Reviews

My stepson warned me that this was his least favorite of the series so far... and I agree that it was slow at first. I'm glad I stuck with it though because there were a few neat elements (dreamvisitors, mystery of the Nightwing Queen, crazy twist towards the end, etc). My stepson is encouraging me to keep going, so I'm already on the waiting list for book 5.

fowl_47's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

5.0

mora55's review against another edition

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hmm probably my least favorite of the first arc but still solid! all the povs in this series have good character development during their books and starflight is no exception

alliereads's review against another edition

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3.0

I am really enjoying this middle grade series. I can see why all the students are reading it. This one though started out a little slow and picked up some at the end. This one if not my favorite of the series. I am enjoying the dynamic between the dragonets and the adult dragons along the way. I can’t wait to continue listening to the audiobooks from my library!

random_spider's review against another edition

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3.0

Synopsis:
- Abducted by his own tribe, Starflight found himself in the hidden kingdom of the NightWings. Disappointed plus disturbed by what he witnessed, he then met new dragons and dragonets (including his supposed father, and the alternative Dragonets of Destiny.) Stuck with Morrowseer testing his abilities and loyalty, he has to prove his worthiness --- either to the NightWings or to his separated friends. His choice was difficult, but the dark secrets he deciphered afterwards forced him to decide.

Strengths:
1. Progressive world building.
2. Ominous, cryptic, and darker.
3. Handling of themes like truth, manipulation, and coercion.
4. Some heartfelt dialogues and smart solutions.
5. Focused on Starflight's strengths and feelings.
6. Explored the NightWings.
7. Impactful / High stakes.

Flaws:
1. Same old problems (unfocused, unexplained plot devices, forced scenes, etc.)
2. Not the most inviting protagonist.
3. Unlikable side characters.
4. Dependent on the set-up of previous book.

Remarks and Rating:
- I don't really like how the book handled Starflight as the main point of view. He was already established as a timid character, but this book also makes him more frustrating due to his constant self-degradation/self-pity. At least he had some minor growth regarding it.
- I REALLY LOVE Battlewinner's design. It's creepy, intriguing, but also depressing.
- It attempted to be personal (Starflight) at first, but the majority of the book was about the NightWings (especially Morrowseer) and the new side characters. They were more interesting than the main lead.
- The side characters was so obviously expendable, so it was impossible to invest on most of them.
- Aside from the first book, this was the most consequential so far.
- Morrowseer, although never given much depth on this book, was finally cemented to be the main villain of the arc (I think.)
- With everything considered, I'll rate Wings of Fire: The Dark Secret a 6/10.

WINGS OF FIRE BOOKS RANKED:

1. The Dangerous Gift (9/10)
2. Moon Rising (8/10)
3. Talons of Power (8/10)
4. Winter Turning (7/10)
5. The Hidden Kingdom (7/10)
6. The Poison Jungle (7/10)
7. The Lost Continent (7/10)

8. The Dark Secret (6/10)

9. The Brightest Night (6/10)
10. The Dragonet Prophecy (6/10)
11. The Lost Heir (5/10)
12. The Flames of Hope (4/10)
13. Darkness of Dragons (4/10)
14. Escaping Peril (4/10)
15. The Hive Queen (4/10)

JUSTIFICATION:
- This book was mid...EXCEPT ITS 3rd ACT!!! It was damn explosive, literally 🌋. If this is a ranking of the best 3rd act of any Wings Of Fire book, this novel would topple the competition. But there are other good scenes for sure. Examples were the isolated SkyWing outpost sequence, the hunting scene, and the false dragonets chase scene. Some of the characters also deserved some level of praise: Morrowseer's desperation was palpable, Fatespeaker's 'predictions' were funny, and Battlewinner's character design was peak.

However, these great aspects of the books were balanced out by its major shortcomings. The rest of the false dragonets were so obvious to be unimportant, and they lack basic personal backstory and were generally toxic and unenjoyable (it's like no one cared about these guys except Morrowseer, which helps his character writing at the cost of theirs.) Starflight, on his own book, felt underwhelming. The test for his character (about loyalty and courage) was unconvincing. It took him too long to gain them despite blatant forces in play which would make any reasonable protagonist act much earlier. It also had additional flaws like factitious plot events/points, inconsistency, and etc.

vera_michele's review against another edition

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3.0

3/5 Stars

Starflight might be my favorite character so far. The things in his mind are so sweet. How he feels about Sunny is adorable. I do think this is my least favorite in terms of plot. There wasn't a whole lot that happened compared to the other books, but I do love Starflight. He has so many insecurities and is just adorable.

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