the brightest night: part six

Burn is furious with the dragonets for disrupting her plans, and mocks them when they say the battle is over. However, Blister and Blaze arrive and she figures she can salvage the situation by killing her sisters. Blister and Burn exchange words while Blaze stays off to the side with Glaicer. The dragonets insist on a peaceful resolution or everyone will choose the new queen but Burn and Blister are uninterested. Blister makes a comment about sending a peace offering already. A box had arrived that Smolder kept in the tower with Sunny and Scarlet. Burn sends for the box, telling Blister that she already figured out it contained a dragonbite viper. She opens it, catching the dragonbite before it can bite her. That is when Blister points out that there are two snakes in the box. The second one strikes Burn, killing her. In a panic, everyone takes to the sky. Sunny and Fatespeaker try to help Starflight up but they don't make it in time. Sunny realizes one of them is going to die. Then Clay slams into them, saving them from the viper by getting bit himself.

The dragonets race to Clay, who is dying. Thorn comforts Sunny. Peril arrives and burns out the infected skin, barely saving Clay's life. She then kills the viper before it can hurt anyone else. Blister is disappointed that more of her enemies didn't die but she figures she can at least kill Blaze.

Blaze asks Glaicer to fight for her, but the IceWing queen realizes she can't. As Blister and Blaze fight the dragonets wonder how to fix the situation. Smolder joins them with Flower, and the dragonets question him about other possible heirs. The idea gets put forward that maybe someone else should be queen like how Glory is of the NightWings. Everyone wishes there was something that could name a queen. Flower gets Sunny's attention and brings her to the memorial for queen Oasis and starts digging. Glory and Tsunami come over to help and they find the missing treasure - along with the Eye of Onyx.

Tsunami and Glory tell Sunny that she could be queen. She considers it but decides she wouldn't be a very good one. Blister and Blaze stop fighting and watch to see what Sunny will do. She gives the Eye of Onyx to her mother and names her the new queen of the SandWings. As she passes it over she sees lighting and feels a jolt. Blister is furious. She admits that she stole the treasure, that she lied about waking up Burn so her mother would die, that she arranged the war so that her sisters would die so she wouldn't have to fight them for the throne. She feels the Eye - and throne - belong to her. Thorn tells her she will fight her for the throne but Blister says she doesn't have to. She takes the Eye so she can be queen but its magic turns against her, killing her. The SandWings, led by Blaze, approach Thorn and bow to her, accepting her as their new queen. The queens from the other tribes are relieved the war is over.

A month has passed, the war is over, and the dragonets are still together. They are at the Jade Mountain, along with Fatespeaker, making plans to open a school for dragonets of any tribe. Sunny has told Starflight the truth about her feelings for him and he and Fatespeaker are together now. So are Glory and Deathbringer. Sunny wonders if they will have children and if a half RainWing/half NightWing will sit on the throne. They wonder at Scarlet and Peril's locations. They know they are no longer together and wonder when Scarlet will show up for revenge. They also wonder about telling everyone the truth about the prophecy. In the end they decide to tell everyone that the NightWings lost their powers when they lost their island and that there are no more prophecies.

Okay, well clearly there will be another prophecy now! You can't say there are no more then expect that to happen. Hopefully this time it will be a real prophecy, though.

Well, they did it. They found their peaceful solution that involved none of the queens. And, two of them are now dead so they don't have to worry about then popping back up to make trouble! I hope Thorn goes easy on Smolder. I wonder if Flower can understand the dragons? How else would she know Sunny was looking for the treasure and then lead her to the very thing she needed?

I am curious about the Eye of Onyx. I wonder if that will ever be touched upon again? And about Scarlet's location. And, about the new prophecy...

the brightest night: part five

Sunny recounts her adventures. Everyone is a but upset they weren't there to protect her, but they are proud of her. Sunny us determined that they will end the war. Everyone else is unsure, since the prophecy is a fake, but Sunny feels that all the other dragons don't realize they can end the war because they are too busy waiting for the dragonets to do it for them. Sunny tries to tell them her plan but they all start talking over her, debating who to pick and how to kill the other two. Frustrated, Sunny finally gets their attention and tells them she wants a vote done by the SandWings. She waits for everyone to discount her idea but instead (after a but if discussion) they are actually receptive to it.

