The New Wings of Fire Book Is Coming! Here’s Your Rundown of the Series

If you're like many parents, your middle grade child might be a little obsessed with the adventurous world of dragons in the Wings of Fire series. My 11-year-old has been enthralled by this fantasy fiction series since the very first book — so much so that I found myself waiting in the cold outside of a local bookstore, waiting for it to open, on the day The Hive Queen was released.

With epic storylines, a richly imaginative landscape, and a cast of dragons with human-like qualities and emotions, this captivating series from author Tui T. Sutherland has garnered a worldwide following. When I asked my daughter why she thinks the series is so popular with readers her age, she responded: “It’s so adventurous and fun, but at the same time you feel fearful and sad, and you never, ever really know what is going to happen next because it has so many cliffhangers.”

The prospect of each new addition to this popular series is met with serious excitement in Wings of Fire circles, and fans can be found sharing their hopes for, and predictions about, each new installment on dedicated Wings of Fire forums. And now that book #13, The Poison Jungle, is available for pre-order ahead of its July 30 release, that excitement is building more every day! The newest book in the series will tell the story of a dragon tribe in hiding, a mission of revenge, and a shadowy jungle with dark secrets that the dragon Sundew and her friends must unearth. 

My daughter’s prediction for the newest book: “I think we will meet the community of hidden LeafWings from the Poison Jungle as Sundew, Cricket, and the other dragonets need their help to drive out the Hive Queen and release the brainwashed hive dragons,” she says.  

Not quite sure what all of that means? Read on to get better acquainted with the series. 

Get to Know the Wings of Fire Series

There are currently 12 books in the series across three distinct storylines. 

The first five books introduce the seven dragon tribes of Pyrrhia: the SandWings, MudWings, SkyWings, SeaWings, IceWings, RainWings, and NightWings. Each tribe stems from a different territory within the continent and each has a unique set of talents, strengths, and magical powers. These first books focus on a terrible war between the tribes as three sisters fight to ascend the SandWing throne. Raised in seclusion, five dragonets (dragonets are child or adolescent dragons) from five different tribes have been prophesized to finally restore peace to Pyrrhia — but not every dragonet seeks a heroic destiny, and they must choose to live as the prophecy has been written or change their fate. 

The next five books see the original dragonets of the prophecy establish a school with a vision to encourage the children of all dragon tribes to work together for continued peace across Pyrrhia. The stories in this arc are shared by five new dragonets, students of the school, as they face a fresh set of dangers to protect the school from destruction.

Finally, the third and newest storyline (book eleven and onwards), explores the discovery of another continent, far across the ocean, with three new dragon tribes: the LeafWings, SilkWings, and HiveWings. The tales of these three dragon tribes and the turmoil that is brewing in this new world are narrated from the point of view of dragonets representing each tribe.

(See the entire Wings of Fire series at a glance.)

The Series Explores Powerful Themes

The fantasy and adventure aspect of the series is transportive for kids. But the Wings of Fire books also explore important issues of family, friendship, and identity that middle school readers are likely managing in their own lives, with strong themes of courage, wisdom, strength of character, loyalty, and sacrifice.

From the very first book, when the five imprisoned dragonets of the prophecy work together to escape their seclusion in response to a threat to the life of one of their group, these themes are clear. These young dragons, each drawn from vastly different (and often warring) tribes, band together or stand up solely in the face of great danger to support or protect each other throughout the series.

When I asked my daughter recently what she loved most about the cast of characters, her responses reflected admiration of qualities I know she aspires to have herself — for instance, the adventurous nature of Luna, a brave female SilkWing dragonet, and the fearlessness of Tsunami, one of the original prophecy dragonets.

While Sutherland does not shy away from many difficult themes — there is war, death, murder, cruelty, racism, and more in these books — the magic of the world of dragons makes these elements less confronting, and my sensitive 11-year-old (who started reading the series at age nine) has had no issue with the sometimes violent nature of the content.

In short, Wings of Fire is truly an amazing series for middle grade readers who enjoy fantasy fiction. My daughter is already counting down the days until Wings of Fire #13: The Poison Jungle is released July 30!