The Hork-Bajir Chronicles

infobox Book |
name = The Hork-Bajir Chronicles
title_orig =
translator =


image_caption = Dak Hamee and Aldrea.
author = K. A. Applegate
illustrator =
cover_artist = Romas Kukalis
country = United States
language = English
series = "Animorphs"
genre = Science Fiction
publisher = Scholastic
pub_date = November 1998
english_pub_date =
media_type = Print (Hardback)
pages = 206
isbn = 0-439-04291-7
preceded_by =
followed_by =

"The Hork-Bajir Chronicles" (a fictional juvenile science-fiction novel) is the second companion book to the "Animorphs" series, written by K. A. Applegate. With respect to continuity within the series, it takes place before book #23, "The Pretender", although the events told in the story occur between the time of "The Ellimist Chronicles" and "The Andalite Chronicles". The book is introduced by Tobias, who flies to the valley of the free Hork-Bajir, where Jara Hamee tells him the story of how the Yeerks enslaved the Hork-Bajir, and how Aldrea, an Andalite, and her companion, Dak Hamee, a Hork-Bajir, tried to save their world from the invasion. Jara Hamee's story is narrated from the points of view of Aldrea, Dak Hamee, and Esplin 9466, alternating in similar fashion to the "Megamorphs" books.

Background

"The Hork-Bajir Chronicles" is one of the most unusual novels in the Animorphs series because of its almost complete lack of human characters (Tobias, who appears in the prologue and epilogue, is human, albeit trapped in hawk morph). Some fans thus found it difficult to relate to the alien characters. Also, the novel's unconventional, bittersweet ending disappointed some readers. Other readers enjoyed the novel's unconventionality and found the story very moving as well as action-packed. Also, the fact that the novel further explains many concepts (such as the law of Seerow's Kindness and the truth about the Hork-Bajir war) as well as characters, races, and back stories referenced in other Animorphs books (most notably the previously published "The Andalite Chronicles") helped make it popular among many members of the Animorphs fanbase. [cite web|title=Amazon|url= [http://www.amazon.ca/dp/customer-reviews/0439042917?customer-reviews.sort%5Fby=-SubmissionDate accessdate=2007-08-23] ]

It should also be noted that, while the moral implications of war are a common theme in the Animorphs series, "The Hork-Bajir Chronicles" is one of the novels in that series that deals most heavily with that theme (such as the loss of innocence during the battle on the Hork-Bajir homeworld and war crimes being committed by the usually honorable Andalites). It describes a peaceful world that is torn apart by violence. While clear divisions of good and evil exist in the Animorphs series, K.A. Applegate has stated that she wanted to write "The Hork-Bajir Chronicles" to show that "most stories of conflict are more complicated than any one side would have you believe." (From "The Hork-Bajir Chronicles" book jacket, Scholastic, 1998, hardcover).

Plot Summary

In the Earth year 1966, Aldrea and her family come to live on the Hork-Bajir homeworld after her father Seerow, formerly Prince Seerow, is relieved of duty by Alloran and many other Andalites who feel he is no longer fit to command because his peaceful philosophy towards the Yeerks (which has resulted in the Yeerk's enslavement of many other species). On the Hork-Bajir homeworld, Aldrea makes friends with Dak Hamee, a Hork-Bajir who is a seer, meaning he possesses intelligence greater than most others of his species. Aldrea's mother, a biologist, is fascinated with the reptilian, tree-dwelling, peaceful Hork-Bajir, as well as with the other life on the planet. Aldrea herself begins to learn more about Hork-Bajir culture from Dak, and he in turns learns about Andalites. But then tragedy strikes in the form of a Yeerk invasion, and Aldrea's entire family is killed. She and Dak barely escape, and Dak is sickened by his first taste of violence when they are forced to fight Yeerks and Gedd-Controllers. The Yeerks arrive at the enormous tree where the other members of Dak's tribe live, and proceed to enslave every single Hork-Bajir they find.

Aldrea and Dak, meanwhile, continue to flee the Yeerks, and they journey down into Father Deep, a huge chasm (the Hork-Bajir believe they were born from Father Deep and Mother Sky). There they meet the Arn, a powerful but arrogant race who created the Hork-Bajir, as well as many other creatures that inhabit their planet. Aldrea convinces the Arn that it is in their best interest to fight back against the Yeerks. Aldrea also urges Dak to round up the remaining Hork-Bajir and train them to fight. Eventually, Dak does so, and he and Aldrea then lead their Hork-Bajir army, along with various monsters and terrifying creatures created by the Arn, against the Yeerks on the ground. In the ensuing bloodbath, Aldrea is disgusted by the carnage, and Dak blames Aldrea for turning his people from innocence and peacefulness towards violence. Dak becomes more distant with Aldrea. After many months, an attack force of Andalite ships appears, though not enough to fight off all the Yeerks. The Andalites, including Alloran, now a powerful leader, join Dak and Aldrea on the ground and take part in their campaign of guerilla warfare against the Yeerks. As their numbers began to dwindle, Alloran becomes desperate, and finally resorts to using a biological weapon, a virus which will kill all Hork-Bajir, from the Hork-Bajir-Controllers (whose bodies are being controlled by Yeerks) to all the free Hork-Bajir still alive on the planet.

When Aldrea realizes what is about to happen, she betrays Alloran and her fellow Andalites in order to help Dak destroy the virus before it can be employed. In the resulting conflict, the virus is accidentally released into the environment. Aldrea, who had morphed into a female Hork-Bajir during the struggle, stays too long in that form and is thus trapped in a Hork-Bajir body. She and Dak realize their love for each other, and the two become a mated pair. They go to live in the deep valleys, where the toxin will not reach for some time. Their descendants become part of the small Hork-Bajir colony on Earth.

References

Text

1. Applegate, K. A. (1998). The Hork-Bajir Chronicles. Scholastic Publishing.

References