fantasy – BookBunnies

Caramel reviews The Hybrid Prince (Book Sixteen of the Wings of Fire series) by Tui Sutherland

Caramel was delighted to finally get his paws on the sixteenth book of Tui Sutherland’s Wings of Fire series: The Hybrid Prince was published on March 3, 2026. Below you will find him discussing this long-awaited novel with Sprinkles who is taking notes and asking questions.

In case you are wondering, Caramel has read and reviewed almost every book in this series. Here are his reviews of the books of the original series: The Dragonet Prophecy (book 1), Moon Rising (book 6), Winter Turning (book 7), Escaping Peril (book 8), Talons of Power (book 9), Darkness of Dragons (book 10), The Lost Continent (book 11), The Hive Queen (book 12), The Poison Jungle (book 13), The Dangerous Gift (book 14), and The Flames of Hope (book 15).

He also reviewed the graphic novelizations of the first eight books: The Dragonet Prophecy (book 1), The Lost Heir (book 2), The Hidden Kingdom (book 3), The Dark Secret (book 4), The Brightest Night (book 5), Moon Rising (book 6), Winter Turning (book 7), and Escaping Peril (book 8).

He has also read and reviewed the two books in the Legends series (Darkstalker –also see its graphic novelization, and Dragonslayer) as well as the first book in the Winglets series (The Winglets Quartet: The First Four Stories).

Besides all these, he has also reviewed Wings of Fire: A Guide to the Dragon World.

Caramel reviews The Hybrid Prince (Book Sixteen of the Wings of Fire series) by Tui Sutherland. — Caramel reviews *The Hybrid Prince* (Book Sixteen of the Wings of Fire series) by Tui Sutherland.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, you are finally ready to talk about the sixteenth book of the Wings of Fire today, right?

Caramel: Yes, yes we are! We finally got a new one.

S: I know you were so looking forward to this book. Was it worth the wait?

C: I mean I’d prefer to not have had to wait, but yes, it’s a great thing.

S: Okay, so is the story good? Tell us a bit about it. Do we know any of the main characters in it?

C: Yes, Umber and Sora. Umber is the main character, and is the brother of Clay from the first trilogy. Sora is their sister. Remember we first met Clay in the Dragonet Prophecy?

S: Yes, I do remember Clay.

C: And we have seen both Umber and Sora before. They are mentioned in many of the earlier books.

S: Hmm, that is neat. Alright, so then are we continuing any of the previous story lines?

C: Not quite. This starts a new narrative arc. Umber and Sora are now refugees from Pyrrhia, as Sora is an attempted murderer.

S: Wait, so she tries to kill someone?

C: Yep, In Moon Rising, she tries to kill Icicle who was Winter’s older sister, because Sora believes that Icicle was the one who killed her sister. So she blows some stuff up, tries to impale Icicle, yada yada, and Sora and Umber have to run away. This book is where we learn about what has happened to them.

S: I see. So tying some loose ends, kind of, but also starting something new?

C: Yeah, I do think there will be more books to follow. This one is a bit strange. They both find partners, and then they find dragon eggs, and they raise the dragonets.

S: But you said they left Pyrrhia? Where are they?

C: In the middle of the ocean, in Dungeon Isle, which is kind of like a penal colony. There are dragons from all tribes there, and many hybrid ones as a result. There are some called the WildWings that are so mixed that you cannot tell the different tribe origins they might have.

Caramel is reading The Hybrid Prince (Book Sixteen of the Wings of Fire series) by Tui Sutherland. — Caramel is reading *The Hybrid Prince* (Book Sixteen of the Wings of Fire series) by Tui Sutherland.

S: Okay, so the book is called The Hybrid Prince. But Umber is not hybrid, he is a MudWing, so who is the Hybrid Prince?

C: The hybrid prince is his new love interest.

S: Ooh, that is interesting. You did say they find partners. I see. Okay, then is the book more about partnering up and family troubles and so on? Any other adventures?

