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Wings of Fire #13
The Poison Jungle
The New York Times bestselling series continues with a thrilling revelation -- brand-new tribes of dragons!
Some secrets are deadly.It's no secret that Sundew wants to destroy the HiveWings. It's her life's mission to exact revenge on the tribe that tried to wipe out the LeafWings and ripped every tree from the surface of Pantala.Every tree, that is, except the wild and dangerous Poison Jungle, where the surviving LeafWings have been hiding since the war. Hiding, plotting, and waiting for a dragon like Sundew, who is uniquely qualified to bring down the Hives.There are dark secrets in the jungle, though -- some that Sundew is keeping, and some that she's only just beginning to discover. And now that a new war is upon them, Sundew and her friends must unearth the oldest secret in the jungle -- even if what they find has the power to destroy them all.
Some secrets are deadly.It's no secret that Sundew wants to destroy the HiveWings. It's her life's mission to exact revenge on the tribe that tried to wipe out the LeafWings and ripped every tree from the surface of Pantala.Every tree, that is, except the wild and dangerous Poison Jungle, where the surviving LeafWings have been hiding since the war. Hiding, plotting, and waiting for a dragon like Sundew, who is uniquely qualified to bring down the Hives.There are dark secrets in the jungle, though -- some that Sundew is keeping, and some that she's only just beginning to discover. And now that a new war is upon them, Sundew and her friends must unearth the oldest secret in the jungle -- even if what they find has the power to destroy them all.
301 pages, Paperback
First published June 25, 2019
1602 people are currently reading
9642 people want to read
About the author
Tui T. Sutherland
202 books6,300 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 958 reviews
February 9, 2021
I get that the straight agenda is part of every day life. At the same time, it's every parent's right to decide when to introduce these realities to children. This was highly inappropriate content for my 9 year old. I am angry that the author felt it necessary to introduce straight relationships in a children's book. I'm returning the book, and am highly disappointed in the author and the publisher.
September 30, 2019
GAY DRAGONS!!!!
November 4, 2019
Guys, I found it. A love story worse than Twilight.
The book started okay, but about a third of the way through, it turns out the main character, a girl dragon, has a girlfriend who is her one true love. I have some beliefs that mean I don't think that sort of relationship should be promoted, so this bothered me, especially since so much of the book was about it.
Now, not only does she have a girlfriend, but in a flashback, we find out it was love at first sight when Sundew was TWO YEARS OLD. I know dragons age faster than humans, but two is still way too young for love at first sight, and it seems like the other dragon was older too. Not only that, this dragon sparkled like a Twilight vampire. (I'm not joking. She's sparkly in the flashback.)
The author goes to great extents to normalize gay dragons, to the point no one seems that upset about it, other than a couple glares. Sundew was supposed to marry another dragon because she and he share certain powers. The fact that Sundew is lesbian should cause some issue because, logically, that means she wouldn't be passing on her genetics, which is apparently a big enough deal that she'd have been put in a forced marriage to produce little dragons that talk to plants. This fact that everyone's plan for breeding dragons is ruined isn't mentioned, even though it should have caused a huge blow up.
The writing is also somewhat annoying. The romance is a huge focus of the storyline, and the romantic interest, Willow, has no real personality, other than being the opposite of the main character. Normally, Tui's characters are interesting, but Willow's pretty flat. It's obvious that, so far, her only role in the storyline is "Sundew's girlfriend." While Cricket is an interesting character and is often doing things, Willow would have no real role without Sundew.
And then the third thing. These dragons keep walking through this dragon eating poison jungle. I don't remember anyone mentioning why they can't simply climb a tall tree, then fly over the jungle. Did dragon wings somehow stop working along with dragon magic?
Overall, I don't see why pre-teens should have books that are full of romance, no matter what gender the characters are. Kids don't read books about dragons because they want dragons touching claws and tails and wings. Romance shouldn't be a big focus of stories geared toward this age group, especially stories that are supposed to be about adventure and dragons.
I miss the original series. That had a lot more action and fun in it, and the romance wasn't nearly as much of a focus. It seems to be going downhill badly.
The book started okay, but about a third of the way through, it turns out the main character, a girl dragon, has a girlfriend who is her one true love. I have some beliefs that mean I don't think that sort of relationship should be promoted, so this bothered me, especially since so much of the book was about it.
Now, not only does she have a girlfriend, but in a flashback, we find out it was love at first sight when Sundew was TWO YEARS OLD. I know dragons age faster than humans, but two is still way too young for love at first sight, and it seems like the other dragon was older too. Not only that, this dragon sparkled like a Twilight vampire. (I'm not joking. She's sparkly in the flashback.)
The author goes to great extents to normalize gay dragons, to the point no one seems that upset about it, other than a couple glares. Sundew was supposed to marry another dragon because she and he share certain powers. The fact that Sundew is lesbian should cause some issue because, logically, that means she wouldn't be passing on her genetics, which is apparently a big enough deal that she'd have been put in a forced marriage to produce little dragons that talk to plants. This fact that everyone's plan for breeding dragons is ruined isn't mentioned, even though it should have caused a huge blow up.
The writing is also somewhat annoying. The romance is a huge focus of the storyline, and the romantic interest, Willow, has no real personality, other than being the opposite of the main character. Normally, Tui's characters are interesting, but Willow's pretty flat. It's obvious that, so far, her only role in the storyline is "Sundew's girlfriend." While Cricket is an interesting character and is often doing things, Willow would have no real role without Sundew.
