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This page contains a chapter by chapter summary of '''''[[Lux (book)|Lux]]
▲This page contains a chapter by chapter summary of '''''[[Lux (book)|Lux]].''''' We hope this summary will make it easier to find specific areas of the book, as well as providing a quick plot refresher for anyone who doesn't want to take the time to reread the entire book.
<div style="float:right; padding-left:1em z-index: 20;">__TOC__</div>
== Prologue ==
The narrator describes the world of the Reckoners, including how Epics came to be and how the Reckoners rose to fight them. They tell us that
== Part 1 ==
}}
;Summary
Jax and Hershel are gambling over a snickers bar in [[Galveston]]. Jax wins, but then cuts the bar in half and splits it with Hershel. Jax claims entry #97 from
=== Chapter 2 ===
*[[Jax (Reckoners)|Jax]] (point of view)
*[[Hershel]]
*[[Abigail
*[[
*[[Wade]]
*[[Wingflare]]
}}
;Summary
Jax and Hershel prepare to execute the plan, marveling at the sheer size of the city of Lux. The five
=== Chapter 3 ===
;Summary
:''Seven years ago''
A young Jax is visiting his older brother Dan
=== Chapter 4 ===
;Characters
{{columns|
* [[Jax (Reckoners)|Jax]] (point of view)
* [[Prof]]
}}
;Summary
Jax wakes up in Prof's car. Prof reveals that instead of going to New York, they are going to the Coop because Prof has decided that Jax is a perfect candidate for Reckoner training. Prof
=== Chapter 5 ===
}}
;Summary
Jax and Prof arrive in Newcastle and meet Zeff. Prof convinces him to take Jax to the Coop despite his young age, saying that a younger recruit could be more loyal, and that kids learn more easily. Prof leaves, and Jax goes with Zeff to the Coop. Zeff explains the rules of the Coop, and when Jax fails to comply, Zeff sentences him to two hours on the post. Jax falls off continuously, which only extends his sentence on the post. Zeff lets Jax off at sunset, then they enter the Coop. Zeff shows Jax to his room, and takes Shiloh, saying that Jax won't get it back until he knows how to use it.
=== Chapter 6 ===
*[[Zeff]]
*[[Paige]]
*[[
*[[Prof]]
}}
;Summary
Two years pass, and Zeff has taught Jax and Paige stealth, acrobatics, observation, and firearms. Paige is revealed to be a much better shot than Jax, and her confidence grows as a result of her success. Zeff starts having Jax and Paige train in close quarters combat with older Reckoners. Jax does horribly against the older kids, and Zeff often has him outnumbered or otherwise disadvantaged. He let Jax and Paige fight side by side together, though they sometimes had to fight up to seven enemies at once. Over the course of several nights, Jax and Paige invent what they called a coiler, which reverses the effects of motivators. They test it out on a water magnet motivator, and the water is forced away from the device instead of being drawn towards it. Jax uses this to fix a motivator made from the DNA of an Epic called Slingshot, who had teleportation powers. Before, teleporting an object would cause the object's molecules to disassemble because of the instability. With the coilers however, Jax is able to teleport
Jax and Paige get word that Prof is visiting the Coop, but Zeff says that he is too embarrassed to show them to Prof and locks them in the kitchen. At Paige's suggestion, Jax escapes the kitchen through the ventilation duct and gets one of their motivators. The motivator, Sonic Snare, allows Jax to hear conversations in other areas of the Coop. He overhears Zeff talking about him to Prof. Zeff speaks highly of Jax, praising his determination and skill. Later, Zeff figures out that they had spied on the meeting, but is impressed rather than angry.
