Firewing (Hodder Silver Series) [Paperback]

Kenneth Oppel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 12, 2002 | Series: Hodder Silver Series

Griffin longs to meet his legendary father, Shade - but how can he ever live up to Shade's legendary reputation? When a prank goes horribly wrong, Griffin is so ashamed, he banishes himself, and ends up in the terrifying world of the dead. Shade knows something bad has happened to Griffin and sets out to find him. Father and son soon find themselves on a collision course - with one another, and with Shade's long-time enemy, Goth.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-8-With this sequel to Silverwing (1997) and Sunwing (2000, both S & S), Oppel begins a second cycle in his bat-centered, metaphysical fantasy, rearing up a new generation of good guys to face the older one's villains. Regarding himself as a more cautious sort than his famous father Shade, young Griffin tends to gabble his way through difficulties: "All right? What we have here is a cave-in kind of situation. Perfectly straightforward." Plunged into a barren, starlit Underworld created by Mayan bat-god Cama Zotz, however, Griffin finds plenty of opportunities for heroism. A rare living bat in a land otherwise populated entirely by the dead, he picks up a plucky sidekick, Luna, then joins a motley band of "Pilgrims" journeying to a fiery place of promised rebirth created by Nocturna, rival Goddess of Life. Bent on rescuing his son, Shade follows, but ranged against them are not only the god of death, who has designs on Nocturna's realm, but also Shade's old nemesis Goth, a ferociously predatory bat killed (temporarily, as it turns out) in a previous episode. Plenty of rousing action; special effects on a grand scale; a leavening of humor as well as stimulating thoughts on the nature of life, death, the afterlife, loyalty, courage, honesty, and other essential topics more than compensate for iffy internal logic.
John Peters, New York Public Library
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

'cracking stories, brimming with adventure, redolent of great mythical sagas of the past, alive with invention, thoughtful - at times profound and probing - and never faltering when it comes to thrills and page-turning power.' -- Carousel 20021108 'The third book in a riveting saga about bats ... capable of enthralling both 9-11s, as well as an older audience.' -- Achuka website 20021001 As in Brian Jacques's popular Redwall series, the intertwining storylines, evil villain and intense action will keep young readers enthralled, but Shade is a more complex character than most Redwallian heroes. Shade's dangerous adventures make a memorable impact. -- The Horn Book magazine - on SILVERWING and SUNWING 20021001 Oppel's achievement is to have created much more than an action adventure involving bats ... He explores their collective dreams and aspirations, as well as their individual characters. SILVERWING successfully creates a new fantasy world, and a convincing simulation of bat life ... SUNWING (is a) truly spell-binding sequel (which) combines breathtaking suspense with humorous character development. -- Literary Review - SILVERWING and SUNWING 20010101 'A fascinating, gripping adventure story' -- Teen Titles 20030101

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Hodder Childrens (September 12, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0340852550
• ISBN-13: 978-0340852552
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (47 customer reviews)

More About the Author

Kenneth Oppel is the author of numerous books for young readers. His award-winning Silverwing trilogy has sold over a million copies worldwide, and been adapted as an animated TV series and stage play. Airborn was winner of a Michael L Printz Honor Book Award, and the Canadian Governor General's Award for Children's Literature; its sequel, Skybreaker, was a New York Times bestseller and was named Children's Novel of the Year by the London Times. His most recent book is HALF BROTHER. Born on Vancouver Island, he has lived in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, England, Ireland, and now lives in Toronto with his wife and children.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kenneth Oppal is brilliant!, January 27, 2003

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Firewing (Hardcover)

Griffin, ashamed at the outcome of an utimatly fatal accident, flees into the forest, and is shortly after sucked into a dark void. Frightened and alone, he finds himself in a deadly underworld, run by the Vampyrem and their lord, Cama Zotz. All are dead there, and most oblivious to the fact. And there is no food; no water. Nobody knows he is there.
All but Shade, his father. And Shade plunges into the underworld to seek his son, given but two days by the elders of his colony.
But, as usual, Goth is there. Given orders by Cama Zotz to destroy Griffin, and thus take his life, he is stregthened and cloaked by Zotz.
But Shade and Griffin are not without accomplices. A new cast of characters [including Frieda and another "good" cannibal bat] sets out to recieve sanctuary from a mystical tree created by Nocturna.
This book is fast paced and exiting. Kenneth Oppal knows how to balance: to weigh the readers patiance. The perspective swiftly changes from Griffin to Goth to Shade and then back again, all the time satisfying the reader.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A True Furry Fantasy, March 17, 2003

By 

Roger Steinbach (IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Firewing (Hardcover)

I'm 15 years old and an above average reader for my age. This book is for 12 year year olds, they say.
Yeah right.
After I finish a book, I ususally sit there and digest it; maybe mention it to a friend later, and not conciously think about after a few hours. I finished 'Firewing' almost a day ago now and have not stopped thinking and talking about it. I can't seem to put it down, even though I've finished it!
'Firewing' is the sequel to 'Sunwing' is the sequel to 'Silverwing'. In a nutshell, Shade Silverwing's son, Griffen, is sucked into the Underworld where he has a limited amount of time to find his - dead - friend, convince her she's dead, and try to find a way out. Meanwhile, his father comes and tries to rescue him; he also has to defend himself and his son against his enemy, Goth, but finds that it is rather hard to kill a dead-beast. Oh yeah, and the 'evil' god Cama Zots is trying to take over the Upper World (i.e., land of the living) the entire time. And there's no real food or water. And then...
Well, just read the book and you'll find out all about the horrible accident at the begining, the friends everyone meets, and you even get to ponder if the gaint, canabil bats are really all that evil.
If you have read "Redall," (by Brian Jacques) Shade is remarkably similar to Matthais, as he is small but brave and is trying his best at a new concept: fatherhood, while his son is trying to cope with having a father known for his heroic deeds.
'Firewing' has action, suspense, friendship, and a great ending (though I'm still trying to decide if it's happy or not...) I'd reccomend this book to anyone of any age, wheather you normal read 'furry fantasies' or not.
Gosh, if you like reading at all you'd like this book.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Firewing, September 28, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Firewing (Aladdin Fantasy) (Paperback)

BOY.that was one of the greatest books... until the end! Gosh! First griffin(shades son) is trying to find the tree of life to get back to his normal world,but theres this problem.!!!SPOILER WARNING!!!at the very end, griffin gets bitten by his fathers dead worst enemy and dies, then shade commits suicide!!!??? You heard me right, dead,but since its the underworld hes aliuve but still has a body to uh live in.Right?? I hate thAt part but its not the worst!then griffin and the bat he killed at the very beginning (luna) get his life force, and go back to theyre world,while dead shade,making a stupendously unsatisfying ending flys through the portal and gets back in the world as a sort of nothing that can feel what its like to be anything,but can NEVER COMMUNICATE to anyone(not even other spirits). sounds more like eternal torment than eternal paradise.At the end you can just "assume" that griffin married the bat who he killed!and luna married the bat that she strangled half the life out of(literally)because he killed her.I dont realy understand the happy ending in that.