Audio Book Review: The Dragonet Prophecy (Wings of Fire #1) by Tui T. Sutherland

I enjoyed this dragon story which had good lessons for children although there was violence.
The Dragonet Prophecy (Wings of Fire #1)
Series: #1 of Wings of Fire
Written by: Tui T. Sutherland
Narrated by: Shannon McManus

Duration 8 hours 32 minutes
Release date: 07-01-12
Publisher: Scholastic Audio
Genre: Action & Adventure, Dragons, Fantasy, Growing Up
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.0; Narration 4.0.

Summary
A thrilling new series soars above the competition and redefines middle-grade fantasy fiction for a new generation! The seven dragon tribes have been at war for generations, locked in an endless battle over an ancient, lost treasure. A secret movement called the Talons of Peace is determined to bring an end to the fighting, with the help of a prophecy -- a foretelling that calls for great sacrifice. Five dragonets are collected to fulfill the prophecy, raised in a hidden cave and enlisted, against their will, to end the terrible war. But not every dragonet wants a destiny. And when the select five escape their underground captors to look for their original homes, what has been unleashed on the dragon world may be far more than the revolutionary planners intended . . .

Review:
Five unique dragonets have been raised together hidden deep underground. The five are supposed to be the elements of a prophecy to end the continual wars between the seven dragon tribes. There are problems though because these five dragonets are not all of the intended original babies. At least two of the selected eggs had to be replaced.

The dragon ‘nannies’ have been faithful, although a bit harsh, in trying to train the young dragonets whom they deride and often seem frustrated by and disappointed in. Each of the dragonets has their own strengths but it is not clear they will be able to survive once they enter the world and face the threats of many dragon tribes who don’t want peace.

There is a set time that the dragonets are supposed to venture out in accordance with the prophecy but the young friends fear one will be killed if they don’t escape, especially after another of their friends has been taken out by his tribe leader. It doesn’t take long before the escaped dragonets are being chased by warring dragons seeking to destroy them.

This first story focuses on Clay, a mud dragonet. Clay is quiet and hasn’t been able to learn to fight in spite of his trainers abusively pushing him. It is sweet to watch Clay take a position of leadership among his friends even though he doesn’t seek that responsibility.

This has been on my TBR for a while and I pulled it out since my granddaughter was reading it too. I liked the unique characters of the dragonets and watching them discover their talents. There is violence in the forceful training and more out in the world when the young friends face the warring dragons. But the reader can see that the dragonets are willing to seek alternatives to avoid the extreme violence. The next stories are intended to tell the stories of each of the five dragonets but the series is now up to book 15. I think they would be interesting, although I may not jump to get more. I do recommend that fans of dragon fantasy characters should try this series.

Audio Notes: Shannon McManus does a good job providing distinct voices for the characters. There is also clear energy although there is some girly sound in the early part of the book. Overall I did enjoy listening to this story.

Source: 7/5/2018 won with 7 other titles from Audiobook.com through Beth Fish Reads. This qualifies for 2023TBR and 2023Audiobook goals.