have any descendants? What was Foeslayer and Arctic's relationship like before this book? They must have been happy once! Was Arctic a cool dude before his animus powers ate his soul? Why is their relationship foreshadowing Moon and Winter's?
My second nitpick would be...the happiness. The ending was a bit too happy for my tastes.
Okay, I know this is just my sadistic, tragedy-loving part talking; I KNOW this is a really stupid thing to nitpick, but I just want to mention it. I feel like everything was wrapped up just a little too neatly with Clearsight, Fathom, and Indigo. I know it was suppose to be hopeful at the end, to show that the threat was gone, but...
Oh, who am I kidding? I was only expecting a darker ending because of how sad this story was. And I guess, if you choose to look at the ending in a different way, it IS really tragic. I don't know. It just felt so...sudden. I wasn't expecting that much happiness after the sad climax. It seemed weird, and it didn't flow very well for me. Yes, you can end a sad story with a happy/hopeful ending, but the mood change should NOT be so sudden and unnatural. (Example: the musical Next to Normal has a hopeful ending without sacrificing the overall tone of the story.)
Maybe the ending was just a little too rushed, and that's why I didn't like the happy ending. If the last part of the book had unfolded slower, the ending would have seemed less weirdly idyllic and hopeful. Like The Dragonet Prophecy, the second half of the book went by too fast.
I also didn't care for Indigo and Fathom's whole romance. Indigo was a decent character in her own right, but I feel like she was shoehorned in to give Fathom extra motivation. What part of that whole side plot was necessary, other than to explain why the animus gene still runs in the SeaWings' royal family (and THAT isn't even a good reason, since we know it's recessive and Queen Pearl could have been carrying it)? Why did he need a girlfriend to convince him that Darkstalker was bad? In my opinion, the story would have been much stronger with less of Fathigo, or whatever their unnecessary ship's name is.
Finally (minor nitpick), I wish Whiteout had been included more. She is a very mysterious and interesting character, with a lot of potential, but after rereading the book, I felt as if she was more of a bargaining chip than a character of her own. I liked her, but I wish the book had more scenes with her, so the reader would feel more attached at the end.
Since she wasn't killed off or given some tragic fate, I assume that she'll become important later, somehow. I was seriously expecting her to die by the end of the book, and I breathed a big sigh of relief when I found out she was alive at the end!
That's about it for my thoughts on Darkstalker. I love this book. I love the characters. I love the story. I love the setting, the writing, the themes, and the little, coincidental ways it reminded me of all my favorite things! All Wings of Fire fans must read this masterpiece.
EDIT.
I guess I should mention what song Clearsight and Darkstalker's relationship kept reminding me of, since it is one of the reasons I fell so, so in love with this book. Their dynamic reminded me of a twisted take on this...
Father forgive me; I am a piece of Hamilton trash.
EDIT #2.
I'm rereading this book for the fourth time (don't judge me plz), and now I'm getting a very "Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story" vibe from it...
EDIT #3.
This is the last theatre-related edit. I swear.
I FINALLY FOUND OUT WHO CLEARSIGHT REMINDS ME OF IN THE LAST FEW CHAPTERS!!!
I'M SERIOUS.
AND THIS GUY -
REMINDS ME OF DARKSTALKER NOW.
Heathers the Musical ruined my life.
January 1, 2017
Darkstalker (Wings of Fire: Legends #1) by Tui T. Sutherland may be made for teens or middle grade kids but I didn't think 'kid's book' at all while reading this book at all! I was fascinated by the dragons, the magic- seers, enchantments, and more, the plot, the mystery, the romance, the whole feel of it. I enjoyed it tremendously and I am 60! I read a lot of fantasy and this book is one of those books that any age can read and fall in love with. I got this from the library to try and loved it.
January 8, 2021
Honestly Legends was way better than any of the main WoF books, other than Moon Rising in my opinion. It was much deeper, much more tragic, and felt much less a children's book than others until the end- which I really appreciated.
I really recommend it, even for non-WoF people. This book is so thematic it's crazy- and I tried to read it not to look for them too. Ideas about if there is truly a good and evil side, grey morality, questions on heroes vs villains, the concept of time and the future, power, greed, and corruption, authority, gender, so many themes. It's the best work Tui Sutherland has ever written I'd have to say.
idk I don't like writing long reveiws so I'll leave this here.
I really recommend it, even for non-WoF people. This book is so thematic it's crazy- and I tried to read it not to look for them too. Ideas about if there is truly a good and evil side, grey morality, questions on heroes vs villains, the concept of time and the future, power, greed, and corruption, authority, gender, so many themes. It's the best work Tui Sutherland has ever written I'd have to say.
idk I don't like writing long reveiws so I'll leave this here.
July 10, 2016
Okay, I take back every doubt I had about this book. It’s one of the best in the series, surprisingly.
I was so worried going into this book. I love this series, and seeing it all of a sudden was having super editions made me nervous. I hate saying this, but I don’t want this series to turn into Warriors.
This series is some of the best middle grade I’ve ever read, one of my go-to’s when recommending books for younger readers. I don’t want it to be dragged out unnecessarily and have 25 super editions and guide books and graphic novels. It would really make me sad to see this turn into a series continued only for the money.
So is this book unnecessary? Yes. But it’s also really, really good.
As you may have guess from the title, we follow the origin story of Darkstalker. We also follow the girl he loved, a future seer named Clearsight, and a Seawing animus named Fathom.
Each of their POV’s was very strong. Clearsight is such a sweetheart and easily likeable. The beginning of Fathom’s story was quite interesting but once we got to a certain point in the story his POV felt boring because it was Clearsight and Darkstalker who I wanted to read about.
It’s the timeless story of a character's fall from grace, how someone went from good to evil. No one ever gets tired of that story, and this was one of the better villain origin stories I have read.
It stays true to the way Warriors are usually done; tragically.
Irrelevant side note: does anyone think this cover is ridiculously lazy compared to the rest of the series? It’s overly simplistic and literally has Darkstalker positioned in a weird angle in front of a bright red background. I usually love these covers!
A great take on the story of power corrupting. Well worth reading if you’re a fan of the series, though I will continue being skeptical of any other weird add-on’s to the series.
I was so worried going into this book. I love this series, and seeing it all of a sudden was having super editions made me nervous. I hate saying this, but I don’t want this series to turn into Warriors.
This series is some of the best middle grade I’ve ever read, one of my go-to’s when recommending books for younger readers. I don’t want it to be dragged out unnecessarily and have 25 super editions and guide books and graphic novels. It would really make me sad to see this turn into a series continued only for the money.
So is this book unnecessary? Yes. But it’s also really, really good.
As you may have guess from the title, we follow the origin story of Darkstalker. We also follow the girl he loved, a future seer named Clearsight, and a Seawing animus named Fathom.
Each of their POV’s was very strong. Clearsight is such a sweetheart and easily likeable. The beginning of Fathom’s story was quite interesting but once we got to a certain point in the story his POV felt boring because it was Clearsight and Darkstalker who I wanted to read about.
It’s the timeless story of a character's fall from grace, how someone went from good to evil. No one ever gets tired of that story, and this was one of the better villain origin stories I have read.
