Book Review: Gregor and the Marks of Secret

Gregor and the Marks of Secret is the fourth book in The Underland Chronicles by Suzanne Collins, author of The Hunger Games.  Of the three previous installments, the third book was my favorite.  This book was full of adventure, but still ranks behind Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods in my opinion.

I guess, for me, the mystery that pulled the characters into quest mode in this book didn't quite hold my interest.  Gregor is returning to the Underland more frequently because his mother is still there recuperating from the plague she succumbed to in the third volume.  He returns for regular echolocation exercises with Ripred, the Rat.  At the beginning, Ripred informs them that they must kill the Bane because he has risen to great power now that he is fully grown.  Gregor is still loathe to do him in, despite his great size and his eagerness for power.  I got the impression the book would be about destroying the Bane, but I was wrong.

Instead, Gregor and Queen Luxa are drawn into a quest to determine what is happening to the Nibblers (mice).  Even though he doesn't want to be drawn into another prophecy, Gregor agrees to accompany Luxa (for whom he is beginning to have stronger feelings) on her search for the mice and the reason for their disappearance.  Once again, they end up going on the quest with the baby, Boots, in tow.  Not sure why this keeps happening, although it always seems to provide more incentive for Gregor to be careful and watch over her during the quest.

In this installment, Suzanne Collins has incorporated story-lines to parallel actual experiences with war.  When Queen Luxa declares war on the rats (even though it doesn't officially begin in this book), the reader is bound to begin thinking about the ethics of war.  Deeper concepts are presented through the use of story equivalents.  This book excels in forcing the reader to make real-life connections and to ponder important issues.

Still, this feels more like a filler book, leading the way to the final book in the series where Gregor will once again be called upon to fulfill his role in an Underland prophecy.  It wasn't a slow read.  Plenty of action and adventure carried the story along, but it did seem less gripping than the previous book.  I am eager to read the final installment and see how Collins has chosen to end Gregor's destiny.  Will he die trying to fulfill the final prophecy?  Will some further ill come to Queen Luxa?  Or will Luxa and Gregor end up together after all, providing a joining of the two worlds, the Overland and the Underland?