Guardians of Ga'Hoole
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Guardians of Ga'Hoole is The New York Times bestselling series written by Kathryn Lasky and illustrated by Richard Chowder. Most of the main characters are owls, and the series is a cross between animal fiction such as Watership Down and epic fantasy. There are currently 14 books in the series published so far and one accompanying book, with the most recent book in the series entitled Exile. The fifteenth and final book according to Lasky's official website, The War of the Ember, is expected to be released this November.
Ga'Hoole, in the owl language, means "Great Spirit of Hoole".
Contents |
[edit] Novels
- The Capture
- The Journey
- The Rescue
- The Siege
- The Shattering
- The Burning
- The Hatchling
- The Outcast
- The First Collier
- The Coming of Hoole
- To Be a King
- The Golden Tree
- The River of Wind
- Exile
- The War of the Ember
Accompanying Books
[edit] Legends of Ga'Hoole
A spin-off book series was planned to begin, entitled "Legends of Ga'Hoole". However, the series was canceled, and all books that were planned as part of the series were moved to the original "Guardians of Ga'Hoole" series, with the titles unchanged. The advance copy editions show the subtitle on the covers, although the books were not released with this feature.
The three books are about the legendary young king Hoole, and his mentor, the first collier Grank. Grank was the first to find the Ember of Hoole, and King Hoole was the first to find the Great Ga'Hoole Tree. Hoole came under the protection of Grank because his mother was a close childhood friend of Grank's.
[edit] Characters from the Books
The Band
- Soren – A male Barn Owl, part of "the Band." He was snatched by patrols from St. Aegolius Academy for Orphaned Owls (St. Aggies) and he escaped with his friend Gylfie. He is now a Guardian of Ga'Hoole, a member of the Great Ga'Hoole Tree and the ryb of the colliering chaw. He is also Coryn's close advisor and uncle. He was the start of "The Chaw of Chaws."
- Gylfie – A female Elf Owl who is Soren's best friend and part of the "the Band." She was hatched in a cactus in the Desert of Kuneer, and she was snatched by patrols from St. Aggie's. She escaped with Soren the Barn Owl, and came to the Great Ga'hoole tree. She is now the navigation ryb.
- Twilight – A male Great Grey Owl and part of "the Band." He claims that he taught himself everything about surviving and was abandoned within hours of hatching. He is very confident and boastful, and is constantly singing songs about himself, but he still has a very good heart. He is now a Guardian of Ga'Hoole at the Ga'Hoole Tree in the search-and-rescue chaw.
- Digger – A smart tracking Burrowing Owl who is part of "the Band." He was separated from his parents when St. Aggie's attacked them and killed his brother. He is now a Guardian of Ga'Hoole at the Great Ga'Hoole Tree in the tracking chaw. He is a very deep thinker, and can often come up with things that others can not.
Owls in the Great Tree
- Boron (deceased) - A male Snowy Owl - the King of Hoole before Coryn arrived; died of old age as Coryn came to the Great Tree of Ga'Hoole. He often told wet poop jokes, and was known to consort with seagulls, which was considered very disrespectful, but he was loved all the same; mate of Barran.
- Barran (deceased) - A female Snowy Owl - the Queen of Hoole before Coryn came to the Great Tree of Ga'Hoole; died of old age as he came to it. She was the ryb of the search-and-rescue chaw, and was the mate of Boron.
- Ezylryb (deceased) – A male Whiskered Screech Owl who was the wise old mentor at the Great Ga'Hoole tree. Also known as Lyze of Kiel when he was the warrior of the Kielian League. He was the ryb of the weather interpretation before he died of old age. He also told wet poop jokes and spoke with seagulls. Soren is Ezylryb's ward.
- Coryn (aka Nyroc) – A male Barn Owl; Kludd and Nyra's chick; now the new monarch (king) of the Great Ga'Hoole Tree; Soren's nephew.
- Otulissa – A female Spotted Owl; the Ga'Hoolology ryb at the Great Tree also chief ryb, a member of the Chaw of Chaws, very prim and proper, but also very smart and intelligent. Had eye damaged in battle and now wears an eye patch.
- Ruby – A female short-eared owl; a member of the Chaw of Chaws, a spectacular flyer in the colliering and weather interpretation chaw.
- Martin – A male Northern Saw-Whet Owl; a member of the Chaw of Chaws; a Guardian at the Great Ga'Hoole Tree, a member of he colliering and weather interpretation chaw.
- Eglantine – A female Barn Owl, Soren's younger sister, well loved by Soren, best friends with Primrose.Eglantine is a member of the search and rescue chaw.
- Primrose – Female Pygmy Owl, Eglantine's best friend, member of the search and rescue chaw.