C: Yeah, Umber and Sora get trapped in this magical prison, then Umber finds this hybrid guy, and he develops a crush on him, and they are now sort of entangled in a mess involving betrayal, murder, more murder, and more attempted murder.

S: Okay, that sounds … lively?

C: Or deadly, we could say.

S: Oh, I see what you did there! That’s funny.

C: Well, yes, I am funny, but the story is not completely funny. Some people get un-alived, some are captured and exiled, though they’re all trapped in this prison island, so the exile is within the prison island. So it is complicated.

S: I see. It sounds like maybe this book had a slightly different feel than the other fifteen? Or maybe not?

C: It did feel a little different, but it’s still just as awesome. I have already read it a few times.

S: That is cool! I know you were so excited to get your paws on this book after waiting for it for such a long time. For a while we did not even know if there would be a sixteenth book. Now that this is out, you can expect to get at least one more, probably.

C: Yeah, I hope there’s way more than just one though.

S: I guess we will see. Okay, this might be a good place to wrap up this review.

C: Sure. Let’s do that so I can go back to rereading my book.

S: Okay. What do you want to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel loved reading The Hybrid Prince (Book Sixteen of the Wings of Fire series) by Tui Sutherland and is thankful that it is finally out! — Caramel loved reading *The Hybrid Prince* (Book Sixteen of the Wings of Fire series) by Tui Sutherland and is thankful that it is finally out!

Marshmallow reviews Thunderhead by Neal Schusterman

A few weeks ago Marshmallow read and reviewed Scythe, the first book in Neal Schusterman’s Arc of a Scythe series. Today she shares with us her thoughts on Thunderhead, the second story in the series, originally published in 2018.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you liked Scythe, the first book in Neal Schusterman’s Arc of a Scythe series, then this is the book for you!

Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): At the end of Scythe, Citra Terranova was ordained as a scythe while Rowan Damisch fled from the scythedom. At the beginning of Thunderhead, their lives are going in two very different directions.

Citra chooses the name Scythe Anastasia (for the patron historic of Anastasia Romanov) and begins gleaning in a different way; this is poorly received by some and lauded by others. When she selects someone to be gleaned, she tells them a month in advance and gives them that time to prepare. Then they seek her out at the end and tell her how they would like to die (those who try to flee are killed by a location-triggered device she implanted in their arm). This is a very unconventional method of gleaning given that most kill their victims almost instantly—and that is generally deemed the most merciful manner of death. However, Scythe Anastasia finds her version of death to be more acceptable to her conscience.

Some scythes don’t really care about mercy at all though. One such scythe is Scythe Brahms who plays his patron historic’s lullaby each time he gleans, which is generally with bias. A new scythe, Scythe Lucifer, begins to take out corrupt scythes like Scythe Brahms, burning them so their bodies cannot be revived. Scythe Lucifer spares Brahms, but the endings of the many other corrupt scythes he did not begin to alert the scythedom to his presence. They call him a vigilante and soon realize that he is none other than Rowan Damisch.

After seeing the rise of the ‘new order’ (a movement within the scythedom that ignores the founding ideals of discipline and modesty in order to actively encourage bloodlust, self-indulgence, and corruption for scythes), Rowan has vowed to take as many bad scythes out of the equation as possible. Of course, this doesn’t go over well with the scythedom, even though some like Scythe Anastasia acknowledge that the scythes removed were undeserving of their roles.