=== Chapter 10 ===
;Characters
*[[Prof]]
*[[Zeff]]
*[[Abigail
*[[Paige]]
*[[Dean Knighthawk]] (Mentioned only)
}}
;Summary
Jax wakes up to find Prof outside his door, who remarks on how Jax has changed. Zeff reveals that he has known about Jax's work with the motivators, as well as Jax's stealing of supplies for his work. Reckoners gather at the coop, and Prof tells them about Lux. He says that many Epics and groups of Epics have stood against Lux, but all have been defeated, but they don't know why. While everyone else was tasked with going to Arlington with Abigail,
=== Chapter 11 ===
;Characters
*[[Dean Knighthawk]]
*[[Zeff]]
*[[
*[[The Wooden Soul]]
*[[Mitosis (Epic)|Mitosis]]
}}
;Summary
Early in the morning, Jax and Zeff leave for El Paso and arrive there a few hours later. The former battlefield is filled with drones and mechanical clean-up crews. They enter a temporary building and meet Knighthawk and his motivator-operated manequin, the Wooden Soul. Also in the room is a man who Knighhawk simply calls “The Californian”, who says he is a California Reckoner. Knighthawk says that they have been doing experiments on the DNA of Mitosis. Knighthawk tells Jax about fathom, a motivator he is working on but is having trouble with. Jax tells Knighthawk about his similar work on Sonic Snare, unwittingly revealing important information about motivators. Knighthawk leaves to go work on the motivator, asking Zeff to come with him. Alone with Jax, The Californian discusses channeling Epic powers through the human body instead of motivators, a highly theoretical process. Again, Jax reveals more important information to him. Afterward, Zeff is furious at Jax, reprimanding him for revealing secrets, and telling him to be more careful. Zeff says that whoever the Californian is, he is not a Reckoner. Zeff reveals that he stole the Mitosis DNA sample from the Californian’s things, and they quickly leave El Paso and start driving to Arlington.
=== Chapter 12 ===
*[[Zeff]]
*[[Wingflare]]
*[[Abigail
}}
;Summary
{{columns|
*[[Jax (Reckoners)|Jax]] (point of view)
*[[
*[[Wingflare]] (Mentioned only)
*[[Abigail
*[[Hershel]]
}}
;Summary
Jax meets up with the surviving Texas Reckoners, led by Abigail. Abigail gently informs Jax that Paige is dead, killed when Wingflare dropped a section of road on her. Abigail tries to contact Prof, but he doesn’t respond. She is unable to contact any other Reckoners, leaving the Texas Reckoners as just four members: Abigail, Jax, Hershel, and
=== Chapter 14 ===
*[[Jax (Reckoners)|Jax]] (point of view)
*[[Hershel]]
*[[
*[[Abigail
*[[Wade]]
}}
They arrive back at the Coop, which seems silent and empty. Jax shows them the different motivators, and displays his skill at throwing his sword. Hershel shows Jax his Bucket book, where he lists things he wants to do before he dies. Jax adds to the list, joining in the game. Jax shows them the disassembled fathom motivator, which can scan areas and create a 3D image of it. Abigail later shows Jax a propaganda flyer, which tells people about the wondrous paradise of Lux. It says which cities Lux will be stopping at, and that it will drop ladders. Supposedly, Lux allows people to climb the ladders up into the city to live there in a paradise. Jax says that he needs a good tech expert to help him map out Lux. Hershel mentions Wade, who is a brilliant but young hacker who has been living in a bunker by himself the past few years. Abigail and Hershel express doubt about his fighting skill, but Jax offers to train Wade in basic combat skills. Wade joins them at The Coop a while later.