The reach out to the Talons first to ask them to contact Blister. Ochre leads them to the Talons and Sunny finds Ochre to be the most disagreeable MudWing ever. They immediately get into an argument with the Talons over the location of the alternate dragonets - who Sunny points out don't want to return to them. Then they realize Flame was following them. Flame is reunited with his mother and the angry Talons are told about Viper's death. Angry at the way things have turned out they demand to see Morrowseer only to discover that he is dead too. They ask to Talons to reach out to Blister and leave. Tsunami says goodbye to Riptide, who was there. She admits to Sunny that she is upset about him lying about being with the Talons but she does still have feelings for him. They leave Ochre and Flame behind.

Jambu and Mangrove are sent to disguise themselves as IceWings and talk to Blaze. Sunny and Clay leave to get a message to Burn. Along the way they see something huge in the sky, like an extra moon. As they follow it they come upon a MudWing camp. They seek out Clay's siblings and find out about the massive attack that queen Moorhen is planning. They will attack the IceWings until only one group survives. Clay and Sunny are upset and determined not to let that happen. Sunny uses a dreamvisitor to enter Moorhen's dreams and speak with her. Moorhen is dreaming about the carnage that is about to befall her dragons. Sunny talks to her and tries to convince her to instead attend the talk they are planning.

Sunny also visits the dreams of Moorhen's siblings. Then she and Clay take turns visiting the dreams of other dragons chosen at random. They return to the rainforest where they find out Blaze won't come because Glaicer won't allow it. Sunny can feel her plan falling apart. They decide to have Sunny use the dreamvisitor to speak with Blaze. Blaze misunderstands Sunny and thinks she has been chosen to be queen, but she agrees to arrive.

The dragonets head towards the meeting place, Sunny and Fatespeaker helping Starflight, who is still blind. Fatespeaker asks him about the extra moon in the sky. Even though he is unable to see it he suspects it might be a comet. They reach Burn's stronghold and find dragons from all the tribes waiting to see what will happen. Sunny wonders where the sisters are when Burn reveals herself.

Okay, I got no real comments. I have no idea how they are going to solve this when all three sisters are unfit to rule and want each other dead. It's not even like they can make the three of them co-queens or something. Maybe the comet in the sky is part of the solution? But I really don't see how especially since it just appeared out of nowhere. Instead I imagine that is probably tied to the next book series.

the brightest night: part four

Sunny convinces her mother to let her try and burn the lock off. She does so successfully. Thorn finds a paper in the library with her name on it. It is a letter from Stonemover asking her to meet him at Jade Mountain. Sunny points out that Stonemover never abandoned Thorn, but Thorn is furious that he never tried to reach out to her again. They escape and meet up with the Outclaws. Sunny tells her mother that she has to return to her friends.

Unable to reach the tunnel, Sunny goes to the mountains. A bad rainstorm causes her to take shelter so she heads for Jade Mountain. She follows a tunnel and finds her father. He is slowly turning to stone because he turned his animus magic against himself. He and Sunny talk and the conversation turns to the prophecy. She tells him she always thought she looked odd because of the prophecy, not because she was half NightWing. Confused, Stonemover tells her that the prophecy isn't real.

Stonemover realizes Sunny does know the truth. She tells him maybe Morrowseer was lying, however Stonemover tells her he was there when the prophecy was made up. She stays the night with him and dreams of Flower. She and Flower end up in another area (the burned out village) with a different scavenger who has a dreamvisitor. Sunny realizes she might be able to find the missing treasure with this scavenger.

Sunny goes to the village and waits until the scavenger from her dream arrives. She does, with another scavenger. Sunny captures them and is able to explain through a series of motions and drawings on the ground that she wants the treasure. The scavengers give it to her but the Eye of Onyx isn't there.

Sunny leaves the scavengers (even though she wants to keep them as pets) returns to the rainforest and heads to Starflight. She waits for all her friends to arrive before telling her story. She is a little a jealous of Fatespeaker, but she tries to let it go.

Sunny's father is a bit of a sad character, and Sunny feels he wallows in his personal drama a bit too much, but despite this she actually did pretty good in the parent department. Her parents want and love her. They aren't psychos who want to use her. All in all she did good.

On a different note, I can't wait to see how her friends react to the adventure she went on without them!!! Also, how are they supposed to end this war. I don't see a solution. Sunny's egg "hidden alone from the rival queens" always implied to me that maybe she was royal too. But this isn't the case. So if Sunny isn't going to be queen, and none of the other queens are worthy, and Smolder can't inherit the throne - how will the war end and who will be queen?

the brightest night: part three

Sunny meets Smolder's pet scavenger, Flower. They talk about Flower and Sunny is shocked to discover that Flower is actually pretty intelligent and draws pictures to communicate with Smolder. The move up through the tower, passing all sorts of oddities. Eventually they reach a furious and chained up queen Scarlet, who boasts that she has friends who will help her. They pass her to go higher up. Smolder regretfully chains Sunny up but promises to take her out the next day so she isn't trapped in the tower all the time. Flower insists on staying with Sunny.

