The WINGS OF FIRE saga continues with a thrilling underwater adventure -- and a mystery that will change everything!The lost heir to the SeaWing throne is going home at last...She can’t believe it’s finally happening. Tsunami and her fellow dragonets of destiny are journeying under the water to the great SeaWing Kingdom. Stolen as an egg from the royal hatchery, Tsunami is eager to meet her future subjects and reunite with her mother, Queen Coral.But Tsunami’s triumphant return doesn’t go quite the way she’d imagined. Queen Coral welcomes her with open wings, but a mysterious assassin has been killing off the queen's heirs for years, and Tsunami may be the next target. The dragonets came to the SeaWings for protection, but this ocean hides secrets, betrayal—and perhaps even death.
Okay, I know what you’re thinking. Tui? What kind of name is that? Is it short for something?
Nope. Among the many great things to come out of New Zealand (the Lord of the Rings movies, cats that paint, my mom) is a bird called the tui—not as well known as the kiwi, but a heck of a lot noisier!
I was born July 31 (same birthday as Harry Potter!) in Caracas, Venezuela, and lived in Asuncion, Paraguay; Miami, Florida; and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, before moving to New Jersey in high school, where I started doing theatre—mostly backstage work, because (a) it was fun, and (b) you got to hang out in the dark with cute boys. (Er, I mean . . . because it was artistically fulfilling, yes.)
I graduated from Williams College in ’98 and I currently live in Boston with my husband, my perfect new baby, and my adorable yoodle Sunshine (what’s a yoodle? A puppy that’s three-quarters poodle and one-quarter Yorkshire terrier, of course!).
Much to my parents’ relief, I abandoned my theatrical aspirations after college for the far more stable and lucrative career of fiction writing.
My first two official books were beginning readers, part of Grosset & Dunlap’s “First Friends” series for kids learning to read. MEET MO AND ELLA is tough to find now, but FUN WITH MO AND ELLA should still be out there somewhere.
My first novel for teenagers was THIS MUST BE LOVE, which retells Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer Night’s Dream in a modern-day high school, from the POV of the two heroines, Hermia and Helena.
And now I'm writing in a new project called SEEKERS! It's a children's book series that I'm writing with Erin Hunter. Check out my blog to find out more!
I listen to audiobooks with my kids when I take them to school, which usually takes 30 minutes in the morning and a little less in the afternoon. My 11 year old son was so anxious to find out what happened after I dropped him off at school that he checked this book out of the library and read it at school! If that doesn't deserve 5 stars, I don't know what does!
I'm reading these with my kids (9 year old is obsessed!) and I liked this one better than the first one. It's got a plot that flows together as a whole better, improved character development, and has toned down the graphic violence a bit from book 1. This does a great job of creating distinct dragon characters with unique personas, and I really liked how it handled Queen Coral. She's not evil or malicious like some previous adults, but she is kind of a narcissist and this explores a parent-child relationship where love is somewhat conditional and the parent cares a lot about their image.
This book was an excellent overall story. It presented our main character with some beautiful opportunities to decide what kind of leader she wished to be. The murder mystery was very well written and Queen Coral turned out to be a much more complex character than I was expecting. Sutherland crafted Coral in such a way that showed readers: sometimes someone can't be categorized under good or bad, there are those who are somewhere in between. In my opinion this was much better than the first book in several ways, but for the most part the Dragonet Prophecy isn't far behind The Lost Heir. I have recommended this book to several of my friends and they all enjoyed it as much, or more than I did! This is the type of story that hooks you in with the first word and doesn't let you go until the very end. And I guarantee you will come back for more.
(I have read this at least 19 times, do I have a problem? Yes. Am I going to stop? No.)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
To be completely honest, this was a big pile of meh. I read this purely for my younger sister's sake (she's OBSESSED with this series) and while I didn't have a horrible reading experience, it wasn't an amazing one either.
Just like the first book, The Lost Heir had lots of action and dragon drama, with a couple of betrayals along the way. This makes it sound really interesting, but lots of things about the book- the characters and their relationships with each other, the writing, etc.- felt very juvenile and BASIC. This made me enjoy it less.
The first book was from the perspective of Clay (the MudWing), but this one was from Tsunami's perspective. As a character, I found Tsunami very annoying and overdramatic. She kept going on and on about being an oh-so-important princess and often made a big deal out of little things. This was seriously annoying.