It stays true to the way Warriors are usually done; tragically.
Irrelevant side note: does anyone think this cover is ridiculously lazy compared to the rest of the series? It’s overly simplistic and literally has Darkstalker positioned in a weird angle in front of a bright red background. I usually love these covers!
A great take on the story of power corrupting. Well worth reading if you’re a fan of the series, though I will continue being skeptical of any other weird add-on’s to the series.
July 8, 2016
I am destroyed. I am utterly destroyed. It was perfect and I am destroyed. If Padmé Amidala and Anakin Skywalker were well-written and, y'know, dragons, that would be this book. And I am destroyed.
February 26, 2019
The ending broke my heart.
September 13, 2017
De-press-ing. But also really good. This book destroyed me.
August 6, 2017
4.5/5
Wow, besides for a rough beginning and some pacing issues, I absolutely loved this book. The characters grew on me as the story progressed and it really got me in the mood to continue on with the original series. Highly recommend picking this one up if you are a fan of the Wings of Fire books:)
Wow, besides for a rough beginning and some pacing issues, I absolutely loved this book. The characters grew on me as the story progressed and it really got me in the mood to continue on with the original series. Highly recommend picking this one up if you are a fan of the Wings of Fire books:)
November 4, 2022
My favorite of these books so far. Reading them along with my kiddo interesting story for middle age kids and up!
March 2, 2023
CONTAINS EXTENSIVE SPOILERS, not just for Darkstalker but also Darkness of Dragons!
The storyline of this had SO much potential. Too bad the entire thing was extremely rushed. I just want to say that I loved the whole relationship between Fathom and Indigo and how it directly parallels Darkstalker's relationship with Clearsight. This could have been a real gem of a story if it had been polished but as it stands, the jewel is mostly covered in huge clumps of dirt.
There was a whole lot of metaphors in this book that were excellent.
First I'll start with Fathom and Indigo. These two are my favourite (aside from Arctic) in Darkstalker because they were two characters that didn't seem all that important. Fathom, originally famous, becomes an outcast because of a circumstance beyond his control. His own sister turns against him. He loses everyone else he loves, to murder. And he can't even find it within himself to hate the dragon who killed them...because he knows he lost his soul and it wasn't really him... Fathom the outcast, unable to be loved by anyone. His entire kind want him dead...even his own sister... But one dragon comes with him. A dragon who had everything to lose in siding with him...Indigo, the loyal friend who gave up everything to be with him. She gave up literally everything.
As if it wasn't enough the first time when she tried to save his life by launching herself at Albatross...even though she had no powers of her own. She had no chance really, and she almost lost her life for him.
Then again...as a wooden statue of a Seawing carved by Fathom's own claws. How insanely cruel of Darkstalker, to use Fathom's own talons, given as a gift, to betray him and entrap the one he cared about most. There's something very disturbing about Darkstalker's mind.
I love these two because they were background characters. They weren't important. They weren't soulmates. They were just victims of a terrible circumstance, but in direct contrast to Darkstalker and Clearsight, they are the couple that could pull through anything. They were the couple who put love above all else, even their own lives. While Darkstalker was busy manipulating his relationships to hold onto his power, Fathom and Indigo stand out as a stark contrast of those who gave up all they had out of love for others, putting others above themselves time and time again.
Two dragons that weren't important, yet had what was most important-love- made the biggest difference. I love how this fits in so well with the Bible.
1 Corinthians 13:13
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13
13 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails.
I was actually a little disappointed that Indigo wasn't aware the whole time. I was hoping she would break into a tearful smile when he brought her back, throwing herself into his arms. I imagined that she was there, aware, the whole time, watching terrible things unfold, knowing the truth, in despair, unable to tell the one dragon she loved most the truth about Darkstalker. I'm disappointed she didn't even know and had to have Fathom explain the whole situation to her. Lost opportunity Tui.
I also love what I unpacked on Arctic and Darkstalker's characters.
First, Arctic. I think he basically has mental illness (like bi-polar disorder) or depression (or both), because of the whole "losing his soul" thing. This would explain why Arctic became a jerk in the end.
However, mental illness can only push you so far as you let it. Mental illness can affect the brain and you can take pills for it or whatever. But if you let it...it can penetrate into you and become a heart issue as well, marking your entire sense of morals as obsolete...because you let it...
But let's not deny how the thoughts of Arctic and Darkstalker both focussed on themselves most of the time. When Arctic and Darkstalker get upset, they choose to dwell on the pain instead of acknowledging others pain. I think that even though it would be harder for Arctic because of his illness, if he realized the way he hurt others in the moment, he could perhaps learn to calm down and have better self control.
I'm not saying that focusing on others over yourself can get rid of his soul-lacking issue. However, it might have helped things.
Also I find it ironic that Darkstalker never used his animus powers to heal his father's soul. Instead he played "victim" the entire story, painted his father as a bad guy without even trying to understand what he was struggling through, and in the end made his father kill himself. So who is really the villain here? While Arctic isn't innocent, I would most definitely say it's Darkstalker.
Anyway how am I relating this to Darkstalker and Arctic? Because here's two "villains" in the story, but they go about it in extremely different ways. I laugh because Darkstalker acts so self-righteous in bestowing judgement upon his father. When on earth did Darkstalker EVER do anything for anyone? You want to know how your father lost his soul and went insane, Darkstalker? He used up a huge chunk of his soul just getting him and your mother to safety! That's more than you've ever done! I'm not saying that Arctic has an excuse to treat others the way he does, but can we all agree that Arctic's probably mentally ill? I mean, losing your soul made Albatross crazy. And I feel like Arctic is already half way there. The thing about Arctic though is that you can tell he still has some of his soul left because whenever Darkstalker accuses him of having no soul, Arctic looks genuinely horrified. That means Arctic still cares about having a soul, whereas Darkstalker doesn't. Darkstalker thinks he can do whatever he wants without consequence, and he doesn't really regret anything, but Arctic seemingly does regret the way he treats others. This is a parallel between Darkstalker and Arctic and shows who the real villain is. Darkstalker has his father disembowel himself in front of everyone. I like how Darkstalker just did that right in front of his sister. Darkstalker claims to love his sister throughout the book, but I don't think Darkstalker really loves ANYONE but himself! I mean who makes their little sister watch her own father disembowel himself in such a gory manner for the sake of "judgement?" That's messed up.
I don't know how anyone could say Darkstalker had "good intentions." I don't see that anywhere in the book. All I see is him striving to get what he wants. Even when he makes things for his "friends," he only does it to either A) manipulate them, or B) give things in order to get something back. This isn't true friendship. And the moment any of them do something he doesn't like, he instantly seeks to get rid of them. Who would do that to your friends? I've never seen a single moment of Darkstalker actually doing something out of the goodness of his heart while NOT expecting something back from it. He's continually selfish throughout. Zero good intentions anywhere. That's just a lame excuse.
When Darkstalker said "Maybe there won't be a queen in my future." Once finding out Clearsight took his scroll, was a blood curdling line that really showed the extent of his "love" for her. She does ONE thing to get in the way of his plans, and despite being his "soulmate" Darkstalker is instantly eager to turn his wrath on her too.
