Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods
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| Author | Suzanne Collins |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Underland Chronicles |
| Genre(s) | Fantasy |
| Publisher | Scholastic |
| Released | 1 July 2005 |
| Pages | 368 pg |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-439-65623-0 |
| Preceded by | Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane |
| Followed by | Gregor and the Marks of Secret |
Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods is the third book in the Underland Chronicles by Suzanne Collins.
[edit] Plot
Gregor is up for many nights, waiting for news from the Underland. His family is happy once more, and although they have some financial difficulties, they have survived for almost half of the winter. When Gregor finally finds a note while doing errands for Mrs. Cormaci one day, Gregor returns to the Underland with his dad. They meet Ripred, a rat berserker, at the front of the tunnel. When he hears that Gregor's mother would not allow him to return, Ripred told Gregor that he would only need to go to the meeting that they were holding. Ripred also told him that Temp, a friendly cockroach, has returned to the city of Regalia, but no others of their most recent quest. He also tells Gregor of a terrible plague that has swept through the land. Many rats were dying, but only three people in Regalia were infected. Those three had been quarantined.
When Gregor tells his mother of his plans, she does not allow it, but when hundreds of rats swarm into the apartment building, she agrees to let him and Boots go, as long as she goes with them.
In the Underland, Gregor soon finds out that Ripred had lied to him, and learns that he is expected to save the people. He is reluctant to do this, until he finds out that his bond Ares was one of the infected beings. When he gets to Regalia, he also finds out that Howard and Andromeda, two other comrades, are the other infected creatures. His mom continues to disapprove of his inevitable quest until she becomes infected with the plague. Gregor and Boots immediately set out for the cure, a plant located in the perilous Vineyard of Eyes. The queen Nerissa informs them that they will meet a guide at the entrance to the jungle where the vineyard is located.
Ripred, Temp, a bat named Nike, and two rats named Mange and Lapblood accompany the warrior and Boots. Upon reaching the jungle, they meet a Regalian named Hamnet, who is the son of Vikus, and Hamnet's Halflander son Hazard, along with their lizard Frill. These three people guide the troop through the jungle.
They meet their first trouble when they run straight into quicksand. Princess Luxa, who had been missing, appeared, but did not attempt to help her friends, believing that Gregor had joined the enemy. Hamnet appeared in time to save Gregor and his gang. When they were back at camp, they explained the problem in Regalia to Luxa, who apologized for misjudging them. While she was missing, Luxa and her bat Aurora had been cared for by mice.
They set out once more, now accompanied by Luxa and Aurora. They eventually came to the Vineyard of Eyes, where they found a large amount of the cure, starshade. As they were collecting the plants, an army of red ants appeared. Although they fought hard, the starshade field was destroyed, and Hamnet died along with Frill. Hazard is saddened, but agrees to come to live with Luxa and be the sibling she never had.
Temp realizes that the prophecy did not refer to the Vineyard as holding the cure, but instead said Regalia was the maker of the plague, and therefore had the cure. When they returned to Regalia, the doctor Neveeve was revealed to have been the one to make the plague. Luxa's grandmother Solovet also seemed to want the plague as a weapon against the rats, and had made a secret organization to make it. Neveeve was executed, and Solovet was trialed.
Gregor is told his mother must remain in the Underland for a long time. Ares appeared to be healing, as did the other patients. Gregor and Boots returned to the Overland without their mother.
When Gregor goes to do chores for Mrs. Cormaci back in the Overland, she gives him a birthday present, as Gregor had his twelfth birthday while on his quest. The present is a brand new pair of sneakers, but Gregor is reluctant to try them on, since he would have to show her the sandals that he received below. Gregor sees that he has no choice but to tell her about the Underland.
