The Shattering

Author	Kathryn Lasky
Cover Artist	Richard Cowdrey
Country	United States
Language	English
Series	Guardians of Ga'hoole
Genre(s)	Fantasy
Publisher	Scholastic
Released
Pages	172/192
ISBN	0-439-40561-0
Preceded by	The Siege
Followed by	The Burning

The Shattering, written by Kathryn Lasky, is the fifth novel in the series entitled Guardians of Ga'hoole. This is the summary of the book:

In the midst of war, Eglantine unwittingly becomes a spy for Kludd, leader of the Pure Ones. She is brainwashed by an owl sent by the Pure Ones to infiltrate the Great Ga'Hoole Tree. Her odd behavior eventually attracts attention, and Soren and his friends vow to find out what's wrong with Eglantine. Kludd continues to battle against the Guardians of Ga'Hoole for control of their tree. Will Soren and the band be able to help Eglantine reverse the effects of the brainwashing?

The Burning

Author	Kathryn Lasky
Cover Artist	Richard Cowdrey
Country	U.S.A.
Language	English
Series	Guardians of Ga'hoole
Genre(s)	Fantasy
Publisher	Scholastic
Released
Pages	205
ISBN	0-439-40562-9
Preceded by	The Siege
Followed by	The Hatchling

The Burning, written by Kathryn Lasky, is the sixth novel in the series entitled Guardians of Ga'hoole.

Plot

Soren and his band are sent to the mysterious Northern Kingdoms to gather allies and learn the art of war in preparation for the coming cataclysmic battle against the sinister Pure Ones. Meanwhile, in the Southern Kingdoms, St. Aggies has fallen to the Pure Ones and its resources are being used by the Pure Ones to plan a final invasion of The Great Ga'Hoole Tree. With the future of all Owldom in the balance, the parliament of Ga'Hoole must decide whether or not to join forces with the brutal Skench and Sporn and the scattered remnants of St. Aggies. A great battle looms on the horizon.

The Hatchling

Author	Kathryn Lasky
Cover Artist	Richard Cowdrey
Country	U.S.A.
Language	English
Series	Guardians of Ga'hoole
Genre(s)	Fantasy
Publisher	Scholastic
Released
Pages	217
ISBN	0-439-73950-0
Preceded by	The Burning
Followed by	The Outcast

The Hatchling, written by Kathryn Lasky, is the seventh novel in the series entitled Guardians of Ga'hoole.

Plot

Kludd is dead. Nyra, his mate, is determined that her hatchling, Nyroc, will fulfill his father's destiny: the vicious oppression of all the owl kingdoms. But Nyroc is a poor student of evil. A light grows in his heart, fed by scraps of forbidden legend and strange news of a place where goodness and nobility reign. He must summon all his courage to defy his destiny—and the embodiment of evil that is his mother.

The Journey

Author	Kathryn Lasky
Cover Artist	Richard Cowdrey
Country	U.S.A.
Language	English
Series	Guardians of Ga'hoole
Genre(s)	Fantasy
Publisher	Scholastic
Released
Pages	238
ISBN	0-439-40558-0
Preceded by	The Capture
Followed by	The Rescue

The Journey, written by Kathryn Lasky, is the second novel in the series entitled Guardians of Ga'hoole.

Plot

Soren, Gylfie, Twilight, and Digger go in search the Great Ga'Hoole Tree, a mythical place where an order of owls rises each night to perform noble deeds. Soren and his band of owls are seeking help to fight the evil they discovered at St. Aggie's and possibly something much worse. After a harrowing journey, they reach the Great Ga'Hoole Tree are taken in by the Ga'Hoolian elders. Soren finds, and then loses, a great mentor. But will he ever uncover what became of his beloved little sister?

The Outcast

Author	Kathryn Lasky
Cover Artist	Richard Cowdrey
Country	U.S.A.
Language	English
Series	Guardians of Ga'hoole
Genre(s)	Fantasy
Publisher	Scholastic
Released
Pages	203
ISBN	0-439-73951-9
Preceded by	The Hatchling

The Outcast, written by Kathryn Lasky, is the eighth novel in the series entitled Guardians of Ga'hoole.