While the scythedom reels with shock over Scythe Lucifer’s actions, the Thunderhead (the ambivalent, benevolent A.I. consciousness that rules over humanity as a guardian angel, running everything perfectly to create the perfect world) stays quiet. Scythes are not allowed to communicate with it—in order to create a separation between the two institutions—but they are puzzled by why it has not done anything to stop Rowan. The Thunderhead, it is revealed, worries that the new order will topple the balance that has kept their utopian world at peace for so long. And while the Thunderhead can’t do anything to stop the new order, it can hint certain things to a certain Grayson Tolliver, an ordinary man who was essentially raised by the Thunderhead after his serial parents left him (serial parents are people who spend their immortal lives starting families but never sticking around to raise them). Through Grayson, the Thunderhead saves Scythe Anastasia and her former mentor Scythe Curie from a murder attempt. This begins Grayson’s new life as the Thunderhead’s vessel for action, action it is technically not supposed to be taking.

Through the perspectives of Scythe Anastasia, Scythe Lucifer, Grayson, and the Thunderhead (though sometimes we witness another scythe’s life), we see the glitches in the system—both real and metaphorical—grow. The scythedom has protected their utopian world for centuries, but everything seems to be changing for the worse. This is the one thing the Thunderhead cannot fix; it cannot save humanity from the scythedom if it cannot save the scythedom.

Marshmallow is reading Thunderhead by Neal Schusterman. — Marshmallow is reading *Thunderhead* by Neal Schusterman.

Marshmallow’s Review: Thunderhead was an amazing book! I was absolutely fascinated by the first book and reading the second book has made me even more enveloped in the story. In Thunderhead, Schusterman shows how the characters we met earlier in Scythe have changed and how they have made new roles for themselves in their world. Furthermore, in this book, Grayson Tolliver is introduced and quickly becomes a central character. We get to witness his development and I am really, really curious to read more about him and how he will affect the plot.

The story line is ingenious and I found myself not even trying to predict what comes next. That was not out of a lack of interest; I was so enjoying the story that I was content to just continue reading to find out. After all, I didn’t really stop long enough to try to foretell the future. I am really excited to read the next book and find out what will happen.

Of course, both the third book and second book are irrelevant to someone who hasn’t read the first book. After reading Scythe, reading Thunderhead is the immediate instinct. Both books require the same reading level and maturity. Neither is particularly inappropriate and I think an eleven year old would find both intriguing. There is some violence and something sexual is implied at the end, but nothing is ever described in detail at all. This was perfect for me because I don’t mind those two things as long as I don’t have to read about it for more than a sentence! This was a good decision on Schusterman’s part because I think it makes the books more accessible and open to a broader audience.

That said, I felt his prose was slightly less flawless in Thunderhead. Certain sentences were worded a little strangely. Yet, this might have been a good thing overall because it made me feel like the book was from a future era, one you fall into when you start the first chapter.

Even though these books are set in a different time, the discussions about mercy, empathy, humanity, love, and what we owe to each other are relevant to everyone today. Thunderhead is very entertaining and interesting, but it also teaches values and morals that I think are crucial to a society hoping to reach utopia one day. As a whole, this book was absolutely amazing and I would completely recommend it to everyone.

Marshmallow’s Rating: 100%.

Marshmallow rates Thunderhead by Neal Schusterman 100%. — Marshmallow rates *Thunderhead* by Neal Schusterman 100%.

Marshmallow reviews Scythe by Neal Schusterman

Marshmallow starts off the new year for the book bunnies blog with a review of Scythe, a 2016 book by Neal Schusterman that she read during the winter break.

(The book bunnies got a hold of this book after Caramel had read and reviewed an earlier book, Full Tilt, by Schusterman and wanted to read more from him.)

Marshmallow reviews Scythe by Neal Schusterman. — Marshmallow reviews *Scythe* by Neal Schusterman.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you like sci-fi books about fascinating futuristic possibilities, then this is the book for you!

Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): Now, in this new future world, death no longer exists. The Thunderhead, an omniscient AI consciousness, runs the world; however, this is not a typically dystopian situation. The Thunderhead has a “purer” soul than any human and society is managed perfectly with everything running smoothly. Without death but with technology, humans are able to “turn the corner” (reverse their aging) whenever they wish. Revival centers are everywhere, so if there ever is a fatal accident, it is never truly fatal.

