The end to yet another great series. Gregor and the Code of Claw is the fifth and final book in The Underland Chronicles by Suzanne Collins. The story opens directly after the end of the previous book, Gregor and the Marks of Secret, as Gregor deals with warning Regalia for the coming war with the forces led by the Bane. He also comes face to face with the final prophecy about the warrior, it being the final prophecy as it predicts the death of the warrior. Now, Gregor must deal with fighting a war as a member of the Regalian army under the leadership of Solovet while trying to come to terms with the fact that he will more than likely be dead by the end of the war. On top of this, he also has to deal with supporting his family as things are rapidly getting worse there. His father has relapsed and needs care while his grandmother is in the hospital and his mother is still recovering from the plague. Then Gregor finds out that the princess, his sister Boots, may be the only thing that can help them defeat the forces of the Bane, but only if she can figure out the key to their code. It seems like a lot to handle for a twelve-year old.
I was actually really sad when reading this book because I greatly enjoyed this series and will definitely read it again in the future. It was a great series that had just the right blend of fantasy, adventure and a little bit of drama that will pull kids right in. I feel like it probably had something for everyone, at least for kids anyway. Considering the setting it even had minor creepy or horror elements at times as well. I mean the Underland as a whole has to be one of the creepiest settings I’ve seen in a kids series in a while. Don’t get me wrong it was an incredibly fascinating setting but it was also definitely creepy too. With this book being the end of the series I think it did a pretty good job of wrapping most things up. It deals with the results of most of Gregor’s previous adventures in the Underland as it discusses the needed elements for potential long-lasting peace down there. Something that is not present in any of the previous books but that could only be beneficial for the inhabitants. That is actually something that I really like about this series. It discusses difficult topics, such as the long-lasting and justly deserved enmity between the humans and the gnawers, very gently and in a way that seems relatively honest. Due to his adventures Gregor has made friends with people on both sides of that hatred as he deals with the humans like Vikus and Luxa but also the gnawers like Ripred. He is able to see and understand, to an extent, both sides of the feud. Something like this is almost always bound to be a difficult topic but this series really handles it well. I was genuinely impressed by it actually as this is not something frequently seen, especially in children’s literature. Overall, an absolutely incredible book and a great end to an incredible series. I am giving it 4.5 out of 5 stars.
As you’ve seen this is technically a kids series and due to the age of the main character a classification I would agree with. In my opinion, this is a fantastic series for kids to read but I will state that they should read them in order to get the full picture. I will also state that due to the inherent violent nature of the Underland there is a lot of violence in the series. Some of it is graphic as well since Gregor watches it happen. As such, I think this series is best suited for readers who are within a few years of Gregor’s age during the series so around eleven or twelve. Obviously, older readers can read this series just fine but readers younger than that should be careful. It is still a good series and one that I really liked so I would recommend that kids who enjoy fantasy and are around the right age range consider trying it. If you happen to be familiar with the series feel free to share your thoughts about it in the comments.