Plot

Nyroc has exiled himself from the Pure Ones. He flies alone, feared and despised by those who know him as Kludd's son, hunted by those whose despotism he has rejected, and haunted by ghostly creatures conjured by Nyra to lure him back to the Pure Ones. He yearns for a place he only half believes in—the great tree, and an uncle, the near-mythic Soren, who might be a true father to him. Yet he cannot approach the tree while the rumor of evil clings to him. To prove his worth, Nyroc will fly to Beyond the Beyond seeking the legendary Relic and bring it—a talisman of his own.

The First Collier, written by Kathryn Lasky, is the ninth novel in the series entitled Guardians of Ga'hoole.

Plot

With his dying breath, Ezylryb tells Soren and the young King Coryn to read the Legends of Ga’Hoole hidden in his private library. In the first of three ancient books they find a world of treachery and magic in which a young king and queen struggle to keep peace while Grank, their most loyal friend and supporter, studies ember and flame in a distant land. Then, a desperate plea comes from the king, and Grank rushes to the aid of his noble friends. If he does not arrive in time, the evil that he glimpsed in the flames will triumph. By the tale’s end, Soren and Coryn discover what Ezylryb intended them to learn: that the evil is not confined to the time of legends. An ancient malevolence has been loosed from the past that will threaten the very existence of the great tree.

Points of interest: This book, unlike the rest of the books in the Guardians of Ga'hoole series, is written in first person.

To Be a King is the eleventh book in the Guardians of Ga'hoole series.

Plot

Nachtmagen rages through the N’yrthghar as hagfiends and traitorous lords conspire to defeat the new king. With Grank and Theo at his side Hoole must forge an army of free owls strong enough to defeat the forces of darkness massing on the horizon. The power of the one Ember fires the young king’s very gizzard and he grows great. But for young Hoole there is a danger much closer than treacherous lords and the poison of half-hags. For the lure of magic �?even good magic �?brings great peril to those who would wield it.

So Soren, Coryn and the Band read the final legend and glimpse what the future may demand of the Guardians of Ga’Hoole.

Plot

Kreeth, a hagsfiend, steals an owl egg. When the egg hatches, Pleek and Ygryk are overjoyed, for Ygryk has always wanted to be a mother. But the little hatchling has special abilities of her own, "given" to her by Kreeth. Ygryk, shocked when she finds out about this, gets angry at Kreeth, and abandons the little owlet. Kreeth takes care of the owlet, whom she has named Lutta. Lutta has the ability to change the type of owl she wants to be, but inside, she's still a hagsfiend. Lutta poses as Strix Emerilla, Strix Strumajen's daughter, and infiltrates the Great Ga'Hoole tree. Her job is to retrieve the Ember for Kreeth. Before long, she feels that the gizzard that she never had is growing. At the Ice Palace, Lutta is killed by Stix Strumajen, after Strix Strumajen finds out that she is an imposter. When she utters her last words, she is only able to tell Hoole that she didn't want the Ember. Hoole never finds out that she wanted him....

Soren and the Band are back! Coryn has retrieved the ember and it seems a golden age is dawning at the Great Tree. But all that is golden is not necessarily good. Soren, Twilight, Gyfie and Digger face their biggest challenge yet as the young king, haunted by the suspicion that haggish blood flows in his veins, hunts for the truth. His wanderings imperil himself and the good guardians who travel with him.

Meanwhile back at the Great Tree the influence of the ember is strong—and strange. The tree changes, as do the guardians left to govern in the young king’s absence. Otulissa alone objects to the strange new ways and her outspokenness put her in grave danger. Someone must get word to Soren and the Band. But who??

Guardians of Ga'Hoole, Book 13: The River of Wind

Coryn and the Band have returned to the Great Ga'Hoole Tree and restored order. With the Ember safely hidden away, the tree shakes off its gaudy golden glow and recovers its natural majesty. Meanwhile, deep in the Palace of Mists, Bess finds an ancient map fragment that reveals that there are not five owl kingdoms - as has been thought since time long forgotten - but six. Coryn and the Chaw of Chaws set off to find this unknown land. In a landscape of perpetual winter, they discover a monastery of serene, learned owls, the likes of which no one has ever seen before.

