SPOILER ALERT!
The following article may indicate or reveal significant events in the story. Read at your own risk!
Firelight | |
Author | Kazu Kibuishi |
Publisher | Scholastic |
Publication Date | February 23, 2016 |
Number of Pages | 204 |
Series Guide | |
Previous Escape From Lucien |
Next Supernova |
Firelight is the seventh installment in the Amulet series.The book was published by Scholastic on February 23, 2016.
Overview
Emily, Trellis, and Vigo visit Algos Island, where they can access and enter lost memories. They're hoping to uncover the events of Trellis's mysterious childhood -- knowledge they can use against the Elf King. What they discover is a dark secret that changes everything. Meanwhile, the Voice of Emily's Amulet is getting stronger, and threatens to overtake her completely.
Plot
The first scene shows Emily as a young girl hiking with her dad in the woods. After a while, it becomes clear to Emily that this is only a dream. When she wakes up, her friends are searching for Algos Island, the complication is, that it is on no map. Once they come across it, they find that it is simply a supply station filled with memory ghosts that Stonekeepers had killed. On the ship, stowing away, is Gabilan. He tells them his story after he is found out. After that, he takes Emily andTrellis to a high-powered submarine, where they then go to an underwater cavern containing an abandoned spacecraft forgotten by the Cielis Guard. After the war broke out they could not investigate further, as Gablian explains. They arrive at the Nexus, where he keeps all his stolen memories. Gabilan himself cannot enter the memories, but he can view them. Stonekeepers are the only ones who can enter the memories, so Emily and Trellis are sent into the Nexus. First, they go through Trellis's memory, where it is revealed that The Voice is a servant of aliens who want to make Alledia their new home. After that memory, Trellis wants to go back through the gate. But Emily rushes into another gate, driven by her stone, and followed by Trellis. There, they see Emily's memory, where it is revealed that a depressed man was the reason Emily's dad swerved and crashed over the cliff. Emily uses her powers to save her family, but after she does so, she is ordered to kill the man by her father, who is actually the Voice in disguise. Trellis tries to reason with Emily, but is told to stay out of her way. The younger Emily tells Trellis to find her and bring her back, and Trellis states he'll do his best.The Voice uses the memory to subdue Emily into his plan. Emily can't fight the voice, even with Trellis's help, and becomes consumed by the Voice, turning into a huge phoenix. She is ordered to kill Trellis, but he escapes, just as the Nexus explodes. Emily escapes, though, into the sky. Vigo says quietly, Emily is gone. Meanwhile, Navin and his gang work up with a chef and some Elf pilots to get to Valcor, where a space project had been hidden and is about to be taken to an Resistance base orbiting Alledia, Navin, his gang, Emily's mom, and the rest of them, besides the stonekeepers, test out the rocket, just as Emily is ordered to kill them to make the Voice's plan begin. In the void Emily's stone controls her and she changes into and firebeast
Insights
SPOILER ALERT!
The following article may indicate or reveal significant events in the story. Read at your own risk!
MAJOR PLOT SPOILERS
I- The Woods
The graphic novel is started with a scene of young Emily and his father hiking in the woods. Soon, the duo reach a rocky cliff, which the young Emily soon attempts to scale at the encouragement of her father. As they scale the mountain, Emily begins to slip. Her father responds by telling her to push away from the cliff, saying "Let go to regain control". Taking his father's advice, Emily successfully scales the cliff and is rewarded with a breathtaking view of a waterfall. The scene then shifts to dusk, where Emily is seen roasting marshmallows with his father outside of their tent. As the marshmallow begins to burn, Emily begins to cry, stating that this camping trip never actually happened, because it was supposed to occur after the fateful crash. Then, her father begins to fade from the scene, indicating that the experience was nothing but a dream.
Insights
Several significant details are included in this scene, most of which foreshadow the looming events. The first of which being when Emily repeats her dad's phrase, "Stay focused on the climb, not what's below". In hindsight, this quote matches Emily's attitude towards challenges, with her personality allowing for her to maintain a can-do attitude, no matter what challenge she faces. The most important quote in this scene is when Emily's father says, "Let go to regain control". The quote foreshadows Emily's loss of control at the end the novel, but also suggests that her loss would not be in vain. With the benefit of hindsight, the reader will know the quote's significance as in Book 8, Emily not only regains control of the stone, but demonstrates greater control of it's powers.
