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Silverwing #0
Darkwing
Coming to terms that he is not a bird but an entirely new species, one similar to that of the nearly extinct saurians, featherless Dusk prepares to help his friends leave their home for good when a threat to his colony makes its presence known. Reprint.
374 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
85 people are currently reading
3953 people want to read
About the author
Kenneth Oppel
84 books2,725 followersI was born in 1967 in Port Alberni, a mill town on Vancouver Island, British Columbia but spent the bulk of my childhood in Victoria, B.C. and on the opposite coast, in Halifax, Nova Scotia...At around twelve I decided I wanted to be a writer (this came after deciding I wanted to be a scientist, and then an architect). I started out writing sci-fi epics (my Star Wars phase) then went on to swords and sorcery tales (my Dungeons and Dragons phase) and then, during the summer holiday when I was fourteen, started on a humorous story about a boy addicted to video games (written, of course, during my video game phase). It turned out to be quite a long story, really a short novel, and I rewrote it the next summer. We had a family friend who knew Roald Dahl - one of my favourite authors - and this friend offered to show Dahl my story. I was paralysed with excitement. I never heard back from Roald Dahl directly, but he read my story, and liked it enough to pass on to his own literary agent. I got a letter from them, saying they wanted to take me on, and try to sell my story. And they did.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 224 reviews
March 16, 2009
After immersing myself in the Silverwing trilogy, it was neat to take a step back in time with Darkwing and catch a glimpse of the world that came before Shade and Marina. Although Nocturna's and Cama Zotz's names do not appear in the book, the story sets up the big conflicts the bats must deal with in the Silverwing trilogy.
It impresses me that Oppel can create unique voices for so many characters, even though the conflicts they must meet are quite similar to those of the characters in other books. So many daddy issues. I like how Oppel gives female supporting characters very strong and well developed personalities, but I thought he could have done better with this one. Characters raise questions about gender inequality, but by the end they are still unaddressed. The evolution details were totally stimulating, though, so made up for some of the frustration I felt about the depiction of females. This was definitely a book I talked about with my friends as I was reading it, but it could have received 5 stars if the questions about feminism had been better addressed.
It impresses me that Oppel can create unique voices for so many characters, even though the conflicts they must meet are quite similar to those of the characters in other books. So many daddy issues. I like how Oppel gives female supporting characters very strong and well developed personalities, but I thought he could have done better with this one. Characters raise questions about gender inequality, but by the end they are still unaddressed. The evolution details were totally stimulating, though, so made up for some of the frustration I felt about the depiction of females. This was definitely a book I talked about with my friends as I was reading it, but it could have received 5 stars if the questions about feminism had been better addressed.
February 16, 2021
Darkwing checks off a lot of my special interest boxes.
A. Xenofiction
B. Prehistoric xenofiction
C. A naturalistic world of grey morality
D. A big ol' quest
Taking place during the Paleocene epoch, our heroes are mammals that survived the dinosauria extinction (baring birds). They expected to inherit a new paradise without hunters, inadvertently encouraging hunting instincts among their own, and since they are animals and have no idea what evolution is are absolutely shocked to find members of their own changing. Dusk, the protag, is a "chiropter"-- an imagined ancestor of the bat. He's born with proper wings rather than gliding sails like everyone else and has other odd, frowned on traits. Communities treat those born differently with, at best, strained distance. At worst they are exiled or killed. Dusk is lucky because his father is the mellow and tolerant leader of their clan.
Our secondary POV character is Carnassial, an ancestor of the cat, who has evolved meat shearing teeth and a bloody appetite. He is at odds with his unsavory urges but can't suppress them. Certainly he is a villainous character in comparison to cute proto-bat friends because Carnassial wants to eat them rather than just fly around, but he is simply a product of change that cannot be held back no matter how hard the old guard tries to stop it. Niches are left behind; mammals have to fill them. This is a setting in the middle of massive upheaval, populated with people who want worldly change but get angry when things change at home. We find out through the story that there is no going back. Nature stops for nothing.
The Silverwing trilogy is fabulous, and I always recommend it. This one's my favorite though. It's also a standalone, so you can pick it up without knowing anything about the other bat books. If you can only choose one for whatever reason, pick Darkwing.
A. Xenofiction
B. Prehistoric xenofiction
C. A naturalistic world of grey morality
D. A big ol' quest
Taking place during the Paleocene epoch, our heroes are mammals that survived the dinosauria extinction (baring birds). They expected to inherit a new paradise without hunters, inadvertently encouraging hunting instincts among their own, and since they are animals and have no idea what evolution is are absolutely shocked to find members of their own changing. Dusk, the protag, is a "chiropter"-- an imagined ancestor of the bat. He's born with proper wings rather than gliding sails like everyone else and has other odd, frowned on traits. Communities treat those born differently with, at best, strained distance. At worst they are exiled or killed. Dusk is lucky because his father is the mellow and tolerant leader of their clan.
Our secondary POV character is Carnassial, an ancestor of the cat, who has evolved meat shearing teeth and a bloody appetite. He is at odds with his unsavory urges but can't suppress them. Certainly he is a villainous character in comparison to cute proto-bat friends because Carnassial wants to eat them rather than just fly around, but he is simply a product of change that cannot be held back no matter how hard the old guard tries to stop it. Niches are left behind; mammals have to fill them. This is a setting in the middle of massive upheaval, populated with people who want worldly change but get angry when things change at home. We find out through the story that there is no going back. Nature stops for nothing.
The Silverwing trilogy is fabulous, and I always recommend it. This one's my favorite though. It's also a standalone, so you can pick it up without knowing anything about the other bat books. If you can only choose one for whatever reason, pick Darkwing.
July 15, 2021
this is rly fun i def appreciated this less than i should’ve as a kid i think
April 12, 2014
4 1/2 stars. I think I liked this one even better than the Silverwing trilogy--I had a really hard time putting it down once I started reading! Parts were sad or violent, but it was always engrossing and the prehistoric setting was really interesting. There were a few things that I didn't like or felt unsettled about, but I thought it was well-written and all the characters felt real. And the suspenseful scenes were quite tense!
June 22, 2023
My kid made me read this
December 20, 2012
Dusk, a young chiropter(a pre-evolved species of bats, only capable of gliding) always found himself different, from the day he had learned to glide he always had a desire to fly. Dusk learns to fly eventually and finds out as well that he could see perfectly well in the dark unlike the rest of the chiropters; he keeps his strange talents to himself as he is afraid of being shunned by the rest of his colony. But Dusk is not the only one with a unique desire; Carnassial, the felid(a species of wild cat) has a strong taste for flesh unlike the rest of his pack, so he leaves and leads his own pack of flesh eating felids. Together with his rogue pack, they eventaully end up in Dusk's island and the bloodthirsty beasts massacre Dusk's colony, injuring his father and killing his mother. And so Dusk learns about his fathers dark past, must journey to help find a new home his colony using his special talents, and find out who or what he really is.
