The Power of Five
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| Author | Anthony Horowitz |
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| Country | United Kingdom |
| Genre | Fantasy, horror, thriller |
| Publisher | Walker Books |
| Published | 2005-2012 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
The Power of Five (also known as The Gatekeepers in the US) is a series of fantasy and suspense novels, written by British author Anthony Horowitz. As of 2012, all the novels have been completed (although Anthony Horowitz stated on Twitter that he was having to rewrite Book Five, Oblivion, due to a suggestion from his agent). The fifth novel, Oblivion, will be out sometime around September 2012. He also stated that he has been researching global warming for the last book in the Power of Five series.[1] The series is published in the UK by Walker Books Ltd and in the United States by Scholastic Press. The novels deal heavily in the occult and examples of things such as human sacrifice and blood rituals are major plot elements, such as in the first book, where the protagonist, Matthew Freeman, is hunted by a Satanic cult who want to conduct a blood sacrifice on him to blast open a portal using a combination of nuclear physics and black magic, to unlock another dimension which is holding a group of ancient evil demons captive.
Plot overview
The series focuses on five children: Matt Freeman, Pedro, Scott Tyler, Jamie Tyler, and Scarlett Adams, a group of fourteen-year-old children (all five children turn fifteen in Necropolis) who are destined to defeat mystical entities known only as "the Old Ones" who ruled for a long period of time ten thousand years ago. Matt is the appointed leader. The Gatekeepers won in the past through allowing Sapling, the third Gatekeeper, to sacrifice himself, and upon Sapling's death, his future incarnation, Jamie Tyler, was sent into the past to reunite all the Gatekeepers and repair their strength to defeat the Old Ones. The Gatekeepers also won because the Old Ones do not understand Scarlett Adams' powers. In the present day the Gatekeepers have been reincarnated as modern day teenagers because the Old Ones are about to escape the world they were sent to and rule over humanity a second time. The books focus on the modern day children trying to defeat the Old Ones again.
The Five
Matthew Freeman
Matt is the leader of the Five and has seemingly been appointed as such by an unknown power (possibly the Librarian). Like the other Gatekeepers, Matt lost his parents very early on in life; in his case, they died in a car crash on their way to a wedding, something he feels he is responsible, which leads him to become reclusive, although he can be communicative when it's needed. Matt dropped out from school and became a juvenile delinquent, and was arrested after breaking into a warehouse in Ipswich, when one of his friends stabbed a guard and ran away. Being too young for prison, Matt was sent to a detention centre where he was eventually put onto the Liberty and Education Achieved through Fostering Project, in which he was sent to live with a woman named Jayne Deverill, who is part of a witch coven that attempts to free a group of demons called the Old Ones. Matt foils their plans with the help of a journalist named Richard Cole, who becomes a father-figure to him.
He travels with Richard to Nazca, Peru, that is a gigantic gate which the Old Ones will break through. Matt fails to stop their release and the King of the Old Ones knocks him unconscious and flees to the Antarctic after being injured by Matt releasing a blast of kinetic energy. Matt remains in Nazca with Richard and Joanna Chambers, a local white professor, and meets Pedro, a Peruvian slum boy who turns out to be the second of the Five, and later the next two: Jamie and Scott Tyler, two (assumed) Native American twins. At this time Matt has decided he just wants the demons defeated so he can return to school and live a normal life once more, as he is constantly tired of being different. Matt engineers a trip to Hong Kong, but he decides not to use the portals built for the Five, as he fears the Old Ones might use them to capture them. Matt is successful at finding Scarlett, the fifth of the Five, completing the group, but an agent of the Nightrise Corporation shoots Scarlett in the head, fatally wounding her. Matt is horrified at this and saves Scarlett from hitting the ground, then all the Five plunge through the portal, but as they had no destination in mind while doing it, they become scattered across the planet, unable to present an united front against the Old Ones.
Pedro
Pedro is one of the last descendants of the Inca people who once ruled Peru. He used to live in the Peruvian highlands, near the river Chillon, until it exploded and drowned his whole village. However, someone saved Pedro for an unknown reason. Just like Matt, Pedro blames himself for having survived while his family died. Pedro got together with several flood survivors from his hometown travelled to Lima with them, but while the rest of survivors got jobs, Pedro became a beggar. Matt recognized him as one of the Five after Pedro saved him from being beaten up by corrupt policemen, and they became as close as brothers. Pedro can only speak Spanish and Matt knows only English but in their dreams they speak the same language and can communicate without difficulty.
Strangely, Pedro is physically identical to Manco Capac, the son of the Sun and one of the first founders of Incan society, according to Incan mythology. Pedro has the power of healing as his special power which he heals Matt with at the end of Evil star. Thus he will be vital in the reordering of the world after the final battle has been fought and the Old Ones have been conquered.