However, there is a catch. Without death, a population would grow unchecked; scythes serve in death’s place and must glean (accepted euphemism for taking the life of someone) a certain quota in the time between each Scythe Conclave (meeting). This keeps the fear of death alive to an extent, but in most people there is little more than a distant memory and a feeling of vague danger. At this point:

“The growth of civilization was complete […] there was no more left to learn. Nothing about our own existence to decipher. Which meant that no one person was more important than any other. In fact, in the grand scheme of things, everyone was equally useless.”

Most humans go through life, turning corners and reliving life yet again. Citra is at the actual beginning of her life, around sixteen. When Scythe Faraday (Scythes choose new names for themselves based on a ‘patron historic’) comes to Citra’s house and stays for dinner, she and her family presume he is there to glean someone. While most people try to kiss up to Scythes (hoping to avoid being gleaned), Citra doesn’t care. She thinks he will glean someone so he might as well make it clear without playing games with them. Her angry outburst impresses him and he reveals that he was just hungry and their neighbor—who wasn’t home yet—is the one he intends to glean. He leaves Citra’s family, but not without saying that Citra would make a good Scythe because she can “see through the facades of the world.”

Rowan is also like Citra. He was in proximity to one of Scythe Faraday’s gleanings. The victim this time was a popular football player, Kohl, at his high school, but no one was brave enough to stay with him when the end came…except for Rowan. Scythe Faraday notes that Rowan was the only one who was brave enough to face death in order to be there to comfort Kohl. That is not what other people think though. They think he was there so he could watch Kohl’s gleaning and perhaps was even the cause. Gleanings are supposed to be random, but Rowan knew there must be something else. Indeed, Scythe Faraday reveals during Kohl’s last moments that he was chosen because he is a teenager with a car who likes to drink and Scythe Faraday then chose randomly from that demographic. But no one else knows this and, by association with this morbid event, Rowan becomes a social pariah.

In other words, both Rowan and Citra find themselves in the wake of Scythe Faraday’s reaping, and eventually they are both selected by him to be mentored as Scythes in training. As they become more and more immersed in the Scythedom, they learn that there is politics in play everywhere. A new movement—led by a Scythe Goddard—of younger Scythes who commit massacres almost for fun and material enrichment begin pushing against the “old guard” Scythes, those who believe in mercy and dignity for those gleaned.

Scythe Faraday teaches Citra and Rowan his philosophies and ideals, those of the “old guard.” But eventually, through the orchestration of Scythe Goddard, it is declared that only one of Scythe Faraday’s apprentices will be allowed to join the Scythedom. The one selected will have to kill the one who is not. This was never Scythe Faraday’s intent when he selected them, but it seems that there is only one way out and someone’s blood will be spilled.

Marshmallow is reading Scythe by Neal Schusterman. — Marshmallow is reading *Scythe* by Neal Schusterman.

Marshmallow’s Review: Scythe is an amazing book! The philosophical nature of it made it extremely intellectually stimulating and the plot was engrossing. I read this at the same time that Sprinkles and Caramel were reading it and we kept fighting who got to the read first. When we all finished, we immediately wanted to read the second book!

The world imagined by Schusterman is a bit of a utopian version of our world, with things running more smoothly. Yet life has become rather artificial and everyone is essentially immortal. Purpose is rather absent from humans’ lives, except for the Scythes who have to take on a traumatizing role that shapes them forever. Once a Scythe, always a Scythe. Citra and Rowan learn that Scythes all glean in different ways, yet as Scythe Faraday says: there is no right way to glean, but there are definitely wrong ways. In this imaginary world, Schusterman sets up a struggle for power between Scythes and places Citra and Rowan in the midst of the chaos.

Honestly, Scythe was one of the most fascinating and engrossing books I have read. I really want to read the next book! The ending was very satisfying but it also leaves some things untold. The story does continue (I think there are three books in total in the series, Arc of a Scythe) and I am excited to read more!