I decided to choose this book because after reading the plot summary in the jacket cover, it left me wondering about how Dusk and the future of his colony will be. I also chose this book because of the fact that I have read "Silverwing" the first of the series and "Sunwing", and I liked the style of the writing and the pace of the action in the first two books. It leaves me wanting to read more and asking the question "Whats going to happen now?"
I finished reading the book because I simply liked it, and I wanted to find out if Dusk manages to find a safe haven for him and his colony. Also I usually finish what I started.
I would recommend this to people who feel that being unique and having differences is a problem because this story will show you that it is only because Dusk was unique that he made it possible for the rest of his colony to survive even though he was shunned for a long time. The message is that you should believe in your dreams and differences even though others tell you it's not possible or try to shun you.
I decided to choose this book because after reading the plot summary in the jacket cover, it left me wondering about how Dusk and the future of his colony will be. I also chose this book because of the fact that I have read "Silverwing" the first of the series and "Sunwing", and I liked the style of the writing and the pace of the action in the first two books. It leaves me wanting to read more and asking the question "Whats going to happen now?"
I finished reading the book because I simply liked it, and I wanted to find out if Dusk manages to find a safe haven for him and his colony. Also I usually finish what I started.
I would recommend this to people who feel that being unique and having differences is a problem because this story will show you that it is only because Dusk was unique that he made it possible for the rest of his colony to survive even though he was shunned for a long time. The message is that you should believe in your dreams and differences even though others tell you it's not possible or try to shun you.
November 8, 2020
This book is set in the Paleocene epoch around 60 million years ago. The dinosaurs, called “Saurians” are rapidly disappearing, and small mammals are multiplying and thriving.
The beasts of the forest are anthropomorphized not just with consciousness, but language, culture, morality and the ability to plan and strategize.
This makes for interesting reading as each animal, colony, species and even the “collective” must adopt a strategy in a kind of multi-player prisoners’ dilemma: cooperate or compete, eat or be eaten. Initially all beasts are united by their common enemy, the Saurians, and form a pact to seek and destroy what remains of their eggs.
Once the task is accomplished, however, things are changing once again. Evolution is quietly at work.
A species of pre-bats, called chriopters, undergo genetic mutations that yield offspring with echolocation and full powered flight.
The novel’s protagonist, Dusk, is one such creature. As he becomes aware of his differences, he faces many struggles. Should he embrace his powers or suppress them? His colony, like any group culture, values conformity and enforces social norms and mores of what it means to be a chiropter, what chiropters look like, and so forth. Because of his differences, Dusk is ostracized and shamed and told he will not find a mate.
Of course, not finding a mate is “sexual selection” at work. ***Spoiler Alert**** Dusk is not a chiropter. He is a flying mammal: the first bat. When Dusk eventually discovers his bat-hood, he realizes there are others like him and by joining them, he too can propagate his own species.
Meanwhile, a species of cats, called felids, discover some among them who acquire cravings for meat and the requisite teeth to shear it from bone. The novel’s antagonist, Carnassial, is one such felid. Unlike Dusk who is full of love and loyalty to his chiropter brethren, Carnassial has no sentimentality. He accepts his nature, and sees it as the natural order for him and his prowl to assume the top of the food chain. He indulges his meat cravings without remorse; one can’t help but wonder whether the author means to hold up a mirror to the meat-eaters among us.
To Carnassial’s dismay, however, many other predators more powerful than the felids stake their claim including terrifying birds of prey, a species of hyena, and critters who seem harmless until they paralyze you with their poisonous venom.
The forest is a harsh world, and while some live by their principles and show compassion, others are ruthless predators. Again, an apt allegory for the human world.
Dusk’s colony of chiropters are driven off their island paradise by the felids and become refugees in search of a new home. Their journey is full of peril, but also replete with lessons about leadership, loyalty, personal and group identity, and growing up. In other words, life.
The biggest lesson is that the dream of paradise is forever elusive. We will never be truly safe in our sequoia; for danger, struggle and loss loom at every twist and turn along the forest path. While we don’t know where we will end up, the struggle is what gives life its meaning.
The beasts of the forest are anthropomorphized not just with consciousness, but language, culture, morality and the ability to plan and strategize.
This makes for interesting reading as each animal, colony, species and even the “collective” must adopt a strategy in a kind of multi-player prisoners’ dilemma: cooperate or compete, eat or be eaten. Initially all beasts are united by their common enemy, the Saurians, and form a pact to seek and destroy what remains of their eggs.
Once the task is accomplished, however, things are changing once again. Evolution is quietly at work.
A species of pre-bats, called chriopters, undergo genetic mutations that yield offspring with echolocation and full powered flight.
The novel’s protagonist, Dusk, is one such creature. As he becomes aware of his differences, he faces many struggles. Should he embrace his powers or suppress them? His colony, like any group culture, values conformity and enforces social norms and mores of what it means to be a chiropter, what chiropters look like, and so forth. Because of his differences, Dusk is ostracized and shamed and told he will not find a mate.
Of course, not finding a mate is “sexual selection” at work. ***Spoiler Alert**** Dusk is not a chiropter. He is a flying mammal: the first bat. When Dusk eventually discovers his bat-hood, he realizes there are others like him and by joining them, he too can propagate his own species.
Meanwhile, a species of cats, called felids, discover some among them who acquire cravings for meat and the requisite teeth to shear it from bone. The novel’s antagonist, Carnassial, is one such felid. Unlike Dusk who is full of love and loyalty to his chiropter brethren, Carnassial has no sentimentality. He accepts his nature, and sees it as the natural order for him and his prowl to assume the top of the food chain. He indulges his meat cravings without remorse; one can’t help but wonder whether the author means to hold up a mirror to the meat-eaters among us.
To Carnassial’s dismay, however, many other predators more powerful than the felids stake their claim including terrifying birds of prey, a species of hyena, and critters who seem harmless until they paralyze you with their poisonous venom.
The forest is a harsh world, and while some live by their principles and show compassion, others are ruthless predators. Again, an apt allegory for the human world.
Dusk’s colony of chiropters are driven off their island paradise by the felids and become refugees in search of a new home. Their journey is full of peril, but also replete with lessons about leadership, loyalty, personal and group identity, and growing up. In other words, life.
The biggest lesson is that the dream of paradise is forever elusive. We will never be truly safe in our sequoia; for danger, struggle and loss loom at every twist and turn along the forest path. While we don’t know where we will end up, the struggle is what gives life its meaning.
