In this next book we return to a world that is both creepy and dark with Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods, book three of the Underland Chronicles by Suzanne Collins. It opens with Gregor trying to hide the mysterious prophecy of blood from the rest of his family as they each desperately try to move on from the two previous adventures in the Underland. However, this ends up being futile when Gregor and his father receive word from Vikus about a plague that is currently rampaging through the Underland, the same plague that is mentioned in the prophecy of blood. Wanting to help his friends but reluctant to defy or deceive his mom he convinces her to go with him to a meeting in the Underland to discuss what is being done in regards to the plague. It quickly does downhill when it is revealed that Luxa and her bat Aurora are still missing with no word and that Gregor’s bond, Ares, is one of the few in Regalia with the plague. Due to a bat with the plague disrupting the meeting in the arena, Gregor is forced to go on the quest for the cure when his mother becomes infected with the plague. Traveling with a few old comrades and a few new comrades they end up going deep into a jungle that is supposed to hold the cure.
This book was interesting because we see a lot of growth in the character Gregor throughout the course of events. I say this because Gregor starts questioning why there is such enmity between the humans and the gnawers in the Underland. He no longer just accepts that that is the way things are. This really starts to unfold when he sees the ruling council of Regalia doing everything they can to not have to send flea powder to the gnawers, even though they are trying to win their support to go on the quest with Gregor. I think this is what functions as a spark for Gregor and makes him realize that there may be more to the story than what the humans have told him. It is not until later though, after he has met Hamnet, Luxa’s uncle who had disappeared ten years previously, that he really starts questioning who are the good guys and whether that is a relative question. The Gregor from the first book would not have thought about these things because he was so hyper focused on getting his father back. This Gregor is still hyper focused on saving his mother and Ares but he is starting to get used to how things operate in the Underland and used to the constant feeling of danger so he is able to ask these kinds of questions now. I find the character growth of Gregor to be really fascinating as the series continues. Another thing I found interesting is how the prophecy plays out in this book. It is just as mysterious as the first two were but it has a few interesting elements that were not present in the earlier ones. This one has one stanza that repeats four times and seems to hold the biggest clues to curing the plague but it also seems to be the one that is the most mysterious and the hardest to figure out. Ultimately, if you are not paying attention to a few very minor and rather subtle clues then the way the prophecy plays out will come as a great shock, especially in terms of the repercussions for the inhabitants of the Underland. This book was a great addition to the continuing story of Gregor and of the Underland and how they intertwine over time. I am giving it four out of five stars.
I greatly enjoyed this book but I also greatly enjoyed this series as a whole. As such I would definitely and wholeheartedly suggest that readers who enjoy a good fantasy novel, especially ones modeled after Alice in Wonderland, consider trying this series out. However, the series is primarily aimed at younger readers since Gregor is only eleven so it would probably hold the most appeal for that age range. I am not sure it would greatly appeal to adults and it probably only holds minimal appeal to teens or young adults. This is not to say that they may not enjoy it but they may not think to read it on their own. In my opinion, it is a great series and it should not matter what age you are, if you think it sounds like something you would enjoy go ahead and read it. If you do decide to try it or are already familiar with the series feel free to share your thoughts in the comments. I am kind of curious what others think of this series.