Over the next several months, Jax trains Wade, as well as studying Lux, both from afar and with the fathom motivator. They discover that people climbing into the city are not immediately killed after reaching the top, disproving one of their previous theories. Jax tests his reversal coilers on different motivators, wondering what reversing fathom would do. He tests it on a can that he puts on a table, and the can bursts into flames and is consumed. Upon furthur inspection, Jax realizes that the motivator had turned the can into a two dimensional outline on the table, which Jax was unable to wipe away. Jax fires at the 2D can with the reversal coilers off, and the table itself catches fire and burns up, leaving the 3D can in the middle of the ashes, back to its original state. Jax shows it to the others, and they realize they can use fathom to smuggle weapons and equipment into Lux, by hiding them on slips of paper which they decide to call
=== Chapter 15 ===
*[[Jax (Reckoners)|Jax]] (point of view)
*[[Hershel]]
*[[
*[[Abigail
*[[Wade]]
}}
;Summary
Back in the present, after the events in Galveston, Jax sits on the beach with Hershel and watches the city burn in the distance. Abigail calls, telling them that
A few days later Abigail talks to Jax, and says that she forgives him for what he did in Galveston, though she tells him to be more careful. Afterwards, the Reckoners have a meeting and survey Lux using schematics provided by their fathom radar. They figure out that there’s another Epic on Lux controlling the weather. Jax says that he and Wade could build a motivator from Wingflare’s DNA to allow them to take control of the city’s movements. To take control however, they need to hook the motivator up to Lux’s power grid in order to get enough power. Jax shows them how he plans to deal with Lifeforce. Jax shows them how he reversed the powers of Mitosis using coilers, making a unique motivator. Mitosis' power had been the ability to make copies of himself. The coilers make it so that the motivator reduces copies. Jax shows them that using the mitosis motivator on a singular object causes that object to cease to exist.
Abigail lays out a plan for their infiltration of Lux. They will enter Lux the next time it stops at a town to let people in, hiding their gear using
=== Chapter 16 ===
*[[Jax (Reckoners)|Jax]] (point of view)
*[[Hershel]]
*[[
*[[Abigail
*[[Wade]]
}}
;Summary
Over the next several months, the Texas Reckoners prepare for the day of the infiltration. They hide in an apartment building nearby, waiting for Wade to come back. He arrives with multiple pizzas, having hacked into the delivery database of an Epic’s personal pizzeria. As they feast, they all discuss what they would do if they could spend an entire day doing anything with anyone. Hershel says he would want to spend a day at the zoo with his mom. Wade says he would get back a video game he had once lost and play it again. Jax says he would spend the day with his older brother, eating waffles and tinkering with old musket parts.
=== Chapter 17 ===
*[[Jax (Reckoners)|Jax]] (point of view)
*[[Hershel]]
*[[
*[[Abigail
*[[Wade]]
*[[Zeff]] (mentioned only)
;Summary
Thousands of hopefuls wait for Lux in the town of Sweetwater, Texas. As the Reckoners wait, they discuss what they think is up there.
=== Chapter 18 ===
*[[Jax (Reckoners)|Jax]] (point of view)
*[[Hershel]]
*[[
*[[Abigail
*[[Wade]]
*[[Paige]]
;Summary
Jax and the rest of the team are two miles above the earth, still climbing the ladders. Up that high, it is freezing and windy. They climb up into a thick cluster of black clouds, obscuring their vision. An hour later, they reach the top, emerging into sunlight. They are greeted by two Ravens, who welcome them to the city, though their voices are distorted by a voice modulator in their helmets. they are ushered into a processing room, where at least a hundred Ravens wait in formation. Ravens come forward and begin searching them, though all their weapons are hidden in
They stand on a hill, gazing down at a real carnival down below, complete with carnival games, cotton candy, and a Ferris wheel.
The Raven follows them inside, closing the door and locking it. Panicking, Jax and the others attack the Raven. The Raven pulls out a gun, leveling it at Abigail's head and yells for them to stop. The Raven takes off the helmet, revealing Paige's face.