February 27, 2018
I loved this book! It's about what happened after the large dinosaurs disappeared and the other animals started evolving and adapting to the new world. Dusk is not quite like his fellow playmates. His wings are different and he can use them to fly, not just glide from 1 tree to another. He is a new form of chiropter, called a bat. Not everyone in the colony appreciates Dusk's new talents. And when the beasts (felines) come to his colony's home to prey on them, Dusk helps the group escape. He can lead them to a new home. But do the chiropters want to go with him? It's still a dangerous world out there with old alliances ending and new ones beginning.
Oppel is a fantastic writer of this pre-historic world.
Oppel is a fantastic writer of this pre-historic world.
August 22, 2018
The Silverwing trilogy was one of my favorites growing up. I was worried this continuation of the series wouldn’t hold up to how I remembered it, but this book was amazing! The concept is so unique and interesting. It’s a great introduction to topics on evolutionary biology as well as more personal themes of belonging and loyalty. No author I’ve read writes action scenes as well as Kenneth Oppel. His stories suck you in and are difficult to put down. The characters are incredibly fleshed out and surprisingly human. If you were a fan of the past entries, this book is worth making time for!
April 4, 2017
It's been a long time since I read the Silverwing trilogy, and Darkwing is a great reminder of why I loved that series so much! It is fast-paced with a lot of action. It had quite a bit more violence and bloodshed than I remember the original trilogy having, but nothing too explicit. I would say it would be more appropriate for a slightly older audience than Silverwing was. This book left me hoping for a sequel, but for now at least, I guess I will have to settle for re-reading the Silverwing trilogy!
January 11, 2019
Darkwing is an amazing book that tells a tale in the perspective of a bat, who is the leaders son, who faces being removed from his colony for his differences from others. This story leads you on a adventure to new land. This amazing story reflects the evolution of bats after the mass extinction of the dinosaurs and how the evolution affects the bats personal lives as they lead their way in the modern world leading up to the silverwing series. This book is an amazing read i recommend especially with the author, Kenneth Oppel who has more amazing books such as Sky Breaker with his books being sky related this adds to his resume as an amazing book.
February 23, 2021
This one was different to the main trilogy, because it's set in the past. As someone who's been in many lectures on evolutionary trees, it was interesting to see the author's rendition of prehistoric creatures, and to try to match their description to ones I knew. The actual story was fairly similar to the first and third book, in that it was about a weird-looking newborn member of the colony doing something stupid that caused a lot of other things to happen, and then a journey. However, this one had more pack dynamics, as the journey wasn't just taken by one or two characters, and the antagonist was different, which was a welcome change from Goth.
September 27, 2023
5/5 stars. Honestly such a good book! A lot of parts were brutal af but it was very engaging and well written. I was fully invested in many characters and the "bad guys" were super well written and multi-dimensional too.
September 25, 2021
Haven't read the other Silverwing books yet but I really enjoyed this book. Adventure, change, acceptance...great elements present in the book. Definitely a dark one though, but realistic.
March 28, 2025
This series holds up. And it’s the only YA I’ve ever read with a mushroom trip. Five stars.
October 23, 2017
I loved Oppel's novel, and in some ways this prequel excelled the writing skill used in the Silverwing trilogy. The characters were perhaps the best-written features. All of them had provocative personalities, giving even the despicable Carnassial somewhat persuasive reasoning for his deeds in some form. Oppel wonderfully draws up a reason for the extinction of the dinosaurs, or saurians, that roamed their world only years before. Intense action, shocking tragedy, deep emotion, and terrifying deeds distinguish Oppel's book as one of my all-time favorites.
January 19, 2023
Oppel with this series seems obsessed with evolution as a story concept and it's just not that interesting. Silverwing didn't need a prequel and certainly not one that goes back this far to show how the animals became the animals they would be later. It's the idea of differences being celebrated because you could be the next stage of evolution taking your species to new heights...but in reality most differences of this nature would be deformities. At a certain point it's like ok he's turning into a bat...I get it.
The plot is also a heavy handed allegory likely for homosexuality. It's constantly about being different and being persecuted for differences and much of the diction choice seems to suggest this is the parallel the author is trying to draw. It was also a hot button political topic at the time this was written. Essentially it's Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer but with bats and it's "flying" instead of being a "dentist."
Also the portion with Carnassiel seems like some of the metaphors got muddled and the morality gets murky. Oppel seems to be saying that eating other beasts is "felid" nature and a developing taste they need to survive...and also to take on the role of predator in nature so keep the other animal populations in check to avoid food scarcity; so in that way they are not doing anything wrong and Carnassiel is as much a pillar of natural evolution as Dusk. But then it's also treated as shameful and wrong...they are hunting, killing and eating fellow beasts with lives, thoughts feelings and family who in this story are sentient intelligent creatures. It's almost like Oppel isn't choosing a stance and I think it hurts the narrative with conflicting messages. Worse it could also send the message that harmful and predatory urges are beyond your control and should be seen as normal and natural because you can't change them. In a world where people prey on children that's not a message I'm okay with.
My other issue with the story is it kind of ignores the spiritual and religious elements of the other books. In the other silverwing books they have bat gods and they go to bat hell, but here is an origin story for the species and there's absolutely no mention of anything even vaguely spiritual. Where is Nocturna in this story? Also what annoys me is that Firewing was left somewhat open ended and not only does that thread not get resolved but this story leaves a new thread unresolved.
Overall the book was ok, I enjoyed parts of it but I just didn't buy into the concept, it came off redundant and slow for most of it. I feel like this entire book could have been condensed into a 10 page chapter in one of the other silverwing books where one of the characters just briefly explains their origin as chiropters. and explains why beasts started eating each other. Would have been interesting backstory and a decent chapter but stretched out into a whole book it was lackluster and pointless despite moments of good action and decent characterization.
The plot is also a heavy handed allegory likely for homosexuality. It's constantly about being different and being persecuted for differences and much of the diction choice seems to suggest this is the parallel the author is trying to draw. It was also a hot button political topic at the time this was written. Essentially it's Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer but with bats and it's "flying" instead of being a "dentist."
Also the portion with Carnassiel seems like some of the metaphors got muddled and the morality gets murky. Oppel seems to be saying that eating other beasts is "felid" nature and a developing taste they need to survive...and also to take on the role of predator in nature so keep the other animal populations in check to avoid food scarcity; so in that way they are not doing anything wrong and Carnassiel is as much a pillar of natural evolution as Dusk. But then it's also treated as shameful and wrong...they are hunting, killing and eating fellow beasts with lives, thoughts feelings and family who in this story are sentient intelligent creatures. It's almost like Oppel isn't choosing a stance and I think it hurts the narrative with conflicting messages. Worse it could also send the message that harmful and predatory urges are beyond your control and should be seen as normal and natural because you can't change them. In a world where people prey on children that's not a message I'm okay with.