- Madame Plonk – A Female Snowy Owl, the elegant singer of the great tree. Doc Finebeak's mate.
- Elvan - an owl that was unwholesomely in thrall to the Ember of Hoole while Coryn and the Band were away, ryb of the colliering chaw
- Mrs. Plithiver – Female blind snake, formerly the nest-maid for Soren's family; now a member of the harp guild at the Great Ga'Hoole tree
- Pellimore (Pelli) – A Female Barn Owl, Soren's mate
- Octavia – Female Kielian snake; nest maid for many years for Ezylryb and Madame Plonk; aka Brigid
- Doc Finebeak – A male Snowy Owl famed free lance tracker once in the employ of the Pure Ones; now at the great tree; Madame Plonk's companion, and now new mate (as of Book 14).
- Bubo - A male Great Horned Owl - The blacksmith at the Great Ga'hoole tree, close friends with Madame Plonk.
- Strix Struma (deceased) - Female Spotted Owl - A very respectable ryb at the great Ga'hoole tree, and ryb of the Navigation chaw before she was killed by Nyra in The Siege.
- Sylvana - A young female burrowing owl, ryb of the tracking chaw
- Dewlap - A female burrowing owl, ryb of the Ga'Hoology chaw before Otulissa. Dewlap betrayed the great tree during The Siege.
- Matron - A Female Short-Eared Owl, the head caretaker of wounded owlets at the Great Ga'hoole tree.
- Poot - Male Boreal Owl - First captain of the weather intepretation chaw, becomes the leader when Ezylryb is captured.
- Trader Mags - A female magpie that comes around about one time a year to sell her wares.
- Bubbles - Trader Mags' assistant
- Silver - Male Lesser Sooty Owl - A member of the Weather Interpretation Chaw, rescued from the Great Downing.
- Nut Beam - Male Masked Owl - A member of the Weather Interpretation Chaw, rescued from the Great Downing.
- The Rogue Smith of Silverveil (deceased) - A Snowy Owl - A Blacksmith not attached to any kingdom in the owl world in any way. Killed by Nyra; Madame Plonk's sister.
The Pure Ones
- Kludd (deceased) – Male Barn Owl - Soren's older brother, leader of the pure ones; later killed in The Burning by Twilight; aka Metal Beak and High Tyto
- Nyra – Female Barn Owl - Kludd's evil mate; suspected of being a hagsfiend, made leader of the Pure Ones after Kludd's death, slayer of Strix Struma and Philip, and the Rouge Smith; mother of Nyroc (aka Coryn)
- Wortmore (deceased) – Male Barn Owl - a Pure One lieutenant
- Uglamore (deceased) – Male Barn Owl - a Pure One lieutenant; deserts the Pure Ones and sacrifices himself for Coryn in The Outcast
- Stryker (deseased) – Male barn owl - a Pure One lieutenant major under Nyra, second in command later in the series; killed by Tengshu
- Dustytuft (deceased) - Male Greater Sooty Owl - a low caste owl of the Pure Ones; became friend of Nyroc (AKA Coryn) at his hatching; also known as Phillip; killed by Nyra
Saint Aegolius Academy Owls
- Skench (deceased) - Female Great Horned Owl - the evil Ablah General of the academy
- Spoorn (deceased) - Male Western Skreech Owl - Skench's first lieutenant
- Jatt (deceased) - Male Long-Eared Owl - a sublieutenant of St. Aegolius; also a warrior and enforcer, killed by Soren, Twilight, Streak, and Zan
- Jutt (deceased) - Male Long-Eared Owl - a St. Aegolius sublieutenant; a warrior and enforcer and the cousin of Jatt, killed by Soren, Twilight, Zan, and Streak
- Aunt Finny (aka "Auntie") - Female Snowy Owl - Soren's pit guardian while he was at the academy
- Unk - Male Great Horned Owl - Gylfie's pit guardian while she was at the academy with Soren
- Grimble (deceased) - Male Boreal Owl - A brave owl that was captured as an adult by the St. Aegolius patrols; held hostage ans was promised that his family would be spared; taught Soren and Gylfie how to fly so that they could escape, killed by Skench as Soren and Gylfie escaped
- 47-2 (deceased) - A female western screech owl; a picker at the pelletorium in St. Aggies, vicious fighter
- Hortense (aka Mist) - Female Spotted Owl - originally from Ambala; was snatched by the St. Aggies patrols; trained as a broody owl in the eggorium of the academy; helped save some of the eggs that the patrols had snatched. Pushed off a cliff by Auntie, but somehow survives.