I think it just goes to show that the whole "soulmates" thing is just ridiculous. Love is a choice you make daily to put another above yourself. Despite being "soulmates" Darkstalker hoards his power and seeks only after his own interests, and ends up completely destroying the perfect unity with Clearsight he could have otherwise had. Darkstalker: The one who proves that the whole "soulmates" fantasy is nothing but a myth. Because you can be perfect for each other and your own sin and selfishness will still always destroy you unless you choose DAILY to put love above everything else. Compatibility does not hold a marriage together. Effort does. Love is effort. There it is, hands down. Love is not a feeling. It is not fleeting and based on hormones and emotion. Love is a choice you make over and over and over again. When people divorce because they say they don't "love" each other anymore, what they are actually saying is that "I choose not to love them anymore because I'm selfish." That's what that really means. And that's exactly what Darkstalker chose when he decided that his power and glory and him playing God was more important than his "one flesh." His soulmate, his mate.
Gotta love that the book never mentioned Fathom and Indigo being soulmates, and yet they're the ones who showed everyone what true love is in the end.
Lol and did Darkstalker learn his lesson after being trapped under the mountain? Nope. Back he goes, straight to manipulating Moonwatcher in the second arc without an iota of regret. In fact it's actually so ironic that when he turns someone else into Clearsight in the second arc, even then it's not perfect because the Clearsight he knew and loved was the one who always was his conscience. Yet, that's exactly what he didn't like about her. So basically what he loved about her was what he didn't like about her. *Claps for Darkstalker.*
I really don't know why anyone likes this guy.
I have to say, Tui is excellent at shaping characters, parallels and hidden meanings between them. Like I said, the storyline itself was excellent and really fleshed out the characters of the past and how they relate to the characters in the second arc.
Now I'm going to go into all my criticisms.
The way the story was executed was extremely sloppy. The entire thing was very inconsistent from all the other books in the other arcs, and buries the fantastic story and characters in a mudslide of brainstorming debris that was never cleared away in the editing process.
First off, Tui's usage of words out of their context. Bigotry does not mean what Tui thinks it means.
Bigotry: Intolerant of other people's views.
Last I checked, Whiteout destroyed their game, NOT with her views but with her own ignorance and carelessness. If anyone is being a bigot in this circumstance, it's Darkstalker for using the term. He was the one who was intolerant of the dragon's anger over the fact that his sister destroyed their game. Instead of apologizing for his sister's clumsiness and trying to explain that it was an accident and she didn't mean anything by it, he insults their entire lives just because they get mad at his sister for wrecking their game? Seems to me like Darkstalker is the bigot. Oh, and Clearsight saw him as more intelligent for all this? She's also an idiot.
This is like reading a story from Facebook, this scene. No wonder everyone calls each other bigots, it's writers like this, spreading this stupidity to the younger generations, using a word for something it doesn't even mean. I'm a bigot, you're a bigot. We're all bigots.
Can we please keep political words out of a children's story? Especially if you can't even use them correctly? Thanks.
Also they weren't even bullying his sister, they were just expressing their anger that she wrecked their game. That's a genuine reason to be angry. What if they had been playing this game for hours only for some clumsy dragon to destroy everything they spent hours building up? Like I'm sorry but I'd be pretty angry too.
Toothrbrushes. WHY DO DRAGONS NEED TOOTHBRUSHES?!
Sashimi. Seawings have no fire, so don't they eat EVERYTHING raw? How would they know what sashimi is?
Couches. The crap are these couches made of?! Do they collect wool or cotton and weave it into furniture?! At this point they might as well be wearing clothes. At this point they might as well be HUMAN.
Where the heck would seawings get macadania nuts?! Aren't they not on good terms with Rainwings at this point? And why are they eating fruit? Seawings in the future, as far as was revealed anyway, just eat fishy stuff, just ask Queen Coral what she served at HER banquet. I thought fruit was specifically a Rainwing thing. Guess not!
It seems to me that the further back in history we go, the more civilized dragons are. More human and less like dragons. They're DE-EVOLVING!! It's like watching progression go backwards.
This soulmates thing is like reading a dramatic soap opera that makes you gag and roll your eyes.
So many loopholes everywhere.
Apparently Nightwings must also milk cows or SOMETHING because they have CHEESE. Is the author really thinking all this through? I'm a little disturbed trying to imagine a dragon milking a mammal of any sort.
This thing looks like it was written for a Naimo Rhymo. Like it was written within a month and completely bipassed the editing process. I feel like if there was more thought put into this, these mistakes wouldn't have been missed.
You can also tell how rushed this was because I found a couple spelling mistakes in the book.
This book is basically brain baggage dumped on blank pages. This story needs a LOT of work to make it the gem that it could've been.
The storyline of this had SO much potential. Too bad the entire thing was extremely rushed. I just want to say that I loved the whole relationship between Fathom and Indigo and how it directly parallels Darkstalker's relationship with Clearsight. This could have been a real gem of a story if it had been polished but as it stands, the jewel is mostly covered in huge clumps of dirt.
There was a whole lot of metaphors in this book that were excellent.
First I'll start with Fathom and Indigo. These two are my favourite (aside from Arctic) in Darkstalker because they were two characters that didn't seem all that important. Fathom, originally famous, becomes an outcast because of a circumstance beyond his control. His own sister turns against him. He loses everyone else he loves, to murder. And he can't even find it within himself to hate the dragon who killed them...because he knows he lost his soul and it wasn't really him... Fathom the outcast, unable to be loved by anyone. His entire kind want him dead...even his own sister... But one dragon comes with him. A dragon who had everything to lose in siding with him...Indigo, the loyal friend who gave up everything to be with him. She gave up literally everything.
As if it wasn't enough the first time when she tried to save his life by launching herself at Albatross...even though she had no powers of her own. She had no chance really, and she almost lost her life for him.
Then again...as a wooden statue of a Seawing carved by Fathom's own claws. How insanely cruel of Darkstalker, to use Fathom's own talons, given as a gift, to betray him and entrap the one he cared about most. There's something very disturbing about Darkstalker's mind.
I love these two because they were background characters. They weren't important. They weren't soulmates. They were just victims of a terrible circumstance, but in direct contrast to Darkstalker and Clearsight, they are the couple that could pull through anything. They were the couple who put love above all else, even their own lives. While Darkstalker was busy manipulating his relationships to hold onto his power, Fathom and Indigo stand out as a stark contrast of those who gave up all they had out of love for others, putting others above themselves time and time again.
Two dragons that weren't important, yet had what was most important-love- made the biggest difference. I love how this fits in so well with the Bible.
1 Corinthians 13:13
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13
13 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails.
I was actually a little disappointed that Indigo wasn't aware the whole time. I was hoping she would break into a tearful smile when he brought her back, throwing herself into his arms. I imagined that she was there, aware, the whole time, watching terrible things unfold, knowing the truth, in despair, unable to tell the one dragon she loved most the truth about Darkstalker. I'm disappointed she didn't even know and had to have Fathom explain the whole situation to her. Lost opportunity Tui.