II- Algos Island
After waking up from her dream, Emily's amulet leads them towards an abandoned supply station where the crew refuels. While the rest of the crew remain on the airship, the three Stonekeepers venture deeper into the station. As they explore, memories of the station's former residents appear, who suggest that the residents were all killed by Stonekeepers. Then, it is revealed that this small station is indeed Algos Island. While the Stonekeepers are occupied by the mysterious supply station, the stowaway Galiban decides to strike. After tying up Cogsley and stealing some of Enzo's memories, Dagno is able to incapacitate Galiban, who is quickly tied up and confronted by the Stonekeepers. However, Galiban agrees to take them to the place where he is keeping the stolen memories that the Stonekeepers are looking for, resulting in Emily and Trellis accompanying him in a submarine, to a place deep under the sea.
Insights
While this section appears to be plot oriented, there are still a few moments worth remembering. After the two Stonekeepers enter the submarine, Cogsley comments, "She's a smart kid, Vigo. She'll be alright". Vigo responds by saying, "I know", but also commenting "But I was a father once, and that part of me will never go away". Vigo's comment depicts his uneasiness, which comes as no surprise given Vigo's past. Ultimately, Vigo's intuition proves correct, as Emily loses control of her Amulet at the end of the novel.
III- Suzy's Flying Kitchen
This section begins with Navin, Alyson, and Pil arriving at a city in loaderbots. They are on the path to Valcor, but Pil believes that they will not reach Valcor by foot, and thus suggests that they should try to fly there on an airship. However, because they fail to sell their loaderbots for a reasonable price, they are forced to make compromises. In return for a free flight, they join Suzy's Kitchen, with Navin and Alyson acting as waiters and Pil as a cook. Things do not go well though. Four elves were aboard the ship, with the elder duo being mercenaries after the reward set on the trio's head. However, the younger set of brothers come and help, and helping them escape.
Insights
This section also includes Suzy's story. When asked about whether this was her first kitchen or not, Suzy said no. It turns out that Suzy's first business failed miserably, and she had to work hard as a sous chef to get back on her feet. Suzy tells them how she finally realized why she cooked, with that being because of family. Suzy's history is not only a inspiration to the three, but further reinforces the general theme family demonstrated by all of the Amulet novels. However, this act of soul-searching also provides very relevant knowledge- that success can achieved once one is determined, when one finally realizes their purpose for doing what they do. However, Suzy's story also contributes to the plot, given it sends a similar message as Emily's father does. In the context of this novel, although Emily does indeed lose control of her amulet, Suzy's story offers hope.
IV- The Underwater City
With the storm brewing, The crew of the airship is forced to leave Algos Island. Meanwhile, Emily, Trellis, and Galiban travel to the underwater city, where Galiban has been storing his stolen memories. Once they have entered the city, the stonekeepers are shocked to see millions of memory cubes stacked randomly, towered to the roof of the structure. Galiban gives the two Stonekeepers one of Trellis's memories, to which Galiban comments that it feels heavier before. The stolen memory is a memory from Trellis's childhood, specifically one where the Elf King has Uncle Virgil arrested. Furthermore, in this memory, Virgil reveals to the young Trellis that his father has been infected by the shadows. However, the Elf king appears, permanently scarring Trellis's face with his bare hands and infecting him with Sybrian.
The duo move on to another memory, a labyrinth where they see the King and Max, standing atop pedestals. Emily comments that they look like chess pieces. Then, they see three portals. Trellis suggests that they should take the orange one, but Emily, seeing his father's visage, decides to take the blue portal. Trellis tries to stop Emily, but she refuses, taking the blue portal anyways.
The memory takes them on earth, following a driver. The driver appears to be suicidal, attempting to drive off a cliff. After failing to commit suicide, the driver steps out, attempting to cause another crash. It then becomes apparent that this is indeed the man who caused the fatal crash in Book 1, The Stonekeeper. Emily steps out, shouting in anger for the man to help her family. After reaching the crash site and saving her father with her amulet, her father tells her to make the stranger pay for his actions. Still overcome with anger and grief, Emily is unable to control her amulet, and transforms into the flaming phoenix.