Scott and Jamie Tyler
Native-American twins Jamie and Scott Tyler are two of the Five Gatekeepers, and are the main protagonists in the third book in the series, Nightrise. At the beginning of the novel, Jamie and Scott are working in a dingy theatre in Reno, Nevada, USA, under the whim of their "Uncle Don" who is not really their uncle, but Jamie and Scott are forced to call him that. After a performance Scott is kidnapped and both physically and mentally tortured by the sinister Nightrise Corporation at a privately owned juvenile prison called Silent Creek, in the outskirts of Nevada. Jamie is rescued by his tribe of Native Americans and creates a plan to save Scott. Along the way he winds up dead and ends up in the past, ten thousand years before his time, and takes place in the first battle against the Old Ones. Sapling, Jamie's former self, was killed by the Old Ones, hence he was 'replaced' by Jamie. At the end of the novel Jamie and Scott are united with Matt and Pedro.
Jamie and Scott's power is telepathy and they have the power to control other people and make them abide by the instructions given by one of them. this is shown when Scott (controlled by Nightrise) controls a Secret Service Agent Warren Cornfield to shoot Senator Trelawny. However Jamie changes his mind just in time and makes him shoot the one who tortured Scott, Susan Mortlake. As well as being able to read each other's thoughts automatically. Jamie has shown that he doesn't like using his powers. The twins are described as being very skinny (to the point of being malnourished) with long black hair and dark eyes. Both twins have had their hair cut by the end of Nightrise.
Their past incarnations are Sapling (Jamie) and Flint (Scott). Matt had stated that Scott's past incarnation name, Flint. In Washoe history Flint was evil and had killed his brother. He was angry when Matt split him and Jamie apart in Necropolis, because the twins had never been so far apart. Matt stated that he thought Scott could not be trusted yet. Jamie and Scott are both fourteen years old in Nightrise, but are fifteen in Necropolis. In Necropolis, it shows that Jamie is now more in charge of the two, as Scott is very withdrawn and quiet. Scott also shuts down when in stress. The reason was that he was thoroughly programmed while held captive by the Nightrise agents in Nevada, USA. Nightrise said that it was possible to turn Scott against his friends. The twins went through the doorway together in the Tai Shan Temple in Hong Kong although Jamie ended up in Lincolnshire in England while Scott may have ended up in North America in Lake Tahoe. They can communicate with each other and the other members of the Five in a dream world (in Necropolis).
Scarlett Adams
Scarlett is the fifth of the Five and is the main protagonist in the fourth book Necropolis. She had a friend called Aidan. She appears to be Eurasian, or completely Asian, but adopted by Europeans. She lived in Dulwich. She was adopted, but her new parents divorced. They were Vanessa, who ran a holiday company that put together packages in China and Far East, and Paul Adams, who specialized in international business law. Her mother was described as tall, blonde and elegant while her father was described as having the looks of a lawyer with greying hair, a round face and glasses. She bears a strong resemblance, and is described by some, as Lin Mo, the Chinese goddess of the sea. Scarlett's father Paul works for the Nightrise Corporation, at the end of Nightrise she leaves on a flight to Hong Kong.
Scarlett's power is weather control. Scarlett's power was at first thought to be predicting the weather but was proven that she could also control it when she summoned a typhoon to escape after she was captured. This is also noted in Nightrise as Scar summons a rainstorm to mask Inti's arrival at the first battle against the old ones. Scarlett was described as being small, slim, and looking partly asian. She also had long black hair, strange hazel-green eyes and had the soft brown skin of a girl born in China, or another part of Central Asia. While her parents are out working, Scarlett is taken care of by a woman, Mrs Christina Murdoch. She is short, dark-haired and seemed to have no sense of humour at all. Scarlett and Mrs Murdoch had agreed silently that they were never going to be friends although they got on well enough.
Scarlett is known to act before she thinks, like when she pushed a teacher (who couldn't swim) fully clothed into the school's swimming pool. Scarlett is shown as brave throughout Necropolis. Her past incarnation, who appeared before Scarlett in Nightrise, is known as Scar.
At the end of Necropolis, Scarlett is shot by a Nightrise agent. She is then paired with Richard Cole when they go through the door. What happened next and if Scarlett recovers or survives is unknown. If she does die she will have to be replaced by Scar. She can communicate with the others when she's asleep in a strange dreamworld.
Books
Raven's Gate
Fourteen year old Matthew Freeman is living in Ipswich ever since his parent's mysterious death by drowning which he somehow prophesised. Matthew his been living with the guilt of not warning his parents about their upcoming death. Since then, he has become a juvenile delinquent, but one of his thefts goes horribly wrong when his cowardly friend stabs a security guard in the back and flees. Matthew is arrested and given a choice between jail and living in the country with an old woman named Jayne Deverill. Matthew should have chosen jail, as he quickly discovers that the village he has been sent to is actually inhabited by a coven of evil witches who are seeking to free a horde of demons known as the Old Ones who were somehow imprisoned by Matthew himself thousands of years ago, along with four other children. Matthew defeats the villagers and reimprisons the Old Ones, but has to live up to his responsibility as a Gatekeeper - one of the Five - when he learns a second Gate is opening in Peru.