Kludd is a character from the Guardians of Ga'hoole series by Kathryn Lasky. He is a Barn Owl, and also goes by the names Metal Beak and High Tyto.

Kludd is the brother of Soren and Eglantine. However, unlike the other two, Kludd was always a violent hatchling who disobeyed his parents rules and was rude to Mrs. Plithiver, their nest maid. Kludd was fascinated by the concept of battle and by battle claws, and was soon recruited into the foul organization known as the Pure Ones. Kludd rose quickly in the ranks, and proved himself both by offering Soren and Eglantine for his Special ceremonies, which resulted in Eglantine's capture by the Pure Ones and Soren's by St. Aggie's.

Kludd continued to rise through the ranks, until finally he challenged the former High Tyto for dominance. Kludd was victorious, but his face was badly wounded. Undaunted, he turned his disfigurement into an advantage, having a Rogue smith replace his face with a metal mask and taking the name Metal Beak. His new name began to strike terror into the owl kingdoms, and he set about fulfilling the goals of the Pure Ones.

Kludd's plans were thwarted time and again. First, a St. Aggie's patrol abducted many young Pure One recruits, including Eglantine. When the Pure Ones pursued, the resulting battle ended up exposing the existence of Kludd's group to the Guardians. Again undaunted, he captured the revered Ezylryb, hoping to use his knowledge to take over the owl kingdoms. Once again the Guardians intervened, and Kludd did battle with his own brother. Soren's flaming branch weapon knocked off Kludd's mask, and his identity compromised, Metal Beak flew off, swearing vengeance.

After recovering and rejoining the Pure Ones, Kludd planned an attack on the Great Ga'Hoole tree with his mate, Nyra. They attacked with thousands of Pure Ones and hireclaws, but were repulsed. Seeking another advantage, Kludd led an army of Pure Ones to attack St. Aggie's, taking it over. The organization began plans for another attack, only to find themselves under siege by the owls of Ga'Hoole and their allies from the Northern Kingdoms. During the fighting, Kludd battled Soren, but died when Twilight sliced through his spine with an ice splinter.

Kludd's bones were later burned in the fashion of great warriors, a ritual called the Marking ceremony. His scroom would return to haunt his son, Coryn, urging him to return to the Pure Ones.

Coryn is a Barn Owl from the Guardians of Ga'hoole series.

Born the son of Kludd and Nyra, Coryn was originally named Nyroc because of his birth at the time of the eclipse. Growing up, Nyroc was raised to be the perfect leader of the Pure Ones. His only friend was a Sooty Owl named Dustytuft, whom Nyroc called Phillip when they were alone. Nyroc was an impressive owl: an astounding flyer, an excellent hunter, and a devout believer in the lies his mother told him of his father's death and of his uncle, Soren.

Nyroc first began to question the Pure Ones' ways when he witnessed the burning of his father's bones. In the flames, Nyroc saw the legendary Ember of Hoole, and this was noticed by Gwyndor, the smith who had started the fire. Seeking to disillusion Nyroc and spare him a life of evil, Gwyndor took him aside and made another fire, in which Nyroc saw the foul history of his family. As Gwyndor had predicted, Nyroc had fire sight, the mystic ability to see images in flames.

Seeking to know the truth, Nyroc fled the Pure Ones with Phillip. Along the way, Nyroc learned from his friend about standards, and the truth of the Guardians of Ga'Hoole and his uncle. Sadly, their freedom did not last, for Nyra caught up with her son and Phillip was killed. Denouncing his mother and his name, he drifted from kingdom to kingdom. Sadly, this left him an outcast, and due to a scar inflicted by his mother across his face he was mistaken for Nyra by many, including a family of Burrowing Owls.

After some time of this, Nyroc met the scroom of Strix Struma, who told him to go to Beyond the Beyond. Along the way, Nyroc met the eagles Zan and Streak and the owl Mist. Learning how to read and write from them, he changed his name to Coryn, reversing the letters of Nyroc, and creating a name rather like that of his uncle. Continuing along, he met again with the family of Burrowing Owls. Recovering an egg stolen from them by Pure Ones, Coryn befriended them, and the newborn was named Little Coryn.

