Escaping Peril (Wings of Fire #8), written by Tui T. Sutherland, reviewed by Amanda Davies

Summary:  Peril is a SkyWing dragon. But not just any SkyWing. She has special scales known as firescales that are powerful and deadly. Although she had served Queen Scarlet, Peril knows that she can no longer be loyal after the death and destruction that Queen Scarlet wrecked throughout Pyrrhia. Peril has to defend Jade Mountain Academy from Queen Scarlet's wrath. A SeaWing, Turtle, also joins Peril on the journey to find and stop the Queen before more damage is done and Turtle's friends are lost for good. When she's offered the opportunity to protect herself and those around her from her deadly firescales, Peril has to decide if it's worth the price and the risk. And wonders if she can still protect the Jade Mountain Academy and Pyrrhia if she's pretending to be something she's not.

Straight Talk for Librarians:  While this is the eighth book in the Wings of Fire series, the book (as with the rest of the series) can also stand alone due to Sutherland's deft descriptions and character introductions. The entire series includes nerve-wracking adventures, battles, espionage, double-crossing, humor, and illustrations of strong friendships. Escaping Peril is no exception. These books are great for students who are looking to get hooked on a long series that is reliably well-written. While fourth and fifth graders will certainly enjoy these books, the level of intrigue will keep older middle-grade readers engaged as well. Expect students to tear through the series.