BIONICLE Adventures 9: Web of Shadows

	Web of Shadows
	Book
Series	BIONICLE Adventures
Author	Greg Farshtey
Publisher	Scholastic
	ISBN 0-439-74558-6

"The Toa Nuva's eyes were drawn to the pit. The Makuta stone had pierced the rock below the sand, and now a spiderweb of cracks had formed, threatening to topple the Toa stones. Vakama smiled grimly at the sight, and resumed his tale."
— Narrator

Web of Shadows is the ninth BIONICLE book in the BIONICLE Adventures series by Greg Farshtey. It is a novelization of the film BIONICLE 3: Web of Shadows, but like the previous novelizations, it delves deeper into the characters and shows some deleted scenes and dialogue. It contains a short appendix on the origin of the Rahaga and a preview of the BIONICLE: Encyclopedia, featuring an article covering the Bohrok, in the back of the book.

Synopsis

After the Toa Metru re-enter the city of Metru Nui on their mission to rescue to Matoran, the Toa quickly discovered that the entire city is shrouded in mist and strange webbing. However, due to the overconfidence of their leader, Vakama, the team is quickly ambushed and captured by the spider-like Visorak. Condemned to die by the Visorak king Sidorak and his repulsive viceroy, Roodaka, the Toa are saved by six bizarre, Rahkshi-headed beings called Rahaga. But the venom of the Visorak had done its damage - the six Toa have been mutated into grotesque half-Toa, half-beast monsters called Toa Hordika.

Having decided to recover the Matoran and worry about themselves afterwards, the Toa Hordika and Rahaga quickly begin executing a plan of action, while fighting off both Visorak and the Toa's own beastly natures. Eventually, Vakama strays from the other Toa to have some time alone to think - and is promptly ambushed and captured by more Visorak. He is brought to Roodaka, who sees him as a useful pawn and offers him command of the Visorak horde. Eventually, Vakama accepts this offer, and Roodaka sends him on a mission to prove his worth: capture the Rahaga.

With Vakama defected to evil and five Rahaga captured, the remaining Toa Hordika and Rahaga Norik quickly change priorities and begin to track down the mythical Rahi named Keetongu - a legendary creature said to have the ability to counteract Visorak venom. Eventually, Keetongu is found, but he refuses to cure the Toa; nevertheless, he decides to help them against the spider invaders. Meanwhile, having earned Sidorak's trust - and command of the Visorak - with the five captured Rahaga, Vakama settles down in the Coliseum, now the headquarters of the Visorak, to await the final battle with the Toa Hordika which came none too soon.

While four of the Toa Hordika head straight for the battle with the Visorak and Norik rescues his fellow Rahaga, Matau goes off for Vakama in a last-ditch attempt to reclaim his friend and leader to the side of light. Meanwhile, Sidorak is shocked to see the supposedly-nonexistent Keetongu, but he is subtly forced by Roodaka to engage the Rahi in combat. Roodaka cleverly wounds Keetongu and abandons Sidorak to be killed by the Rahi; she then triumphantly faces the Toa Hordika - now five again - and Rahaga. All five Toa lash out at her with their Rhotuka spinners, but the onslaught only causes her to laugh. Vakama appears by her side, but with a surprising announcement: he has indeed forsaken the darkness, and is now again allied with the embattled Toa and Rahaga. At his command, the Visorak scatter, leaving Roodaka all alone. Vakama then strikes her with a Rhotuka spinner, but in vain - she is carrying a piece of the Protodermis prison of Teridax, and when the spinner hits, Teridax's prison is undone, freeing the master of shadows into the world once more and allowing him to transport Roodaka away. But the Toa Hordika - now transformed back into Toa Metru by Keetongu - are able to complete their mission: The Great Rescue, the mass transport of Matoran from the damaged City of Legends to the island of Mata Nui.

Appendix: Origin of the Rahaga

"From the Chronicles of Takua, as related by Turaga Vakama"

Featured at the end of the book is an abridged history of the Toa Hagah/Rahaga from their inception up until the point when they learned of the Brotherhood's corruption and turned against it. It also tells of how Norik and Iruini were able to defeat Teridax with the aid of their fellow Toa Hagah.

Characters

Quotes

"But the journey would not be an easy one for the Toa Metru—for Makuta did not leave the slumbering Matoran unprotected. Their resting place was guarded by creatures of the night, hordes of the shadows, those that would poison and deceive any traveler true of heart. Their name alone was enough to strike fear: Visorak."
— Turaga Vakama

"It was then, even as she disappeared among the pillars of protodermis, that Sidorak finally knew. She had engineered it all. Her blasts had been calculated to wound the Keetongu, but not to kill, leaving Sidorak at the mercy of a maddened Rahi. And why? Because there was another way for Roodaka to take control of the horde, one much faster and easier than a marriage of convenience.
The death of the king.
A shadow fell on Sidorak, but now he realized it was not the shadow of Keetongu. It was the shadow of his own doom. The fate he had visited upon so many others over the centuries was now to be visited upon him. As Keetongu raised his great fist, Sidorak wondered if his viceroy realized that in a way she was acting in the interests of justice—a concept she despised.
"Roodaka," the king said weakly as the blow fell. As last words go, not very memorable. But in the moment of his death, Sidorak did something he had never done before: He gave credit where credit was due."
— Narrator

Dedication

"For Jackina, my love and my darling wife"
— Greg Farshtey

External links

Web of Shadows archived on Wall of History