*[[Jax (Reckoners)|Jax]] (point of view)
*[[Hershel]]
*[[
*[[Abigail
*[[Wade]]
*[[Paige]]
*[[Jax (Reckoners)|Jax]] (point of view)
*[[Hershel]]
*[[
*[[Abigail
*[[Wade]]
*[[Paige]]
;Summary
Paige tells the others about the four Epics in Lux: Lifeforce, Languish, Cloudbreaker, and Wingflare. She says she doesn't know much about Lifeforce, as he is secretive. Jax explains their plan to Paige, as well as summarizing what has happened since Arlington. Paige tells them that the power grid is underground, along with the Raven tunnels. They look at the tunnel blueprints, and find a storage closet thirty-five feet away from the power grid. They realize that they can get into the storage closet, then dig five feet through the rock, using a reversed sonic snare to keep them from being heard. Then, they would be close enough to use the boomerang watches to teleport in an out of the room, and be able to work for thirty seconds at a time. Paige says she can get them into the storage closet through the ventilation system. Abigail assigns
=== Chapter 21 ===
*[[Jax (Reckoners)|Jax]] (point of view)
*[[Hershel]]
*[[
*[[Abigail
*[[Wade]]
*[[Paige]]
}}
;Summary
The team works on different aspects of their plan, then head out when the time comes. They board the Alyssa after crossing the pond in paddle boats. Wade secures an antenna to the outside of the ship, then they all head inside. The team proceeds via a series of air ducts, activating the sound envelope to cover their progress. They break through a locked door using a hand buzzsaw, still unheard by Ravens thanks to the reversed sonic snare, proceeding into a the supply room from which they will teleport. Hershel blows dozens of holes in the wall using explosive charges. Wade hacks the security camera to mask their movements and provide information, and Jax goes in to eliminate the single security guard with
=== Chapter 22 ===
*[[Jax (Reckoners)|Jax]] (point of view)
*[[Hershel]]
*[[
*[[Abigail
*[[Wade]]
*[[Paige]]
;Summary
They hurriedly leave the Raven tunnels, and none of them speak as they work back at base. Jax wants to rescue
Jax wants to duel
== Part 2 ==
*[[Jax (Reckoners)|Jax]] (point of view)
*[[Hershel]]
*[[Abigail
*[[Wade]]
*[[Paige]]
{{Columns|
*[[Lifeforce]] (point of view)
*[[
*[[Shiversting]] (mentioned only)
*[[
}}
;Summary
Lifeforce enters
=== Chapter 26 ===
*[[Wade]]
*[[Paige]]
*[[
*[[Glimmer]] (mentioned only)
}}
;Summary
As Wade works on planning their route, the others discuss what to do with the prisoners in the tubes. They set out through the tunnels under the palace, following Wade’s route. They enter
=== Chapter 27 ===
*[[Wade]]
*[[Paige]]
*[[
}}
;Summary
They arrive at the ladder drop point, and Jax demands that
=== Chapter 28 ===
; Characters
{{Columns|
*[[
}}
;Summary
=== Chapter 29 ===
;Summary
The Reckoners decide to kidnap Languish. While Wade works on analyzing Languish’s security detail, Hershel gives Jax
=== Chapter 31 ===
{{Columns|
*[[Lifeforce]] (point of view)
*[[
}}
;Summary
Lifeforce summons
=== Chapter 33 ===
}}
;Summary
Back at their base, Jax takes a sample of Languish’s blood and begins making a motivator. Languish wakes up, staying calm and asking for a glass of water. Hershel tries using intimidation, but to little effect. Languish talks about his luxurious life, and asks why he’d want to help them destroy that life. At Jax’s urging, Languish recounts Lifeforce’s history. He and Lifeforce had been good friends before Calamity, and were also good friends with a girl named
=== Chapter 34 ===
Wingflare leads him to the old Oval Office, where three platters sit on the table, each one with a cover. Paige is there, and Wingflare announces that they are going to play a game. Wingflare tells them that she is deathly allergic to pine nuts, and that it’s her weakness. Wingflare tells Jax that each plate contains a piece of licorice. One piece is ordinary licorice, one is laced with pine sap, and one is laced with a lethal poison. She says that each of them must eat one of the pieces of licorice, and that Jax can choose who gets which.
Jax says she’s lying about her weakness, saying that it’s actually
=== Chapter 39 ===
}}
;Summary
Lifeforce contemplates one of the paintings in his palace, mentally comparing Lux to Rome: a perfect city amidst the horrible outside. He mentally compares the Reckoners to a colony of beetles, chewing away at his achievement. Lifeforce feels sudden tremors and radios a Raven, who doesn’t know what’s going on. Later a Raven arrives and tells him of the confrontation between Wingflare and Languish.