Evil Star
The evil at Raven's Gate has been sealed again - but a second, more powerful Gate is opening, this time in Peru, South America. Matthew is sent there by the Nexus, the society formed to fight the Old Ones, whose job it is to protect Matthew and the Gatekeepers. Matthew and Richard Cole, a journalist who saved his life at Raven's Gate, travel to Peru but from the start things go horribly wrong. Richard is kidnapped and Matthew himself is robbed - but Matthew quickly realizes he has found a second Gatekeeper, by the name of Pedro, the boy who was trying to rob him. Matthew and Pedro join up with the last Incas, who it turned out kidnapped Richard whilst trying to rescue Matthew. Matthew and Richard and Pedro are reunited, and together try to close the Gate. However, they fail and the Old Ones are released upon the Earth.
Nightrise
Jamie and Scott Tyler are both telepathic twins living in Nevada who perform telepathic acts. According to Horowitz's official website, Nightrise is like nothing he has done before.[2] Matt Freeman, Pedro and Richard Cole feature only briefly in this book; more important is the introduction of a new heroine (Horowitz's first female hero) named Scarlett.[3] She is mostly seen only in the past section of Nightrise, and is set to be the main protagonist in the fourth book of the series.[4] Nightrise was officially released on 2 April 2007 in the UK and was then released in the USA on May 1, 2007. The first chapter was hidden in Horowitz's website in August 2006.
The story concerns the adventures of Jamie Tyler trying to find his brother Scott Tyler, who was kidnapped by an evil corporation named the Nightrise Corporation, but before Jamie can find his brother he must enroll at the Silent Creek Prison to find more information about Scott's whereabouts. However his situation turns from bad to worse as he is catapulted ten thousand years in the past and faces the full horror of the Old Ones with the other four Gatekeepers. The five of them defeat the Old Ones and give the world a new start... but soon after he returns to the present time, Jamie discovers all about who and what he is. Jamie realizes that the end of the world will soon arrive, just like it did ten thousand years ago... He must meet with the other Gatekeepers, but is there enough time left?
Necropolis
Hong Kong has been taken over by the Old Ones and has become Necropolis, City of the Dead. Once in, there is no way out… Evil has been unleashedbuff et de kats – with special powers – can save it. Matt and the other three desperately need to find Scarlett Adams, the final Gatekeeper, who has been trapped in Hong Kong, where shape-changers and possessed humans stalk the street calamity befalls Hong Kong and hope soon turns black for humanity. The Old Ones are luring the Gatekeepers into the Necropolis by holding Scarlett hostage in Hong Kong. Matt and Jamie go to Hong Kong with Richard Cole to try and thwart the Old Ones' plan, but Scarlett discovers her power all too soon. Scarlett's power is to control the weather, whereas the Old Ones presumed that she could only forecast the weather. Scarlett's power is the strongest one of all of the Five, as Matt realises, when Scarlett unleashes a storm so powerful that no-one can stop it. By holding onto her, the other four children and each with a guest survive the storm and make it into a church. The Five can use special doorways built into churches which the Five can use to teleport around the planet. The Five all go into the doorway, but Scarlett is mortally shot. To make matters worse, the Five have no fixed destination in mind, which results in them being scattered across the face of the planet.
Oblivion
The last of The Power of Five has finally been completed, according to Anthony Horowitz. He Tweeted on the 19th February, Anthony tweeted "2.15am. 197,690 words. 57 chapters. I have finished Oblivion!" to signify his completion of the book. He also stated that he believes the book will be out in October 2012.[5]
The first chapter reveals that Jamie ended up in St Boltoph's church in Boston, England. According to Anthony Horowitz, the final book is about the Old Ones attempting to destroy the world through global warming, and it deals with the Gatekeepers trying to find each other again after being separated in Necropolis. The book is therefore split into five different sections: Earth, Fire, Water, Ice and Air, relating to Matt, Pedro, Jamie, Scott and Scarlett, respectively. As the release date, October 2012, coincides with the theories concerning the 2012 phenomenon, many believed the phenomenon would play a role in the book. Horowitz confirmed on Twitter that it would not. On Amazon.co.uk Oblivion (Book Five of the Gatekeepers) is 928 pages long hardcover. Also it says the book is going to be released October 4, 2012.
Pentagram
The Power of Five series is based on ideas from a series written by Anthony Horowitz in 1983-1989, Pentagram. Pentagram was meant to have five books, but only four (The Devil's Doorbell, The Night of the Scorpion, The Silver Citadel and The Day of the Dragon) were ever published. The reasons for which the fifth book was never published remain unclear. The new series significantly expands and modernizes the original books, with greater focus on character and on building a sense of impending doom.
References
External links
The Power of Five official website
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