My other issue with the story is it kind of ignores the spiritual and religious elements of the other books. In the other silverwing books they have bat gods and they go to bat hell, but here is an origin story for the species and there's absolutely no mention of anything even vaguely spiritual. Where is Nocturna in this story? Also what annoys me is that Firewing was left somewhat open ended and not only does that thread not get resolved but this story leaves a new thread unresolved.
Overall the book was ok, I enjoyed parts of it but I just didn't buy into the concept, it came off redundant and slow for most of it. I feel like this entire book could have been condensed into a 10 page chapter in one of the other silverwing books where one of the characters just briefly explains their origin as chiropters. and explains why beasts started eating each other. Would have been interesting backstory and a decent chapter but stretched out into a whole book it was lackluster and pointless despite moments of good action and decent characterization.
October 18, 2025
OK, I have to start by saying this was another can't-put-down book, but unfortunately... I have a biology degree. And have a special interest in the era generally discussed in this book, the K-Pg extinction. (Not the C-T extinction as the description says. AFAIK, there was no extinction event called the C-T extinction, although the K-Pg extinction used to be called the K-T extinction.)
What I really wish is that this book would have leaned into its fantasy elements as the author had done with the first three books. I needed some suspension of disbelief. The interference of a god. Maybe the intervention of mystics or shaman. Something to make the events of this book make sense in its context. But this book was very much presented as an EXTREMELY low fantasy tale, and sort of sidelined into the talking animal trope with no fantasy elements. But I'm getting a little ahead of myself.
So I'll go into what I really liked about the book first.
To make a quick summary of the plot, the dinosaurs are in their death throes and other animals are inheriting the earth. The animals made a pact to destroy the last of all saurian eggs whenever they were found to hasten their extinction, but a group of pre-bats (which the authors called chiropters) decided they didn't want to do that because it was morally wrong. The other chiropters resent this group for making that decision and they have been banished. The plot expands from there.
So... Oppel knows how to tell a story. Like I said earlier, this book was extremely compelling and kept me reading because I did truly care about the characters. I had feelings over them, got in their heads, and generally liked them all--even the characters presented as villains. The main character, Dusk, is a chiropter who was born much different than others; it turns out, he can fly, and find his way in the dark. His story parallels an early felid named Carnassial, who has discovered he has a taste for meat and is different than the others in his pride (called a prowl in the book) which only eat bugs.
I didn't love the unspoken lack of morality Oppel assigned to Carnassial, and would have liked to have seen this predatory switch be more honorable (which still would have made him an effective villain to the other characters), but meat eating was generally presented as an act of savagery rather than survival. This switch to meat eating was also scientifically problematic, but I'll get more into that in a bit.
I know I seem really hard on the book, but like I said, I could not stop reading it. I stayed up all night to finish it, despite my better judgement. Because I cared about Dusk, and I wanted to see him succeed. I wanted to see him find a place he belonged. And therein lies the importance of writing sympathetic characters. I kept reading because I liked him. I also liked his sister, Sylph, and his father Icaron. Some of the side characters were also enjoyable, and I understood the foil, Nova's, role in the story. Nova had come to shift her ways of thinking over time, and did not like Icaron, who was the leader of the hero group of chiropters.
But...
There are so many issues with the book, starting with the lack of fantastical elements. According to the author, this is supposed to be a fantasy world. And just introducing SOMETHING--magic, gods, anything--in Darkwing would have made 90% of my problems with the science just go away. I would have given the book 4 stars. But these fantasy elements are completely absent, save for a moment where Dusk licks a mushroom and has a terrible trip wherein he hears a voice (possibly Nocturna???) tell him that he's new. It's never outright stated. Had Oppel done so and leaned into the canonical existence of gods, so much more would have made sense. Instead, this can literally be written off as a drug-induced dream. In a children's book.
And now we can get into the problems this leads to when it comes to science.
A quick primer on evolution: it happens over millions of years through natural selection. Let's say a group of pre-bats occasionally produces young with stronger chest muscles. This is a natural variable in the lives of these creatures, and generally does not affect them in a positive or negative way. But as the environment changes over time, pre-bats born with stronger chest muscles are able to stay aloft longer and avoid predators more successfully. Which means those individuals are the ones left alive to breed. Other adaptations may follow. Less fur on the wings makes individuals more aerodynamic, and more of them survive.
Over hundreds of thousands of years, this trait is selected for within specific environments, and eventually this species is no longer similar to its parent species. Should they encounter each other (because the parent species might still survive in environments suited to it) they would no longer be able to interbreed, due to mutations in genetics. But you would have two related species--one with weaker chest muscles and furred wings, and one with strong chest muscles and bare wings.
The way evolution is presented in Darkwing is that every once in a while, a bat is born from chiropters. Dusk isn't like his fellows, who have weak chests, three claws on their wings, the inability to flap/fly, and the inability to truly echolocate. Later in the book,
It's just. Not how evolution works. It isn't even a simplified version of how evolution works. And this continued to bother me, because all Oppel would have had to say is that the goddess, Nocturna, selected certain individuals to become Something New (tm) and it would have been FINE.
Likewise, as long as there have been creatures on earth, there have been predators. Obligate carnivores. Things that cannot survive eating berries and roots and must have a protein-rich diet with the vitamins that can only come from meat. This is niche-filling and promotes a healthy food web. If you're curious as to how carnivores can effect entire ecosystems, look no further than the effect the reintroduction of wolves had on Yellowstone... A phenomenon that surprised even scientists. From the very beginning, there were simple eukaryotes which ate plant cells, and those which ate OTHER eukaryotes. This maintained a balance in any given ecosystem and caused it to thrive.
So for the author to write that no beast would ever eat another beast and then have one particular character just decide he wanted meat... It was a little unbelievable. Evolution drives predation. Necessity drives predation. Again, this could have been solved by a god or goddess flipping a switch in the minds of some of the animals of the world. It would have been awesome for a higher power to note that populations were increasing to unsustainable levels and cause some animals to become predators. But in the book, this change is instead presented as a natural occurrence. I didn't like it.
Beyond the science, this book had absolutely NO levity. While this presented constant action, the inability for my brain to rest between chapters actually made me more tired reading it. I am a firm believer that even the most action-oriented books need to leave space for their readers to breathe. A place where I can put down the book without thinking about picking it back up again. Not only was it constant action, but it was also CONSTANTLY dumping on the main characters and they never had any good luck. Whether they were being predated or attacked by birds, it never let up. They were constantly harried, and I'm surprised they didn't all have heart attacks from the stress.
Even with all that, I STILL have to recommend this book, as long as you have no issues with hand-waving some pretty solid scientific theories. It's a good story, and it's a fun read.