However, the action scenes were generally exciting and some of the twists were unexpected, I must admit. It was also a very quick and easy read which I practically flew through.
Overall, this was okay. There were some things I liked and some things I didn't. I MIGHT continue the series, but that depends...
Some reasons for 5 stars: -Mostly all of the characters are dragons! -Tsunami is my least favorite dragon. She is annoying. However, she did grow up in the end. -New characters. -Recommend to all dragons and fantasy lovers.
Having escaped from the Talons of Peace with four other dragonets, Tsunami is thrilled to be heading to the SeaWing Kingdom from which she was stolen years ago. The five dragonets of destiny are supposed to stop a war among the various dragon factions, and she is sure that her mother's kingdom may be a safe place for her and her companions. But they've barely arrived when the others are put in a cave, and Tsunami must navigate lies, deceit, and treachery from every direction. Through it all, she isn't sure just how much she can trust anyone, even her mother. This is the second title in the Wings of Fire series, and I found it quite compelling. These dragons are fascinating and have unique personalities, and made the story fly by faster than I wish I had. Fans of the series will like the introduction of a possible love interest for Tsunami and her struggles to learn the language of her people. Like me, they'll love how she tries to tame her impulsive nature and her loyalty to her sister Anemone.
I actually liked this one better than the first because the plot was easier to follow. I think that the character development was better and I loved that the reader had the opportunity to connect with someone different other than Clay. Tsunami’s story is heartbreaking because she’s trying to connect with her mother but her mother is more worried about being queen than reuniting with her daughter. It’s super interesting to see how harsh the world is amongst the dragons.
The next chapter for our dragonets sees them underwater in a sea kingdom when Tsunami happens to be the lost daughter of their queen, but they slowly discover that an assassin is in their sights, one who is plotting to kill the kingdom’s future heir. A (100%/Outstanding)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This is a fun series and is quickly becoming a go-to for me for fun, quick reads. I also enjoying discussing these with my girls who have read them all. This is their favorite series.
I don't think I enjoyed this one quite as much as the first book, which was Clay's book. This book started out a little slow. In the beginning, Tsunami and her friends are on their way to the SeaWing Kingdom to find Tsunami's mother, and I was a bit bored throughout that part of the book. When they finally arrive at the castle and meet Queen Coral, things begin to pick up. There are twists and turns in the plot as well as lies, betrayal, and theft -- someone even attempts to kill Tsunami. The story is very exciting at that point and up until the end when the mystery of the "bad guy" is solved. I never figured out who the bad guy was (he/she did other bad stuff too), so this surprise was a lot of fun for me.
Tsunami's behavior isn't my favorite thing throughout the course of this book. She was whiny and presumptuous for a while. Thankfully she redeems herself with some brave and loyal acts toward the end of the story. Glory, Clay, Sunny, and Starflight do not have as much time on the page as I wished for, but they are just as I expected them to be. Loyal, kind, and trustworthy. There are quite a few new characters and I liked them all-I even enjoyed reading the bad guys. I'm hoping for more of Anemone and Riptide in the future. (Anemone is Tsunami's sister and Riptide is Webs' son and works in the castle.)
I'm definitely continuing with the series. Glory's book is next and honestly, I'm not overly excited about this as she isn't my favorite dragonet at this point. My girls tell me that I'll end up loving her by the end of the third book, so I'm keeping an open mind.
Audiobook Notes: I added the audiobook to this read. Shannon McManus narrates and does a great job voicing all of the dragons. She does a great job giving Queen Blister, the villain, a menacing voice. I also love the voice she uses for Whirlpool - his voice is described as "oily" and he is supposed to be annoying and kind of icky. He totally sounds that way, and I mean that in the best way possible. I listened to the bulk of this audiobook while I was commuting back and forth between Fayetteville NC and Raleigh NC several times over the course of the week, and it made the driving experience a lot of fun.