Smolder arrives earlier then planned to let Sunny out. He shows her the treasure rooms and asks her if she can solve how three tiny scavengers emptied the rooms without wagons. Sunny deduces someone else must have stolen the treasure while everyone was attending to Oasis. She suspects one of Oasis's daughters but Smolder tells her that would be impossible because the war wouldn't even be occurring if that is the case. He refuses to divulge any more but Sunny deduces that owning a certain piece of the treasure must determine who the queen is - therefore one of the scavengers must have it and not one of the sisters. A messenger arrives because they are under attack. Sunny convinces Smolder not to lock her up again by agreeing to a guard. Sunny races to see what is going on and discovers the Outclaws are here to rescue her.

As the battle goes on Sunny sees Peril sneak in. Realizing she is probably there to free Scarlet she and her guard go to confront her. Peril tells Sunny that she cannot let the dragonets stop her. She tries to ask after Clay without making it obvious. Sunny tells her that Clay thinks about her, but privately she realizes probably not the way Peril wishes him to. Peril tells her that Ruby kicked her out of the SkyWing Kingdom, which is why she is here for Scarlet. Sunny has to break the news to her that Kestrel is dead. Sunny convinces Peril to put an end to the battle. Smolder surrenders gracefully. Thorn wishes to kill Addax but Sunny talks her out of it. Thorn then inquires after NightWing prisoners and Smolder tells her of a stuffed NightWing his sister has.

Everyone goes to the tower. Scarlet is cruel to Peril, but obeys her when Peril wants the stuffed NightWing body given to Thorn. It isn't who she is looking for, however. Smolder tells Thorn and Sunny that he has a paper with Thorn's name on it in the library. Peril stays behind (because she could accidentally set the library on fire) as he leads them on. Sunny asks why Thorn is trying to find the NightWing and Thorn admits it is because he is Sunny's father.

Thorn tells Sunny how she met Stonemover and how he is the animus who made the tunnel. She says one day he disappeared and Morrowseer arrived, telling her she would never see Stonemover again. Smolder brings then to the library where everyone starts sifting through the papers. A messenger arrives to tell Smolder someone is approaching. Smolder realizes it is his sister so he quickly locks Thorn and Sunny in the library (while apologizing) and leaves them.

So, not gonna lie, I really do like Smolder. I hope he gets declared king. I doubt that will happen, though. But I am convinced it won't be either of the sisters.

As for Peril, I am glad to see she is trying to change. But Scarlet is not the answer.

the brightest night: part two

Sunny spends time following the NightWings toward the SandWing kingdom. Along they way they pass by a burned out village. At first Sunny is confused by the size of the buildings, but then she realizes it is a scavenger village.

Sunny uses the mirror to discover the NightWings are going to go to the Scorpion Den and speak with the Outclaws. The NightWings are furious when the guard at the gate won't let them enter without paying. In the end he lets them pass, but only because of orders from Thorn. Afraid that the Outclaws will steal the mirror Sunny buries it then comes out of her hiding place - to find a guard waiting for her. Thorn wishes to see her as well. She follows the guard into Scorpion Den. She sees posters everywhere seeking information on Dune, Morrowseer, and another NightWing. Scorpion Den is a regular town only the Outclaws, instead of the queens, are in charge. The guard escorting her is named Six Claws and he tells her a little of their town. Another guard approaches them and appears to recognize Sunny, but says nothing. Six Claws takes her to Thorn's tent. She begs him not to let the NightWings see her. Thorn arrives and the NightWings try to negotiate with her, but she is uninterested. In the course of the argument (after discovering Morrowseer is dead) one of the NightWings attacks her and she kills him.

Sunny speaks up so Thorn won't attack the other NightWings. They, however, see an oppoyand sell Sunny out as one of the dragonets in the prophecy. Thorn inspects Sunny then asks the NightWings about a NightWing named Stonemover. All they can tell her is he went missing. Dissatisfied, Thorn orders them locked up. She then takes Sunny to private room where she admits that she has been looking for an egg, Sunny's age, of an unusual dragon and that Dune stole it. She tells Sunny that she is her mother.

Sunny is thrilled and she and Thorn get to know each other - but then a report comes of a dragonbite viper being spotted. Thorn goes to deal with it while Sunny takes a nap. She wakes up to find Six Claws. He goes to take her to her mother but they are stopped by the guard from earlier, Addax. He did recognize Sunny and he has Six Claws' daughter hostage. He wants Sunny so he can turn her in to Burn and go home. Sunny agrees.