What I really wish is that this book would have leaned into its fantasy elements as the author had done with the first three books. I needed some suspension of disbelief. The interference of a god. Maybe the intervention of mystics or shaman. Something to make the events of this book make sense in its context. But this book was very much presented as an EXTREMELY low fantasy tale, and sort of sidelined into the talking animal trope with no fantasy elements. But I'm getting a little ahead of myself.
So I'll go into what I really liked about the book first.
To make a quick summary of the plot, the dinosaurs are in their death throes and other animals are inheriting the earth. The animals made a pact to destroy the last of all saurian eggs whenever they were found to hasten their extinction, but a group of pre-bats (which the authors called chiropters) decided they didn't want to do that because it was morally wrong. The other chiropters resent this group for making that decision and they have been banished. The plot expands from there.
So... Oppel knows how to tell a story. Like I said earlier, this book was extremely compelling and kept me reading because I did truly care about the characters. I had feelings over them, got in their heads, and generally liked them all--even the characters presented as villains. The main character, Dusk, is a chiropter who was born much different than others; it turns out, he can fly, and find his way in the dark. His story parallels an early felid named Carnassial, who has discovered he has a taste for meat and is different than the others in his pride (called a prowl in the book) which only eat bugs.
I didn't love the unspoken lack of morality Oppel assigned to Carnassial, and would have liked to have seen this predatory switch be more honorable (which still would have made him an effective villain to the other characters), but meat eating was generally presented as an act of savagery rather than survival. This switch to meat eating was also scientifically problematic, but I'll get more into that in a bit.
I know I seem really hard on the book, but like I said, I could not stop reading it. I stayed up all night to finish it, despite my better judgement. Because I cared about Dusk, and I wanted to see him succeed. I wanted to see him find a place he belonged. And therein lies the importance of writing sympathetic characters. I kept reading because I liked him. I also liked his sister, Sylph, and his father Icaron. Some of the side characters were also enjoyable, and I understood the foil, Nova's, role in the story. Nova had come to shift her ways of thinking over time, and did not like Icaron, who was the leader of the hero group of chiropters.
But...
There are so many issues with the book, starting with the lack of fantastical elements. According to the author, this is supposed to be a fantasy world. And just introducing SOMETHING--magic, gods, anything--in Darkwing would have made 90% of my problems with the science just go away. I would have given the book 4 stars. But these fantasy elements are completely absent, save for a moment where Dusk licks a mushroom and has a terrible trip wherein he hears a voice (possibly Nocturna???) tell him that he's new. It's never outright stated. Had Oppel done so and leaned into the canonical existence of gods, so much more would have made sense. Instead, this can literally be written off as a drug-induced dream. In a children's book.
And now we can get into the problems this leads to when it comes to science.
A quick primer on evolution: it happens over millions of years through natural selection. Let's say a group of pre-bats occasionally produces young with stronger chest muscles. This is a natural variable in the lives of these creatures, and generally does not affect them in a positive or negative way. But as the environment changes over time, pre-bats born with stronger chest muscles are able to stay aloft longer and avoid predators more successfully. Which means those individuals are the ones left alive to breed. Other adaptations may follow. Less fur on the wings makes individuals more aerodynamic, and more of them survive.
Over hundreds of thousands of years, this trait is selected for within specific environments, and eventually this species is no longer similar to its parent species. Should they encounter each other (because the parent species might still survive in environments suited to it) they would no longer be able to interbreed, due to mutations in genetics. But you would have two related species--one with weaker chest muscles and furred wings, and one with strong chest muscles and bare wings.
The way evolution is presented in Darkwing is that every once in a while, a bat is born from chiropters. Dusk isn't like his fellows, who have weak chests, three claws on their wings, the inability to flap/fly, and the inability to truly echolocate. Later in the book,
It's just. Not how evolution works. It isn't even a simplified version of how evolution works. And this continued to bother me, because all Oppel would have had to say is that the goddess, Nocturna, selected certain individuals to become Something New (tm) and it would have been FINE.
Likewise, as long as there have been creatures on earth, there have been predators. Obligate carnivores. Things that cannot survive eating berries and roots and must have a protein-rich diet with the vitamins that can only come from meat. This is niche-filling and promotes a healthy food web. If you're curious as to how carnivores can effect entire ecosystems, look no further than the effect the reintroduction of wolves had on Yellowstone... A phenomenon that surprised even scientists. From the very beginning, there were simple eukaryotes which ate plant cells, and those which ate OTHER eukaryotes. This maintained a balance in any given ecosystem and caused it to thrive.
So for the author to write that no beast would ever eat another beast and then have one particular character just decide he wanted meat... It was a little unbelievable. Evolution drives predation. Necessity drives predation. Again, this could have been solved by a god or goddess flipping a switch in the minds of some of the animals of the world. It would have been awesome for a higher power to note that populations were increasing to unsustainable levels and cause some animals to become predators. But in the book, this change is instead presented as a natural occurrence. I didn't like it.
Beyond the science, this book had absolutely NO levity. While this presented constant action, the inability for my brain to rest between chapters actually made me more tired reading it. I am a firm believer that even the most action-oriented books need to leave space for their readers to breathe. A place where I can put down the book without thinking about picking it back up again. Not only was it constant action, but it was also CONSTANTLY dumping on the main characters and they never had any good luck. Whether they were being predated or attacked by birds, it never let up. They were constantly harried, and I'm surprised they didn't all have heart attacks from the stress.
Even with all that, I STILL have to recommend this book, as long as you have no issues with hand-waving some pretty solid scientific theories. It's a good story, and it's a fun read.
October 4, 2012
I am probably different than most in the sense that I never read the Silverwing trilogy (mainly because when I picked this book up, I didn't realize it was part of that series.) So I don't really have any context to relate it to that. However, you don't really need the Silverwing trilogy to enjoy this book. It's a prequel, from what I've read and just kind of show you how the series came about.
I loved this book for one massive reason: It taught evolution and history without being ridiculously obvious about it. Oppel is obviously falls firmly on the evolution side of the argument, but this book wasn't a "YOU MUST BELIEVE IN EVOLUTION OR ELSE!" It was great on teaching kids how evolution happens without them really realizing that they're learning. Bats came from Chiropters. Something changed in Chiropter DNA to produces a bat and bam. An entire new species developed.
Oppel also brought up the end of the dinosaur era. There was something (be it meteor or whatever that you believe killed off the dinosaurs) but something caused a major change in the dinosaurs lifestyle, causing them to have a change in climate, food source and Oppel even suggests a rotting disease of the skin (I don't know if this is something suggested in modern science; I'm not really up on my dinosaur history.) I just LOVE how much learning is going on in these books without kids even realizing that learning is going on in these books.