Dire Wolves
- Duncan MacDuncan - leader of the MacDuncan clan of dire wolves in Beyond the Beyond
- Dunleavy MacHeath - leader of the MacHeath clan of dire wolves in Beyond the Beyond; known vyrwolf; recruited members of the MacHeath clan to come with him to become vyrwolves
- Gyllbane - member of the MacHeath clan; her pup, Cody, was maimed by Dunleavy MacHeath
- Cody (deceased) - Gyllbane's son; died when saving the book of Kreeth
- Hamish - in the MacDuncan clan; a gnaw wolf of the Sacred Watch; friends with Coryn
Other Characters
- Bess – a Boreal Owl; daughter of Grimble; also known as "The Knower"; discovered Middle Kingdom
- Cleve of Firthmore - a male Spotted Owl healer and prince from the royal Hollow of Snarth in the Northern Kingdoms. Mate of Otulissa (as of Book 14).
- Mist – a female Spotted Owl who lives with the eagles Streak and Zan in Ambala who once saved eggs from the St.Aggies; also known as Hortense
- Striga – a former dragon owl from the Middle Kingdom seeking a more meaning full life; Betrays Coryn and the Great Ga'Hoole Tree; previously saves Soren and Pelli's owlet Bell.
- Tengshu – qui master and sage of the Joushenkyn
- Slynella - a green iridescent flying snake of Ambala; friend of Mist; helped save Soren and Twilight when they were injured badly
- Stingyll - a green iridescent flying snake of Ambala; friend of Mist; helped save Twilight when he was injured badly
- Rabbit (deceased) - a webreader that Coryn meets. He reads things in spiderwebs and names are the easisest things to read. He is killed during a skirmish between Coryn, Kalo, and two owls of the Blue Brigade.
- Noctus Alba (deceased) - Soren, Kludd and Eglantine's father
- Marella Alba (deceased) - Soren, Kludd and Eglantine's mother
- Streak - Bald Eagle, friend of Hortense, mate of Zan
- Zan - Bald Eagle, had her tongue ripped out in a fight with Skench and Spoorn, mate of Streak
- Simon (deceased) - A male Brown Fish Owl, a pilgrim of the Glauxian brother's retreat; killed by Kludd
[edit] Characters from the Legends
- Hoole – the legendary Spotted Owl of the Time of the Legends; raised by Grank.
- H'rath (deceased) – Spotted owl, King of N'rythghar; the father of Hoole
- Siv (deceased) – Spotted owl, H'rath's mate, Queen of N'rythghar, killed by hagsfiends; the mother of Hoole.
- Grank – Spotted owl who raised Hoole; was the first collier and has firesight; first owl to find the ember
- Theo – Great horned owl, helped raise Hoole; was Grank's apprentice and the first blacksmith; a gizzard resister, invented battle claws
- Lord Rathnik - an officer of the Ice Regiment; member of the Great Tree's parliament
- Shadyk - Theo's brother; a mad usurper of King H'rath's throne in the Ice Palace
- Phineas - a friend of Hoole that had great pluck
- Berwyck - Hoole and Grank's friend; also a member of that Glauxian Brothers
- Myrrthe (deceased) – Snowy Owl, faithful servant of Queen Siv, killed by hagsfiends while hunting for lemmings.
- Rorkna – Spotted Owl, Glauxess of the Glauxian Sisters Retreat on the island of Elsemere; cousin of Siv.
- The Snow Rose - a snowy owl and gadfeather; also a renowned singer
- Emerilla – Spotted owl, daughter of Strix Strumajen and mate of Hoole;excellent fighter with the short blade; everyone thought that she was lost in a skirmish over the Ice Fangs
- Strix Strumajen - a spotted owl Hoole made the teacher of the first weathering chaw; Emerilla's mother
- Kreeth (deceased) – a female hagsfiend that had very strong powers of nachtmagen; created Lutta, created a book full of her evil spells; friend of Ygryk
- Lutta (deceased) – changeling, created by Kreeth, murdered by Strix Strumajen for impersonating Emerilla
- Penryk - male hagsfiend and an ally of Lord Arrin
- Ygryk - a female hagsfiend; Pleek's mate
- Ullryck - a female hagsfiendand; very deadly assassin; serves Lord Arrin
- Pleek - enemy of King H'rath; known to consort with hagsfiends and took one, Ygryk, as his mate
- Lord Arrin – Snowy Owl (Once thought to be a Spotted Owl), traitor to H'rath, part hagsfiend; killed H'rath
- Namara MacNamara– A.K.A. Hordweard. Dire Wolf from Beyond the Beyond and Dunleavy MacHeath's oldest mate. After she renames herself she kills him for revenge. Her clan is MacNamara, (named after her mother) which she also names after herself.
- Fengo (deceased) – Dire wolf, chief of all wolf clans and a friend of Grank. Slaughtered by hagsfiends in To Be a King.