And then the third thing. These dragons keep walking through this dragon eating poison jungle. I don't remember anyone mentioning why they can't simply climb a tall tree, then fly over the jungle. Did dragon wings somehow stop working along with dragon magic?
Overall, I don't see why pre-teens should have books that are full of romance, no matter what gender the characters are. Kids don't read books about dragons because they want dragons touching claws and tails and wings. Romance shouldn't be a big focus of stories geared toward this age group, especially stories that are supposed to be about adventure and dragons.
I miss the original series. That had a lot more action and fun in it, and the romance wasn't nearly as much of a focus. It seems to be going downhill badly.
August 28, 2019
A Broken Fan
This one will be long...I apologize.
So I read the first book about a month after it released. To be short...I loved it. As did I love every book till the fifth. At the end of the fifth I thought it was done, and I was ok with that. Then Six drops with Moonwatcher and that one too was great. From that point on I started a personal tradition, every time a new book come out I reread the whole series from book one all the way to the new book. Book ten drops and I keep this up. I hear of book 11 and I reread the whole series again. I still loved those 10. 11 I liked, but kind of. Blue to me was such a whimp. I know that is for story and hats his character, and I understand and in fact it's better for long term plot. I get that. 12 comes and I love Cricket too. I finish 12 and eventually hear of 13, so I reread it all again. Then...Sundew....
I loved Sundew. She was the badass who was small and intimidating. She reminded me of Darkstalker, who is my favorite dragon of all time from anything. But...find out she has a girlfriend and I lose my mind. I myself am a bit of a scientific person...so a gay dragon made me completely lose my love for the character. Heh here I am saying I am scientific person who loves books about dragons...yea sue me.
I truly felt back stabbed by this book. I felt Clay prove himself as a protector. I felt Tsunami prove she can control herself. I felt Glory become queen. I felt Starflight's understanding of the Nightwings. I felt Sunny become a hero. I felt DarkStalker's pain and suffering. I felt So many emotions from these books...I can go on and on.
But...not this book...this book did not make me want to know more...I feel like a broken fan...
And to those who a pose my views...I apologize for having a opinion. I forget that people can be offended by mere thoughts.
Tui...I'm sorry...but...I need a break...I will reread 1-12....but not 13 for many time to come.
-With sadness, A Broken Fan
This one will be long...I apologize.
So I read the first book about a month after it released. To be short...I loved it. As did I love every book till the fifth. At the end of the fifth I thought it was done, and I was ok with that. Then Six drops with Moonwatcher and that one too was great. From that point on I started a personal tradition, every time a new book come out I reread the whole series from book one all the way to the new book. Book ten drops and I keep this up. I hear of book 11 and I reread the whole series again. I still loved those 10. 11 I liked, but kind of. Blue to me was such a whimp. I know that is for story and hats his character, and I understand and in fact it's better for long term plot. I get that. 12 comes and I love Cricket too. I finish 12 and eventually hear of 13, so I reread it all again. Then...Sundew....
I loved Sundew. She was the badass who was small and intimidating. She reminded me of Darkstalker, who is my favorite dragon of all time from anything. But...find out she has a girlfriend and I lose my mind. I myself am a bit of a scientific person...so a gay dragon made me completely lose my love for the character. Heh here I am saying I am scientific person who loves books about dragons...yea sue me.
I truly felt back stabbed by this book. I felt Clay prove himself as a protector. I felt Tsunami prove she can control herself. I felt Glory become queen. I felt Starflight's understanding of the Nightwings. I felt Sunny become a hero. I felt DarkStalker's pain and suffering. I felt So many emotions from these books...I can go on and on.
But...not this book...this book did not make me want to know more...I feel like a broken fan...
And to those who a pose my views...I apologize for having a opinion. I forget that people can be offended by mere thoughts.
Tui...I'm sorry...but...I need a break...I will reread 1-12....but not 13 for many time to come.
-With sadness, A Broken Fan
May 27, 2018
I heard this on audio during my holidays in India and loved it. Excellent book. Highly recommended.
October 16, 2020
So this was boring.
I went into this with such high hopes and I think, with how much the plot got derailed for romance, I kinda want to lower the ratings on the other Wings of Fire books too because this has been a consistent problem with this series, and I'm sick of it.
Sundew was an amazing character but, for whatever reason, her character development got completely swept aside. She's a strong and calculating dragon. She understood risks and how to prepare for basically anything, . I get Tui wanted to write the conflict between her and her mom, but OH MY GOSH it was exhausting. Sundew felt like a cliche teenager rebelling instead of calculated like she had before.
There also felt to be very little stakes in this. The ending had a lot of big things happening, but all of the major stuff that had been built up over the last two books happened to all the characters off page, so it didn't really matter because they weren't the main ones in the story because we were off with Sundew legitimately doing nothing.
This could have been a phenomenal story about the effects of war, genocide, and how one comes back from that. Willow proved you could. Sundew proved you could, if we're to take any of her development seriously from the other two books, and yet Sundew takes such a big step backwards in this that any hope for a compelling plot of dragon versus dragon and trying to understand why good people do bad things is now completely gone. You know what I wanted? All the vibes of the new She Ra TV series. Something that has goofy moments that is juxtaposed with seriousness. Cute couples and real challenges. We got the cute couples bit, but, as I said earlier, no stakes in this story. We got the goofiness, but it felt forced and out of place. Seriousness? Yeah, no. Sorry, I can't buy the storyline.
