Wings of Fire: The Hidden Kingdom by Tui T. Sutherland
Synopsis:
Deep in the rainforest, danger awaits . . .
The dragonets of destiny aren’t sure what to expect in the RainWing kingdom – Glory hopes to learn more about her family, and since the RainWings aren’t fighting in the war, all five dragonets think they might be able to hide safely for a while.
But something deadly is stalking the peaceful kingdom, and the dragonets soon discover that RainWings have been mysteriously disappearing from the forest. When the RainWing queen won’t do anything to find her missing tribe members, Glory and her friends set off on their own rescue mission – which leads them right back into enemy territory.
Review:
This is the third installment in the Wings of Fire series. Each novel seems to top the last in suspense and excitement. The RainWings are a bit of a disappointment to Glory, they are lackadaisical without much drive and seeming to live up to their lazy reputation. When missing RainWings don’t even spurn the interest of the Queen, Glory takes it on herself to investigate along with her fellow Dragonets of Destiny.
As before, there is plenty of suspense, mystery, drama, intrigue, and humor. And this latest installment even adds an element of romance, or at least hints to it with chemistry budding between Glory and a mysterious foe. The prologue introduces the “fake” dragonets meant to replace the true dragonets if need be, but there isn’t much mention of them beyond that. I expect they’ll come more into the story in the future. The events build to a thrilling finale, but leaves off with a cliffhanger that will leave readers impatient for the next installment. I can’t recommend this series enough for fantasy fans of all ages.