1. Two Hork-Bajir are freed: a male and female already with child: the first born in generations. This is also are first look at Hork-Bajir as individuals rather than Yeerk slaves. How did you like Jara and Ket? These are the first of what will be a colony: how important are the free Hork-Bajir to the story, the fight against the Yeerks, and to you personally?
Starting in this book, the Hork-Bajir are seen in a totally different light. In previous books, when the story was introduced, the Hork-Bajir were described as aliens whom Elfangor told the Animorphs were gentle, but the Animorphs didn’t believe them. The introduction of Jara and Ket changed our whole view on the Hork-Bajir. Before this, we knew that the Hork-Bajir were not the enemy, but now the idea that the Hork-bajir are just as much victims as humans are (if not more) is a reality.
2. Though it's already been stated that many would choose death over being a controller, there is a simple elegance to Hork-Bajir mantra "Free or dead." What do you think of this idea? Is there ever a situation where life without freedom is preferable to being to dead, or is death a release from the horrors of slavery, particularly the slavery the Yeerks inflict?
It’s hard to say definitively, because we don’t know what we will face in the future. However, in this reality, where death or life as a Controller is the choice, I’d rather die. I can’t say that I’d commit suicide, because I believe that if I’m not dead yet, there’s still a task for me in this world.
As for being a Controller being not that bad, let’s think about this for a moment. You spend your entire life as the Yeerk’s personal Gumby doll (if you don’t know what I mean, look it up and know that you missed the greatest decade ever). Every three days your body is your own for an hour or so, but you spend that in a cage, in a hole in the ground, surrounded by brutal slavery and gruesome deaths. Then you go back to the real world and watch for three days while the Yeerk plays you, and no one notices. Maybe the Yeerk is getting better grades than you did, and suddenly your parents are so proud of him. Maybe he’s right, maybe he’s a better “you” than you were. You cry and beg every day, and every day he threatens to take your family, your friends. He tortures you, but he does it with your own memories, and thoughts. He is your only companion, and his torture is your only conversation. Those self-destructive thoughts that you keep hidden away from everyone you know? He brings them up every day. Those nagging self-doubts that you deny the existence of, he knows and he reminds you every day of the truth of them. And after hearing this enough, you believe him.
But it gets worse. Because eventually, they take someone you love. Now they know, and it’s almost a relief, but then you remember that they are screaming in the back of their mind, just like you are. All that is left of the both of you is a group of electrical impulses, firing in a lonely corner of your brain.
Then your loved one’s Yeerk makes a small mistake. He weeps and begs, but the Visser morphs a horrific monster and pulls them apart, joint by joint, and feeds the pieces to the Taxxons. Not the Yeerk, who actually made the mistake, but the person you love. The Visser does this because he loves seeing the expressions of pain, and there are so many bodies, why does this one matter? You want to mourn them, you want to release your grief through tears and loud sobs, but you can’t because even your tear ducts are not your own. And the Yeerk laughs at your pain, and he replays images of that person every day, to torture you.
Just when you think it can’t get any worse, suddenly you realize that the Yeerks have taken everyone you know, and there are way more bodies than they need. So they kill a five-sixths of the entire world’s population, and imprison the rest while they build pools and breed Yeerks to inhabit the bodies. Five billion lives, simply destroyed. The Apocalypse really has come.
And in the meantime, they’re destroying this beautiful planet that we call Earth. Thousands upon thousands of species of animals and plants, burned for the pure joy of destruction. And you can’t do anything, you can’t even mourn, because there’s a Dracon beam in your hand, pointed at the very last of your favorite anima, and your finger is pulling the trigger. So you imagine that the animal is his slimy gray body, and he is writing in pain as the Dracon beam pulls his body apart, atom by atom.
That is why the Animorphs fought. The mental torture would have been bad enough, but added to everything else, and I would rather die a dozen deaths before being infested.
3. What did you think of the Animorphs role, especially Tobias, in the first liberation of the Hork-Bajir? What about the Ellimist's hand in seeing to their involvement?
Well, for one thing, the Ellimist is totally breaking the rules in his game with Crayak. And what about it? Who else was going to help?
4. For the first time in a long time, Tobias can morph again. How does this affect his position in team? Does being able to morph enhance his contributions? Does he make good use of the ability?
He’s a lot more useful. Now, he can be on patrol all day, but he can also go on missions. He is a little limited because he has to be a hawk to acquire animals, but he does pretty well.
5. We don't get a direct answer when the Ellimist asks "And are you happy Tobias". Do you think he is?
I think a yes or no answer is far too simple.
6. Not technically an animal, that makes it all the more fun to guess. In this book Tobias morphs a walking Salad Shooter, better known as a Hork-Bajir. What do you think of this race? What aspects of its life are you most interested in, what about the creature do you like, or think are poorly done? Was it surprising that when using this sentient species, Rachel and Jara both gave in to a display of male dominance? What does it say that with limited experience in this body, Rachel and Tobias are able to defeat multiple, trained, Hork-Bajir warriors?
I think the Hork-Bajir are very interesting and very well done. I love the contrast of their appearance and nature. And the seer is a brilliant addition (although genetically impossible, but we’ll forgive that). One of my favorite quotes is Dek’s, in HBC. The incredible innocence of the Hork-Bajir is wonderful. Not only did they not use their blades as weapons, but it didn’t even occur to them.
I find the “stupid” characteristic rather odd. Would you call a five year old stupid? No, it’s just their nature to not have grasped some things yet. In fact, I am often amazed by how perceptive a lot of five year olds can be. They are smart, and so is Jara. A stupid creature, come up with the line “Yeerk kill Andalite. Andalite kill Yeerk. Hork-Bajir die.” I don’t think so.
7. The big question's the same but the context is different: What would you do if you were in Tobias's place? Would you remain the body of a bird and continue the fight, or resume life as a human ending your role as an Animorph? How important is the quality of the life you lead as a human in making this choice?
Psychologists say that a person will never know if they are capable of taking another person’s life unless they are directly faced with that choice. I think the same goes for here. We’d never know. And I have a pretty good life. So if it was my own life, probably not. But if the other option was a home life like Tobias had, I might.
Finally, people cared about him. They would mourn if he disappeared, and look for him (his aunt and uncle did not). Yes, it comes with some really high stakes and a lot of stress, but he matters. And that is really all Tobias has ever wanted.
8. Approximately when is the last time you read this book? What changes do you expect or would like to see in a re-release?
Re read it to do this.