Resumen:Lux
This page contains a chapter by chapter summary of 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.
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 12 of the 17 Reckoners fighting in Texas have died.
Part 1
Chapter 1
- Characters
- Summary
Jax and Hershel are gambling over a snickers bar in Galv. Jax wins, but then cuts the bar in half and splits it with Hershel. Jax claims entry #97 from the Bucket Book. The Fathom Radar alerts the two of Lux's arrival, and they go to the roof where their gear is waiting.
Chapter 2
- Characters
- Summary
Jax and Hershel prepare to execute the plan, marveling at the sheer size of the city of Lux. The five reckoners are waiting in small groups around the city. Hershal and Brigand launch groups of drones designed to burrow into the underside of lux and lay explosives in the tunnels there. Wingflare descends, alongside hundreds of Ravens. Because Lifeforce does not descend alongside his army, Abigail calls for the group to stand down and retreat. Jax protests, unsuccessfully, then launches Hershel's missiles against orders. The missiles bury the Ravens in rubble, but Wingflare lifts the rubble off easily. Jax gets on his motorcycle - equipped with a motivator that will let it drive in thin air - and takes off towards Wingflare. Jax convinces the gang to send the second volley of rockets to distract Wingflare. The reckoners detonate the drones buried in the underside of Lux, making tons of rock fall and breaking the city in half. Jax is almost crushed by a massive rock, but it is caught by Wingflare, who attempts to put Lux back together. Jax jumps onto a drone and flies towards Wingflare. He tries to attack her with his sword, but fails and is grabbed by Wingflare telekinetically. Abigail shoots Wingflare and Jax manages to get away while she is distracted. Jax reveals that he managed to cut some hair off of Wingflare. The team regroups at the rendez-vous point, though Brigand has been gravely injured.
Chapter 3
- Characters
- Summary
- Seven years ago
A young Jax is visiting his brother Dan at his school, and they go out to breakfast. In the middle of their meal, Lovestruck appears. Jax runs to Lovestruck, not sensing the danger and Dan follows. Lovestruck blows a kiss towards Dan, killing him. The police appear and drive off Lovestruck. A team of paramedics show up and attempt to help Dan, but are powerless to help. Jax stays by Dan's body for hours before Prof arrives. Prof offers to drive Jax back to his family Houston, then reveals that it has been destroyed by Obliteration, and all of Jax's family with it. Prof lets Jax stay the night, then offers to take Jax to stay with some friends in New York. Jax accepts. They visit Dan's apartment once before departing, and Jax recovers Dan's sword. In the car, Prof tells Jax about the Reckoners, and Jax reveals that he wants to help others.
Chapter 4
- Characters
- 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 tries to dissuade Jax from being a hero, but Jax is determined.
Chapter 5
- Characters
- Summary
Jax and Prof arrive in Newcastle and meet Zeff. Prof convinces 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
- Characters
- Summary
Zeff puts Jax back on the post, asking why he decided to come to the Coop while there. Jax says he doesn't know. In response, Zeff drives Jax out into the countryside and leaves him there, saying that he will bring Jax back once he has a satisfactory reason to be at the Coop. Jax decides that for him, being a hero isn't about having nice things, but about protecting the nice things not for himself, but for others. When Zeff comes back, he is satisfied with this answer, and shows Jax the supply cache, where there is a small motivator workshop. Zeff introduces Jax to the concept of Motivators. Jax is enamored and wants to work on them right away, but Zeff says that the prerequisite for working on them is reading dozens of texts on cell biology and microbiology.
Chapter 7
- Characters
- Summary
Jax describes his early training at the Coop, including "no-flinch" games that feel more like torture than training. Zeff explains that the fundamentals of being an assassin are not flashy skills like being able to shoot or use a sword, but more subtle ones, like being able to sit in a bush for days without moving. Jax asks to start training with a sword, and Zeff decides to teach him martial arts instead. Jax describes the other forms of training he undergoes, and his isolation among the much older trainees. Paige arrives at the Coop, and Zeff introduces her and Jax. Zeff antagonizes both Paige and Jax by describing how each of their families were murdered by Epics. Realizing that both Paige and Jax care more about other people than themselves, Zeff decides that any time one of them makes a mistake, the other will bear the punishment. Zeff starts training Jax in swordplay.