As he traveled, he accumulated a small knowledge of the Legends of Ga'Hoole. Unfortunately, this knowledge gave him unsound ideas, and he believed himself a successor to Grank, the first collier, who had also had fire sight. Reaching Beyond the Beyond, his reputation grew as he befriended the dire wolves of that land. Upon reaching the Sacred Volcanos where the Ember of Hoole lay buried, he met Otulissa, an owl from the Great Tree, and reunited with Gwyndor.

Coryn is a Barn Owl from the Guardians of Ga'hoole series.

Born the son of Kludd and Nyra, Coryn was originally named Nyroc because of his birth at the time of the eclipse. Growing up, Nyroc was raised to be the perfect leader of the Pure Ones. His only friend was a Sooty Owl named Dustytuft, whom Nyroc called Phillip when they were alone. Nyroc was an impressive owl: an astounding flyer, an excellent hunter, and a devout believer in the lies his mother told him of his father's death and of his uncle, Soren.

Nyroc first began to question the Pure Ones' ways when he witnessed the burning of his father's bones. In the flames, Nyroc saw the legendary Ember of Hoole, and this was noticed by Gwyndor, the smith who had started the fire. Seeking to disillusion Nyroc and spare him a life of evil, Gwyndor took him aside and made another fire, in which Nyroc saw the foul history of his family. As Gwyndor had predicted, Nyroc had fire sight, the mystic ability to see images in flames.

Seeking to know the truth, Nyroc fled the Pure Ones with Phillip. Along the way, Nyroc learned from his friend about standards, and the truth of the Guardians of Ga'Hoole and his uncle. Sadly, their freedom did not last, for Nyra caught up with her son and Phillip was killed. Denouncing his mother and his name, he drifted from kingdom to kingdom. Sadly, this left him an outcast, and due to a scar inflicted by his mother across his face he was mistaken for Nyra by many, including a family of Burrowing Owls.

After some time of this, Nyroc met the scroom of Strix Struma, who told him to go to Beyond the Beyond. Along the way, Nyroc met the eagles Zan and Streak and the owl Mist. Learning how to read and write from them, he changed his name to Coryn, reversing the letters of Nyroc, and creating a name rather like that of his uncle. Continuing along, he met again with the family of Burrowing Owls. Recovering an egg stolen from them by Pure Ones, Coryn befriended them, and the newborn was named Little Coryn.

As he traveled, he accumulated a small knowledge of the Legends of Ga'Hoole. Unfortunately, this knowledge gave him unsound ideas, and he believed himself a successor to Grank, the first collier, who had also had fire sight. Reaching Beyond the Beyond, his reputation grew as he befriended the dire wolves of that land. Upon reaching the Sacred Volcanos where the Ember of Hoole lay buried, he met Otulissa, an owl from the Great Tree, and reunited with Gwyndor.

The Jats/Jatts (IAST: Jāt, Hindi: जा�?/SPAN>,Punjabi: ਜੱ�?/SPAN>, Urdu: جاٹ�? of Northern India and Pakistan, are descendants of Indo-Aryan/Indo-Scythian tribes^{[1] [2] [3]}.

These Jats of Punjab and Uttar Pradesh were designated by the British as a Martial Race (along with Rajputs, Gujjars, Pathans, and other groups in Northern/Western India). Martial Race is a designation created by officials of British India to describe "races" (peoples) that were thought to possess qualities like courage, loyalty, self sufficiency, physical strength, resilience, orderliness, hard working, fighting tenacity and military tactics. The British recruited heavily from these Martial Races for service in the colonial army. ^[4]

In India, they inhabit the states of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat. In Pakistan, they are found in the provinces of Punjab and Sindh. In large parts of these areas the Jats are the dominant land owner caste, particularly in Punjab, Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh & Rajasthan.

The Jats, like most South Asians, are mostly landlords and farmers; however, they are also found in many other professions. Traditionally they have formed part of the land & gentry and ruling upper classes. A large number of Jats serve in the Indian Army, including the Jat Regiment, Rajputana Rifles, Sikh Regiment and the Grenadiers, among others. Jats also serve in the Pakistan Army especially in the Punjab Regiment.

The Jat regions in India are among the most prosperous on a per-capita basis (Haryana, Punjab, and Gujarat are among the wealthiest of Indian states).