- Dunleavy MacHeath (deceased) – Dire wolf, Fengo's enemy. Tried to gain an alliance with Lord Arrin to rule the S'yrthghar.
- Svenka - a polar bear in the Bitter Sea; helps Queen Siv
- Svarr - polar bear; father of Svenka's cubs; a listener at smee holes
[edit] Historical Allusions
- Ezylryb's speeches in The Siege are loosely modeled after Sir Winston Churchill's (the Prime Minister of Britain during the Second World War).
- The Battle of Short Light and Long Night is based on the Normandy Invasion.
- The evil Pure Ones, who believe that only Barn Owls are pure, may be an allusion to the Nazis, who had similar beliefs about purity based on lineage.
- Kludd's name is another name for a chaplain in the Ku Klux Klan.
- In the legends, a character named H'rathghar might be an allusion to a character in Beowulf that goes by a similar name, Hrothgar.
- In The Golden Tree, Ezylryb's words are repeated by Fleemus, the Saw-Whet Owl, who says, "We have nothing to fear but fear itself": words famously spoken by Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
- In The Golden Tree, Madame Plonk's "Coronation Teacup" says 1953, and has the name "Queen E" on it. This was probably a reference to the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.
- The Middle Kingdom, or Jouzhenkyn, is based on China, which the author had visited prior to writing The River of Wind. "The Middle Kingdom" is also an alternate name for China.
- In the book "Exile" the owls in a city known as "Brad" have found fragments of the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury and are memorising books just as the characters in his book did, as an owl from the Middle Kingdom is burning them.
[edit] Locations
Guardians of Ga'Hoole takes place in a noticeably post-human time, with Soren mentioning that the "Others" (Humans) were around at the time of the first Glaux. Thus, the Earth has likely been dramatically changed, meaning the places in Ga'Hoole are likely landmasses that have been altered over the years. However, some locations can be compared to present locales.
The Great Ga'Hoole Tree – The main place where the story takes place. It is the only known tree with Ga', the Great Spirit.
St. Aegolius Canyons – A canyon- filled area where Zan, an eagle, originates from. It contains a so-called school called St. Aegolius Academy for Orphaned Owls, once ruled by Skench, Ablah General. In truth, St. Aggies' was a center for brainwashing to carry out Skench's evil plan-to rule the entire owl world. By The Burning, St. Aggie's had fallen to the Pure Ones and is the location of the battle. It is located far south and west in the owl world and mainly consists of canyons. It is here that Nyroc/Coryn (the heir of King Hoole) is hatched.
Beyond the Beyond – A place where dire wolves live. It plays a major role in Book 8, The Outcast, when Coryn retrieves the Ember of Hoole, and in Books 9 and 10, when Grank and Hoole do the same. It is known for harboring rogue smiths/colliers, and hireclaws.
The Middle Kingdom – The newly discovered sixth kingdom of owls (by Bess). Unknown evil and good lurks there. It is in the 13th book, The River of Wind. The Striga is from the sixth kingdom. The Middle Kingdom seems to be based on Tibet.
Tyto – This is the kingdom in which Soren hatched. The Pure Ones make their base in The Rescue in an old castle here.
The Beaks - A strange uninhabited area filled with small pockets of forest and "beaks", large beak shaped formations. It is here that a Ga'Hoole slipgizzle, or spy, warned the Band of Soren in The Journey.
Ambala - An area that was being devastated by St. Aggie's' egg snatching as of The Capture. An owl, Hortense, snuck herself into St. Aggie's to rescue eggs, with help from Zan. She was caught by Auntie and thrown off a cliff.
Ice Narrows - An icy straight leading to the Northern Kingdoms and the Everwinter Sea. The Band became stuck here, and lived with some puffins for a few days in The Journey.
Kuneer - Where Gylfie's and Digger's hollows are and where Jutt, Jatt, and 47-2 (Three high-ranking St. Aggie's lieutenants) ate Digger's two brothers (Cunny and Flick) and killed his parents. In The Capture chapter "Desert Battle", the newly formed Band killed the lieutenants. Kuneer seems to be based on the Sonoran Desert of the American Southwest
Silverveil- This verdant forest is known for its many mosses and other vegetation. When Martin was an owlet, the Guardians rescued him from a forest fire here. This is where the Snowy owl Rogue Smith of Silverveil, whose name is unknown, lived. She was the only female smith. Silverveil seems to be based on the temperate rain forests of New Zealand.
Shadow Forest- This is one of largest forests in the Southern Kingdoms.
[edit] Movie
Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen) is set to direct a computer animated movie Guardians of Ga'Hoole. The movie will be made by Australian animation studio Animal Logic, of Happy Feet fame. The film will focus on the first three books in the series. The film is predicted to be released in late 2009 or early 2010.[1].
[edit] External links
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