The Lost Heir is the second book in the Wings of Fire series. The book follows Tsunami who with her friends; Clay, Starflight, Sunny, and Glory, are trying to find their way to the Kingdom of the Sea which is hidden somewhere in the ocean of Pyrrhia. Tsunami wants to meet her mother, Queen Coral, who she was stolen from while she was still in her egg. Tsunami and her friends are being followed by Skywings and if they make it to the Kingdom successfully they will be hidden from them. The Kingdom is hidden very well and they were not able to find it until Tsunami found a Seawing patrolling the ocean. She convinced him to show them how to get to the Kingdom. Once they finally reached the kingdom, Queen Coral is extremely happy to find her missing daughter is still alive. But, she isn't happy to see her daughter traveling with dragons from rival tribes so she sends Tsunami's friends to the dungeon. Little does Tsunami know that there is something brewing in the Kingdom of the Sea that isn't brought to her attention until a mysterious dragon attempts to murder her. How will this end for Tsunami and her friends? Read the Lost Heir to find out. This book's genre is fantasy and although I didn't like at as much as the first book, I still enjoyed reading it. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
No second book syndrome here! A great sequel that captured my interest quickly!
This was such a fly through read. I picked it up and breezed through it so quickly and found myself immersed in the story.
I really enjoyed the plot. I wasn't bored at all while reading this. I liked Tsunami's narration very much, she made it interesting to read. I actually didn't mind the love interest here.
A couple things could have been done better, though. Peril was absent, and I'm not sure if the new characters introduced here (Riptide, Anemone) are going to show up in the next book either. I'm worried that each book is going to start a new plot and we'll never end up getting resolutions to the problems introduced in the new books because we jump into a completely different narrative.
There were a number of twists that I found very interesting, but I felt like many of them were not used to the full extent that they could have been. Like with Tsunami finding out That just felt like a big deal to me, yet Tsunami barely acknowledges this.
Other than a few nitpicks, I had a lot of fun with this! It's a very easy read to get lost in.
Honestly this book made me SO stressed out (these dragons cannot catch a break!) but my six year old is still obsessed so...we're moving onto the third one!
My son and I liked this 2nd addition to the popular Wings of Fire series. Now that the dragonet's are free all they want to do is go to where they're homes should have been and be reunited with the parents they were stolen from. After Clay's disappointing trip to the Mudwing clan in book one, the dragonet's set out to find the Kingdom of the Seawings- ruled by Tsunami's mother Queen Coral. Tsunami soon finds out if her reunion with her mother is everything she dreamed of or a big disappointment like Clay's.
We liked that the whole book focused on Tsunami's journey home and her reunion with her family. Unfortunately, they do end up locked up in prison but once again make a great escape (that's 3 times this has happened now...) On their way out of the prison they save Webbs, one of the captors who raised them. He was barbed by a Sandwings poison tale and needs a cure. After discovering Glory's ability to spit some hellatious venom in the first book, they set out for the Rainwing kingdom next hoping they will have healers who know what to do for Dune's injury.
This book was faster paced than the first and it really helped readers get to know Tsunami, the history, and palace life in the Seawing kingdom. Tsunami learns valuable lessons about humility and that while her biological family is important, the friends she was raised with are her family too and need her. Tsunami changes from strutting around reminding everyone she's the princess and future queen to gladly supporting her little sister becoming the next Seawing queen.
This is a great series for middle grades and up. My 9-year-old son and I love dragons so reading this series to him before bed every night is fun for us both. Happy reading! 📚
Ik vond dit boek nog beter dan het eerste boek! Wat heerlijk dat dit boek nu uit een andere POV kwam en wat een badass is ze.
Ik vond het verhaal constant spannend. Er gebeurde veel en ik had geen tijd voor even rust. Het was op momenten weer behoorlijk gruwelijk geschreven, net als in het vorige boek, maar dat voegt echt toe aan de spanning. Nu nog wachten op het derde deel!
This is definitely one of the best middle-grade series that I've read. The writing is superb, the plot is fantastic, and the characters are lovable or very hatable if they're not a part of the 'good guys'. I love that the first book is written in third-close with Clay, and now this book was written in third-close with Tsunami! It's great to get to know each of the characters in depth as you go along with the series. I'm rating this on a personal level. This series is still extremely violent for a kid's series, and I wouldn't let really young kids read it. But I like them a lot so BAM.
This is such a fantastic middle grade series so far! I love how each book is told from a different dragonet's perspective, and I cannot wait to see what happens in the third installment.
The action packed, dramatic, and thrilling book that I begged to get after finishing the first in the series is called "Wings of Fire, the Lost Heir." This amazing tale of betrayal, love, and magic was made by 35 year old Tui T. Sutherland. The genre of this book is fantasy, fiction, and action . The genre of this book is fantacy and action, which is perfect for all of you Harry Potter fans. What the story is about is basicaly, a group of five dragons which are labled the dragonets of destiny, go to the sea kingdom and meet the seawing queen, who turns out to be tsunamis mother! after she finds out that her friends are being treated poorly, she frees them from the small cave they are trapped in only to be trapped once again. Breaking out, they help their new friends get out as well and fight to get to the rainwing kingdom.
