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Firewing
Firewing2
Information

Author(s)

Kenneth Oppel

Country

Canada

Language

English

Publisher(s)

Simon & Schuster

Media type

Print (Paperback, Hardcover)

Book in series

3

Preceded by

Sunwing (2000)

Followed by

Darkwing (2007)


Firewing is the third novel in the Silverwing franchise. Griffin, Shade and Marina's son, is sucked into the "Underworld" during an earthquake after he accidentally causes the death of his friend Luna. Shade rushes to save his son while the vampire bat Goth tries to kill Griffin to return to life. This consists of different twists of events

Summary[]

Griffin, a newborn Silverwing bat, feels like an outcast in his colony because of his mixed heritage and his habit of worrying more than anyone else. Because his father is also the famous Shade Silverwing, he feels even more self-conscious about his tendency to be wary and that his father will think he's a coward. With a reckless attempt to prove himself, Griffin steals a blade of burning grass from humans. However, the attempt goes horribly awry when he accidentally drops the burning blade on his friend Luna, who dies afterward. Griffin feels so ashamed that he flees and hides. However, an earthquake soon causes the very much living Griffin into the Underworld, where the spirits of the death roam.

In the Underworld, Griffin finds the spirit of Frieda, a Silverwing elder who had died after aiding Shade bring freedom to the bats. She sees that Griffin does not belong in the Underworld and tells him to go to the Tree, a place that will allow Griffin to the return to the surface world. When Griffin comes across Luna's spirit, but realizes that Luna doesn't remember anything that happened to her while she was alive. He persuades her to come with him to the Tree so they can return to life, though they are briefly hindered by Luna learning how she died and her anger towards Griffin for causing her death. Their journey is full of obstacles set upon them by Cama Zotz, the god of the underworld, though only Luna is affected because Cama Zotz's power cannot touch the living.

After learning that Griffin has been sucked into the Underworld, Shade goes into the "Underworld" to rescue his son, marking the area where the hole he and Griffin fell through, in case they had to return that way. He meets some pilgrims there, Yorick, Nemo, and Java, and later a vampyrum called Murk, who helps "escort" them to the tree as long as they lead him there.

Meanwhile, the vampyrum bat Goth, who died in the explosion of the pyramid in Sunwing, awakes not knowing why he's dead.  He explores and studies the surrounding area, knowing it can't be right. As Goth wanders around, he slowly regains bits of his memories. He finally comes upon a canyon filled with pyramids and vampyrum like him and gets pulled into working to dig towards the surface, but refuses. He later meets Cama Zotz, who sends him on his mission to kill Griffin, take his life, return to the surface through the Tree, and begin a new army to try to sacrifice 100 souls on the eclipse for the next time around. Goth's female companion, Phoenix, is assigned to steal Shade's life and return to life as well.

Goth manages to steal Griffin's life, and passes through the tree, allowing him to return to life. At the surface, he finds some young Vampyrum Spectrum in the jungle, and he begins to act on his plans to start a new generation of Vampyrum Spectrum, ready to avenge Zotz. However, he also waits for Phoenix to return to life as well, unaware that Phoenix fails to steal Shade's life as expected.

Shade sacrifices himself and to give his life to Griffin and Luna. Java, Yorick, Nemo, Shade, Murk, Luna and Griffin all pass through the tree. Griffin and Luna return to Tree Haven, while Shade and the others become spirits that coexist in the living world. Shade finds out he can pass through things like trees and animals and feel what they're like. Shade flies to Tree Haven, finds Marina and Griffin, and begins to watch over them.

Characters[]

Shade Silverwing

Marina Brightwing

Griffin Silverwing

Luna Silverwing

Phoenix

Goth

Yorick

Nemo

Java

Frieda

Murk

Cama Zotz

Gallery[]

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