As of now, I am officially DNFing this story, as the more I think of it, the less it appeals to me. Sundew could have been great if Sundew had acted the same as she was in Hive Queen. But she was worse than she ever behaved in any of the previous books, and so her story flopped. If Sutherland had made this book about Willow, it would have been more compelling because at least Willow was a good character. I wanted the rough, hardened character of Sundew with her gentle, firm girlfriend/bff and this would have been a solid 4 star book. Or just make this from Willow's POV and less time in Sundew's head woulda been great too.
And if you like this book, no sarcasm comes from me when I say this: I'm glad. This is a beautiful world with amazing dragons, a diverse cast of characters with mental illness and relationships. I wish I liked it more. I really, really do, but I'm sick and tired of series getting dragged out because they make money and authors being too afraid to do gritty topics with Middle Grade and YA.
I went into this with such high hopes and I think, with how much the plot got derailed for romance, I kinda want to lower the ratings on the other Wings of Fire books too because this has been a consistent problem with this series, and I'm sick of it.
Sundew was an amazing character but, for whatever reason, her character development got completely swept aside. She's a strong and calculating dragon. She understood risks and how to prepare for basically anything, . I get Tui wanted to write the conflict between her and her mom, but OH MY GOSH it was exhausting. Sundew felt like a cliche teenager rebelling instead of calculated like she had before.
There also felt to be very little stakes in this. The ending had a lot of big things happening, but all of the major stuff that had been built up over the last two books happened to all the characters off page, so it didn't really matter because they weren't the main ones in the story because we were off with Sundew legitimately doing nothing.
This could have been a phenomenal story about the effects of war, genocide, and how one comes back from that. Willow proved you could. Sundew proved you could, if we're to take any of her development seriously from the other two books, and yet Sundew takes such a big step backwards in this that any hope for a compelling plot of dragon versus dragon and trying to understand why good people do bad things is now completely gone. You know what I wanted? All the vibes of the new She Ra TV series. Something that has goofy moments that is juxtaposed with seriousness. Cute couples and real challenges. We got the cute couples bit, but, as I said earlier, no stakes in this story. We got the goofiness, but it felt forced and out of place. Seriousness? Yeah, no. Sorry, I can't buy the storyline.
As of now, I am officially DNFing this story, as the more I think of it, the less it appeals to me. Sundew could have been great if Sundew had acted the same as she was in Hive Queen. But she was worse than she ever behaved in any of the previous books, and so her story flopped. If Sutherland had made this book about Willow, it would have been more compelling because at least Willow was a good character. I wanted the rough, hardened character of Sundew with her gentle, firm girlfriend/bff and this would have been a solid 4 star book. Or just make this from Willow's POV and less time in Sundew's head woulda been great too.
And if you like this book, no sarcasm comes from me when I say this: I'm glad. This is a beautiful world with amazing dragons, a diverse cast of characters with mental illness and relationships. I wish I liked it more. I really, really do, but I'm sick and tired of series getting dragged out because they make money and authors being too afraid to do gritty topics with Middle Grade and YA.
February 11, 2019
I WANT RO READDDDDDDDDDDDD IT
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 9, 2021
I'm kind of torn. I love this series. Books 1-12 have all gotten 5 stars. Both prequels have gotten 5 stars. I've only read one winglet, Prisoner, but that was a 5 star, too. So, I've decided to split this review into pros and cons.
Yay
Con: The main romance. I'm just going to get this out of the way. No, as a Christian, I don't agree with the romance, and I can't accept it. Please, PLEASE note, though, that this does not mean I hate the PEOPLE that are homosexual, nor do I have some sort of "phobia" over them, I am called to love them. It's just my personal belief as a Christian not to accept the idea of homosexuality. If that was the only thing I disliked about this book, to be honest, it would be a 5 star, still, but it is not, so... let's get into others.
Pro: Sundew developed a lot as a character. She came out of her shell a little bit, thanks to the help of Willow.
Con: Sundew... developed a lot as a character. It was kinda annoying how suddenly and easily it happened, and, to be honest, I think she lost a lot of her charm and a lot of what made her Sundew.
Pro: Bumblebee... honestly, that's enough said.
Con: Willow. Uuuuggghhhh. Okay... Willow is nice and all. The first time reading through this book, I actually really liked her. BUT OH MY GOODNESS GRACIOUS, WILLOW WAS SO TOXICLY SOFT. She would tell Sundew not to do something because she didn't want Sundew's anger to drive her into wrong doings. Understandable. But then she got super hypocritical about it, and acted like if Sundew got mad... the entire world was going to burst into flames and everyone would slowly DIE AND CHOKE ON THE ASHES. She was also annoyingly flat and under-developed.
Pro: There's a lot of reuniting in this book, which was really wholesome to see.
Con: The story didn't grab my attention at all.
Pro: Some new and interesting characters.
Con: Large lack of characters from the previous books.
Pro: The Poison Jungle was a really cool setting with lots of unexpected dangers and new things to learn about, which I love. I honestly think Tui could start creating her own animals and such (like the Dragonbite Viper, or like she created some of the plants in the Poison Jungle) and her stories would be even more sick.
