A review by breeoxd
The Dark Secret by Tui T. Sutherland

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The Dark Secret was the book I was equally most/least excited for in this series; on one talon, the curiosity of the mysterious Night Wing tribe was almost too much to bear (leaving out my dislike for Morrowseer), but on the other, Starflight just isn’t that interesting or likable of a character, and if each new book was to focus on one of the 5 dragonets, than this one was certain to be a drag. The reader was already prepped for the Nightwings to be something other than they seemed in Glory’s book, but I was excited and saddened by turns and I read more about the tribe’s plight. I am interested in the ways the author is drawing on experiences that seem heavy for a children’s series- racism, disability, climate change- and exploring these themes from the safer fantasy perspective. Starflgiht was still pretty disappointing as a protagonist, but I really enjoyed Fatespeaker, and I did think it positive that Starflight learned he doesn’t have to be brave in the same way as his friends. After all. Not everyone is like able and brave. The big reveal was fairly obvious to be about halfway through the book (there were certain numbers that kept being reference, and if you can math, you might put things together) and the moving of a whole tribe’s location in a few minutes in the middle of a natural disaster felt unbelievable in a negative way, but I am excited to get back to Team Glory, and find out exactly how Queen Oasis was hoodwinked. 
PS: Sunny & Fatespeaker being interchangeable is gross. Why should Starflight get two love interests. Eww. Do we really need a middle grade dragon love triangle? No. The answer is no. I can just see the f boi instincts an indecisive and weak character like Starflight would have.