ANIMORPHS #8 |
STORY | BOOKS | CHARACTERS
SUMMARY
What would you do if you were the only alien trapped on a strange planet? Probably freak out, right? Well, that's what Ax feels like doing. But as an Andalite warrior-cadet, he has to be pretty cool about stuff like that. He's been hanging out with the Animorphs ever since the Dome ship was destroyed by the Yeerks and his brother, Prince Elfangor, was destroyed by Visser Three.
Life on Earth is pretty different for Ax. But there is one thing he, Cassie, Marco, Jake, Rachel, and Tobias have in common. Something that one alien, four kids and a hawk know they have to do...stop the Yeerks...
Released: June 1997
Pages: 159
Cover Art by David B. MattinglyFront Cover (Hi-Res)
Inside Cover (Hi-Res)
ADDITIONAL / ALTERNATE COVERS
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U.S. Inside Cover |
U.K. Cover |
German Cover | French Cover |
| bEWARE NEW READERS, SPOILERS AHEAD! |
TRIVIA
- The consequences of destroying the Kandrona Ray in #7: The Stranger are developed further in this book, several weeks later, as the Yeerks scramble to find a replacement and try to keep the invasion a secret.
- Promotional Tie-in: This book came attached with a pair of Ax bookmarks with it. The bookmarks come with humorous tear-off corners, as if Ax bit into them. (Picture below).
- Continuity Note: This is the only book that specifically takes place after a Megamorph Special Edition in the Animorphs timeline, because it directly refers back to its events at the start of the book. Every Megamorph after #1, is placed somewhere in the Animorphs timeline, but they are treated more as stand alone stories instead, as they don't directly affect the outcome of the regular books.
The Megamorphs do, however, continue and tie up open storylines from previous books, and build up the characters and the Animorphs Universe in general. Ex. Megamorphs #3 carries on from The Andalite Chronicles about the Time Matrix, while Megamorphs #4 simply builds upon the bigger game that Ellimist and Crayak play and delivers some insight to the Ellimist's plans as the Animorphs fight the war.
- Although this is Ax's first officially narrated book, it is not the first time that he has narrated. He narrates along with the other Animorphs in Megamorphs #1: The Andalite's Gift, which was published before this book, with the events also chronologically taking place before it as well.
- The Law of Seerow's Kindness is first mentioned in this book, which is later developed in its origin in The Hork-Bajir Chronicles, and hinted at in The Andalite Chronicles. The fact that Ax takes the blame on himself for breaking the law, instead of costing Elfangor's reputation to his people, is visited again a few times in the series. Most notably in #18: The Decision, when the Animorphs are reunited with an Andalite fleet, and Ax has to repeat his story.
- Ax and Tobias were the two main characters in the series who got the least amount of numerical books to narrate. The reason for this came from Scholastic, rather than K.A. They didn't think that kids would be able to relate as well to an alien character, or to a kid trapped as a hawk. As a result, they both got their books in rotations of every 10 books, rather than the 5 like everyone else. Tobias got all the 3's in the series (#3, 13, 23, etc), while Ax got all the 8's (#8, 18, 28, etc).
However, as it turned out, the books for Tobias and Ax were some of the fan's favourites, so both Ax and Tobias were brought into the equal rotation with the rest of the Animorphs near the end of the series (starting in #41: The Familiar).
- We finally learn how an Andalite feeds in this book. They graze the fields, and smash the grass to absorb the nutrients through their hooves.
NEW PLOT ADDITIONS
CHARACTERS
In this book we finally meet Visser Three's Andalite host: Alloran-Semitur-Corrass. Alloran was once a great War-Prince before getting captured by the Yeerks. The capture of his body and mind was the single greatest blow to the Andalites in the war as it revealed several technological and military secrets to the Yeerks. The story of Alloran's final mission and capture is intertwined with Elfangor's story, and is fully explained in The Andalite Chronicles.
We also get to meet several other Andalites in this book, such as Captain Nerefir, who we saw in a flashback as the Captain of the Dome Ship in which both Ax and Elfangor rode to Earth.
Other Andalites from present day appear as well such as Ltheleran-Halas-Corain, the Assistant to the Head of Planetary Communication. He was the first person that Ax talked to when contacting the Andalite home world.
We also get to see Ax and Elfangor's parents here in a one time appearance. Noorlin-Sirinial-Cooraf (father) and Forlay-Esgarrouth-Maheen (mother). Ax's father plays an important role here in this book as he asks Ax to take on the duty of his Andalite customs to avenge his brother's death.
Lirem-Arrepath-Terrouss, the Head of Council also makes an appearance.
Eslin 359 played as the Yeerk who gave Ax the location of Visser Three's feeding ground.
MORPHS
Jake None. Rachel None. Cassie None. Marco None. Tobias None. Ax Rattlesnake Visser Three None.
TERMS
Aristh
An Andalite warrior cadet.Estreen
A person, like Cassie, with the ability to make morphing an art form.Nothlit
A person who staying in morph past the two-hour limit, and is now stuck in that form forever.The Law of Seerow's Kindness
An Andalite's law that forbids revealing Andalite technology or secrets to other alien species. The law is named after an Andalite named Seerow, who felt sorry for the Yeerks and gave them Andalite technology so that they, too, could fly to the stars. It was because of this gift that the Yeerks were able to start enslaving creatures around the galaxy. You can read more about Seerow in The Hork-Bajir Chronicles.Shorm
Two meanings: (1) Tail blade (2) A deep friend, someone you never lie to and who knows all of your secrets. A person you trust so much that they could put their tail blade up against your throat and you wouldn't worry.
- Check the Alien-English Dictionary for more detailed terms and descriptions.
PROMOTIONAL ITEMS
By David B. Mattingly
(Bite mark tearoffs)
RELATED LINKS
K.A. Q&A Archives
Reading List and Anibase Download
Alien-English DictionarySubmit Trivia or your most Memorable Quotes!
CREDITS
A big credit to Jeff Sampson for helping build and write the Anibase, which provided much of the inside information towards the series.
Thanks to both Sat and Michael for providing a scan of the Ax bookmarks!
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