Trellis is incapable of stopping the transformation and escapes the memory, but Emily also escapes. When Trellis emerges, the underwater city is already half submerged as a result of the striker fish attack. Emily, now in phoenix form, breaks through the roof and flies through the sea, into the night sky. Meanwhile, Trellis uses his amulet to make a bubble to save himself, although Galiban refuses to join him. As Trellis floats away, the underwater city is rocked by a massive explosion, with Trellis hoping that Galiban survives. Above the surface, Vigo sees the phoenix, and states that Emily is gone.
Insights
The entire novel was dedicated to building up for this event, and there is certainly a lot to unpack in this section. The first notable moment is when the duo reach the labyrinth, where Emily sees the Elf King and Max in stone, standing on a pedestal. Emily comments, "they look like chess pieces". Through this, Kibuishi symbolizes the true state of those two Stonekeepers. The Elf King and Max are both controlled by The Voice, and by placing them on top of chess pieces, Kibuishi visually symbolizes them as pawns in a game, under the control of The Voice. It is also important to notice that there are two other pedestals, most likely intended for Emily and Trellis.
The next significant moment is when the two Stonekeepers enter the gas station. The clerk says, "Check." and "He says it's your turn now". Given Emily's chess game against The Voice as seen in Prince of the Elves as well context given as the last scene, it is obvious that this quote is in the context of chess. In Chess, check forces a move. By saying check, Kibuishi essentially says that Emily is in trouble, given that the dialogue is directed at Trellis. Furthermore, the chess game serves as an allegory, mirroring the main storyline.
After the crash, when Emily confronts the stranger, the stranger tells "him" to go away, referring to Emily's father. The stranger also states that he has done everything Emily's father had requested. However, in this section, Emily's dad becomes The Voice after she loses control. Given this context, the stranger was probably referring to The Voice. Along with Galiban's statement about how stonekeepers are chosen for their weakness, there is sufficent evidence to suggest the stranger was possessed by The Voice during the car crash, meaning the car crash may as well have been caused by The Voice.
Another key point that is to be made is Emily's form after she loses control. While it would've been expected for her to become a giant, just like many Stonekeepers before her, Emily instead turns into a Phoenix. This difference is yet another creative choice Kibuishi made while writing Emily's inevitable loss of control. However, given the context of the novel (reread section 1 significance), Emily's form as a phoenix does have great symbolical meaning. The phoenix is a mystical bird that bursts into flame upon it's death, but always rises from its ashes after death. Emily's form as a phoenix sets the stage for her return in Supernova, because although Emily may be "dead" for the time being, she, just like a phoenix, will rise again.
V- Into Space
As the novel comes to a close, Aly, Navin, and Pil arrive at Frontera, joining the Resistance's space program. There, Navin is reunited with his mother. The scene then switches over to Vigo, where they successfully recover Trellis after the disaster underwater. The next scene is of Emily, where she arrives at an unknown location, where The Voice reveals their plan. In The Voice's short dialogue, The Voice tells Emily how his masters have sent him to Alledia to prepare the planet for their arrival. After this dialogue ends, Navin, his mother, and the rest of the crew is sent to space. As the boosters ignite, Emily, whose eyes have been closed until now, opens.
Insights
When Emily finally opens her eyes in the very last scene of the novel, her eyes are shaded in red. Although a small detail, this difference in color retains consistency seen throughout the story, during moments when Emily is using the stone's power. While a small detail, it is important detail as Emily was not using the stone at the time, further showing that she had truly lost control by the end of the novel.
Summary (of the insights)
Book 7, Firelight does a great job building up the moments leading to Emily's loss of control. The author achieves this through various scenes that effectively forshadow the looming events (both events within the novel and events in Supernova). Meanwhile, on Navin's side of the dual storyline, Kibuishi continues to spread positive messages. Overall, Firelight offers a seamless transition between the plot of Escape from Lucien (plot based on external conflicts), and Supernova (where the struggles are internal).
Trivia
- This volume marks the first appearance of The Voice on a cover in the series.
- Trellis received the scar on his left eye from the Elf King swiftly cutting through his skin with his finger tips.
- In this volume it is revealed that the Voice is actually a servant of extraterrestrials that want to make Alledia into their new home.
- And that the Voice and the shadows were part of a mission to prep Alledia for its colonization.
- Kazu Kibuishi stated that the time between The Stonekeeper and Firelight is about two years.
- It's unknown if a Stonekeeper can regain control once he/she lost control.
- Emily regains control in Book 8, Supernova
- It is unknown if Gabilan survived the explosion of the Nexus