Wings of Fire (novel series)
 The Wings of Fire logo, used on the covers of the novels and universally in relation to the series as a whole. | |
| |
| Author | Tui T. Sutherland |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Joy Ang (covers and guides) Mike Holmes (Graphic Novels) Mike Schley (maps and borders) |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Fantasy, Young adult fiction, fiction |
| Publisher | Scholastic |
| Published | July 1, 2012 – present |
| Media type | Print (hardback & paperback) Audiobook & E-book |
| No. of books | 27: 21 novels, 6 graphic novels (currently) |
| Website | kids |
Wings of Fire is a series of children's epic dragon fantasy novels written by author Tui T. Sutherland and published by Scholastic Inc.[1] Over 14 million copies of the books have been sold and it has been on the New York Times bestseller list for more than 122 weeks. It has also been translated into over ten languages.[2]
Setting and universe
The world of Wings of Fire is made up of two continents that are populated by dragons - Pyrrhia (the focus of Books 1-10) and Pantala (the focus of Books 11-15). While Pyrrhia is home to seven tribes (SandWings, SeaWings, SkyWings, NightWings, MudWings, IceWings, RainWings), Pantala houses only three tribes (HiveWings, SilkWings, LeafWings), and hybrid dragons also exist in the world. Each tribe lives in a habitat suited to its biological needs and abilities, is ruled by a queen (save the RainWings, who have several rotating queens and no royal family until The Hidden Kingdom, and the SilkWings, united under the HiveWing queen), and generally exist independently from the other tribes. Both continents are also inhabited by humans (called "scavengers" by Pyrrhian dragons and "reading monkeys" by some Pantalan dragons) who are seen as inferior animals and are often eaten, although the later books in the third arc and the legends book Dragonslayer explore the humans of the Wings of Fire world and their interactions with dragons more thoroughly.
Synopsis
The series currently consists of three arcs, which focus on young dragons ("dragonets"), fulfilling prophecies in the fantasy world. Each arc consists of five books, and each book centers on its own protagonist whose story is told through a third person limited perspective. To date, fifteen books in the main series have been released, as well as two standalone Legends titles, four Winglets shorts stories, two companion books and six graphic novel adaptations.[3] The series is edited by Amanda Maciel and features covers drawn by Joy Ang; many of the titles have been recorded as audiobooks by Shannon McManus.
The Dragonet Prophecy
The first arc consists of five books: The Dragonet Prophecy (2012), The Lost Heir (2013), The Hidden Kingdom (2013), The Dark Secret (2013), and The Brightest Night (2014), respectively starring Clay, Tsunami, Glory, Starflight and Sunny as the protagonists.[4] It takes place twenty years into the War of SandWing Succession, a continent-wide war across most of Pyrrhia with roots in the mysterious death of Queen Oasis (of the SandWings) at the hands of three humans. With focus on the "Dragonets of Destiny", a group of five young dragons (the protagonists) hailed as peace-bringers through an enigmatic prophecy (the "Dragonet Prophecy") and believed capable of ending the war by choosing which of the Oasis' three daughters - Blister, Blaze, or Burn - should ascend to the throne, and in turn bring peace to the continent of Pyrrhia.[5]
The Jade Mountain Prophecy
The second arc consists of five books: Moon Rising (2014), Winter Turning (2015), Escaping Peril (2015), Talons of Power (2016), and Darkness of Dragons (2017), respectively starring Moonwatcher, Winter, Peril, Turtle and Qibli as the protagonists.[6] It takes place six months after the Dragonets of Destiny have successfully ended the War of SandWing Succession, beginning at the newly-founded intertribal school Jade Mountain Academy and eventually expanding elsewhere within Pyrrhia. The books focus on five students faced with a sinister new prophecy - the "Jade Mountain Prophecy", a foretelling of untold destruction of not only the school itself but perhaps the entire world. It additionally features conflict with both old and new enemies, chronicling the protagonists' efforts to maintain and preserve peace by preventing the foretold destruction.[5]
The Lost Continent Prophecy
The third arc consists of five books: The Lost Continent (2018), The Hive Queen (2018), The Poison Jungle (2019), The Dangerous Gift (2021), and The Flames of Hope (2022), respectively starring Blue, Cricket, Sundew, Snowfall and Luna as the protagonists.[7] It introduces the alleged "Lost Continent" Pantala, which is located far west of Pyrrhia, ruled by the tyrannical Queen Wasp; neither continent is initially aware of the others' existence. The books focus on five dragons in their efforts to fulfill another prophecy and bring down Wasp's dictatorship of mind control.
Supplementary works
Legends
Two standalone "special edition" titles known as Legends[1] have been published to date, Darkstalker (2016) and Dragonslayer (2020); each features alternating perspectives surrounding a little-known major historical sequence as it actually happened. The former expands on the "true story" of legendary historical figures Darkstalker, Clearsight and Fathom, while the latter details the conclusion of the War of SandWing Succession from the perspective of three humans.
