Wings of Fire (novel series)
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Author | E-book |
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No. of books | 28: 21 novels, 7 graphic novels (currently) |
Website | kids |
Wings of Fire is a series of
Setting and universe
Wings of Fire is set in a world made up of two known continents that are predominantly 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 (MudWings, SandWings, SkyWings, SeaWings, RainWings, IceWings, NightWings), Pantala houses only three tribes (HiveWings, SilkWings, LeafWings), and hybrid dragons also exist in the world on both continents. With a few exceptions to each rule, each tribe lives in a habitat suited to its biological needs and abilities, is ruled by a royal queen, and generally exists independently of the other tribes. Both continents are also inhabited by humans (called "scavengers" by Pyrrhian dragons and "reading monkeys" by some Pantalan dragons), who are viewed by most dragons as inferior animals and are often eaten,[3] although interactions between humans and dragons are explored throughout the series.[4]
Synopsis
The series currently consists of three arcs, which focus on young dragons ("dragonets") fulfilling/subverting
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. It takes place roughly 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 scavengers. Five young dragons known as the "Dragonets of Destiny" (the protagonists) are hailed as peace-bringers within an enigmatic prophecy (the "Dragonet Prophecy") and believed capable of ending the war by choosing which of Queen Oasis's three daughters - Blaze, Blister, or Burn - should ascend to the throne, and in turn bring peace to the continent of Pyrrhia.[10]
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. 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 the aforementioned five students, among others, as they are faced with a sinister new prophecy: the "Jade Mountain Prophecy" delivered by Moonwatcher, which forecasts untold destruction and the obliteration of the academy by unknown forces. It also features conflicts between the heroes and old and new enemies alike, chronicling the protagonists' efforts to maintain and preserve peace by preventing the foretold destruction before it is too late.[10]
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. It introduces a second continent, Pantala (the "Lost Continent"), located to the far west of Pyrrhia, ruled by the tyrannical Queen Wasp; neither continent is fully aware of the others' existence. The books focus on five dragons in their efforts to subvert another prophecy foretold by Moonwatcher and bring down Wasp's dictatorship of mind control, which could threaten not just their native Pantala but Pyrrhia as well.[10]
Legends
Two standalone "special edition" titles separate from the main arcs, known as Legends, have been published: 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,[10][11] while the latter details the conclusion of the War of SandWing Succession from the perspective of three humans (Ivy, Leaf, Wren).
Supplementary works
Winglets
Four "Winglets" have been published, short stories which peer into the lives of Fierceteeth, Deathbringer, Six-Claws, Foeslayer, Arctic, and Snowflake, all of whom are featured as secondary characters in the main books or Legends. They expand upon untouched areas in the world of Wings of Fire and provide further character development. Originally published exclusively as e-book titles, the four stories - Prisoner (2015), Assassin (2015), Deserter (2016), and Runaway (2016)[12] - have since appeared several times in print. Three titles appeared in the limited edition A Winglets Collection: The First Three Stories (2016), two in the also-limited Winglets Flip Book (2019), and all four in The Winglets Quartet: The First Four Stories (2020).
Graphic novel adaptation
Collectively adapted by both Barry Deutsch and Tui T. Sutherland, and respectively drawn and colored by Mike Holmes and Maarta Laiho,[13] the Wings of Fire series has undergone an adaptation into graphic novel form since 2018.[14] The second arc is currently being adapted.
Other titles
Four companion books have been released: Forge Your Dragon World (2022), an interactive storytelling book for aspiring writers; the Official Coloring Book (2022), created in collaboration with artist Brianna C. Walsh;[15] A Guide to the Dragon World (2023), a collection of additional stories which expands upon the series' lore/history accompanied by illustrations; and a How to Draw (2023) tutorial reference book illustrated by Walsh.[15]
Themes and reception
Wings of Fire has been noted for its thematic undertakings. It is written as an anti-war series, and the protagonists usually try to put an end to major conflicts by
One of the biggest influences on Sutherland's process of developing the setting of the world of Wings of Fire was nature documentaries such as Planet Earth and Life in the Undergrowth.[10][16] When pitching the series to Scholastic, she noted that one of the series' primary selling points and draws was that it featured dragons as the heroes of the stories, contrasted with the supporting or antagonists roles typically allotted to dragons.[6]
Wings of Fire has generally received positive critical reviews[citation needed] and sold over 14 million copies to date.[as of?] It has developed a substantial following over the years, and Sutherland has hosted numerous public events over the years when she interacts with fans and answers questions.