Scythe is a really well written book and I think it is amazingly stimulating. It does force one to consider what life without purpose would be like and how mortality affects humanity. It also makes you appreciate life a lot more and makes you look for purpose in your own life. I would highly recommend reading this book. There is some violence, so I would not share it with bunnies younger than twelve. But this is an amazing book and I would completely recommend reading it for anyone else!

Marshmallow’s Rating: 100%.

Marshmallow rates Scythe by Neal Schusterman 100%. — Marshmallow rates *Scythe* by Neal Schusterman 100%.

Marshmallow reviews Fearful by Lauren Roberts

Marshmallow has already read and reviewed the three main books of Lauren Roberts’s Powerless trilogy: Powerless, Reckless, and Fearless. She has also reviewed the novella Powerful, set in the same world as the books of the trilogy, and placed in between the first two books chronologically. Today she reviews a brand new addition to this series: Fearful, a novella published just last week that retells some of the events of Fearless from a different perspective.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you liked Lauren Roberts’ previous books Powerless, Reckless, and Fearless, then this is the book for you!

Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): Mara is the personification of Death. Her job is to essentially bring all the souls of the dead to a place called the Mors, what seems to be another dimension with a hungry earth, mist, and lots of grey trees. In the Mors, she leaves the souls alone, desperate to escape, and many eventually go insane. It is implied this is for people who did bad things in their lives.

Mara is summoned whenever a person is about to die and needs her to pass into the realm of death. So when the new king of Ilya, Kitt, takes a dose of the deadly Plague in an effort to become more powerful, she feels called to him. However, for reasons not explained, she feels a special connection to the young king–despite the fact that she promised never to set foot in Ilya ever again (again, for reasons left unexplained). By taking the Plague, Kitt is now doomed to die, though he does not yet believe it.

Mara starts wandering around his castle while she waits for his death, and she starts to take an interest in the relationship between an Imperial named Lenny and Blair (who killed Paedyn’s best friend in a previous book). Though they are extremely combative, Mara looks at their souls and sees that they are bonded. As their relationship starts to bring them closer, Kitt gets closer to his end. Mara and Kitt start talking at some point and they too start to have feelings for each other. Mara teaches Kitt how to die and Kitt teaches Mara how to live.

The author insinuates that Mara had a past life and was human, becoming Death itself somehow; the details and actual explanations are not given. As the book progresses, Kitt’s illness gets worse and worse. Ultimately, the end is not unexpected, but it is heart-breaking nonetheless: Kitt faces Death. The question is whether Death will greet him kindly or not.

Marshmallow is reading Fearful by Lauren Roberts. — Marshmallow is reading *Fearful* by Lauren Roberts.

Marshmallow’s Review: Lauren Roberts enjoys torturing her readers. All but a few characters end up with horrible endings and this book leaves so many unanswered questions. I hope Roberts will write another book that explains half of this book.

That said, I did like Fearful. It was very interesting to hear Roberts’ explanation of Death, the afterlife, and other fantastical aspects of this world. I was very unsatisfied by her lack of explanation about Mara though. I think she is probably setting up another book specifically about her.

I did like how Fearful focused on Kitt, who was always like a third wheel in the Paedyn-Kai storyline. I thought a lot of what is said in this book was described briefly in the previous stories, especially the third book of the main trilogy, but this one added a lot more.

I thought the writing was extremely good. Towards the end of the book, as Kitt approaches Death and starts suffering memory loss as a side effect of the Plague, the writing really helps show his mind and emotions. I did not like the ending at all though and was very confused.

I would still recommend reading Fearful. I just really would like Roberts to write a follow-up that finishes it up fully!

Marshmallow’s Rating: 95%.

Marshmallow rates Fearful by Lauren Roberts 95%. — Marshmallow rates *Fearful* by Lauren Roberts 95%.