The One

Wings of Fire was written as an anti-war series,^{[citation needed]} which focuses on protagonists who often try to resolve major conflicts by pacifistic means while trying to prevent as many dragons from dying as possible. Despite generally being targeted toward younger audiences, the books are also noted for dealing with heavy and dark subject matter, though the series also continually works toward the idea of hope. Sutherland intentionally revolves each arc individually around its characters and sets of leading questions, such as free will versus destiny, nature versus nurture, the implications of different styles of parenting, the various aspects of expectations (both that which one projects outwards and which one receives from others), what it means to be gifted (not only referring to intellectual gifting but to supernatural abilities as well), and the many rules of duty and responsibility.