Forthcoming television series adaptation
In March 2020, an animated television series was announced to be in development with ARRAY and Warner Bros. Animation for Netflix,[17] with production commencing in April 2021. Ava DuVernay was to helm the project, which would initially include ten 40-minute episodes.[18] In May 2022, Netflix scrapped the series for unspecified reasons.[19][20]
In February 2024, it was announced that the books were picked up for production by Amazon Prime Video, and the animated series will be produced by Amazon MGM Studios with an entirely different creative team attached to the production. Although "[n]o writer is currently attached" to the project, the announcement revealed that Jack Tar Productions, under executive producer Marc Resteghini, was assigned to the adaptation.[21]
References
- ^ "Wings of Fire". Scholastic Kids. Archived from the original on August 14, 2020. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
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- ^ Smith, Stephanie (October 7, 2014). "Q&A with New York Times bestselling author Tui T. Sutherland". Scholastic OOM - On Our Minds. Archived from the original on June 27, 2017. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
- ^ "Dreaming of Dragons". Society of Young Inklings. September 1, 2015. Archived from the original on May 14, 2016. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
- ^ Cadden, Mary. "Colin Kaepernick scores first best seller on this week's USA TODAY book list". USA Today. Archived from the original on April 23, 2022. Retrieved April 23, 2022.
- ^ a b Maughan, Shannon (July 19, 2016). "'Wings of Fire' Flying High". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on March 5, 2023. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
- ^ Green, Alex (February 28, 2017). "Kristin Cashore and Tui Sutherland Discuss Fantasy Writing as Escape". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on February 29, 2024. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- ^ Sutherland, Tui T. (October 30, 2013). "Questions By You! Answers By Me!". TuiBooks. Archived from the original on January 27, 2022. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
- ^ Sutherland, Tui T. (December 3, 2014). "Countdown to Book 6: Moon Rising..." TuiBooks. Archived from the original on August 16, 2022. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f Sieben, Cole S. (July 1, 2022). "Mastery of Morality and Wings of Fire". Substack. Archived from the original on March 5, 2023. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
- ^ Sutherland, Tui T. (June 28, 2016). "A Seer, An Animus, and the Most Powerful Dragon in Pyrrhia Walk Into a Book..." TuiBooks. Archived from the original on February 29, 2024. Retrieved June 26, 2017.
- ^ McGaw, Graeme (October 22, 2016). "Wings of Fire Books in Order". Book Series in Order. Archived from the original on January 6, 2023. 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. Archived from the original on January 7, 2023. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
- ^ "All the Wings of Fire Graphic Novels Books in Order | Toppsta". toppsta.com. Archived from the original on July 13, 2022. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
- ^ a b Walsh, Brianna C. (March 22, 2023). "Clients". Art of Brianna C. Walsh. Archived from the original on February 10, 2024. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
- ^ "Dreaming of Dragons". Society of Young Inklings. September 1, 2015. Archived from the original on May 14, 2016. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
- ^ Patten, Dominic (March 6, 2020). "Ava DuVernay & Warner Bros Animation Adapting 'Wings of Fire' Books For TV Series". Deadline. Archived from the original on January 7, 2022. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
- ^ Goldberg, Lesley (April 20, 2021). "Ava DuVernay Adapting 'Wings of Fire' as Animated Series for Netflix". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 14, 2021. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
- ^ Weston, Christopher (May 20, 2022). "Wings of Fire plans cancelled at Netflix and fans of the novels are fiery with rage". HITC. Archived from the original on February 16, 2023. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
- ^ McCullough, Hayley (May 18, 2022). "Netflix Pulls the Plug on Ava DuVernay's Animated Wings of Fire Series". CBR. Archived from the original on February 16, 2023. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
- ^ Otterson, Joe (February 22, 2024). "'Wings of Fire' Animated Series in Development at Amazon After Previous Version Scrapped at Netflix (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on February 25, 2024. Retrieved February 22, 2024.