Nightwings - Robert Silverberg Book Review

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Review Summary

NIGHTWINGS is a novel published in 1969.

In 10000 years, the Earth population will be divided into different Guilds. The members of The Guild of the Watchers must observe the sky their whole lives long waiting for an alien attack. When it finally happens, Earth cannot resist and is soon under the control of an ancient race coming for revenge. The hero of NIGHTWINGS is an old ex-Watcher who, under the disguise of a member of the Pilgrim Guild, will try to rejoin on foot Jorslem, a holy City lost in the desert, in order to give a new meaning to his life.
Daniel Staebler, Resident Scholar

Detailed literary breakdown of Nightwings

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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 10%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 20%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 40%

Tone of book - sensitive (sigh....)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story
If an invasion, from Earth/human POV: - fighting overt invasion (attacking aliens)
War or Invasion Yes
Religious overtones? Yes
Cultural problems, alien culture Yes
Intense exploration of society's culture? Yes

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Profession/status: - religious figure
Age: - 60's-90's
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - healthy but a geeky weakling

Main Adversary
Identity: - an entire race
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - an average amount
How sensitive is this character? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Intelligence - Average intelligence

Setting
Terrain - Desert
Earth setting: - distant future
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 1st
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
scientific jargon? (SF only) - some scientific explanation
Sex in book? Yes
What kind of sex: - vague references only - description of breasts
How much dialogue? - significantly more descript than dialog

Most similar books to Nightwings
Angelica by Sharon Shinn
The Telling by Ursula K. LeGuin
Forever Free by Joe Haldeman
Heaven by Ian Stewart & Jack Cohen
The Divine Invasion by Philip K. Dick

Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).

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