But then, as if that wasn't enough, you have Dusk, this kid who is shunned because of his differences, being the hero. He leads his family to safety, he is the one who is frequently protecting them despite his young age and it's all because of his "disability." (which really isn't one at all, his colony just perceives it that way.)
Oppel does shy away from problems either. He gives kids the benefit of the doubt that they can handle things. Much of Dusk's colony dies and those that don't abandon him. Dusk and his sister lose both their parents, their mother to predators, their father to infection. And even despite all that heartache, they still have problems and half the colony wants to leave him behind (even though he was the one that got them to safety time and time again.)
I really love books that take kids seriously, that take their books seriously and that give them great book. Oppel has give them a great book.
I loved this book for one massive reason: It taught evolution and history without being ridiculously obvious about it. Oppel is obviously falls firmly on the evolution side of the argument, but this book wasn't a "YOU MUST BELIEVE IN EVOLUTION OR ELSE!" It was great on teaching kids how evolution happens without them really realizing that they're learning. Bats came from Chiropters. Something changed in Chiropter DNA to produces a bat and bam. An entire new species developed.
Oppel also brought up the end of the dinosaur era. There was something (be it meteor or whatever that you believe killed off the dinosaurs) but something caused a major change in the dinosaurs lifestyle, causing them to have a change in climate, food source and Oppel even suggests a rotting disease of the skin (I don't know if this is something suggested in modern science; I'm not really up on my dinosaur history.) I just LOVE how much learning is going on in these books without kids even realizing that learning is going on in these books.
But then, as if that wasn't enough, you have Dusk, this kid who is shunned because of his differences, being the hero. He leads his family to safety, he is the one who is frequently protecting them despite his young age and it's all because of his "disability." (which really isn't one at all, his colony just perceives it that way.)
Oppel does shy away from problems either. He gives kids the benefit of the doubt that they can handle things. Much of Dusk's colony dies and those that don't abandon him. Dusk and his sister lose both their parents, their mother to predators, their father to infection. And even despite all that heartache, they still have problems and half the colony wants to leave him behind (even though he was the one that got them to safety time and time again.)
I really love books that take kids seriously, that take their books seriously and that give them great book. Oppel has give them a great book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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April 30, 2014 Darkwing was an interesting book. I have never read a book from a bats prospective and i thought it was a good take on the story. I felt this book had a lot of adventure and some sad and happy parts.
In this book a bat named Dusk is different,he can fly. Since he was born he wanted to flap his wings instead of glide. He was born with stronger chest and shoulder muscles. He faced banishment from being different. But as the leaders son he was allowed to stay, but the other bats thought he was dangerous because he is not like them.
Dusk has to lead his colony of bats to a new home when a group of rogue animals invade their tree and try to eat them. He leads them across water, grasslands, and other things. They will encounter dangers along the way and will they make it to the new tree alive?
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read about past life on earth and if you like action books. I wouldn't read this if you don't like books with scenes that don't have much action. I hope you read this book!
In this book a bat named Dusk is different,he can fly. Since he was born he wanted to flap his wings instead of glide. He was born with stronger chest and shoulder muscles. He faced banishment from being different. But as the leaders son he was allowed to stay, but the other bats thought he was dangerous because he is not like them.
Dusk has to lead his colony of bats to a new home when a group of rogue animals invade their tree and try to eat them. He leads them across water, grasslands, and other things. They will encounter dangers along the way and will they make it to the new tree alive?
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read about past life on earth and if you like action books. I wouldn't read this if you don't like books with scenes that don't have much action. I hope you read this book!
January 4, 2015
I'm a sucker for a good animal story, and this one is no exception. I particularly liked that it was set in the prehistoric era. A good, rollicking yarn.
I did feel the illustrations were somewhat inaccurate though - the chiropters looked way too batlike (I imagine they looked more like colugo) and the felids looked like felines, not martens, and were way more than twice the size of the chiropters (despite being desscribed as twice their size).
Makes me want to draw fan-art!
I did feel the illustrations were somewhat inaccurate though - the chiropters looked way too batlike (I imagine they looked more like colugo) and the felids looked like felines, not martens, and were way more than twice the size of the chiropters (despite being desscribed as twice their size).
Makes me want to draw fan-art!
August 22, 2014
I loved this series. Maybe I will re-read it
June 8, 2025
This book was way better than I expected, and also kind of frustrating at times, but in a way that still made me keep flipping pages like a madperson.
Darkwing is a prequel to the Silverwing series (which I loved as a kid), but you don’t need to have read any of them to dive into this one. It’s set after the dinosaurs are basically gone, and all these little mammal species are figuring out how to survive in a rapidly changing world. The main character, Dusk, is a chiropter (a made-up proto-bat species), and he’s born with full-on wings and echolocation when everyone else can only glide. As you can imagine, that does not go over well with the rest of the colony.
There’s also Carnassial, a cat-like beast who starts craving meat, something that’s basically taboo in their world. His storyline gets pretty dark and raises a lot of weird questions about instinct, morality, and survival. I wasn’t always sure what the book wanted me to feel about him, but it definitely added some tension.
Things I really liked:
Dusk is a great protagonist. You feel for him right away and want him to find a place where he belongs.
The setting is super unique. Prehistoric mammals navigating extinction fallout? Yes, please.
Themes of change, evolution, and being “other” were done with a lot of heart.
There’s constant action, so you’re never bored.
Things I kinda struggled with:
The evolution stuff... it just doesn’t make sense scientifically. Dusk isn’t just a little different, he’s a whole new species born from normal parents, and it happens repeatedly to other characters too. That’s not how evolution works, folks 😬
No fantasy or myth elements like the other Silverwing books had (where’s Nocturna??). I missed that spiritual side of the world.
The pacing never lets up. It’s all danger and fleeing and trauma and more danger. I was tired for the characters.
Despite that, I still really liked it. It’s thoughtful, weirdly intense, and has a lot more going on beneath the surface than your average animal adventure book. If you’re okay with waving off some of the science and just getting into the story, it’s a super rewarding read.
Would recommend if you like:
🌲 Animal fantasy
🦇 Prehistoric settings
💔 Coming-of-age stories about being different
🧠 Evolution as metaphor (even if the science is shaky)
Darkwing is a prequel to the Silverwing series (which I loved as a kid), but you don’t need to have read any of them to dive into this one. It’s set after the dinosaurs are basically gone, and all these little mammal species are figuring out how to survive in a rapidly changing world. The main character, Dusk, is a chiropter (a made-up proto-bat species), and he’s born with full-on wings and echolocation when everyone else can only glide. As you can imagine, that does not go over well with the rest of the colony.
There’s also Carnassial, a cat-like beast who starts craving meat, something that’s basically taboo in their world. His storyline gets pretty dark and raises a lot of weird questions about instinct, morality, and survival. I wasn’t always sure what the book wanted me to feel about him, but it definitely added some tension.