Chapter 8
- Characters
- Summary
Jax and Paige stay up late and sneak out to the coop's motivator workshop. Jax shows off what he has been able to figure out so far, and explains that he learned about motivators by reading dozens of textbooks. They talk about the other motivators Jax has made. Jax proceeds to recount his time at the Coop, training-montage style. One day, Jax strikes back at Zeff out of frustration, claiming that he has blocked the requisite 100,000 times. Zeff tells Jax that he broke rule 3 - You Are Weak - and gives him more time on the post. Zeff returns Shiloh to Jax that night.
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
- Characters
- Summary
Jax wakes up to find that Prof has come to visit the Coop, and 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, but Prof asks Jax and Zeff to go to El Paso to meet with Nighthawk. Nighthawk had set up a mobile there, since El Paso was where a large Epic battle against Lux had occurred. Afterwards, Jax talked to Paige, who was packing to go to Arlington. Jax wishes he could tell her about his true feelings for her, but doesn't.
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Part 2
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
- Viewpoint: Brigand
brigand is in his new fancy house on lux, but he feels guilty about betraying them. He cooks a steak - a rarity in the world of the reckoners - but fails to fully enjoy it due to visions of the past, and of the friends that he lost. He repeats the phrase "you made your choice". Ultimately, he vomits up the steak, and realizes that he is worse than lifeforce: while lifeforce is building something good, brigand is only looking out for himself.
Chapter 29
- Viewpoint: Jax
The gang finds a house to occupy.
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 35
- Viewpoint: Jax
The city starts to fall after Wingflare's powers are dampened. Jax tries to convince Languish to stop using his powers, before stopping him with physical force. Jax and paige decide to chase after wingflare, following her to her house, which consists of a group of floating state capitol buildings. They decide to try to enter despite the danger of falling.
Chapter 36
- Viewpoint: Jax
Paige and Jax traverse the floating stones that lead to Wingflare's residence, making it over treacherous slanted stones. Despite the danger, they both succeed.
Chapter 37
- Characters
- Summary
Paige and Jax enter the Arkansas capitol building. They admire the ostentatious space while thinking of a way to cross to the White House, which does not have any natural means to cross to. Though they decide on a crazy plan involving jumping off the edge and throwing a grappling hook, the building shifts, and they find that the stones that once formed bridges between the other state capitol buildings have moved and become a bridge to the white house. They cross the bridge, and enter the White House.
Chapter 38
- Characters
- Summary
Paige and Jax enter the White House. Wingflare greets them and speaks of the thrill of coming very close to death, then invites them further into the house. Paige and Jax try to escape, but the path to the white house has disappeared, so they follow. They follow Wingflare through the labyrinth that is the white house, getting separated in the process. Jax gets trapped in a series of rooms that appear to repeat infinitely, being so quickly rearranged by Wingflare. Wingflare continues to toy with Jax, using her powers to force him and Paige to play her game. Wingflare presents a death game in which three platters are presented, one with poison that would kill either reckoner, one with no poison, and one with poison that would kill only Wingflare. Each person must eat from one plate. Jax initially refuses to play the game - trying to break her bones with his sonic gun - but it fails. Jax comes to the realization that Wingflare's weakness is actually people who refuse to play games with her, and they use this to their advantage to successfully shoot her.
Chapter 39
- Characters
- Summary
Paige and Jax try to save Wingflare from death even after having just shot her. They fail, and Wingflare dies. The white house, and Lux, begins to fall.
Part 3
Chapter 40
- Characters
- Summary
Lifeforce admires the wealth of his home, mentally comparing Lux to Rome: a perfect city. He mentally compares the Reckoners to a colony of beetles, chewing away at his achievement. Lifeforce feels the tremors and calls his guard, who watch him up on the fight between Languish and Wingflare. In his anger, he destroys his own art.
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
- Characters
- Summary
Hershel and Wade feel the effects of Lux beginning to fall. Hershel begins to tell the story of how he lost his leg, but then lux stops falling. Not knowing what is going on, Wade decides that the two will follow Jax and Paige towards Wingflare's residence. They come across Jax and Paige lying near the edge, and exchange information about the Wingflare Motivator. Jax realizes that Lifeforce has gained Wingflare's Epic powers. The team decides that Languish is their only chance to defeat Lifeforce, and go looking for him at his second house.