I also love what I unpacked on Arctic and Darkstalker's characters.
First, Arctic. I think he basically has mental illness (like bi-polar disorder) or depression (or both), because of the whole "losing his soul" thing. This would explain why Arctic became a jerk in the end.
However, mental illness can only push you so far as you let it. Mental illness can affect the brain and you can take pills for it or whatever. But if you let it...it can penetrate into you and become a heart issue as well, marking your entire sense of morals as obsolete...because you let it...
But let's not deny how the thoughts of Arctic and Darkstalker both focussed on themselves most of the time. When Arctic and Darkstalker get upset, they choose to dwell on the pain instead of acknowledging others pain. I think that even though it would be harder for Arctic because of his illness, if he realized the way he hurt others in the moment, he could perhaps learn to calm down and have better self control.
I'm not saying that focusing on others over yourself can get rid of his soul-lacking issue. However, it might have helped things.
Also I find it ironic that Darkstalker never used his animus powers to heal his father's soul. Instead he played "victim" the entire story, painted his father as a bad guy without even trying to understand what he was struggling through, and in the end made his father kill himself. So who is really the villain here? While Arctic isn't innocent, I would most definitely say it's Darkstalker.
Anyway how am I relating this to Darkstalker and Arctic? Because here's two "villains" in the story, but they go about it in extremely different ways. I laugh because Darkstalker acts so self-righteous in bestowing judgement upon his father. When on earth did Darkstalker EVER do anything for anyone? You want to know how your father lost his soul and went insane, Darkstalker? He used up a huge chunk of his soul just getting him and your mother to safety! That's more than you've ever done! I'm not saying that Arctic has an excuse to treat others the way he does, but can we all agree that Arctic's probably mentally ill? I mean, losing your soul made Albatross crazy. And I feel like Arctic is already half way there. The thing about Arctic though is that you can tell he still has some of his soul left because whenever Darkstalker accuses him of having no soul, Arctic looks genuinely horrified. That means Arctic still cares about having a soul, whereas Darkstalker doesn't. Darkstalker thinks he can do whatever he wants without consequence, and he doesn't really regret anything, but Arctic seemingly does regret the way he treats others. This is a parallel between Darkstalker and Arctic and shows who the real villain is. Darkstalker has his father disembowel himself in front of everyone. I like how Darkstalker just did that right in front of his sister. Darkstalker claims to love his sister throughout the book, but I don't think Darkstalker really loves ANYONE but himself! I mean who makes their little sister watch her own father disembowel himself in such a gory manner for the sake of "judgement?" That's messed up.
I don't know how anyone could say Darkstalker had "good intentions." I don't see that anywhere in the book. All I see is him striving to get what he wants. Even when he makes things for his "friends," he only does it to either A) manipulate them, or B) give things in order to get something back. This isn't true friendship. And the moment any of them do something he doesn't like, he instantly seeks to get rid of them. Who would do that to your friends? I've never seen a single moment of Darkstalker actually doing something out of the goodness of his heart while NOT expecting something back from it. He's continually selfish throughout. Zero good intentions anywhere. That's just a lame excuse.
When Darkstalker said "Maybe there won't be a queen in my future." Once finding out Clearsight took his scroll, was a blood curdling line that really showed the extent of his "love" for her. She does ONE thing to get in the way of his plans, and despite being his "soulmate" Darkstalker is instantly eager to turn his wrath on her too.
I think it just goes to show that the whole "soulmates" thing is just ridiculous. Love is a choice you make daily to put another above yourself. Despite being "soulmates" Darkstalker hoards his power and seeks only after his own interests, and ends up completely destroying the perfect unity with Clearsight he could have otherwise had. Darkstalker: The one who proves that the whole "soulmates" fantasy is nothing but a myth. Because you can be perfect for each other and your own sin and selfishness will still always destroy you unless you choose DAILY to put love above everything else. Compatibility does not hold a marriage together. Effort does. Love is effort. There it is, hands down. Love is not a feeling. It is not fleeting and based on hormones and emotion. Love is a choice you make over and over and over again. When people divorce because they say they don't "love" each other anymore, what they are actually saying is that "I choose not to love them anymore because I'm selfish." That's what that really means. And that's exactly what Darkstalker chose when he decided that his power and glory and him playing God was more important than his "one flesh." His soulmate, his mate.
Gotta love that the book never mentioned Fathom and Indigo being soulmates, and yet they're the ones who showed everyone what true love is in the end.
Lol and did Darkstalker learn his lesson after being trapped under the mountain? Nope. Back he goes, straight to manipulating Moonwatcher in the second arc without an iota of regret. In fact it's actually so ironic that when he turns someone else into Clearsight in the second arc, even then it's not perfect because the Clearsight he knew and loved was the one who always was his conscience. Yet, that's exactly what he didn't like about her. So basically what he loved about her was what he didn't like about her. *Claps for Darkstalker.*
I really don't know why anyone likes this guy.
I have to say, Tui is excellent at shaping characters, parallels and hidden meanings between them. Like I said, the storyline itself was excellent and really fleshed out the characters of the past and how they relate to the characters in the second arc.
Now I'm going to go into all my criticisms.
The way the story was executed was extremely sloppy. The entire thing was very inconsistent from all the other books in the other arcs, and buries the fantastic story and characters in a mudslide of brainstorming debris that was never cleared away in the editing process.
First off, Tui's usage of words out of their context. Bigotry does not mean what Tui thinks it means.
Bigotry: Intolerant of other people's views.
Last I checked, Whiteout destroyed their game, NOT with her views but with her own ignorance and carelessness. If anyone is being a bigot in this circumstance, it's Darkstalker for using the term. He was the one who was intolerant of the dragon's anger over the fact that his sister destroyed their game. Instead of apologizing for his sister's clumsiness and trying to explain that it was an accident and she didn't mean anything by it, he insults their entire lives just because they get mad at his sister for wrecking their game? Seems to me like Darkstalker is the bigot. Oh, and Clearsight saw him as more intelligent for all this? She's also an idiot.
This is like reading a story from Facebook, this scene. No wonder everyone calls each other bigots, it's writers like this, spreading this stupidity to the younger generations, using a word for something it doesn't even mean. I'm a bigot, you're a bigot. We're all bigots.
Can we please keep political words out of a children's story? Especially if you can't even use them correctly? Thanks.
Also they weren't even bullying his sister, they were just expressing their anger that she wrecked their game. That's a genuine reason to be angry. What if they had been playing this game for hours only for some clumsy dragon to destroy everything they spent hours building up? Like I'm sorry but I'd be pretty angry too.
Toothrbrushes. WHY DO DRAGONS NEED TOOTHBRUSHES?!
Sashimi. Seawings have no fire, so don't they eat EVERYTHING raw? How would they know what sashimi is?
Couches. The crap are these couches made of?! Do they collect wool or cotton and weave it into furniture?! At this point they might as well be wearing clothes. At this point they might as well be HUMAN.
Where the heck would seawings get macadania nuts?! Aren't they not on good terms with Rainwings at this point? And why are they eating fruit? Seawings in the future, as far as was revealed anyway, just eat fishy stuff, just ask Queen Coral what she served at HER banquet. I thought fruit was specifically a Rainwing thing. Guess not!