Things I really liked:
Dusk is a great protagonist. You feel for him right away and want him to find a place where he belongs.
The setting is super unique. Prehistoric mammals navigating extinction fallout? Yes, please.
Themes of change, evolution, and being “other” were done with a lot of heart.
There’s constant action, so you’re never bored.
Things I kinda struggled with:
The evolution stuff... it just doesn’t make sense scientifically. Dusk isn’t just a little different, he’s a whole new species born from normal parents, and it happens repeatedly to other characters too. That’s not how evolution works, folks 😬
No fantasy or myth elements like the other Silverwing books had (where’s Nocturna??). I missed that spiritual side of the world.
The pacing never lets up. It’s all danger and fleeing and trauma and more danger. I was tired for the characters.
Despite that, I still really liked it. It’s thoughtful, weirdly intense, and has a lot more going on beneath the surface than your average animal adventure book. If you’re okay with waving off some of the science and just getting into the story, it’s a super rewarding read.
Would recommend if you like:
🌲 Animal fantasy
🦇 Prehistoric settings
💔 Coming-of-age stories about being different
🧠 Evolution as metaphor (even if the science is shaky)
October 12, 2021
We read this book for book club.
I'm going to try to go a bit easier on this book, because at the end of the day, I don't think it was for me. I have a hard time reading about animals dying, and while I tried to steal myself for a world in which there are no animals only people, I knew I would be confronted with some animal death.
I just didn't realize how much of it would be babies/younglings, and how much it would legitimately feel like murder.
I know that this is the animal kingdom, and that all living things need to eat, but it is presented to us as "beasts do not eat other beasts" and ones that do are shunned from even their own packs. So when it happens, it feels like cannibalistic murder. I know it shouldn't, but it does. So if that is not something you are comfortable with, this is not the book for you.
That being said, this book was very well written. Even though I had a lot of problems with the subject matter on a personal level, outside of the murder it was rather interesting to see Dusk realize his differences and how they make him special and how they can be used to help his family. I appreciated that all the beasts and birds they met felt like they had distinct personalities, and weren't just carbon copies of each other. Even the other not-bats felt like they had distinct personalities and ideas, which was cool.
Seeing the way the beasts interacted with each other was also kind of interesting, and seeing how they interacted with the saurians and the birds was also interesting, though there weren't really any characters in this book I would say I liked.
All in all, this book wasn't for me, but it was interesting. I can see why other people like it, and why other books in the series have done so well. I just know myself as a person, and if this hadn't been a book club book I would have never picked it up, or I would have DNF'd it after only a couple of chapters.
I'm going to try to go a bit easier on this book, because at the end of the day, I don't think it was for me. I have a hard time reading about animals dying, and while I tried to steal myself for a world in which there are no animals only people, I knew I would be confronted with some animal death.
I just didn't realize how much of it would be babies/younglings, and how much it would legitimately feel like murder.
I know that this is the animal kingdom, and that all living things need to eat, but it is presented to us as "beasts do not eat other beasts" and ones that do are shunned from even their own packs. So when it happens, it feels like cannibalistic murder. I know it shouldn't, but it does. So if that is not something you are comfortable with, this is not the book for you.
That being said, this book was very well written. Even though I had a lot of problems with the subject matter on a personal level, outside of the murder it was rather interesting to see Dusk realize his differences and how they make him special and how they can be used to help his family. I appreciated that all the beasts and birds they met felt like they had distinct personalities, and weren't just carbon copies of each other. Even the other not-bats felt like they had distinct personalities and ideas, which was cool.
Seeing the way the beasts interacted with each other was also kind of interesting, and seeing how they interacted with the saurians and the birds was also interesting, though there weren't really any characters in this book I would say I liked.
All in all, this book wasn't for me, but it was interesting. I can see why other people like it, and why other books in the series have done so well. I just know myself as a person, and if this hadn't been a book club book I would have never picked it up, or I would have DNF'd it after only a couple of chapters.
January 28, 2022
I love books from animals' points of view! This was a cool story set at the decline of dinosaurs (here called saurians) and the rise of the mammals (or beasts). The beasts made a pact that they would not harm each other, but team up against the saurians. But now the saurians are nearly gone, and the some beasts find they are not ready to give up eating meat, and now even crave it.
The protagonist is Dusk, born to a pre-bat species that calls themselves chiropters. They can only glide and have no echolocation, but Dusk has emergent qualities that make him seem freakish to the others. They will rely on his skills before long.
The book parallels these emerging differences between Dusk and the meat-craving Carnassial. Both are mostly rejected by their own kind. The felids are repulsed by Carnassian's bloodthirst and ambition, but poor Dusk is just different.
Fortunately for the chiropters, Dusk is also innovative. He figures out he can ride a thermal to a height instead of climbing trees, which is more difficult for him than the rest because he has one fewer claw on each sail. He is observant, resourceful, and loving. An awesome protagonist.
I was surprised by this book's examination of the things beings must do to survive and how a change in circumstances can throw the world upside down.
The protagonist is Dusk, born to a pre-bat species that calls themselves chiropters. They can only glide and have no echolocation, but Dusk has emergent qualities that make him seem freakish to the others. They will rely on his skills before long.
The book parallels these emerging differences between Dusk and the meat-craving Carnassial. Both are mostly rejected by their own kind. The felids are repulsed by Carnassian's bloodthirst and ambition, but poor Dusk is just different.
Fortunately for the chiropters, Dusk is also innovative. He figures out he can ride a thermal to a height instead of climbing trees, which is more difficult for him than the rest because he has one fewer claw on each sail. He is observant, resourceful, and loving. An awesome protagonist.
I was surprised by this book's examination of the things beings must do to survive and how a change in circumstances can throw the world upside down.
October 14, 2020
For a prequel that was released after the initial Trilogy - this was by far my favourite! Not only due to the beautiful illustrations, but the darker nature and prehistoric setting made the story more intriguing.
Dusk is different, uniquely so. Unlike his fellow Chiropters in the colony, he has a desire to 'flap' his sails, he dreams of flying into the skies and he can also see in the dark, through a series of sounds. Although his sister Sylth is a loyal companion and fierce, yet loud, ally - she sees these differences and is jealous. As Dusk learns more of his abilities and of the change, there are greater threats between birds and beasts.
Carnaissal is a felid, a cat-like creature, whose primary diet consists of insects and grubs. But after hunting down Saurian eggs with Panthera, he has a craving for meat and flesh that isn't easily quenched. His banishment leads him to form his own prowl that will go forth with their changes.
Oppel creates a world of evolutionary change that encompasses the land and creatures beautifully. The readers are taken on a journey and adventure that follows multiple perspectives with a changing of environments, new creatures and a progression of old and new beliefs.