Addax brings her to Burn's stronghold. Burn isn't there, but Smolder, Burn's rather nice brother, is. He allows Addax to come home and takes Sunny prisoner. Sunny is panicking but reminds herself to trust in the prophecy - despite a voice in the back of her head telling her it is all a lie. He brings her to a tower filled with oddities - and queen Scarlet.

I gotta say, I never figured Sunny's adventure to be a solo one. The others are all so convinced that she can't do anything on her own that I never saw her striking out on her own. I imagine they are tearing up the rainforest looking for her. Meanwhile she has thwarted a kidnapping, stole the obsidian mirror, met her mother, saved Six Claws's daughter, and now is a prisoner of Burn's. She is really getting around.

Meanwhile, Smolder seems nice. Too bad he can't be king. Maybe that is how the dragonets will solve everything - declare a king instead of a queen. That would be a nice change of pace.

the brightest night: part one

Twenty years ago Oasis images she hears scavengers stealing her treasure. She races off towards her treasure rooms, running into Blaze and Blister. Oasis reflects on her daughters. Blister unsettles Oasis - she knows that this is the dragon who will kill her. Burn, the oldest, is bigger and stronger but Oasis actually gets along with her. Blaze is ditzy - an acceptable daughter but not a future queen. She tells her daughters she is just going to check on the treasure and leaves them. Blaze goes to bed but Blister follows her. Oasis is annoyed by this but decides to let her tag along. At the treasure room Oasis discovers some treasure missing - along with the Eye of Onyx. This news gets a reaction out of Blister but Oasis doesn't understand why. She tells Blister to go wake Burn so they can deal with the scavengers together. Blister asks why she cannot help her mother and Oasis cruelly dismisses her. Oasis follows the scavengers, wondering if Blister will really get Burn. She worries that there might be too many scavengers to handle on her own. She finds them and is relieved it is only three. She moves in to attack.

A panicked Sunny races away from Morrowseer. She leaves the tunnel and finds herself in the RainWing kingdom. Glory and Grandeur are speaking to the dragons, but all Sunny can think of is the prophecy and how it is all a lie. All her life she believed she was destined to fulfill this prophecy, and now it has been taken away from her. She feels Morrowseer must be lying - that is the only thing that makes sense - but she worries her friends will not believe her. As Sunny debates what to do there is a disturbance as some of the RainWings recognize Mastermind. As Glory debates what to do Clay and Fatespeaker burst through the tunnel with a badly wounded Starflight. Sunny moves towards her wounded friend but she is grabbed and taken into the rainforest.

Sunny is unable to break free so she waits to see what happens. When the dragons get far enough away from the tunnel they stop and discuss their options for holding Sunny hostage to get Fierceteeth made queen. They decide to use the obsidian mirror, which allows you to spy on dragons, to find out what is going on back in the RainWing kingdom. Only they discover that the prophecy is a fake. Suddenly they have a new plan, one that involves selling Sunny to one of the SandWing queens. As they argue over their plan Sunny sees an opportunity to escape and takes it.

The dragons chase after Sunny but she knows the rainforest better then them so she is able to elude capture. She listens to them give up and decide instead to sell the dragonet location to the queens. Sunny debates what to do - follow them or go back and get her friends. She decides her friends won't listen to her anyway and resolves to follow the dragons.

Sunny decides to steal the obsidian mirror away from the dragons. That night as they sleep she succeeds and leaves a message for them, warning them to go back. She then uses the mirror to check on Starflight then spy on Burn. But her spying on Burn is interrupted when the dragons wake up and arguing breaks out over the missing mirror and the message. But Fierceteeth insists they go on so Sunny follows them.

Okay, first of all, I bet anything Blister fid not go and wake Burn. I bet she instead followed her mother either to make sure the scavengers killed her or to do the job herself while pinning it on the scavengers. But what is so special about the Eye of Onyx that Blister would be unsettled over the scavengers taking it? Is this why Morrowseer had her looking through scavenger dens? Wait a minute... Or, did Blister herself steal the Eye of Onyx and she was unsettled because she knew when her mother found the scavengers the Eye of Onyx would not be there? While the theft of it would not point immediately to Blister it would cause problems - problems that Blister would not want which is why she would have to kill her mother. Just what is the Eye of Onyx anyway...?

And good on Sunny for striking out on her own. However I don't see how she is going to solve the prophecy problem when all three sisters are awful, not without becoming queen herself.