It seems to me that the further back in history we go, the more civilized dragons are. More human and less like dragons. They're DE-EVOLVING!! It's like watching progression go backwards.
This soulmates thing is like reading a dramatic soap opera that makes you gag and roll your eyes.
So many loopholes everywhere.
Apparently Nightwings must also milk cows or SOMETHING because they have CHEESE. Is the author really thinking all this through? I'm a little disturbed trying to imagine a dragon milking a mammal of any sort.
This thing looks like it was written for a Naimo Rhymo. Like it was written within a month and completely bipassed the editing process. I feel like if there was more thought put into this, these mistakes wouldn't have been missed.
You can also tell how rushed this was because I found a couple spelling mistakes in the book.
This book is basically brain baggage dumped on blank pages. This story needs a LOT of work to make it the gem that it could've been.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 13, 2024
Okay now this was the BEST BOOK I HAVE EVER READ. BETTER THAN BEST NERDS FOREVER. This story is just... Amahziiiiiiing!!
When I was done reading the book, I slammed it shut and just stared at the cover. Now I'll get embarrassed saying this, but I LITERALLY WANTED TO CRY.
Its a deep recommendation. Even if you haven't read the first Wings of Fire #1, READ THIS ONE.
When I was done reading the book, I slammed it shut and just stared at the cover. Now I'll get embarrassed saying this, but I LITERALLY WANTED TO CRY.
Its a deep recommendation. Even if you haven't read the first Wings of Fire #1, READ THIS ONE.
August 5, 2023
Felt good to be back in Tui T Sutherland's world since I finished the main series. Although this didn't resonated with me, I could still tell that it's one of the better written books compared to it's peers. No doubt why this a reader's favorite.
Synopsis and/or Premise:
- Over 2000 years before the events of the first Wings Of Fire book, we follow the origins of three dragons: Fathom (a young animus Seawing prince), Clearsight (a Nightwing dragonet and the most powerful seer), and Darkstalker (the forbidden offspring of a Nightwing and an Icewing, and also inherited the animus power of his father.) Different lives but fate intertwined, each of them must make their moves for the future of animus magic.
Strengths:
1. Unique narrative format.
2. Focused on riveting protagonists.
3. Beautiful slice of mystery.
4. Relevant topics/themes/allegory.
Flaws:
1. Pacing was a major flaw.
2. Not optimally written chapters.
3. A little too short.
Remarks and Rating:
- In retrospective, this was written as a middle-grade fantasy series. I'll analyze with that major factor.
- This book was THE animus book that perfectly embellished the Wings of Fire ARC 2. It's quite creative, extraordinary, and took risks (with 3 protagonists.) It stands out from the others as a result.
- I have to give praise 🙌 on the effort of crafting intriguing protagonists despite cramped into a single novel:
1. Fathom - Enveloped by guilt and fear of being an animus it destroyed his everyday living. He did got a chance to open and be 'redeemed', but his thirst for them blinded him from his utmost duty.
2. Clearsight - Overwhelmed by her enhanced future-seeing seer ability, she found it difficult to focus on the present. She learned that she needed to be more proactive.
3. Darkstalker - Growing from an unstable household, he wanted to improve his life as well as others. However, he believed his questionable means we're justified. He's a perfect example of a manipulator and sort of an Anti-Villain, and had cemented himself to be the best Wings of Fire antagonist without debate.
- I have to admit...this book cleared some confusions within book 9 and 10.
- I admired 🫡 its commentary on the topics of Power and Inhibiting Sociological Perspectives for younger audiences, among others.
- I just love every scavengers scenes (which makes me excited for Wings of Fire Legends: Dragonslayer since they were the perspectives.)
- I ♥️ Whiteout.
- I'll give this a comfortable 8/10
WINGS OF FIRE BOOKS RANKED:
1. The Dangerous Gift (9/10)
2. Moon Rising (8/10)
4. Talons of Power (8/10)
5. Winter Turning (7/10)
6. The Hidden Kingdom (7/10)
7. The Poison Jungle (7/10)
8. The Lost Continent (7/10)
9. The Dark Secret (6/10)
10. The Brightest Night (6/10)
11. The Dragonet Prophecy (6/10)
12. The Lost Heir (5/10)
13. Darkness of Dragons (5/10)
14. Legends: Dragonslayer (5/10)
15. The Flames of Hope (4/10)
16. Escaping Peril (4/10)
17. The Hive Queen (4/10)
"The hardest thing about a seer," she'd said, "is that the future is always a million possibilities — I can see so many ways my life could possibly go. But the past is only one thing. Once something happens, that's it. I can't change it anymore. I can't do anything. All my possibilities narrow into one fixed life, and then we're trapped in that world. I think I can control the future, but the past — it's gone. I can't fix it anymore."
Synopsis and/or Premise:
- Over 2000 years before the events of the first Wings Of Fire book, we follow the origins of three dragons: Fathom (a young animus Seawing prince), Clearsight (a Nightwing dragonet and the most powerful seer), and Darkstalker (the forbidden offspring of a Nightwing and an Icewing, and also inherited the animus power of his father.) Different lives but fate intertwined, each of them must make their moves for the future of animus magic.
Strengths:
1. Unique narrative format.
2. Focused on riveting protagonists.
3. Beautiful slice of mystery.
4. Relevant topics/themes/allegory.
Flaws:
1. Pacing was a major flaw.
2. Not optimally written chapters.
3. A little too short.
Remarks and Rating:
- In retrospective, this was written as a middle-grade fantasy series. I'll analyze with that major factor.
- This book was THE animus book that perfectly embellished the Wings of Fire ARC 2. It's quite creative, extraordinary, and took risks (with 3 protagonists.) It stands out from the others as a result.
- I have to give praise 🙌 on the effort of crafting intriguing protagonists despite cramped into a single novel:
1. Fathom - Enveloped by guilt and fear of being an animus it destroyed his everyday living. He did got a chance to open and be 'redeemed', but his thirst for them blinded him from his utmost duty.
2. Clearsight - Overwhelmed by her enhanced future-seeing seer ability, she found it difficult to focus on the present. She learned that she needed to be more proactive.
3. Darkstalker - Growing from an unstable household, he wanted to improve his life as well as others. However, he believed his questionable means we're justified. He's a perfect example of a manipulator and sort of an Anti-Villain, and had cemented himself to be the best Wings of Fire antagonist without debate.
- I have to admit...this book cleared some confusions within book 9 and 10.
- I admired 🫡 its commentary on the topics of Power and Inhibiting Sociological Perspectives for younger audiences, among others.
- I just love every scavengers scenes (which makes me excited for Wings of Fire Legends: Dragonslayer since they were the perspectives.)
- I ♥️ Whiteout.
