The Underland Chronicles

Gregor the Overlander is a five-part series of Children’s books written by Suzanne Collins between 2003 and 2005. It tells the story of an eleven year old boy named Gregor and his adventures in a land hidden under New York City. The underland is inhabited by giant rats, cockroaches, rats, spiders, fireflies and other creatures.

The Series

Gregor the Overlander

Gregor the Overlander is the first book of the series. Gregor, an eleven-year-old boy from New York City, was doing his laundry with his two-year-old sister, Boots. The playful Boots was scurrying around, when she suddenly fell through a grate in the laundry room. As Gregor goes after her, he too falls through the grate, and find themselves in a mysterious place called the Underland. As soon as he lands, several over-sized cockroaches find the two siblings, and take them to the Underland city of Regalia. The Regalians recognize this young boy as a warrior that was prophesized to come by a man named Bartholomew of Sandwich, who also was the founder of the Underland.

In Regalia, Gregor meets a girl his age named Luxa, who is to be the queen of Regalia when she turns sixteen. Gregor also meets her cousins, Henry and Nerissa. He instantly dislikes Henry for his mean attitude.

Gregor soon learns of a prophecy called the "Prophecy of Gray." According to the prophecy, ten Underlanders and two Overlanders (as the people on the surface were called) would set out on a quest to rescue an Overland prisoner, whom Gregor finds out is his long-lost father. Gregor decides to set out on this quest, taking Boots with him. The other members included the cockroaches Tick and Temp, the spiders Gox and Treflex, the humans Luxa and Henry, the rat Ripred, the bats Aurora (Luxa's bat) and Ares (Henry's bat).

The "questers" set out to rescue Gregor's father. After a long trip, Tick died in an attempt to save Boots. The questers continued their journey, but several of them were mourned at their loss. Treflex, whom they had first met in the middle of the quest, had also died.

They arrived at the place where Gregor's father was held. As they attempted to free him, an army of rats led by King Gorger made a last ditch effort to keep their hostage from being rescued. Gox died instantly when Gorger slashed her with his tail.

Henry was revealed to be a traitor to the humans. He had given the rats the location of the questers throughout the quest. Gregor realized that the prophecy called for four creatures to die, but only three had been lost. He thought that he was to be the final creature to die on the quest. He jumped off a nearby cliff with the rats following him. As Gregor was falling to his death, he noticed that Henry had also pursued the warrior over the cliff. As Ares the bat swooped down, Gregor assumed he was saving Henry. But instead, he caught Gregor, letting Henry die a painful death.

When the questers arrived at Regalia, Ares was put on trial for his betrayal of his human bond, Henry. When the court was about to announce him guilty, Gregor made a quick decision, and Gregor and Ares became bonded to each other. Gregor and Boots were sent back to the Overland, with their father in their company.

Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane

After having left the underland with his father to the overland, they made up a story about their disappearance. Then Gregor notices that, while in the park, Boots disappears down a manhole. He goes after her and reappears in the underland where he learns that he has another prophecy to fulfill. This time he has to go on a quest to destroy an evil rat that may lead to the destruction of the other underland species. He goes on the quest and learns that the rat is a baby and gives it to a rat that is on the humans side to take care of him. He is then tried and found innocent.

Gregor and the Prophecy Of Blood

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 at the front of the tunnel. When he hears that Gregor's mother would not allow him to return, Ripred told him that he would only have to go to the meeting that they were holding. He also tells the warrior of a terrible plague that has swept through the land. Many rats were dying, and only three people in Regalia were infected. Those three had been quaratined.

Gregor tells his mother of his plans, but she does not allow it. But after hundreds of underland rats swarmed from the underland into the apartment building, she agreed 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 people. His mom continues to disprove of his inevitable quest until she becomes infected with the plague. So 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, 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 hazard when they run straight into quicksand. Luxa, who had been missing, appeared, but did not attempt to help her friends, believing that Gregor had joined the rats. Hamnet (Luxa's uncle) 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. But as they were collecting the plants, an army of red ants appeared. Although they fought, the starshade field was destroyed, and Hamnet died along with his lizard. 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 it said Regalia was the makers of the plague, and therefore had the cure. When they returned to Regalia, the doctor Nevevee was revealed to have been the one to make the plague. But Solovet also seemed to want the plague as a weapon against the rats, and had made a secret organization to make it. Nevevee 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, 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 in the underland. Gregor sees that he has no choice but to tell her about the underland.

Gregor and the Marks of Secret

Will be released May 2006. This is the description from the official site:

"Gregor sets out to solve a mystery involving the Underland mice and ends up discovering a terrible secret. This book leads right into the fifth and final book of the series, 'Gregor and the Code of Claw.'"

Source: Suzanne Collins books

Gregor and the Code of Claw

Will be released 2007.