Con: This one annoys me a lot. We got to see Tsunami and Turtle, but it was poorly done. For starters, neither of them acted like they did in books 1-10 (and/or prologues/epilogues of 11-13), let alone the fact that Turtle was barely even existent. They both seemed like they knew everything about Pantala, without hardly any questions or doubts.
Pro: They did the ending of the book (and also the Epilogue ending) SO well. I need to buy book 14 ASAP... darn it, Tui T Sutherland.
Con: Unlike all the other books in the series, this book lacked that "common objective", that one thing they need to do. I think that that's a big part of what makes Wings of Fire so awesome. I've had 2 or three cons about the plot now, so I think it's safe to say that I really hated the plot/storyline of this book.
Pro: There was a plot twist.
Con: I didn't really understand the plot twist fully.
That's it, for now. I know for a fact that I'll think of new pros and cons later, but they're hard to make up while I'm writing this. I tink of a con while I'm writing a pro, then, when I'm finished writing said pro, I forget what the crack my con was going to be. Then I come up with a con, and, while I'm writing it, I think of another pro, BUT THEN, WHEN IT'S ACTUALLY TIME TO WRITE SAID PRO, I DON'T REMEMBER IT!!!!!!!
But, anyways, it's enough evidence to say that this book was a bit of a disappointment. I've already read Dragonslayer, which came out a year after this book, and that one was AWESOME, so I know that this book doesn't mean Tui lost her plot/story/characterization capabilities. I know she'll continue to write about things I don't agree with, but I don't think that they'll he as noticeable or out there as Sundew and Willow were. I have faith for book 14.
I shouldn't need to say this, but these are all my own personal opinions and beliefs, so please, for the love of all that is good, don't attack me and try to change my mnd, because I really don't think I will.
Yay
Con: The main romance. I'm just going to get this out of the way. No, as a Christian, I don't agree with the romance, and I can't accept it. Please, PLEASE note, though, that this does not mean I hate the PEOPLE that are homosexual, nor do I have some sort of "phobia" over them, I am called to love them. It's just my personal belief as a Christian not to accept the idea of homosexuality. If that was the only thing I disliked about this book, to be honest, it would be a 5 star, still, but it is not, so... let's get into others.
Pro: Sundew developed a lot as a character. She came out of her shell a little bit, thanks to the help of Willow.
Con: Sundew... developed a lot as a character. It was kinda annoying how suddenly and easily it happened, and, to be honest, I think she lost a lot of her charm and a lot of what made her Sundew.
Pro: Bumblebee... honestly, that's enough said.
Con: Willow. Uuuuggghhhh. Okay... Willow is nice and all. The first time reading through this book, I actually really liked her. BUT OH MY GOODNESS GRACIOUS, WILLOW WAS SO TOXICLY SOFT. She would tell Sundew not to do something because she didn't want Sundew's anger to drive her into wrong doings. Understandable. But then she got super hypocritical about it, and acted like if Sundew got mad... the entire world was going to burst into flames and everyone would slowly DIE AND CHOKE ON THE ASHES. She was also annoyingly flat and under-developed.
Pro: There's a lot of reuniting in this book, which was really wholesome to see.
Con: The story didn't grab my attention at all.
Pro: Some new and interesting characters.
Con: Large lack of characters from the previous books.
Pro: The Poison Jungle was a really cool setting with lots of unexpected dangers and new things to learn about, which I love. I honestly think Tui could start creating her own animals and such (like the Dragonbite Viper, or like she created some of the plants in the Poison Jungle) and her stories would be even more sick.
Con: This one annoys me a lot. We got to see Tsunami and Turtle, but it was poorly done. For starters, neither of them acted like they did in books 1-10 (and/or prologues/epilogues of 11-13), let alone the fact that Turtle was barely even existent. They both seemed like they knew everything about Pantala, without hardly any questions or doubts.
Pro: They did the ending of the book (and also the Epilogue ending) SO well. I need to buy book 14 ASAP... darn it, Tui T Sutherland.
Con: Unlike all the other books in the series, this book lacked that "common objective", that one thing they need to do. I think that that's a big part of what makes Wings of Fire so awesome. I've had 2 or three cons about the plot now, so I think it's safe to say that I really hated the plot/storyline of this book.
Pro: There was a plot twist.
Con: I didn't really understand the plot twist fully.
That's it, for now. I know for a fact that I'll think of new pros and cons later, but they're hard to make up while I'm writing this. I tink of a con while I'm writing a pro, then, when I'm finished writing said pro, I forget what the crack my con was going to be. Then I come up with a con, and, while I'm writing it, I think of another pro, BUT THEN, WHEN IT'S ACTUALLY TIME TO WRITE SAID PRO, I DON'T REMEMBER IT!!!!!!!
But, anyways, it's enough evidence to say that this book was a bit of a disappointment. I've already read Dragonslayer, which came out a year after this book, and that one was AWESOME, so I know that this book doesn't mean Tui lost her plot/story/characterization capabilities. I know she'll continue to write about things I don't agree with, but I don't think that they'll he as noticeable or out there as Sundew and Willow were. I have faith for book 14.
I shouldn't need to say this, but these are all my own personal opinions and beliefs, so please, for the love of all that is good, don't attack me and try to change my mnd, because I really don't think I will.
