Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | Suzanne Collins |
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| Cover artist | Daniel Craig, August Hall |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Underland Chronicles |
| Genre | Fantasy |
| Publisher | Scholastic |
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Publication date
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July 1, 2005 |
| Pages | 308 |
| ISBN | 0-439-65623-0 |
| OCLC | 56686615 |
| LC Class | PZ7.C6837 Gp 2005 |
| Preceded by | Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane |
| Followed by | Gregor and the Marks of Secret |
Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods is an exciting fantasy novel for kids by Suzanne Collins. It is the third book in The Underland Chronicles series. Scholastic first published it in 2005. The story happens a few months after the last book. It takes place in a secret world deep underground called the Underland. In this adventure, a young boy named Gregor is asked to help again. This time, he needs to find a cure for a fast-spreading sickness.
Contents
Gregor's New Underland Adventure
Even though the Underland has caused problems for his family, Gregor finds it hard to stay away. He hears that a terrible sickness, like a plague, has started. His bat friend, Ares, is one of the sick. So, Gregor goes back down to help.
A Dangerous Sickness Spreads
Gregor's mother really dislikes the Underland. She only lets Boots and Gregor go if she comes along. The humans' expert on sickness, Dr. Neveeve, explains the problem. She says a plant called starshade can cure the sickness. This plant grows deep in the Vineyard of Eyes. During their meeting, a sick bat accidentally infects someone important: Gregor's mother.
The Quest for Starshade
Gregor quickly joins a group of creatures to find the starshade. This journey is part of an old prediction called "The Prophecy of Blood." The current queen, Nerissa, has chosen Hamnet to guide them. Hamnet is the son of Solovet and Vikus, but he prefers peace.
Meeting New Friends and Facing Challenges
Hamnet, his son Hazard, and their snake friend Frill lead the group. They travel through the dangerous Jungle. They face many problems along the way. During a scary moment near quicksand, they meet Luxa. Luxa is the future queen of Regalia. Everyone thought she was gone after the last book, Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane. She and her bat friend Aurora were stuck in the Jungle because Aurora hurt her wing. They had been living with a group of mice. After Hamnet fixes Aurora's wing, Luxa and Aurora join the quest.
A Shocking Discovery
The group finally reaches the Vineyard of Eyes. But an army of ants, called cutters, destroys the starshade. The cutters want all warm-blooded creatures gone. Hamnet and Frill are also killed. The group feels hopeless. Then, they realize something new: what if the sickness was made by the humans? What if it was a special illness meant to be used against the rats?
Truth Revealed and Consequences
The group rushes home. Their idea turns out to be true. The humans have a new medicine, and they made it without the starshade. Luxa bravely tells everyone about this secret plan. Dr. Neveeve is punished for her part in it. Solovet, who led the project, is put in prison. Luxa keeps a promise to Ripred and sends the cure to the rats. The hospital in Regalia treats as many humans and bats as possible. Gregor's mother is getting better, but she is still too weak to go home. The book ends with Gregor talking about his problems to his neighbor, Mrs. Cormaci.
The Prophecy of Blood
"The Prophecy of Blood" is a special prediction from Bartholomew of Sandwich. It's different because it has a repeating part, like a song chorus. It's also carved backward in a tight corner of the prophecy room. You need a mirror to read it.
Understanding the Prophecy
Nerissa thinks Sandwich made it hard to read on purpose. She believes it shows how hard it is to understand. Gregor later thinks that reading it with a mirror makes you see yourself. This reminds people that the sickness came from the humans. Ripred also points out that Boots makes up a dance for the repeating part. This dance makes the questers turn and see themselves. Boots's help with this prophecy makes characters rely on her for later predictions too.
Boots's Role in Prophecies
In Gregor and the Marks of Secret, Boots starts dancing to a song Sandwich carved in the nursery. She believes it's another prophecy. In Gregor and the Code of Claw, a prophecy asks for a "princess" to solve a puzzle. Boots is chosen right away because she helped with the last two prophecies, even though she is still a toddler.
The Repeating Lines
The repeating part of the prophecy says:
Turn and turn and turn again.
You see the what but not the when.
Remedy and wrong entwine,
And so they form a single vine.
Gregor thinks Sandwich included this repeating part to make the meaning stick in people's minds. The rest of the prophecy talks about the sickness and who it affects. It also calls for a warrior to return. It explains how to find the cure and make friends with other species. It strongly warns against starting a war in the Underland. Gregor calls this "Sandwich's usual prediction that if things didn't work out, everyone would die." Like other prophecies in The Underland Chronicles, its full meaning only becomes clear later in the book.
Main Characters in the Quest
This book features many important characters who join Gregor on his quest.
- Gregor: He is a young boy from the Overland. He is known as a "rager" and is believed to be the warrior from an earlier prophecy.
- Boots (Margaret): Gregor's little sister, who is a toddler. The crawlers call her the "princess." She is very good at recognizing different insects.
- Hamnet: He used to be a soldier. He is the son of Solovet and Vikus. He guides the questers through the Jungle until he dies.
- Hazard: Hamnet's son. His mother was an Overlander. Hazard is very good with languages.
- Ripred: A rat, also known as a gnawer. He is a rager, like Gregor.
- Mange and Lapblood: A male and female rat. They are trying to save their baby rats from the sickness. Mange is eaten by a meat-eating plant, which makes Lapblood very sad.
- Temp: The crawlers' representative on the quest. He is very patient and brave, especially with his "princess," Boots. He often senses danger before others, but his warnings are sometimes ignored.
- Frill: A snake-like creature, called a hisser. She lives with Hamnet and Hazard. She dies fighting the cutters (ants).
- Nike: A black and white bat, called a flier. She helps Gregor when Ares is sick. She is the daughter of the fliers' queen and is always optimistic.
- Luxa and Aurora: These two join the group later after hearing about the sickness. They were stuck in the Jungle in Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane because Aurora's wing was hurt.
Publication and Editions
Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods was first released as a hardcover book in 2005. A paperback version came out in July 2006.
Different Book Sets
In 2013, a new edition was published as part of a paperback boxed set. This set included all five books in The Underland Chronicles. It featured new cover art by Vivienne To. Other sets have also been released by Scholastic. The first was in the US in September 2009. A second one came out in August 2013 in the UK, also with new art.
Audiobooks and Ebooks
Random House Audio released an audiobook version in December 2005. The actor and narrator Paul Boehmer read the story. Reviews praised Boehmer for giving each character a "distinct voice." The book's first ebook version was released in August 2010.
Worldwide Translations
Since 2005, many different versions of the book have been made. Scholastic has given rights to publishers in 19 different languages. As of 2016, the book has appeared in German, French, Chinese, Polish, Swedish, Norwegian, Dutch, Italian, Finnish, Bulgarian, Spanish, Portuguese, and Turkish. Many of these languages have unique cover art for their editions. The second English edition, released one year after the first, had "fresh new cover art" by August Hall.
