FINALLY REVIEWING BOOK 5 I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS TOOK SO LONG... esp considering this one's my favourite 😭 as always, the without spoiler review first! for me personally, i like this book the most from arc 1 because the way sunny is developed and given more depth is absolutely AMAZING. like it really reflects on how you can never really know a person just by how they act, right? in a way i think the themes of not being heard, or not being taken seriously are things all children (and teens and adults!) can relate to, so it makes sunny a character that i can empathize with and her journey throughout the book is VERY satisfying to read. i also love the way she kinda defies expectations, believing in something everyone else thought was fake. and somehow it led to the best outcome. it really shows how sometimes faith is needed, and it's not necessarily a rejection of truth if you have something you believe in that has no physical evidence of existing. yeah getting lowk spiritual.... i also like the themes of found family in this book, which ill elaborate more on in the spoilers section! and i think the resolution of the arc is beautiful, it kind of reflects on how one should be independent, but should also know the balance. sunny did a lot of things on her own; but she was wise enough to rely on help from others when she knew it was required, and i think that is really just the crux of Sunny's character: independent, but trusting. you can have both and be amazing. and now, spoilers ahead!! i absolutely love sunny. like hands down favourite dragon from this arc. the way she just...defies everyone by going out on her own??? and i think the way she deals with her complicated feelings towards starflight and just everything in general is much more mature than the other dragons in the previous books. i say this because the other dragons were convinced they were correct for the majority of their books before an incident forces them to develop, but sunny on the other hand is so much more open-minded that she never hesitates to try to see what the other side thinks. she's considerate of everyone's views, and I also appreciate her sympathy towards peril. and regarding the found family themes, notice how Sunny's mother Thorn's circle is also dragons that aren't blood-related. sunny and thorn are probably the most similar child-parent in the arc, and I think they both kind of represent maturity for one's age. thorn i believe is a younger dragon but commands the scorpion den (and later down the line, the throne), and sunny has a flexible mindset that lets her imagine herself in other dragons' claws. an underrated quality in the dragon world AND in our real human world. I think sunny really encapsulates the meaning of kindness with strength, where you don't have to pick just one. and often having empathy requires more strength and courage rather than sticking to one's own beliefs. i do wish sunny got more angry at her friends for not taking her seriously (especially tsunami) because gurlie you don't need to tolerate that disrespect considering you literally solved the war on your own 😭🙏 anyway enough sunny glaze, let's talk about some of the other characters. thorn, firstly. love her. she's exactly the kind of queen the sandwings needed, having experienced the rough life of living in a crowded oasis, having to steal scraps to eat, and etc. another example of empathy and strength going hand in hand. i like how sunny acknowledges the fact that sunny would not be able to be queen because she wouldn't be able to be harsh with punishments and stuff. so in a way i think thorn is the more "mature" version of sunny, or maybe what sunny could've been if she grew up with her mom and grew up seeing more unforgivable crimes. considering the only thing sunny had really seen while growing up was the neglect/abuse of Kestrel, Dune and Webs; who in her mind all had reasons to be that way, ig she wouldn't have picked up the ruthlessness that comes with being queen. I feel like I'm rambling ugh... ending review here cuz I'm tired and braindead 😭 see you guys on the next one!