November 13, 2019
I'm continuing to really enjoy this arc of the series! I really loved seeing the poison jungle and all the carnivorous plants that want to eat everything and everyone. Bumblebee is the cutest. I really liked the differences between the LeafWing groups as well. The differences in the different cultures of the dragons on this continent are so varied and interesting. Additionally, I like that the LGBT+ characters are no longer just in the background (Clay's brother, Umber, had a crush on Qibli in book 6, and more LGBT+ side characters have been introduced since then. Side note: I want to see Umber again!) It's nice to see two female dragons together.
However, I think this might be my least favorite of this arc so far. While the previous books focus on working together to overcome adversity, this one drops that somewhat. The group takes a backseat to Sundew's relationship with Willow, and I agree with some of the criticisms on that front. Sundew's characterization changes rapidly once Willow is brought into the picture. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of people that act completely different when with their partners versus when they're with others. But Sundew's whole personality seems to shift and was different than the previous books. I can see the arguments on both sides. Sundew was away from home and maybe didn't have Willow at the forefront of her mind while trying to dodge crazy HiveWings, but she really is sooo different once Willow is around.
Also, I think Tsunami seemed a bit off in this book. She doesn't seem very much like the Tsunami that I knew in the previous books, so I hope some of her old self is brought back in the next book. I did enjoy this one, and I hope Sundew recovers some more of her acerbic dialogue back in the future books because I find it hilarious!
However, I think this might be my least favorite of this arc so far. While the previous books focus on working together to overcome adversity, this one drops that somewhat. The group takes a backseat to Sundew's relationship with Willow, and I agree with some of the criticisms on that front. Sundew's characterization changes rapidly once Willow is brought into the picture. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of people that act completely different when with their partners versus when they're with others. But Sundew's whole personality seems to shift and was different than the previous books. I can see the arguments on both sides. Sundew was away from home and maybe didn't have Willow at the forefront of her mind while trying to dodge crazy HiveWings, but she really is sooo different once Willow is around.
Also, I think Tsunami seemed a bit off in this book. She doesn't seem very much like the Tsunami that I knew in the previous books, so I hope some of her old self is brought back in the next book. I did enjoy this one, and I hope Sundew recovers some more of her acerbic dialogue back in the future books because I find it hilarious!
Read
February 21, 2019I think it is good. I like Sundew.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 21, 2022
Spoilers Ahead!
The two best parts of this book, in my opinion, has to be the setting and the characters.
The Poison Jungle... it has a nice ring to it. If i were a Leafwing (Sapwing? Poisonwing?) I would totally give my home a scary name. Not only because its fun to freak out Hivewings, it will keep those Hivewings and Silkwings away.
The Poison Jungle is full of carnivorous plants that are hungry for a big, juicy meal of stupid dragons *cough* Swordtail *cough* and are amazing at adapting to suit their needs. For example, they have a hard shell and grow near each other so dragons can't free their poor idiotic friend trapped in the plant. I never knew plants could be so smart.
I also enjoyed the different plant life mentioned in the book, such as greenbriar, sundew, or my persal favorite, "...a promising kudzu vine choking one of the trees...". For those of you reading who don't know what kudzu is, its a super invasive plant. Look it up.
Next I'll mention my absolute favorite part of the book, characters. Tui did an amazing job with the character's personalities and character developement.
Let's begin with some of our characters we've known forever. Blue, Cricket, and Swordtail. I admit I'm frustrated Blue just got shoved out of the adventure. I was dying to see him be eaten by a plant. But I still understand why he couldn't come along on the journey to Hawthorn. Since he can't use his flamesilk in the jungle or everything will catch fire, he became useless. Cricket just is the annoying one who talks and asked questions all the time, so she hasn't changed. Swordtail seemed to be there because Sundew needed someone to yell at and the team needed someone to rush into things and get eaten. Overall, these three didn't really change in personality at all.
Now its time for the main character, Sundew. She managed to evolve as a character but still be the independent, angry Sundew we know and love. Sundew also has a kind of relationship thats a bit different from all the other romances in the series. She has a girlfriend. I have no arguments against it. In fact, Willow and Sundew are cute together. Every time they shared a cute moment, like wrapping their tails around each other, I kept hoping for some sappy conversation. Nope. They don't need to talk to each other. Their relationship just works. I still wish Willow and Sundew had some of those heart to heart conversations just so readers could see a more vulnerable Sundew.
Last, but not least, Bumblebee. She is the best at comic relief. She's also incredibly smart. Bumblebee reminds me of Sunny from Series of Unfortunnate Events. Anyone agree? But I love that cute dragonet.
Overall this book is amazing. Id recommend it to all my friends. And if I could say something to any future characters, my advice would be to always let Swordtail go first.
The two best parts of this book, in my opinion, has to be the setting and the characters.
The Poison Jungle... it has a nice ring to it. If i were a Leafwing (Sapwing? Poisonwing?) I would totally give my home a scary name. Not only because its fun to freak out Hivewings, it will keep those Hivewings and Silkwings away.
The Poison Jungle is full of carnivorous plants that are hungry for a big, juicy meal of stupid dragons *cough* Swordtail *cough* and are amazing at adapting to suit their needs. For example, they have a hard shell and grow near each other so dragons can't free their poor idiotic friend trapped in the plant. I never knew plants could be so smart.