Chapter 44
- Characters
- Summary
Lifeforce visits Veera in her gilded prison. He thinks about how he is punishing her: torture by constant starvation. He receives a call telling him that Cloudbreaker wants to speak with him. Lifeforce's anger about being disturbed, in addition to his frustration about Veera's change into a near-emotionless husk, interrupts his concentration, and Lux drops slightly.
Chapter 45
- Characters
- Summary
Languish is in his lakeside house, preparing to flee. He no longer trusts any of the people or groups on the island, and determines that he would be safest away from Lux. Right as Languish is about to leave, the reckoners appear and stop him. Languish tells the reckoners that Lifeforce killed Brigand.
Chapter 46
- Characters
- Summary
The reckoners go to Brigand's old house in order to regroup and shelter from raven patrols. The gang decides to rest for the night. The next morning, Languish asks about Hershel's missing leg, unofficially inducting himself into the gang.
Chapter 47
- Characters
- 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 40 klicks from their objective - a satellite station - and begin walking there. While en route, Calamity becomes brighter, and starts to pulse. Specialist Jackson convulses and falls into a coma, stalling the mission. When Jackson wakes up, he has a flippant attitude. Hershel's team continues their mission, walking to the objective. They botch the job, but Specialist Jackson uses his new powers to kill the soldiers that come to defend the station. He destroys the station the process. Jackson attacks a member of the squad, and in retaliation the entire squad fires back. He kills them all except Hershel, who hadn't fired at him, then destroys what remained of the station. Hershel gets trapped in the debris created by the explosion, which has been inexplicably turned into steel. His leg was now encased in steel, and in the end, he was forced to cut it off to escape.
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
- Characters
- Summary
The gang, riding Martha, approach Lifeforce's palace. Languish offers his help in exchange for the promise that the gang help him rescue Veera in return. The gang decides that Martha isn't suitable for the task of storming the palace - there are too many defenders - but Languish reveals that there is an unguarded entrance. The gang splits up, with Hershel and Wade staying behind to assault the front gates and hack, respectively, and Paige, Jax, and Languish going in to save Veera and kill Lifeforce.
Chapter 55
- Characters
- Summary
Jax, Paige and Languish enter the undefended entrance in search of Veera. Paige and Jax confess their feelings to one another, then Languish finds Veera's cell. Jax recognises Veera as Lovestruck. Paige manages to talk him out of killing her. Lifeforce makes an appearance, and he and Languish engage in a battle of powers: Languish dampening Lifeforce's healing abilities while simultaneously dampening the healing that Lifeforce gifted him. Ravens come and assist Lifeforce, and Page and Jax fight them off. Languish dies to an old injury and Lifeforce regains control of the city. Jax manages to use Boomerang and Shiloh to stab Lifeforce, but Lifeforce still has access to his healing. Lifeforce transfers his wounds to Paige as Jax is trapped beneath a previously thrown steel door. Jax realizes that Lifeforce's weakness is silver, preventing him from using either of his powers on Jax. Paige realizes that the hilt of Shiloh contains a motivator with a silver conduit, and stabs the blade the rest of the way into Lifeforce's chest. Paige suddenly suffers from a wound which seems to come from the Raven initiation ceremony. Before dying, Lifeforce stabs a syringe into Paige.
Chapter 56
- Characters
- Summary
Lux falls slowly into the Gulf of Mexico. Paige does not die from her injury, theorizing that Lifeforce died before the injury could fully return. Hershel and Wade survive, and the whole gang visits a surviving ice cream store. Paige faints, and the gang brings her to Doc Slush, a reckoner based in Louisiana. Many of the Lux inhabitants decide to stay in Lux, not having many good alternatives. After several weeks, Paige has still not awakened, and Calamity vanishes from the sky.
Epilogue
- Characters
- Summary
Paige wakes up to Jax by her bedside. She feels wrong in some way that is alien, though she feels otherwise in perfect health. She has vicious, mean thoughts about Jax and other reckoners, and hears a voice in her head similar to the voice Lifeforce has been hearing in his. The voice calls her a blank canvas and promises to make a masterpiece out of her. The voice identifies itself as the demon who was living in Lifeforce: something other than man.