Gregor the Overlander
Suzanne Collins
 When staying at home with his sick grandmother, and 2-year old sister, nicknamed Boots' (but whose birth name is Margaret), adolescent Gregor struggles with the apparent death of his father. Gregor is left home alone with Boots and his grandmother while his mother, Grace, takes his other sister, Lizzie, off to summer camp. Gregor goes down to his apartment complex's laundry room to do laundry, and takes Boots down with him. Boots starts messing with a grate behind one of the washing machine's. Gregor sees this, and dives after her, but is too late, and Boots falls through the hole, with Gregor falling behind her. They fall miles and miles beneath the earth, very fast, but as they near the bottom of their descent, they miraculously begin to slow down, and land gently on the ground. They land in the Underland, an underground world, hidden miles beneath our world, where humans and giant-talking bats, cockroaches, and even mice coexist in peace, but also a place where a conflict with giant-talking rats exist. The story revolves around a prophecy that centers around young Gregor himself, and how he, the "Warrior", as the Underlanders call him, will fulfill this prophecy. * Gregor: The protagonist of the story. He falls into the Underland with his sister. * Luxa: An Underlander, and the soon to be queen of Regalia. * Ripred: A trustworthy gnawer with deadly fighting skills and sharp intelligence, he fights alongside the humans. * Ares: A flier, first Henry's bond, then Gregor's. He is described as jet black, and strong. * Henry: An Underlander, and Luxa's cousin on the Royal side. * Vikus: Luxa's grandfather and Solovet's husband * Aurora: A flier, Luxa's bond. A golden color. * Boots (Margaret): Named after her grandma, Boots is Gregor's cheerful, two-year-old sister who is afraid of very little. * Nerissa: Luxa's cousin who foresees what either is going to happen or what already did. Ripred describes her flip flopping through time like a fish in the shallows. * Solovet: Luxa's grandmother and Vikus's wife; head of the Regalian army. * Dulcet: a servant in Regalia * Perdita: an Underland soldier. * Gregor's father * Grace: Gregor, Lizzie and Boots' mother * Grandma: Gregor, Lizzie and Boots' grandmother after whom Boots (Margaret) was named. * Mrs. Cormaci: A family friend to Gregor's family * King Gorger: The king of the gnawers (rats) * Queen Wevox: a giant spider. * Gox and Treflex: two spiders * Lizzie: Gregor and Boots' sister, mentioned more than once. * Mareth: One of Regalia's soldiers * Temp & Tick: Cockroaches who call Boots the "Princess". Beware, Underlanders, time hangs by a thread. The hunters are hunted, white water runs red. The gnawers are sent to extinguish the rest. The hope of the hopeless resides in a quest. An Overlander Warrior, a son of the sun, May bring us back light, he may bring us back 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 fliers, 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. * Bartholomew of Sandwich, who led a group of humans down from the Overland into the Underland, saw into the future and carved prophecies – which called Gregor the "Warrior" – into stone walls in a room filled with Prophecies * Luxa's parents, who are described as being killed by rats, which is why Luxa holds a grudge against all rats, good and bad. * Ripred's mate and pups * Henry and Nerissa's parents The creatures in the series resemble their real-life counterparts in almost every way, aside from being very large (most of them being bigger than the humans) and able to speak in the novels. * Humans: Sometimes referred to as the "Killers" by certain Underland species, Underland Humans live, mainly, in the city of Regalia. * Crawlers (Cockroaches): They call Boots the "Princess". * Spinners (Spiders): They provide several types of silk. * Fliers (Bats): These creatures "bond" with their human counterparts in a ceremony. * Gnawers (Rats): They are the antagonists of the story. Most of the Gnawers are violent and aggressive. * Shiners (Fireflies): Eat too much, are lazy and unreliable. * Nibblers (Mice): Are allied to the humans. * Stingers (Scorpions): Are allied by the humans by book 4. * Diggers (Moles): Introduced in book 5. They are the true founders of the Underland. * Twisters (Snakes): Introduced in book 4. * Hissers (Lizards): Introduced in book 3. * Cutters (Ants): Enemies of all warmbloods. Introduced in book 3. * Slimers: (Snails): Are mentioned by Howard in book 4. * Lobsters: They are briefly mentioned by Vikus in book 3; Ripred had tried to invade the Fount with an army of them.