- I'll give this a comfortable 8/10
WINGS OF FIRE BOOKS RANKED:
1. The Dangerous Gift (9/10)
2. Moon Rising (8/10)
3. Legends: Darkstalker (8/10)
4. Talons of Power (8/10)
5. Winter Turning (7/10)
6. The Hidden Kingdom (7/10)
7. The Poison Jungle (7/10)
8. The Lost Continent (7/10)
9. The Dark Secret (6/10)
10. The Brightest Night (6/10)
11. The Dragonet Prophecy (6/10)
12. The Lost Heir (5/10)
13. Darkness of Dragons (5/10)
14. Legends: Dragonslayer (5/10)
15. The Flames of Hope (4/10)
16. Escaping Peril (4/10)
17. The Hive Queen (4/10)
November 13, 2018
This book is my favourite Wings of Fire book that I've read, and one of my favourite books ever. This stand-alone was very different from the series - it takes place 2000 years before The Dragonet Prophecy, the first book in the WoF series, and explores what Pyrrhia was like thousands of years before. It also gives insight into what the tribes were like at that time, which was very interesting since the main series revolves around modern Pyrrhia. But this is all about ancient Pyrrhia, the continent the seven dragon tribes live on.
*SPOILERS FOLLOW*
There are three points-of-view in the story - Darkstalker, Clearsight, his soulmate, and Fathom, Darkstalker's best friend. The book begins in the Ice Kingdom, where Prince Arctic of the IceWing tribe falls in love with Foeslayer, one of the NightWings who was visiting the Ice Kingdom as part of a group sent to tighten the relationship between NightWings and IceWings. These two tribes are also a major part of this entire story, and it deeply affects what happens to the main characters. Arctic decided to escape with Foeslayer to the Night Kingdom, where there have Darkstalker and his sister, Whiteout.
Darkstalker is an animus dragon, a dragon with a special, rare and dangerous power that can be very harmful is used too much, since every time one uses that power, they lose a bit of their soul.
At the same time, in the Kingdom of the Sea, Prince Fathom has just discovered that he is capable of animus magic. His grandfather, who is the SeaWing queen's brother, is also and animus, and they grew close. But one day, his grandfather lost his soul from using his magic too much, leading to a terrible massacre, which killed the queen, and almost everybody in the royal SeaWing family. Fathom's sister, Pearl, survived and became queen, since she was the only heir left. She began to distrust Fathom since she was reminded by what his grandfather did, and he swore to her never to use his magic again.
Fathom is sent to the Night Kingdom to tell Darkstalker that it is dangerous to use his animus magic, but Darkstalker doesn't listen, and eventually, Darkstalker makes terrible things happen....
When I finished this, one single word was in my mind: haunting. That's right, the book was well-written, and very haunting. The ending was particularly sad. The book, overall, was absolutely amazing, breathtaking, and I couldn't stop reading it until the final page. Highly, highly, highly recommended.
*SPOILERS FOLLOW*
There are three points-of-view in the story - Darkstalker, Clearsight, his soulmate, and Fathom, Darkstalker's best friend. The book begins in the Ice Kingdom, where Prince Arctic of the IceWing tribe falls in love with Foeslayer, one of the NightWings who was visiting the Ice Kingdom as part of a group sent to tighten the relationship between NightWings and IceWings. These two tribes are also a major part of this entire story, and it deeply affects what happens to the main characters. Arctic decided to escape with Foeslayer to the Night Kingdom, where there have Darkstalker and his sister, Whiteout.
Darkstalker is an animus dragon, a dragon with a special, rare and dangerous power that can be very harmful is used too much, since every time one uses that power, they lose a bit of their soul.
At the same time, in the Kingdom of the Sea, Prince Fathom has just discovered that he is capable of animus magic. His grandfather, who is the SeaWing queen's brother, is also and animus, and they grew close. But one day, his grandfather lost his soul from using his magic too much, leading to a terrible massacre, which killed the queen, and almost everybody in the royal SeaWing family. Fathom's sister, Pearl, survived and became queen, since she was the only heir left. She began to distrust Fathom since she was reminded by what his grandfather did, and he swore to her never to use his magic again.
Fathom is sent to the Night Kingdom to tell Darkstalker that it is dangerous to use his animus magic, but Darkstalker doesn't listen, and eventually, Darkstalker makes terrible things happen....
When I finished this, one single word was in my mind: haunting. That's right, the book was well-written, and very haunting. The ending was particularly sad. The book, overall, was absolutely amazing, breathtaking, and I couldn't stop reading it until the final page. Highly, highly, highly recommended.
September 27, 2021
This book did not disappoint.
Where should I start?
I loved the idea of a book where all the characters are dragons instead of humanoid magical creatures. I also liked the originality of Animus power and that those who use it excessively turn evil. At first, I thought it was a children's book, with epic adventures and a happy ending. I couldn't be more wrong. Darkstalker is such a complex protagonist (I freaked out when he publicly ordered Arctic - his father - to cut his tongue, take his talons and rip open his stomach). Instead of Darkstalker going insane due to his powers, he became the villain in the story because of his own flaws and reading from his perspective, one can argue that he is not entirely bad. I'm glad that Fathom ended up with Indigo. That anxious fella deserved happiness after all the trauma he went through.
It was an amazing story, full of twists and turns, but the writing was not amazing. However, the plot makes up for it.
Where should I start?
I loved the idea of a book where all the characters are dragons instead of humanoid magical creatures. I also liked the originality of Animus power and that those who use it excessively turn evil. At first, I thought it was a children's book, with epic adventures and a happy ending. I couldn't be more wrong. Darkstalker is such a complex protagonist (I freaked out when he publicly ordered Arctic - his father - to cut his tongue, take his talons and rip open his stomach). Instead of Darkstalker going insane due to his powers, he became the villain in the story because of his own flaws and reading from his perspective, one can argue that he is not entirely bad. I'm glad that Fathom ended up with Indigo. That anxious fella deserved happiness after all the trauma he went through.
It was an amazing story, full of twists and turns, but the writing was not amazing. However, the plot makes up for it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 8, 2018
This is definitely my favorite WOF book, although it's pretty sad, and I teared up a few times, but some of those tears were because of happiness. So, I think it's pretty emotional.It's really interesting seeing him as a kid and seeing how he turned evil. It's possibly one of my top three favorite books.
July 11, 2022
It's very dark at the beginning, and towards the end. There's death and bloodshed. ESPECIALLY towards the end. There's lots of blood and gore there. Probably less blood than at the beginning, because it's just one dragon's death, instead of multiple, but it's still there. And both have the death of an animus. (Here's two hints: There's red blood at the beginning, and blue blood towards the end. There's only one tribe with blue blood, and cold scales.) In and near the middle, it's not that dark. It takes place 2,000 years in the past. FanWings who haven't read this yet, YOU MUST READ IT. (You can read it before reading The Dragonet Prophecy if you want. Then it'll be in order of the timeline. :3 )
April 30, 2022
A very fun read that gave How to Train Your Dragon nostalgia and fantasy vibes... it wasn't my cup 'a tea, but was a great read!
Content guide:
Language: clean, some silly exclamations (like great starfish!)
Romance: clean, a very sweet blossoming of love between the main and secondary characters
Christian elements: none
Violence: mentions of dragon wars, death, blood, etc. Nothing graphic
Content guide:
Language: clean, some silly exclamations (like great starfish!)