Dusk is different, uniquely so. Unlike his fellow Chiropters in the colony, he has a desire to 'flap' his sails, he dreams of flying into the skies and he can also see in the dark, through a series of sounds. Although his sister Sylth is a loyal companion and fierce, yet loud, ally - she sees these differences and is jealous. As Dusk learns more of his abilities and of the change, there are greater threats between birds and beasts.
Carnaissal is a felid, a cat-like creature, whose primary diet consists of insects and grubs. But after hunting down Saurian eggs with Panthera, he has a craving for meat and flesh that isn't easily quenched. His banishment leads him to form his own prowl that will go forth with their changes.
Oppel creates a world of evolutionary change that encompasses the land and creatures beautifully. The readers are taken on a journey and adventure that follows multiple perspectives with a changing of environments, new creatures and a progression of old and new beliefs.
May 29, 2023
This review is probably going to end up as random thoughts. Oh well.
Darkwing is technically in the Silverwing universe, but it is a stand alone book that can be read and competition understood without having read any of the others.
That being said, there were many parallels between this and the beginning of Silverwing. A protagonist who is, for some reason, looked down upon by his colony. A female sidekick who is witty and pushes the protagonist along. An antagonist who is odd because of their craving for flesh.
Oppel should try his hand in the horror genre; he loves creating various ways for his characters to die and describing those deaths in detail. I understand that nature is brutal, but when you're supposedly writing for children, maybe you should calm down on expressing the macabre side of life.
I wish we got to see more of Carnassial and Panthera. I found them just as, if not more, interesting as Dusk and his situation.
Darkwing is technically in the Silverwing universe, but it is a stand alone book that can be read and competition understood without having read any of the others.
That being said, there were many parallels between this and the beginning of Silverwing. A protagonist who is, for some reason, looked down upon by his colony. A female sidekick who is witty and pushes the protagonist along. An antagonist who is odd because of their craving for flesh.
Oppel should try his hand in the horror genre; he loves creating various ways for his characters to die and describing those deaths in detail. I understand that nature is brutal, but when you're supposedly writing for children, maybe you should calm down on expressing the macabre side of life.
I wish we got to see more of Carnassial and Panthera. I found them just as, if not more, interesting as Dusk and his situation.
July 1, 2023
you know evolution? the process taking place over tens of millions of years where an organism slowly changes and diverges into different species to adapt to its ever-changing environment? well what if it happened overnight! and was political! screw you charles darwin!
this is darkwing, by kenneth oppel. a story about prehistoric bats who live in a forest until one day everything gets messed up. saw a dying pterosaur? well now you can fly! hope this doesn't socially isolate you from your whole community!
a riveting tale of bats, cats, giant birds, giant birds, and more giant— wait a minute, that's not a giant bird, its a shrew with paralyzing saliva, and its going to skin you alive!! AHHHHHHH!!!!!!
Darkwing features MATURE THEMES such as death, death, death, death, a whole lot more death, hallucinogenic mushrooms, and PREGNANCY!!! darkwing is not for the faint of heart.
our hero, dusk, must use his wits and his wings if he is to survive in a world full of creatures that are all ten times his size and also constantly trying to kill him. will he survive? I DONT KNOW!! THATS SPOILERS!!!
Rated 10000 OUT OF 10 because it is an AWESOME BOOK that SOME PEOPLE do not recognize the greatness of :)
this is darkwing, by kenneth oppel. a story about prehistoric bats who live in a forest until one day everything gets messed up. saw a dying pterosaur? well now you can fly! hope this doesn't socially isolate you from your whole community!
a riveting tale of bats, cats, giant birds, giant birds, and more giant— wait a minute, that's not a giant bird, its a shrew with paralyzing saliva, and its going to skin you alive!! AHHHHHHH!!!!!!
Darkwing features MATURE THEMES such as death, death, death, death, a whole lot more death, hallucinogenic mushrooms, and PREGNANCY!!! darkwing is not for the faint of heart.
our hero, dusk, must use his wits and his wings if he is to survive in a world full of creatures that are all ten times his size and also constantly trying to kill him. will he survive? I DONT KNOW!! THATS SPOILERS!!!
Rated 10000 OUT OF 10 because it is an AWESOME BOOK that SOME PEOPLE do not recognize the greatness of :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 2, 2024
It's been years and years since I've read this book, so I don't know how it holds up when reading it as an adult, but I still remember the story very clearly and I can say that I've never again found a book like this.
Not necessarily because the basic plot is extremely new - the main character's home gets attacked so he and a group from home leave to find a new, safer place to live - but because the setting is utterly unique. The story is set millions of years before the time of the Silverwing trilogy / contemporary times and we follow the predecessors of bats, as well as the first kind of bat to exist. There are multiple stories out there following the POV of animals but stories following prehistoric creatures? Not so much.
In addition to that I just remember how the book had me at the edge of my seat as well as weeping times and times again. I loved the Silverwing trilogy, but a large contributor to that love is nostalgia. Darkwing, however, just really made a lasting impact all on its own.
Not necessarily because the basic plot is extremely new - the main character's home gets attacked so he and a group from home leave to find a new, safer place to live - but because the setting is utterly unique. The story is set millions of years before the time of the Silverwing trilogy / contemporary times and we follow the predecessors of bats, as well as the first kind of bat to exist. There are multiple stories out there following the POV of animals but stories following prehistoric creatures? Not so much.
In addition to that I just remember how the book had me at the edge of my seat as well as weeping times and times again. I loved the Silverwing trilogy, but a large contributor to that love is nostalgia. Darkwing, however, just really made a lasting impact all on its own.
April 15, 2025
I wish we got an answer on what happened to Carnassial, even a hint, but otherwise this is a great read. The concept of evolution and species changing / dying out is fascinating. Darkwing explores how animal societies may have adapted and handled these changes by humanizing them enough to feel real, but not so completely that they don't feel like animals anymore. Dusk is a kind hearted character who's good nature and genuine care for others is paid back to him multiple times throughout the story and he's a protagonist you want to root for even when he has flaws.
The only thing keeping this from being five stars to me is the formatting. I don't know if my copy was bugged or something, but multiple times it was written as "Comment from person A," said A. "Reply from person B" with no line break. It got confusing sometimes to tell who was talking when. No idea if that's an older style of formatting or if the translation to ebook just bugged it up but it drove me a little insane at times.
The only thing keeping this from being five stars to me is the formatting. I don't know if my copy was bugged or something, but multiple times it was written as "Comment from person A," said A. "Reply from person B" with no line break. It got confusing sometimes to tell who was talking when. No idea if that's an older style of formatting or if the translation to ebook just bugged it up but it drove me a little insane at times.
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