Winglets
Known as Winglets, to date four short stories have been published; these peer into the lives and development of secondary characters (ex. Fierceteeth, Deathbringer, Six-Claws, Arctic, Foeslayer, Snowflake) who are featured in the main books/Legends titles, by expanding upon untouched areas in the world of Wings of Fire and incorproating futher character development. Originally published exclusively as e-book titles, the four Winglets stories - Prisoner (2015), Assassin (2015), Deserter (2016) and Runaway (2016)[8] - have since appeared several times in print: three titles appeared in the limited edition A Winglets Collection: The First Three Stories (2016), two in also-limited Winglets Flip Book (2019), and most notably all four titles in the widely-released The Winglets Quartet - The First Four Stories (2020) omnibus.
Graphic novel adaptation
Adapted by both Barry Deutsch and Tui T. Sutherland, and respectively drawn and colored by Mike Holmes and Maarta Laiho,[9] the Wings of Fire series has undergone an adaptation into graphic novel form since 2018.[10] To date, the first six books have been adapted; the second arc is currently being adapted.[11]
Other titles
Two companion books have been released as of January 2023 - a Forge Your Dragon World interactive storytelling book and an Official Coloring Book (2022) created in accordance with artist Brianna C. Walsh. Two further companion books are currently set to be released: A Guide to the Dragon World and How to Draw (both 2023).
Themes and reception
Wings of Fire has been extensively noted for its thematic undertakings. It is written as an anti-war series, and the protagonists usually put an end to major conflicts, such as wars and unfairness between tribes, by pacifist means and while trying to keep as many dragons from dying as possible. Although the books are written for children, they deal with heavy and dark subject matter like child abuse, murder, bigotry, violence, greed, oppression, and genocide.[12][citation needed]
Sutherland intentionally revolves each arc individually around its characters and a set of leading questions, such as free will versus fate, nature versus nurture, the implications of different styles of parenting, the various aspects of an individual's expectations (both that which one projects outwards and which one receives from others), what it means to be gifted (in several senses and not just limited to intellectual giftedness), and the many facets of duty and responsibility. The phrase "wings of fire" was chosen to both immediately invoke the imagery of dragons to readers as well as to represent an individual's ability to overcome destiny and realize one's full potential. Through the NightWing tribe, she additionally explores the philosophical and moral implications of mind-reading, prophecy, extrasensory perception. Darkstalker and the second arc in particular innovatively expand upon the role of magic in fantasy literature through its concept of "animus magic", a rare form of magic which comes at the cost of affecting one's soul (both psychologically and literally). Additionally, Sutherland's personal philosophy and upbringing has been cited as an important influence, as has her unusual religious and multicultural upbringing.[5]
Wings of Fire has generally received mixed to positive critical reviews and has been a commercial success, selling over 14 million copies to date. It has developed a substantial cult following over the years and Sutherland has hosted numerous public events over the years where she interacts with fans and answers questions.
Canceled television series adaptation
In March 2020 an animated television series was announced to be in development with ARRAY and Warner Bros. Animation for Netflix,[13] with production commencing in April 2021. Ava DuVernay was to helm the project which included ten 40-minute episodes.[14] In May 2022, Netflix canceled the series for unspecified reasons.[15]
References
- ^ a b "Wings of Fire". kids.scholastic.com. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- ^ "Editions of the Dragonet Prophecy by Tui T. Sutherland".
- ^ Cadden, Mary. "Colin Kaepernick scores first best seller on this week's USA TODAY book list". USA Today. Retrieved April 23, 2022.
- ^ Sutherland, T. T. (n.d.). Wings of Fire Books. Retrieved October 14, 2022, from https://kids.scholastic.com/content/kids64/en/books/wings-of-fire/books.html#wof1
- ^ a b c Sieben, Cole S. (July 1, 2022). "Mastery of Morality and Wings of Fire". Substack. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
- ^ Sutherland, T. T. (n.d.). Wings of Fire Books. Retrieved October 14, 2022, from https://kids.scholastic.com/content/kids64/en/books/wings-of-fire/books.html#wof1
- ^ Sutherland, T. T. (n.d.). Wings of Fire Books. Retrieved October 14, 2022, from https://kids.scholastic.com/content/kids64/en/books/wings-of-fire/books.html#wof1
- ^ McGaw, Graeme (October 22, 2016). "Wings of Fire Books in Order". Book Series in Order. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
- ^ Frost, A. J. (June 21, 2018). "INTERVIEW: Conjuring Up Prophecies and Dragon Adventures with WINGS OF FIRE author TUI T. SUTHERLAND". The Beat. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
- ^ "All the Wings of Fire Graphic Novels Books in Order | Toppsta". toppsta.com. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
- ^ Sutherland, Tui T. (May 25, 2022). Wings of Fire: Moon Rising: A Graphic Novel (Wings of Fire Graphic Novel #6) (Wings of Fire Graphix). ISBN 978-1338730906.
- ^ Darkness of Dragons. p. 136.
- ^ Patten, Dominic (March 6, 2020). "Ava DuVernay & Warner Bros Animation Adapting 'Wings of Fire' Books For TV Series". Deadline. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
- ^ Goldberg, Lesley (April 20, 2021). "Ava DuVernay Adapting 'Wings of Fire' as Animated Series for Netflix". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
- ^ "Netflix Scraps Several Animated Projects, Including Ava DuVernay's 'Wings of Fire' and 'Antiracist Baby' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. May 17, 2022. Retrieved May 17, 2022.