I also enjoyed the different plant life mentioned in the book, such as greenbriar, sundew, or my persal favorite, "...a promising kudzu vine choking one of the trees...". For those of you reading who don't know what kudzu is, its a super invasive plant. Look it up.
Next I'll mention my absolute favorite part of the book, characters. Tui did an amazing job with the character's personalities and character developement.
Let's begin with some of our characters we've known forever. Blue, Cricket, and Swordtail. I admit I'm frustrated Blue just got shoved out of the adventure. I was dying to see him be eaten by a plant. But I still understand why he couldn't come along on the journey to Hawthorn. Since he can't use his flamesilk in the jungle or everything will catch fire, he became useless. Cricket just is the annoying one who talks and asked questions all the time, so she hasn't changed. Swordtail seemed to be there because Sundew needed someone to yell at and the team needed someone to rush into things and get eaten. Overall, these three didn't really change in personality at all.
Now its time for the main character, Sundew. She managed to evolve as a character but still be the independent, angry Sundew we know and love. Sundew also has a kind of relationship thats a bit different from all the other romances in the series. She has a girlfriend. I have no arguments against it. In fact, Willow and Sundew are cute together. Every time they shared a cute moment, like wrapping their tails around each other, I kept hoping for some sappy conversation. Nope. They don't need to talk to each other. Their relationship just works. I still wish Willow and Sundew had some of those heart to heart conversations just so readers could see a more vulnerable Sundew.
Last, but not least, Bumblebee. She is the best at comic relief. She's also incredibly smart. Bumblebee reminds me of Sunny from Series of Unfortunnate Events. Anyone agree? But I love that cute dragonet.
Overall this book is amazing. Id recommend it to all my friends. And if I could say something to any future characters, my advice would be to always let Swordtail go first.
April 10, 2023
"Hi, Tsunami," Willow said, passing her one of the coco nuts. "This is Sundew, my girlfriend.”
Unexpected tiny starbursts of joy exploded all through Sundew's body, from her toes to her wingtips. They had never told anyone that before! Hearing Willow say it out loud, casually, to a totally random dragon, was probably the second-greatest moment of Sundew's life, right after meeting Willow.
/
"You'll win. I know you will. Because you're Sundew, my forever dragon."
THE DRAGONS GET TO BE GAY IN THIS ONE. HUGE W FOR ANGRY LESBIANS. 100/10 NO NOTES THIS IS THE CUTEST THING IVE EVER SEEN
edit: actually nvm i do have a note. if you are in the review section of this book talking about how there's Too Much Romance for a children's book: literally every wings of fire book except sunny's has included a romantic arc for the POV character. if it wasn't a problem then, it shouldn't be a problem now. if you are in the review section of this book talking about how LGBT love is fine but shouldn't be pushed on children, allow me to inform you children can be gay and trans as well :) and LGBT love is not an 18+ topic because there is nothing inherently sexual/adult about gay and trans people existing :). if you are in the comments section of this book talking about how gay love is immoral and wrong i invite you cordially to 1. delete your account 2. close your laptop 3. go outside
February 15, 2020
Why do people do things like this? They are entitled to their own opinions, but they seem to forget that other people are entitled to theirs too. Children should be introduced to these topics when they are ready, no sooner. Tui, it's not your duty to introduce these things to young, innocent children. It is VERY disturbing to find these things out in your favorite book or television series.
August 1, 2019
I loved this book so much! I loved how you got to learn more about Sundew's character. I've read reviews that say it's nothing like Sundew, she's too independent, but I think it's perfect. Why? She's independent, yes, but that means she's not open to other dragons, which means she can be nasty or secretive. This is why we thought she was a mean dragon. She keeps her true personality secret from others because she's afraid of how it might affect their relationship. She is sort of feisty, but at the same time cares very much for Willow. Willow calms her down and let's her see that she doesn't have to fight everyone and murder them all. This is a great book and I completely disagree with people saying that Sundew's personality is wrong.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 13, 2019
This series is just too good. The audiobooks are fantastic, I actually caught myself sitting in my car a few times when I got home because I didn’t want to stop listening. If you like middle grade, dragons, & adventure and haven’t tried Wings of Fire yet, you are definitely missing out! I can’t wait to continue this series and I’m finally all caught up with publication! Tui T Sutherland is brilliant and I am here to stay.
September 6, 2019
I do not CARE what the reviews on Amazon say, this book is AMAZING.
April 24, 2022
SNUDOOO!!!!!!!
August 3, 2019
I always love the little twists that Sutherland throws into the Wings of Fire books so I was really looking forward to how the twist would come about in this one and it was incredibly fun! To get out the negative first, I was mildly annoying with the way in which she wrote about Sundew's anger. Of course these are made up creatures in a made up world but the themes of this world very clearly relate to ours and having an author who doesn't completely understand the emotions of people who are oppressed write about a large group that are oppressed was...not smooth in some areas. She came from a positive place, wanting to understand but I feel that there were a few hiccups with this.
Other than this I love that Sutherland is always willing to provide representation with different family dynamics. A daughter/mother relationship that doesn't workout, a fierce lesbian with a sweet lesbian both helping each other through their emotions, and an arranged marriage for the sake of their tribe. It's incredibly refreshing and certainly a highlight. The other highlight being the lively dialogue between characters. Sutherland always manages create such unique, funny protagonists in all her novels. It's really wonderful.
