The following version of the book was used to create this study guide: Sutherland, Tui T., Wings of Fire Legends: Darkstalker. Scholastic Inc. New York, New York, 2016. Kindle AZW file.

The characters of this world are dragons who live in a large region called Pyrrhia. Within this region are seven distinct dragon tribes, each with dragons that have specific physical characteristics and cultures. The tribes are the NightWings, IceWings, SeaWings, SandWings, MudWings, RainWings, and SkyWings. Dragons in these tribes sometimes have powers that set them apart. The term “animus” describes dragons that have magical power. Animus power is rare and dangerous. The SkyWings kill dragonets born with this power, seeing it as too dangerous. The IceWings only allow an animus dragon to use the power once, for one large gift that benefits the entire tribe. The SeaWings have no restrictions until their oldest animus, Albatross, goes mad (apparently from overusing the power) and kills almost all the royal family.

In this world, a young IceWing prince named Arctic chafes under the strict rules of his tribe. His mother is Queen Diamond and she is demanding and controlling. When Arctic meets a visiting NightWing named Foeslayer, he is enthralled by the fact that she sometimes disobeys willfully. Though marriages between members of different tribes seldom happen and Arctic is very important because of his animus power, he manages to escape his icy home to live among the NightWings. Arctic and Foeslayer soon have two dragonets, a boy named Darkstalker and a girl named Whiteout. Darkstalker is an animus. He can also read minds and see the future. Most people consider Whiteout to be odd with her strange way of talking and viewing the world. Darkstalker does not spend much time thinking about his ability as a seer or honing that skill, but he is certain he is going to meet and fall in love with another NightWing seer named Clearsight.

Clearsight is a gifted seer with a stronger ability than any other seer currently in the entire kingdom. She makes predictions that quickly capture the attention of Queen Vigilance, who releases her former official seer and installs Clearsight in the castle in a formal capacity. Darkstalker and Clearsight are in love, but Darkstalker is often upset at the amount of time Clearsight spends tracing various possible timelines to predict the outcomes of specific actions. Darkstalker is also upset at how much time Clearsight spends trying to control him so that he does not become the violent monster she sees in some of his timelines.

Meanwhile, the SeaWing ruler, Queen Pearl, seems to want only to ensure that her brother, Fathom, does not use his power and become evil like their grandfather, Albatross. Fathom is in love with a common SeaWing named Indigo, but Pearl forbids Fathom from ever marrying, fearing he will pass the animus power to his dragonets. Fathom, horrified by what Albatross did, agrees though his love for Indigo does not fade. Fathom is instructed to spend time with the NightWings to convince Darkstalker that using his animus power is dangerous.

What Fathom does not expect is that he becomes close friends with Darkstalker and Clearsight, feeling that he belongs for the first time in a long time. Darkstalker, however, enchants earrings to stop Clearsight's negative vision of him. When she realizes it, she removes them and is flooded with the realization that Darkstalker is already beyond redemption. He makes a public display of executing his father. Clearsight, seeing the only possible way to keep Darkstalker from slaughtering many NightWings – including Queen Vigilance – convinces Fathom to use his power one more time. Darkstalker has made himself invincible and immortal so Fathom casts a spell on a bracelet. Clearsight lures Darkstalker to a nearby mountain cave and he falls into a deep sleep as soon as she clamps the magic bracelet on his wrist. Having seen what the future holds, she drags him deep into a cave, piles rocks over the entrance, then waits for an earthquake that caves in one side of the mountain, burying Darkstalker.

Clearsight knows she cannot return to her home. The other dragons who saw her often at Darkstalker's side will never accept or trust her. So, she leaves, holding onto a vision for a bright future, despite the grief that is currently overwhelming her. Fathom and Indigo escape as well and make a home for themselves in an obscure region of the world, safe from Queen Pearl's fears. They have three dragonets, none showing signs of being animus. Two thousand years pass before a cosmic event causes another earthquake that shakes open the cave, breaks the wire of the magic bracelet, and allows the dragon to wake.