Wings of fire: the dragonet prophecy by Tui T. Sutherland

304 pgs.
Target audience: Ages 9-12
Rating: Wizard

Clay is a mudwing, one of the dragonets of prophecy destined to end the war and unite all the dragon tribes under one queen. He and the four other young dragons are sequestered in an underground cave where they are being prepared and educated by the Mindkeepers, older dragons sworn to protect them. Tsunami, a seawing convinces Clay and the others for the need to escape their imprisonment. After all how can they possibly fulfill the prophecy without any real world experience? Along with Glory, an unusual rainwing, Sunny, a small sandwing and Starflight, a bookworm nightwing, they finally find a way out. But no sooner are they free than Queen Scarlet of the skywings snatches them up and takes them to her kingdom up in the clouds. Clay and his friends are thrust into gladiator fighting with other more powerful dragons. Isolated from the others, Clay, desperately tries to find a way to save himself and his friends from a terrible fate. Can he trust Peril, the queen’s champion, who seems to have befriended him? What will happen if they actually have to fight? The dragonets must learn to face their greatest fears, find a balance between self-reliance and the bonds of friendship, and harness their developing powers. This is a heartwarming story starring uniquely different characters bound to delight young readers who will get caught up in the dragonets quest for freedom. Recommend to fans of the Silverwing series by Kenneth Oppel.