The Underland

The Sections

There are several sections in the Underland. The areas controlled by each separate species. The sections that belong to the humans, the cockroaches, the Dead Land (a land that is uninhabitable) as well as several other sections. In "The Curse of the Warm Bloods", Gregor sees a map of the Underland.

The Creatures

There are many creatures in the underland. All are enormous versions of different species of animals and bugs that can be found on earth. There are rats, spiders, iguana-like creatures, cockroaches, fireflies, bats and others. The bats have special bonds with certain humans that imply that they will help each other through life and death. In one of the books the bat Aires does not save his human, he is tried. Gregor, attempting to save his life, bonds with him and saves him.

The Government

The government of the humans is a monarchy. It is moved by a king and a queen. In the underland chronicles, Luxa is the queen. There is a representative government that Gregor attends. It is made up of various representatives for the various species.

Underland Creatures

(Note: These are only the creatures listed in the books.)

Humans

• Luxa
• Vikus
• Solovet
• Mareth
• Henry(Deceased)
• Hamnet(Deceased)
• Nerissa
• Neveeve(Deceased)
• Dulcet
• From the Fount and Luxa's cousins
  • Howard
  • Stellovet
  • Hero and Kent
  • Chimney

Cockroaches

Cockroaches are know as "crawlers" in the Underland.

• Tick(Deceased)
• Temp
• Pend

Rats

Rats are known as "gnawers" in the Underland.

• Ripred
• Mange(Deceased)
• King Gorger(Deceased)
• Twitchtip(Location unknown)
• Lapblood
  • Sixclaw
  • Flyfur
• Mincemeat
• Goldfur(Deceased)
• Snare(Deceased)
• The Bane

Bats

Bats are known as "fliers" in the Underland

• Bonded bats:
  • Ares (First to Henry, then to Gregor)
  • Aurora (To Luxa)
  • Euripedes(To Vikus)
  • Andromeda (To Mareth)
  • Pandora(Deceased,but before to Howard)
• Non-bonded bats:
  • Nike
  • Queen Athena

Other creatures

• Lizards
  • Frill(Deceased)
• Fireflies- Called "shiners".
• Ants
• Moths
• Spiders- Called "spinners".
  • Gox(Deceased)
  • Treflex(Deceased)
• Plesiosaurs- Called "serpents".

Halflanders

A halflander is a person who was born to an underland parent with an overland spouse. The only known halflander is Hazard, the son of Hamnet.

Prophecies

Bartholomew of Sandwich

Sandwich is an explorer that was the first European to discover the underland. He was a prophet and carved all of his prophecies on stone in a room. He is the one that wrote the prophecies that Gregor must fulfill.

The Prophecy Of Grey

The prophecy of gray states that a quest must be fulfilled in order to save the underland from utter destruction. It introduces the warrior, "a son of the sun", who is Gregor.

Beware Underlanders,time hangs by a thread, The hunters are hunted, white water runs red. The gnawers will strike to extinguish the rest. The hope of the hopeless resides in a quest.

An Overland warrior, a son of the sun, May bring back us light, he may bring back us none. But gather your neighbors and follow his call Or rats will most surely devour us all.

Two over, two under, of royal descent. Two flyers, two crawlers, two spinners assent. One gnawer beside, and one lost up ahead. And eight will be left when we count up the dead.

The last who will die must decide where he stands. The fate of the eight is contained in his hands. So bid him take care, bid him look where he leaps, As life may be death and death life again reaps.

The Prophecy Of Bane

The prophecy of Bane states that a new leader of the rats may be emerging and that the warrior must lead a quest to stop him. However, the Bane turns out to be a baby, so Gregor decides that he cannot kill it and gives it to Ripred to care for.

If under fell, if OVer leaped, If life was death, if Death life reaped, Something rises from the gloom, to make the Underland a tomb.

Hear it scratching down below, Rat of long=forgotten snow, Evil cloaked in coat of white, Will the Warrior drain your light?

What ill turn the Warrior weak? What do burning gnawers seek? Just a barely speaking pup, Who holds the land of Under up

Die the baby, die his heart, die his most essential part, die the pace that rules the hour, gnawers have their key to power

The Prophecy of Blood

Warmblood now a bloodborne death
Will rob your body of its breath,
Mark your skin, and seal your fate.
The Underland becomes a plate.

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.

Bring the warrior from above
If yet his heart is swayed by love.
Bring the princess or despair,
No crawlers care without her there.

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.

Those whose blood runs red and hot
Must join to seek the healing spot.
In the cradle find the cure
For that which makes the blood impure.

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.

Gnawer, human, set aside
The hatreds that reside inside.
If the flames of war are fanned,
All warmbloods lose the Underland.

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.

In this prophecy, Gregor learns that the warrior (himself) must complete a quest to a quest to find a cure that is infecting all of the warm bloods in the underland.