Darkwing (novel) facts for kids
Darkwing first edition cover.
|
|
| Author | Kenneth Oppel |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Keith Thompson |
| Cover artist | Christian Alzmann |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
| Series | Silverwing series |
| Genre | Fantasy novel |
| Publisher | HarperCollins |
|
Publication date
|
August 16, 2007 |
| Media type | Print (hardback & paperback) |
| Pages | 322 pp (first edition) |
| ISBN | 978-0-00-200744-3 |
| OCLC | 123127375 |
| Preceded by | Firewing |
Darkwing (also called Dusk in the UK) is an exciting fantasy book by Canadian author Kenneth Oppel. It's the fourth book in the popular Silverwing series, but it's actually a prequel. This means its story happens a very long time ago, 65 million years before the first book. Darkwing tells us how the big war between birds and mammals first began.
Contents
Journey to the Past: The World of Darkwing
This story takes place 65 million years ago. This was right at the start of a time called the Paleocene epoch. A huge natural disaster had just happened, wiping out most of the dinosaurs. In the book, these dinosaurs are called "Saurians."
A few Saurians survived, but they were weak. They struggled with big changes in the weather, not enough food, and a bad sickness. The mammals, who used to be afraid of the Saurians, decided to team up. They formed something called The Pact. Since they couldn't fight the Saurians directly, they planned to get rid of the remaining ones by destroying their eggs.
The Adventure of Dusk: A Young Chiropter's Story
Dusk is a young Chiropter, a creature like an early bat. His father is teaching him how to glide. But Dusk is special. Most Chiropters have simple skin flaps for gliding. Dusk, however, has real wings and a strong desire to fly. He finds it hard to stop himself from soaring.
Other Chiropters think Dusk is strange. But his parents and his sister, Sylph, accept him. Dusk learns to fly in secret. He keeps his amazing ability hidden because he's afraid of being rejected by his group.
Meanwhile, a Felid (an early cat-like mammal) named Carnassial has a secret desire too. He was born with sharp teeth and loves to eat meat. He seems to complete The Pact by destroying the last known dinosaur eggs. Carnassial then leads a group of other meat-loving Felids. They want to create a new world order.
This group of Felids finds Dusk's island. They attack and eat many Chiropters, including Dusk's mother.
With their home invaded by these dangerous new hunters, it's up to Dusk to save his colony. He must use his unique powers of flight and echolocation (like sonar) to find the Chiropters a new safe home.
Carnassial makes a deal with the strong, but not very smart, Hyaenodons. The Hyaenodons claim that some Saurians still exist. They ask the Felids to help them find and destroy any remaining dinosaur eggs. Carnassial soon realizes that for the Felids to rule, they need to be clever, not just powerful.
As Dusk and his colony travel, they find shelter with a group of "Tree Runners." These creatures seem peaceful at first. But Dusk soon learns they plan to give his colony to a giant, meat-eating bird called a Diatryma. Dusk and his friends manage to escape this trap.
Dusk eventually finds a new home for his fellow Chiropters. But it's across a wide grassland filled with many predators. While Dusk is exploring, he meets another creature that looks like him. This creature calls itself a bat and tells Dusk there are many others like them.
Later, Dusk and Sylph are attacked by Carnassial and his Hyaenodons again. They hide inside the skeleton of a huge dinosaur. Inside, they find a spooky cave. There, Dusk and Sylph discover a nest of an unknown meat-eating Saurian. There are mostly unhatched eggs and the bodies of the parent Saurians.
The Felids return. Carnassial's mate is attacked by a young dinosaur that hatched early. Carnassial tries to save his mate, but both are killed in the fight. The young Saurian chases Dusk out of the cave. It then attacks the Hyaenodons as Dusk and Sylph escape.
Finally, Dusk leads the Chiropters to their new home. The book ends with Dusk leaving his colony. He promises his sister, Sylph, that he will return if he doesn't like living with the other bats.
Meet the Characters of Darkwing
Chiropters: The Bat-like Heroes
- Dusk - He is a young Chiropter who is seen as unusual by his group. This is because he can fly and looks different. Dusk is smart and good at finding solutions. He tries hard to fit in. He looks up to his father, Icaron.
- Sylph - Dusk's twin sister. She is older by just three seconds. Sylph is very brave, but also a bit reckless. She is loud and extremely loyal. She doesn't always understand why her father makes certain choices, which leads to arguments.
- Auster - He is the oldest son of Icaron and Mistral. Auster is one of the few who accepts Dusk's unique appearance. He has his own family. He helps Dusk and Sylph when their mother dies and later takes them in when their father passes away. Auster becomes the leader of the Chiropters near the end of the book.
- Chimera - A female Chiropter who looks similar to Dusk. Dusk meets her when he is searching for a new home. He is amazed to find another Chiropter like himself. She calls herself a bat. Chimera seems interested in Dusk. She tries to convince him to join her colony. At the end of the book, Dusk leaves his own colony to be with her. He promises Sylph he will come back.
Felids: The Dangerous Hunters
- Carnassial - A Felid and a fierce hunter. He destroyed what people thought were the last dinosaur eggs. But he loved eating meat so much that he started hunting other animals. This led to his group kicking him out. He is last seen trying to save his mate from a young Saurian.
- Panthera - Carnassial's hunting partner and mate. She keeps his secret about eating meat at first. She later develops a taste for meat herself and joins Carnassial. She tells him she is expecting kittens. She is killed by a young Saurian at the end.
Other Important Creatures
- Teryx - A bird that Dusk meets on the island. They form a strange friendship based on curiosity. Teryx warns Dusk about Carnassial's wild group. This is even though other birds dislike Dusk because he can fly.
- Danian - The leader of a group of Hyaenodons. He is a strong leader who cares about his group. He forms an alliance with Carnassial's Felids to fight the Saurians together.
- Adapis - The leader of a group of Tree Runners. He is clever but also very selfish. He has a shaky deal with a wounded Diatryma (a giant bird). She protects his group if he brings her food. Adapis tries to feed Icaron's group to the Diatryma. But Dusk's brave actions save many Chiropters.
Creatures of the Ancient World
In Darkwing, animals are often called by their scientific group names. This can make it tricky to know their exact species. When the exact species isn't known, they are listed by the name used in the book. The Chiropters are fictional creatures. They are meant to be an early, primitive type of bat.
- Chiropter (a fictional early bat)
- Prehistoric Birds
- Quetzalcoatlus (called "Quetzals")
- Miacis (called "Felids," early cat-like mammals)
- Prehistoric Owls
- Prehistoric Primates (called "Tree-runners")
- Gastornis (called "Diatryma," a giant bird)
- Crocodiles (called "Swamp Saurians")
- Phenacodus (called "Equids," early horse-like mammals)
- Hyaenodon (a type of ancient predator)
- Bisonalveus browni (called "Soricid," a prehistoric shrew-like mammal)
- Giant Spiders
- Theropod dinosaur (called "Saurian," a meat-eating dinosaur)
