Judy Silverman (Children's Literature)
It was just a coincidence that while I was reading this book, a program about evolution came on the radio. The question is whether evolution happened all at once or if it occurred in a series of baby steps, affecting one species, or even one characteristic, at a time. This book makes a strong point for evolution’s happening very gradually. The main character, a chiropter named Dusk, is considered a freak by his family and tribe. His chest muscles are larger than “normal,” and his hind legs are nearly useless. He has trouble gliding to catch the insects that are his food because his “sails” are not covered in hair and are attached to his arms “differently” (they look a little bit like wings). Dusk wants desperately to fly. He knows that he can, but when he proves it by going up to the birds’ territory, both his own tribe and the birds’ are furious. In this society, being different can be fatal. The only thing that saves him is the fact that his father is the leader of the tribe. Gradually, it becomes clear that this particular tribe of chiropters is in self-imposed exile from the mainland. For generations, there has been a Pact among all animal tribes to refrain from eating each other. Only the dinosaurs were not included; they hunted and killed everything. But things are changing now, and their island is not as safe as they thought it was. The dinosaurs are all believed to be dead or dying, but suddenly one appears. As Dusk watches, the creature dies of the skin-rotting disease that’s killing them all, but it has left a nest with eggs that must be destroyed. Then a new character appears, a cat-like creature called Carnassial, and he seems to want only one thing--meat, preferably chiropter meat. This award-winning story is a page-turner. Readers will become attached to the characters and really want them to succeed. This is probably the first volume of a trilogy, and I, for one, cannot wait to see volume two. 2007, Eos, $16.99. Ages 10 to 15.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, August 1, 2007 (Vol. 75, No. 15))
Dusk is a misfit in his colony, a freak. He has only two claws instead of three, weak legs, unusually strong chest and shoulder muscles and the ability to see in the dark. And where other chiropters glide, he has the urge to flap his sails. He is a pre-bat, perched on a new branch of evolution. In the age when the saurians are dying out and mammals are on the rise, Dusk is a new kind of animal, and his is the story of the misfit finding the courage to spread his wings and fly. When his colony is attacked by a prowl of rogue felids led by the evil Carnassial, Dusk uses his skills to lead the survivors to a new homeland, with many adventures along the way. Rich sensory details bring to life the Paleocene epoch of 65 million years ago—the steamy heat, heady fragrances, giant sequoias and vast grasslands. Lively prose and sheer imagination make Oppel's fourth bat story another winner. (author's note) 2007, Eos/HarperCollins, 432p, $16.99. Category: Fiction. Ages 9 up. Starred Review. © 2007 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Paula Rohrlick (KLIATT Review, July 2007 (Vol. 41, No. 4))
In this companion to Oppel’s prize-winning fantasies about bats, Silverwing, Sunwing, and Firewing, he imagines what the origins of modern-day bats might be. The setting is the early Paleocene epoch, 65 million years ago. Dinosaurs are dying out, and mammals are increasing in number. Small creatures called chiropters live in trees and glide like flying squirrels from branch to branch, but among them a mutant is born named Dusk, who has the ability to fly and to see in the dark. When cat-like predators called felids arrive on their idyllic island, lead by a vicious hunter named Carnassial, Dusk must guide his companions to safety in a new environment. Filled with adventure and characters both sympathetic and fearsome, this exciting fantasy convincingly brings to life a long-ago world at a time of rapid change. Category: Hardcover Fiction. KLIATT Codes: JS*--Exceptional book, recommended for junior and senior high school students. 2007, HarperCollins, EOS, 432p., $16.99 and $17.89. Ages 12 to 18.

Kirby Barnett (Kutztown Book Review, Spring 2008)
A young glider discovers that he can fly. Dusk is threatened with banishment for his unique gift simply because it is different, when the colony of gliders is attacked by vicious cats. His unique ability is put to use as he helps save what is left of his colony and discovers a new place for them to live. This book was great for dealing with issues of racism. Clearly Dusk is not at fault for his uniqueness, yet he is still considered an outcast. The progression of the book helps students to see that these differences can actually be a good thing, as Dusk saves his colony and finds a new place for them to live Category: Fantasy. 2007, Harper Collins, $17.89. Ages 11 to 15.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Spring 2008)
Natural selection bumps up against social hierarchies in this bat prehistory that anticipates Silverwing. Dusk looks different from the other chiropters. Climbing trees is a struggle, but he can fly, which becomes an asset. Dusk's world is different from our own, but the social interactions are familiar. There's so much outsized prehistoric action, readers will be happily swept along for the ride. Category: Intermediate Fiction. 2007, HarperCollins/Eos, 422pp, 16.99, 17.89. Ages 9 to 12. Rating: 2: Superior, well above average.

Teri S. Lesesne (VOYA, December 2007 (Vol. 30, No. 5))
Dusk is an outcast among his clan of chiropters. Born without fur on his sails, he longs to flap them instead of simply furling them during his glide. No one else among the chiropters tries to fly; he is forbidden by his own father to even attempt to flap like a bird. Carnassial, a felid predator, is also different from the rest of his kind. He has developed a taste for the flesh of other animals. When Dusk's clan is threatened by the arrival of Carnassial and his followers, it will be up to Dusk to lead the way to a new home and safety. Oppel, who has written a trilogy about bats set in the contemporary world, now sets a story in the distant past. Saurians still reign, although their numbers are dwindling because a pact is made by the other animals to eradicate the eggs and thus help guarantee their own survival. This novel manages to combine elements of adventure, survival, action, and mystery. Oppel deftly creates animal characters that invite readers into their story. Fans of Brian Jacques's Redwall stories and Watership Down will enjoy meeting Dusk and the other animals which populate this ancient world. VOYA CODES: 5Q 3P M J S (Hard to imagine it being any better written; Will appeal with pushing; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2007, Eos/HarperCollins, 432p., $16.99 and PLB $17.89. Ages 11 to 18.