=== Chapter 41 ===
}}
;Summary
Lifeforce enters his lab, and discovers that the Reckoners have kidnapped
=== Chapter 42 ===
;Characters
{{columns|
*[[Jax (Reckoners)|Jax]] (point of view)
*[[Paige]]
}}
;Summary
Jax and Paige run from the White House as it falls, and break out through a window. Jax uses a coiler from Paige’s pocket and applies it to the glimmer motivator. He rewires the boomerang watch, boosting its power to transport two people. Jax uses the reversed glimmer motivator to make himself and Paige fall incredibly slowly. The motivator soon overheats, and Jax is forced to turn it off as Lux draws level with them, still a long distance away. Jax uses the shockwave gun to fire backwards, launching them towards Lux. They are still too far away, but Jax uses the boomerang watch to teleport them the remaining distance to Lux, and they haul themselves up, back in the city at last.
=== Chapter 43 ===
;Characters
{{columns|
*[[Hershel]] (point of view)
*[[Wade]]
*[[Paige]]
}}
;Summary
Hershel and Wade feel the effects of Lux beginning to fall. Hershel contemplates his rapidly approaching death and greets it calmly, thinking that at least many Epics will die. Hershel begins to tell the story of how he lost his leg, but then
=== Chapter 44 ===
;Characters
{{columns|
*[[Lifeforce]] (point of view)
*[[Lovestruck|Vera]]
}}
;Summary
Lifeforce visits
=== Chapter 45 ===
;Characters
{{columns|
*[[Languish]] (point of view)
*[[Hershel]]
*[[Jax (Reckoners)|Jax]]
}}
;Summary
Languish is in his lakeside house, preparing to flee the city. He no longer trusts any of the people or groups
=== Chapter 46 ===
}}
;Summary
The
=== Chapter 47 ===
*[[Hershel]]
*[[Steelheart_(Epic)|Specialist Jackson]]
*[[
*[[O'Brien]]
}}
;Summary
:''Thirteen years ago''
Hershel talks about his time in the special forces. He receives last-minute orders to go to Siberia shortly after returning from Egypt. He travels to Russia by plane, thinking about the thrill of combat; being shot at, and surviving by the skin of his teeth. Hershel and his team drop
=== Chapter 48 ===
;Characters
{{columns|
*[[Languish]]
*[[Hershel]]
*[[Jax (Reckoners)|Jax]]
*[[Paige]]
*[[Wade]]
}}
;Summary
Hershel finishes his story, saying that he was found and rescued by a helicopter soon after passing out. Languish gives Hershel the candy bar, who gives it to Jax. Jax and Hershel use a syringe to collect some of Languish’s blood. They plan how they are going to kill Lifeforce. Jax plans to use the Lanugish DNA to make a motivator that will use fumes to diminish Lifeforce’s abilities slowly, weakening him and causing Lux to slowly float down to earth.
=== Chapter 49 ===
;Characters
{{columns|
*[[Lifeforce]] (point of view)
*[[Cloudbreaker]]
}}
;Summary
Lifeforce studies his destroyed painting for hours, deep in thought. A Raven approached, delivering Cloudbreaker’s request for a meeting and annoying Lifeforce greatly. Lifeforce meets with Cloudbreaker in a bunker, and Cloudbreaker expresses contempt for Languish and Wingflare, and challenges Lifeforce’s authority. Lifeforce warns her, telling her to mind her place. Cloudbreaker announces that she has summoned the frost, a cataclysmic ice storm. Lifeforce tells her to recall the frost. She refuses, and he withdraws his healing, allowing an old wound to kill her.
