Dragons? Check. Drama? Check. Microcosm of our society in fantasy graphic novel form? Also check.
Though the series is aimed at 9-14 year-olds, as a child-not-having adult myself, I thoroughly enjoyed them.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
The series is a graphic novel adaptation of Tui T. Sutherland’s Wings of Fire middle-grade series, which concluded in 2022 with 15 books (and 6 companion titles) – the most recent novel to see itself in glorious colour (illustrated by Nova Scotian Mike Holmes) is the 8th book in Sutherland’s run, publishing late 2024.
WoF follows a group of young dragons from various species, who’ve been raised with a prophecy that foretells their coming to save the world – but that isn’t as simple as it seems…
REASON ONE: The Art
Canadian illustrator Mike Holmes is credited with the Wings of Fire graphic novel art,
The realm of Pyrrhia is home to many different dragon species, all of which come to life in vivid colours and unique details – from the brightly hued RainWing dragons of the jungle, to the ice white-blue of the IceWing dragons in the north, each dragon is given its own visual characteristics which help younger (and hey, older and less detail-oriented) readers keep track of characters and their alliances.
Page 18, Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy by Tui T. Sutherland
REASON TWO: The Plot
Did you like Game of Thrones? How about House of the Dragon? The Hobbit? Braveheart? Name your favourite dragon movie and consider it a solid comparison, because this series is the PG version of it – minus the human beings, and plus way more talking dragons.
The Dragonet Prophecy arc introduces readers to the world of Pyrrhia, where there is a literal inter-species battle for control over the continent, with dragons of other clans never interacting with each other outside of battle – EXCEPT for our protagonists (of course).
Raised together since hatching from eggs, a SeaWing, SandWing, MudWing, NightWing, and RainWing are different from any others before them - simply because they were raised together.
REASON THREE: The Feeling
It brings nostalgia to times of playing make believe as a kid, of playing mermaids and princesses and all manner of childhood entertainment. You don’t have to be a kid to appreciate a good story, good art, and a good message.
I find myself constantly recommending this series to everyone I meet, regardless of their age – if they’re into fantasy, they’ll probably be into WoF.
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