Romance: clean, a very sweet blossoming of love between the main and secondary characters
Christian elements: none
Violence: mentions of dragon wars, death, blood, etc. Nothing graphic
July 7, 2016
Well I don't know what to do now
Also I am very scared for the rest of the regular series
Please don't hurt my faves
Also I am very scared for the rest of the regular series
Please don't hurt my faves
September 9, 2018
I own this book so I read it once a week. I love Whiteout!
April 14, 2021
Excellent prequel to this great series
June 3, 2025
I read this book when I was a teenager and I read it again as an adult.
I think I love and appreciate it even more now! 😭💕 Darkstalker is my beloved; you can’t change my mind on that one.
I think I love and appreciate it even more now! 😭💕 Darkstalker is my beloved; you can’t change my mind on that one.
December 31, 2024
I can only see this book as the result of Sutherland going "Oh goodness, the Star Wars prequels sucked, I bet I can do better." No one, not even Sutherland, can convince me otherwise.
For what its worth, she succeeded.
This book, unlike others in the franchise, alternates between multiple character viewpoints and locations. I thought this was well done and the times in which the perspectives overlapped was particularly interesting, seeing the different 'takes' of the same event. It also highlighted the disconnect between each character in actuality versus how they were perceived by the others, and how those perceptions differed (e.g., how Clearsight perceived Fathom vs. how Darkstalker did).
I know the book is titled Darkstalker, but he is the least interesting element in the book. I compared him to Anakin in the prequels and the comparison is apt. A powerful, vengeful young man that starts out as impulsive and selfish, and continues to be impulsive, manipulative, and selfish even after falling in love and getting a mentor, both of whom try to steer him towards goodness. The difference is the book really isn't about Darkstalker falling the way the prequels tried to portray an already-fallen character's fall. Its about Clearsight and her quest to save someone that might not be savable. Clearsight is the hero and main character of the book, and she and Fathom are the ones with arcs, not Darkstalker. Darkstalker does absolutely no development, and we learn nothing new about him here.
The relationships in this are portrayed really well. Artic and Foeslayer are the quintessential married couple on the cusp of a tumultuous and bitter divorce (but are sticking it out 'for the kids'). Like, it made me uncomfortable reading their fights, it was so true to real life. The relationship between Clearsight and Darkstalker is also fabulous - particularly when contrasted against Fathom and Indigo. In that light, you see the SeaWings have a relationship built on sacrifice and dedication, whereas Clearsight and Darkstalker, on co-dependence and obligation. Darkstalker needs and wants Clearsight to challenge him (which is why the complacent faux-Clearsights he makes don't satisfy him), but he also loathes it and resents her for it.
My issues with the book mainly revolve around the pacing. It is supposed to cover multiple years while they are at school, but feels like only a few short weeks. Its very rushed, like it is trying to hit the major beats/plot points as quickly as possible. I would have liked to have a bit more time to flesh out how the relationships grew between them. Its very much a "Hello, nice to meet you, we're besties now." I would also have liked more information that was new. The story unfolds pretty much exactly as we've already heard it in the main series. Seeing some more places where legend and reality went separate ways would have been great.
For what its worth, she succeeded.
This book, unlike others in the franchise, alternates between multiple character viewpoints and locations. I thought this was well done and the times in which the perspectives overlapped was particularly interesting, seeing the different 'takes' of the same event. It also highlighted the disconnect between each character in actuality versus how they were perceived by the others, and how those perceptions differed (e.g., how Clearsight perceived Fathom vs. how Darkstalker did).
I know the book is titled Darkstalker, but he is the least interesting element in the book. I compared him to Anakin in the prequels and the comparison is apt. A powerful, vengeful young man that starts out as impulsive and selfish, and continues to be impulsive, manipulative, and selfish even after falling in love and getting a mentor, both of whom try to steer him towards goodness. The difference is the book really isn't about Darkstalker falling the way the prequels tried to portray an already-fallen character's fall. Its about Clearsight and her quest to save someone that might not be savable. Clearsight is the hero and main character of the book, and she and Fathom are the ones with arcs, not Darkstalker. Darkstalker does absolutely no development, and we learn nothing new about him here.
The relationships in this are portrayed really well. Artic and Foeslayer are the quintessential married couple on the cusp of a tumultuous and bitter divorce (but are sticking it out 'for the kids'). Like, it made me uncomfortable reading their fights, it was so true to real life. The relationship between Clearsight and Darkstalker is also fabulous - particularly when contrasted against Fathom and Indigo. In that light, you see the SeaWings have a relationship built on sacrifice and dedication, whereas Clearsight and Darkstalker, on co-dependence and obligation. Darkstalker needs and wants Clearsight to challenge him (which is why the complacent faux-Clearsights he makes don't satisfy him), but he also loathes it and resents her for it.
My issues with the book mainly revolve around the pacing. It is supposed to cover multiple years while they are at school, but feels like only a few short weeks. Its very rushed, like it is trying to hit the major beats/plot points as quickly as possible. I would have liked to have a bit more time to flesh out how the relationships grew between them. Its very much a "Hello, nice to meet you, we're besties now." I would also have liked more information that was new. The story unfolds pretty much exactly as we've already heard it in the main series. Seeing some more places where legend and reality went separate ways would have been great.
September 9, 2023
I expected this to be a tad more gruesome. I really liked switching narrators it gives readers a break from less interesting characters and gives more characters a chance to be main characters. There’s a lot of very suspicious ways of how the mind reading, future seeing, magic stuff works and a lot of the answers of why can’t they do this or that? Is basically answered with “the magic isn’t fully understood”. I honestly expected Darkstalker to get even more bad, but I guess they’ll save that for some other book. This book was great, it moved quicker than others which made it much more interesting.
November 2, 2024
favorite wof book so far. five stars!!!
we def need more backstory books like this, but this one was perfect. it was fast paced and interesting the whole way, i barely could put it down. while its just a recommended read, if youre into the wof series at all, i HIGHLY recommend this one!
we def need more backstory books like this, but this one was perfect. it was fast paced and interesting the whole way, i barely could put it down. while its just a recommended read, if youre into the wof series at all, i HIGHLY recommend this one!
September 5, 2016
AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sorry.
February 8, 2022
OMG THIS BOOK ALONE IS THE BEST BOOK EVER!!!!!!
BEST IT THE SERIES!!!
BEST IT THE SERIES!!!
February 26, 2022
Rating: 10 out of 10
Darkstalker was one of my most highly anticipated books this year. Being completely honest, it's also the main reason I decided to start reading Wings of Fire. My expectations were on the clouds and my excitement grew every day I got closer to reading it. Now, having already experienced the whole thing, I state it was everything I had been hoping for and even more!
This is what I call a good prequel. The reader (assuming they've read the main books) has prior knowledge of the events that happen during the story, so there isn't much shock value on the big events. Here you can see Tui had this in mind so she made the twists about the details, the more personal, untold parts of the legend. It was surprising in its way and added to the overwhelming feeling of dread of already knowing how the story will end, the story in itself was simply spectacular.
As this novel tells an important and complex legend in dragon history, the pacing was fast and straightforward. This worried me at first, but I'm glad other aspects (characters and setting, for example) were still well built and not glossed over to favor the plot. Every scene plays an important part in the plot and it was seriously hard for me to stop reading most of the time.