Other than this I love that Sutherland is always willing to provide representation with different family dynamics. A daughter/mother relationship that doesn't workout, a fierce lesbian with a sweet lesbian both helping each other through their emotions, and an arranged marriage for the sake of their tribe. It's incredibly refreshing and certainly a highlight. The other highlight being the lively dialogue between characters. Sutherland always manages create such unique, funny protagonists in all her novels. It's really wonderful.
May 4, 2025
I would like to inform the parents who are planing on giving this book to their children of its contains. If you’ve made it this far I the series, you will know that there are violent themes but I was unaware that the main characters were a lesbian couple. I do not say any of this to offend anyone, I would just like readers and parents to be aware of what this book contains.
August 24, 2021
I'm going to start out with the bad. Not to be rude but...
If you enjoy having overwhelming relationships shoved in your face this is the book for you.
I personally disagree with what the author did to sundew. She was independant, sassy, bossy, firery, and cool. Not a sappy . Suddenly it changes like, over night? And she introduces a relationship that is indeapth and takes up most of the book.. It is a parents job to introduced this kind of.. relationship. Children, should not have to be exposed to that througha book.
I feel very betrayed by this. It's very sad to see that Tui thinks she can force her opinion on readers, she cannot. She should have thought about the fact that she was exposing CHILDREN to this. It's the parents job to talk with kids about things like this. Parents need to be the ones to teach kids about several things in life, such as this, belief, politics, culture, traditions, and many other things. Having a book bring it up first puts it in the authors point of view, and may or may not be what a parent had in mind.That was one of the things that got in the way of my liking for this series.
At one point when she was with Willow the book described it as"the most romantic thing ever" . REALLY? Also they met when they were two and Sundew said it was"love at first sight". I know dragons age faster than humans but still! AND love at first sight is not a thing.
Sundew was a strong and loyal soldier who was mostly obedient to her parents. But in the Poison Jungle she was always arguing with her parents and seaming less loyal. It would be one thing if her over time her character changed. But this was so sudden, it threw me off.
Another thing I didn't like is that Cricket, Sordtail, and Blue (Blue especially) we're kind of thrown aside. Sundew is so focused on Willow that Cricket, Sordtail, and Blue were ignored.
Now the thing that ruined it for me the most.. In the first book the source of Wasps mind control is unknown. In the second book we figure out that Wasp uses a special plant and uses her tail stinger to mind control. Third book drops, and things start to get weird.The whole part with Hawthorn and the breath of evil was strange. The main bad guy went from Wasp ( witch was cool ) to a plant..... What a strange twist... Its REALLY disappointing if I'm being honest. Wasp was cooler, and now there's not really hope to save the hivewings. The plot just fell flat at the end.
On to the good
The way the author described the Poison Jungle was amazing! It seemed so alive. She described it in such great detail. You could picture perfectly what the jungle looked and felt like. That part was great. The village also seems very cool. I can perfectly imagine it in my mind. Her description it amazing as always!
I'm afraid that I didn't like this book. Wich is a bit disappointing. But again, that's my opinion. but maybe I'll like the next book.
If you enjoy having overwhelming relationships shoved in your face this is the book for you.
I personally disagree with what the author did to sundew. She was independant, sassy, bossy, firery, and cool. Not a sappy . Suddenly it changes like, over night? And she introduces a relationship that is indeapth and takes up most of the book.. It is a parents job to introduced this kind of.. relationship. Children, should not have to be exposed to that througha book.
I feel very betrayed by this. It's very sad to see that Tui thinks she can force her opinion on readers, she cannot. She should have thought about the fact that she was exposing CHILDREN to this. It's the parents job to talk with kids about things like this. Parents need to be the ones to teach kids about several things in life, such as this, belief, politics, culture, traditions, and many other things. Having a book bring it up first puts it in the authors point of view, and may or may not be what a parent had in mind.That was one of the things that got in the way of my liking for this series.
At one point when she was with Willow the book described it as"the most romantic thing ever" . REALLY? Also they met when they were two and Sundew said it was"love at first sight". I know dragons age faster than humans but still! AND love at first sight is not a thing.
Sundew was a strong and loyal soldier who was mostly obedient to her parents. But in the Poison Jungle she was always arguing with her parents and seaming less loyal. It would be one thing if her over time her character changed. But this was so sudden, it threw me off.
Another thing I didn't like is that Cricket, Sordtail, and Blue (Blue especially) we're kind of thrown aside. Sundew is so focused on Willow that Cricket, Sordtail, and Blue were ignored.
Now the thing that ruined it for me the most.. In the first book the source of Wasps mind control is unknown. In the second book we figure out that Wasp uses a special plant and uses her tail stinger to mind control. Third book drops, and things start to get weird.The whole part with Hawthorn and the breath of evil was strange. The main bad guy went from Wasp ( witch was cool ) to a plant..... What a strange twist... Its REALLY disappointing if I'm being honest. Wasp was cooler, and now there's not really hope to save the hivewings. The plot just fell flat at the end.
On to the good
The way the author described the Poison Jungle was amazing! It seemed so alive. She described it in such great detail. You could picture perfectly what the jungle looked and felt like. That part was great. The village also seems very cool. I can perfectly imagine it in my mind. Her description it amazing as always!
