Firewing
Firewing first edition cover.
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| Author | Kenneth Oppel |
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| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
| Series | Silverwing series |
| Genre | Children's, Fantasy novel |
| Publisher | HarperCollins |
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Publication date
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April 18, 2002 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 328 pages |
| ISBN | |
| OCLC | 49250078 |
| Preceded by | Sunwing |
| Followed by | Darkwing |
Firewing is a children's book written by the Canadian author, Kenneth Oppel. It is the third book in the series which also consists of: Silverwing, Sunwing and the prequel Darkwing.
Griffin Silverwing is the son of the Silverwing Shade and the Brightwing Marina. Slower and more clumsy than non-hybrids, Griffin's only real friend is Luna, a popular newborn. Fearing rejection by his father, Griffin steals fire from human campers to show his bravery. Unforunately, Luna is accidentally set on fire. Guilt-stricken, Griffin flies into the lower levels of Tree Haven and discovers a crack that leads to the underworld. An earthquake opens the crack up wider and Griffin is sucked into the Underworld, unknown to the Silverwing colony. When Shade is unable to find his son, the Elders give him two days to search the Underworld before promising to seal the crack again.
There, Griffin discovers a colony of bats that are unaware that they are dead. The bats are wary of Griffin, because as he is still alive he appears to glow to them. Griffin discovers that the recently deceased Luna has become a member of the colony and has no memory of him. Fortunately, a group of Pilgrims (bats who realize they are dead) arrive and rekindle Luna's memory of Griffin. The Pilgrim Frieda tells them about a gigantic, incandescent Tree which supposedly sends dead bats that enter it to another, more enjoyable afterlife. Frieda believes that the Tree will send Griffin back home, as he is alive and not dead. Armed with Frieda's sound map, Griffin and Luna head out to find the Tree.
Meanwhile, Goth awakens in the underworld and discovers that he is dead. After members of his own species try to capture him and subject him to slave labour, Goth demands an explanation from Zotz. Zotz appears and explains that Goth is to be tortured because of his failure to free Zotz during the last eclipse. Goth bargains for a way to regain Zotz's trust. Since Zotz cannot harm the living, he tells Goth that he will be given a second chance at life if he kills Griffin.
With both Shade and Goth trying to find Griffin, Goth catches up first. However the still-living Griffin is stronger than Goth and able to fight him off. Griffin and Luna enter a cavern which has the power to mesmerize dead bats by reminding them of their past lives. Shade manages to find Griffin and Luna there, but Goth arrives for a second time. Griffin and Luna escape but Shade becomes lost in the cavern river and Goth's every bone is broken in the struggle.
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