The book is divided between the POVs of the three main characters: Fathom, Clearsight and Darkstalker. They all had a unique voice and opinions, as well as likable, varied personalities. As well as that, I loved their friendship and the way their stories start on their own but eventually come together was very neat.
Fathom was the protagonist I was expecting the least from, and therefore the one who surprised me the most! He resembled Turtle a lot, so I loved him from the first second! His fears and insecurities were well-founded and he had the nervous, shy nature I tend to fall for in characters.
Clearsight was my favorite protagonist out of the three. I could relate deeply to her anxiety and perfectionism, so I could connect with her easily. Her character arc was well written and her personality round, which made reading from her perspective a fun experience. On a more personal note, I had the sensation she just got me (something that doesn't happen very often but that I relish truly) and that feeling of mutual understanding was what sold this character for me.
Last but not least, Darkstalker! As the title suggests, he stole the show. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about his slow descent into evil as much as I did reading about his good qualities: his love towards his mom and sister, his desire to make the world a better place (even if he was determined to do everything to achieve that goal), etc. His gray morality and his reasoning behind his actions were most likely the best parts of the book as a whole.
The rest of the cast was just as interesting: Arctic, Whiteout, Indigo, Foeslayer, and even Listener all had great characterization and I would gladly read more about each one of them. Every character in the story was full of life and felt the most real a fictional character possibly could.
Something else I adored was the world-building! The Night Kingdom of the past was the perfect setting, with all its grand festivals and parties, luxury and majesty. Their culture and customs were more sophisticated than the ones of modern times and I had a wonderful time exploring the school, the palace, and the kingdom along with the protagonists.
This novel tackled many themes and did it with great skill. This is a story about love, ambition, and power, but especially about the fine line between good and evil, and what makes oneself a "bad" or "good" individual. Whether animus magic did consume the owner's soul was never quite cleared up, and I think it was for the better: the readers were free to have their theories and thoughts on the subject. Finally, I adored how the book's lessons were there but weren't pushed into the reader, were blatantly obvious, or preachy.
If I had to give the book a piece of criticism, I would say it was too short. I don't mean that as "I didn't want it to end" but as a desire for more details and insight on the story. I wish the story were at least 500 pages long to be able to delve into every theme and subject better. The actual result is fantastic, of course, and it didn't lack anything, but I feel like there was a lot more that could have been explored in the course of a couple more hundred pages, plus some pacing issues (since the plot felt a bit rushed once or twice) could have been avoided.
Summing everything up, Darkstalker was closer to perfection than everything I've read in a while. It was far, far better than any of the main books from Wings of Fire, and absolutely worth the read. The complex characters, the exciting plot, and the fascinating themes made up for one of the best books I've read this year, and probably also one of the best ever.
Note: I am aware this is going to sound petty, but the hardcover edition of this book is stunning! The print is incredibly well done and full of shiny and clever details. It's probably the most beautiful book I own and I 100% recommend buying a physical copy.
Darkstalker was one of my most highly anticipated books this year. Being completely honest, it's also the main reason I decided to start reading Wings of Fire. My expectations were on the clouds and my excitement grew every day I got closer to reading it. Now, having already experienced the whole thing, I state it was everything I had been hoping for and even more!
This is what I call a good prequel. The reader (assuming they've read the main books) has prior knowledge of the events that happen during the story, so there isn't much shock value on the big events. Here you can see Tui had this in mind so she made the twists about the details, the more personal, untold parts of the legend. It was surprising in its way and added to the overwhelming feeling of dread of already knowing how the story will end, the story in itself was simply spectacular.
As this novel tells an important and complex legend in dragon history, the pacing was fast and straightforward. This worried me at first, but I'm glad other aspects (characters and setting, for example) were still well built and not glossed over to favor the plot. Every scene plays an important part in the plot and it was seriously hard for me to stop reading most of the time.
The book is divided between the POVs of the three main characters: Fathom, Clearsight and Darkstalker. They all had a unique voice and opinions, as well as likable, varied personalities. As well as that, I loved their friendship and the way their stories start on their own but eventually come together was very neat.
Fathom was the protagonist I was expecting the least from, and therefore the one who surprised me the most! He resembled Turtle a lot, so I loved him from the first second! His fears and insecurities were well-founded and he had the nervous, shy nature I tend to fall for in characters.
Clearsight was my favorite protagonist out of the three. I could relate deeply to her anxiety and perfectionism, so I could connect with her easily. Her character arc was well written and her personality round, which made reading from her perspective a fun experience. On a more personal note, I had the sensation she just got me (something that doesn't happen very often but that I relish truly) and that feeling of mutual understanding was what sold this character for me.
Last but not least, Darkstalker! As the title suggests, he stole the show. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about his slow descent into evil as much as I did reading about his good qualities: his love towards his mom and sister, his desire to make the world a better place (even if he was determined to do everything to achieve that goal), etc. His gray morality and his reasoning behind his actions were most likely the best parts of the book as a whole.
The rest of the cast was just as interesting: Arctic, Whiteout, Indigo, Foeslayer, and even Listener all had great characterization and I would gladly read more about each one of them. Every character in the story was full of life and felt the most real a fictional character possibly could.
Something else I adored was the world-building! The Night Kingdom of the past was the perfect setting, with all its grand festivals and parties, luxury and majesty. Their culture and customs were more sophisticated than the ones of modern times and I had a wonderful time exploring the school, the palace, and the kingdom along with the protagonists.
This novel tackled many themes and did it with great skill. This is a story about love, ambition, and power, but especially about the fine line between good and evil, and what makes oneself a "bad" or "good" individual. Whether animus magic did consume the owner's soul was never quite cleared up, and I think it was for the better: the readers were free to have their theories and thoughts on the subject. Finally, I adored how the book's lessons were there but weren't pushed into the reader, were blatantly obvious, or preachy.
If I had to give the book a piece of criticism, I would say it was too short. I don't mean that as "I didn't want it to end" but as a desire for more details and insight on the story. I wish the story were at least 500 pages long to be able to delve into every theme and subject better. The actual result is fantastic, of course, and it didn't lack anything, but I feel like there was a lot more that could have been explored in the course of a couple more hundred pages, plus some pacing issues (since the plot felt a bit rushed once or twice) could have been avoided.
Summing everything up, Darkstalker was closer to perfection than everything I've read in a while. It was far, far better than any of the main books from Wings of Fire, and absolutely worth the read. The complex characters, the exciting plot, and the fascinating themes made up for one of the best books I've read this year, and probably also one of the best ever.
Note: I am aware this is going to sound petty, but the hardcover edition of this book is stunning! The print is incredibly well done and full of shiny and clever details. It's probably the most beautiful book I own and I 100% recommend buying a physical copy.
October 18, 2023
There’s a reason Darkstalker is one of the more terrifying villains I’ve ever read. He legitimately believed he was in the right.
October 12, 2018
I finished this a few days ago, and then read/listened to Darkness of Dragons (the 10th WoF book)—definitely recommend that order! I really can’t get enough of this series and this world and I need more yesterday.
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