I'm afraid that I didn't like this book. Wich is a bit disappointing. But again, that's my opinion. but maybe I'll like the next book.
August 2, 2019
The love between Sundew and Willow is too much for young readers! I have no problem reading it. But for elementary and tween readers, I think it's too early.
June 27, 2020
Sundew is a lesbian icon and I’m living for it.
January 6, 2020
This WAS one of my favorite series. I have been looking forward to the series coming to an end and was hoping to see it wrap up soon. I feel like the author really altered Sundew's personality from how she was portrayed in the previous books to make her character gay in this book. Sundew is completely changed in this book. In the previous books she was smart, always had a strategy, and planned things out. She was like a good soldier and helped her parents. In this book she isn't smart and thoughtful, and instead makes foolish decisions, like when she took Bumblebee into the poison jungle which is full of deadly things. I was not expecting this book to take the direction it did, it reads like an angsty romance with Sundew always thinking of Willow and obsessing about her over and over again.
This part of the book makes me completely uncomfortable and I have decided not to finish this book or the rest of the series. The way that the author has Sundew fixating and always thinking about Willow is completely different from how she has written other crushes in the other books. In the other books the emotions are more simple and play a small role if any at all, in this book it's really focused on and way more details and thoughts are given. The author takes it way farther in this book and it made me VERY UNCOMFORTABLE and it was UNBEARABLE to read!!!
I am disappointed and sad that the author had to ruin it.
This part of the book makes me completely uncomfortable and I have decided not to finish this book or the rest of the series. The way that the author has Sundew fixating and always thinking about Willow is completely different from how she has written other crushes in the other books. In the other books the emotions are more simple and play a small role if any at all, in this book it's really focused on and way more details and thoughts are given. The author takes it way farther in this book and it made me VERY UNCOMFORTABLE and it was UNBEARABLE to read!!!
I am disappointed and sad that the author had to ruin it.
December 19, 2020
Lesbian Dragons. Nice. *thumbs up* *five stars*
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
January 10, 2022This book will always hold a special place in my heart. It was my first book with mc sapphic romance in it I remember rereading it over and over feeling so happy I saw someone like me in a book.
March 1, 2022
Tui T. Sutherland is one of the most amazing writers I have ever read. The 13th book of the series feel fresh and interesting as always.
Blue, cricket, sundew and bumblebee get to the the poison jungle, where the leafwing dragons hide. War is coming. Our heroes discover a shocking secret, and again we end in a cliffhanger.
Can't wait for the next one!
I did a re-read because I finally got the 14th book, and didn't really remember what happened. I kept thinking that it can't be as good as I thought it was, but I was wrong. It's great. I love the fact that although Tsunami and Sundew are similar, they are also so different. I love that even though, halfway through the book I remembered the big plot twist, I was still worried. Sutherland writes compelling stories with dragons as the main characters and she does it so well.
Blue, cricket, sundew and bumblebee get to the the poison jungle, where the leafwing dragons hide. War is coming. Our heroes discover a shocking secret, and again we end in a cliffhanger.
Can't wait for the next one!
I did a re-read because I finally got the 14th book, and didn't really remember what happened. I kept thinking that it can't be as good as I thought it was, but I was wrong. It's great. I love the fact that although Tsunami and Sundew are similar, they are also so different. I love that even though, halfway through the book I remembered the big plot twist, I was still worried. Sutherland writes compelling stories with dragons as the main characters and she does it so well.
August 10, 2019
I listened to the audio and just over 2 hours in Sundew starting sneaking out to meet Willow and the book starts explaining their secret meetings. It goes too far for young readers.
Jumping into each other’s wings, holding talons, rubbing talons across the other’s face, they hold their foreheads together for five heartbeats and wrapping their tails together (the book even highlighted how this was the most romantic thing ever).
I’m not ok with my children reading this book or hearing the audio.
Jumping into each other’s wings, holding talons, rubbing talons across the other’s face, they hold their foreheads together for five heartbeats and wrapping their tails together (the book even highlighted how this was the most romantic thing ever).
I’m not ok with my children reading this book or hearing the audio.
July 11, 2020
I am a huge fan of this series and I was very disappointed when I read this book. There is a main character who is gay. And reading about her relationship was extremely disturbing. In my Opinion this book was more about Sundew's love life with Willow than anything else. Since it is a children's book children who do not know about this, a gay character will confuse them. And Since gay is less than 2% of the population I do not think many people will enjoy it. I would never read this book again and I am no longer very interested in Mrs. Tui's next Wings of Fire Books.
March 6, 2020
I love the Wings of Fire series, but this book didn't seem to speak to me, especially when it came to Willow. Willow was an empty shell, and didn't really have a personality other than... nice. The whole "romance thing" didn't really mean anything other than an over-worded, sappy friendship. I wouldn't mind it at all if Willow was used as cannon-fodder for the next death scene in future books. You tried Tui, but overall, you really shouldn't have
February 13, 2021
These books just seem to keep getting better. I wish they weren't published so far apart but then again every 6 months to a year is still incredibly quick. The relationship building for this age group of book is astounding and I love all of the characters. Twists keep coming that are usually surprising even to those of us who are not the target audience. Finally some good dragon books WITHOUT the need for humans as a main drive. Love this series, can't wait to keep reading it as more come out.
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