=== Chapter 50 ===
;Characters
{{columns|
*[[Languish]]
*[[Hershel]]
*[[Jax (Reckoners)|Jax]]
*[[Paige]]
*[[Wade]]
}}
;Summary
The Reckoners hurry outside as icy clouds begin to descend over Lux, blanketing the city. Languish tells them that Cloudbreaker has summoned a frost, and that everything will die within mere hours. Languish tells them that they have to leave the city, but the Reckoners are determined to stay. Languish wants to leave, but Jax doesn’t want him as a hindrance and lets him go. After he leaves, Jax reveals that he has hidden a tracking device in Languish’s supplies so they can track him. They decide that they need to get to Cloudbreaker’s mansion immediately.
=== Chapter 51 ===
;Characters
{{columns|
*[[Lifeforce]] (point of view)
}}
;Summary
Lifeforce runs into his lab, hurriedly grabbing Cloudbreaker’s DNA samples and quickly preparing the same procedure he used with Wingflare’s powers. He injects the DNA into himself, and considers the combined blood of thousands of people that flow through his veins. He has initial success, but when he tries to draw upon the power, but Lux begins to slip from his grasp. The demon inside of him breaks free, using Cloudbreaker’s powers to accelerate the frost. Lifeforce realizes that it is impossible for him to control both Wingflare and Cloudbreaker’s powers at once.
=== Chapter 52 ===
;Characters
{{columns|
*[[Jax (Reckoners)|Jax]]
*[[Paige]]
}}
;Summary
The Reckoners use their motorcycles to try and get to Cloudbreaker’s mansion as the frost envelops the city. The frost envelops them, completely obscuring their vision and causing extreme cold. Using Paige’s thermal scope, they discover Cloudbreaker’s corpse hanging from a flagpole outside her mansion. A sign is around her neck, with the word “traitor” written on it. They rush through the city, and they can hear the shouting of Lux’s citizens. Completely lost, Jax has Hershel send up a flare, and Paige spots it using her thermal scope.
=== Chapter 53 ===
;Characters
{{columns|
*[[Languish]]
*[[Hershel]]
*[[Jax (Reckoners)|Jax]]
*[[Paige]]
*[[Wade]]
}}
;Summary
Jax and Paige arrive back at their house, joining Hershel and Wade again, where all the equipment from the scorchnotes is laid out. Hershel hands Jax a large scorchnotes that he calls “Martha”. Paige asks what Martha is, and Jax shows her. Wade says that he’ll need to wire a relay to a terminal to be able to hack the palace security systems. Wade analyzes the Raven patrols, and sees that they are coming towards their house, drawn by the flare. Hershel says that Martha will take half an hour to burn, and the Reckoners prepare to fight to buy time. They use explosives to blow up the road, slowing the Ravens so that they don’t have to kill as many people in the tubes. The Ravens continue advancing anyway, and the Reckoners are forced to kill Ravens anyway, despite the deaths of the people in the tubes. Jax sees that the Ravens aren’t healing, and that their deaths are permanent.
Languish appears, saying he’d take his chances with them. More Ravens swarm towards them, and the two groups exchange heavy fire. The attacking Ravens realize that their healing no longer works, and about half of them flee. Amidst the heavy fire, Wade hands Jax and Paige a relay mechanism that they have to attach to a tower. They run through the fire of the Ravens, using the boomerang watches to get to the tower and attach the relay mechanism. Martha, revealed to be the tank from the Coop, rolls out of the house’s wreckage. Jax and Paige hurry inside the tank, which protects them from Raven fire as they drive toward Lifeforce’s palace.
=== Chapter 54 ===
;Characters
}}
;Summary
The gang, riding Martha, approach Lifeforce's palace as the cold gets worse. Languish offers his help in exchange for the promise that the gang help him rescue
=== Chapter 55 ===
*[[Paige]]
*[[Languish]]
*[[Lovestruck|
*[[Lifeforce]]
}}
;Summary
Jax, Paige and Languish enter the undefended entrance in search of
=== Chapter 56 ===
}}
;Summary
Lux
== Epilogue ==
}}
;Summary
Paige wakes up
== Notes ==
{{summaries|
{{Reckoners}}
[[Category:The Reckoners|+4]]
|