My favorite part of the book is when Tsunami learns that the seawing kingdom has their own language and she feels silly. My favorite character is Glory, because she reminds me of myself. Were both sarcastic, and we both dont like doing much! What surprised me most abot the book is that Queen Coral chose Queen Blister ovger her own daughter! So much for parent of the year award.The themes that I like best are adventure, fictional, horror, and mystery, most of which can be found in this book. I liked the ending alot! Along with the full on fire attack, it explains how the attack came to be! I definatly give this book five stars! it deserves it, seeing that, along with the action and chaos, it had parts that made me so surprised i literaky jumped right out of my seat!
My main opinion about this book is that, it is a wonderful story full of twists and turns around every corner. I recomend this book to anyone who likes a shok in their daily life! But all in all, i think that any dragon lover would love this book!
"'would you like a real aquatic lesson?' Riptide asked with a smile. 'I demand one,' she answered... Riptide said, 'try this one: I. Will. Protect. You.' Stripes flashed along his side, and he gestured at the same time. 'I don't need protecting,' Tsunami said. 'I know,' he answered, 'but knowing you, you'll probably need to say it to someone one day.' Tsunami liked that. I will protect you, she echoed, flashing it back at him. He smiled a little sadly. 'I wish you could,' he said."
oh my! I love this book so much! I LOVE RIPTIDE SO MUCH he is my heart and my soul and no one could ever tell me otherwise. he is sooooo sweet and he is 1/3 of my favorite male characters in this 15 book series. and *sly face* I am about to meet another in the next book.
I love janterm. janterm is so amazing. because I have no homework. and having no homework means that I can read literally all day after school. I was shocked that I started and finished this book today. but did I do literally anything else today? no, I read and ate dinner and that's about it. and now I am about to go to bed haha. but I forgot how much I love this series and I am reminded of that fact now basically every day.
okay, I know you have probably heard enough from me today, so I shall say farewell and bid thee goodnight! : )
--6 Dec 2023 so you know how there's the interpretation of the tempest as prison literature and counting the number of prisons it contains etc. well i think we should do that for this series too. how many different prisons have the dragonets been thrown in. if we're counting literally it's like, five, and it's only book 2.
also you've got tsunami constantly thinking unfavorable thoughts about all of her friends abt how annoying they are but she also does spent the entire book trying to be a better person for them. oh tsunami.
--21 June 2021 look i'm not THAT fast of a reader i just went on a bike ride and then had Many Chores and the audiobooks aren't that long
but also i liked tsunami's character development! i only remembered where i remembered a lot more of the first book so that was fun. was sad the rest of the dragonets weren't really in this one as much. but i do enjoy how even in just two books the dragonets have shown remarkable talent for accidentally ruining the plans literally every side and individual dragon has for them and *especially* how a lot of that comes from how much they care about each other before everything else, which no one ever seems to expect.
This was a great book in the Wings of Fire series and in my opinion one of the best. We saw a lot of character development from Tsunami and found out there was way more to her than her reckless and fierce over reactive nature. By the end of the book she learned to accept others’ ideas and become less reckless and think about things more.
What was really cool is that this is a very unique book in the series with a mystery assassin killing Queen Coral’s eggs. I was very intrigued as to who the assassin was and I was genuinely surprised to find out it was Orca, a deceased daughter of Coral who left a statue to kill all potential heirs to the throne.
I have mixed feelings about all the side characters in the book. I absolutely loved Anemone, the sweet little sister of Tsunami. However arc 2 ruined her for me. Riptide is overall an ok character, however I feel as though he could have been written better and was overall pretty shallow. There isn’t a ton of reasoning as to why Tsunami likes him, just that apparently nearly every book needs to have some side romance which I don’t like. But baby Auklet. Eeeeeeee!! Cute little precious munchkin of joy. Auklet, while barely even in the book, is still one of the best out of all of them.
Overall this book was incredible and another masterpiece of Tui’s.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Awesome kid/young adult book. Really loving this series because 1) it’s a great story with exciting aspects even for adults and 2) it helps me connect with my students who have some great theories about the books.