The Maze of the Sphinx

The Maze of the Sphinx, also titled as Spinjitzu Brothers: The Maze of the Sphinx, is the third of the four canon Spinjitzu Brothers books, focusing on Garmadon and Wu's formative years.[1] It was released on May 3, 2022.

Official description

Official description[]

The action-packed world of LEGO® NINJAGO® comes to life in this illustrated chapter book series featuring Wu and Garmadon in their early adventures on the road to becoming Spinjitzu Masters!

Brothers Wu and Garmadon both want to become Spinjitzu Masters—but there are many who stand in their way—especially each other. Now they will have to learn to trust each other when they find themselves stuck inside a trap-filled maze with someone who may be an ally . . . or who may be a deadly foe!

With danger lurking around every corner, will they survive to become true legends of Spinjitzu? Find out in Book 3 of this all-new illustrated chapter book series featuring the LEGO® NINJAGO® Spinjitzu Brothers![2]

AMEET Studio[]

When Wu and Garmadon lost their way in the middle of the desert, they are lucky enough to find shelter in a village surrounding an ancient pyramid. As soon as they step inside it, the door behind them shuts suddenly. The brothers get trapped inside the tomb that turns out to be the home of the mighty Sphinx. Getting out of the ancient trap will be a true challenge for the young ninja.[3]

Plot

Plot[]

Prologue[]

The ninja were walking to a new barbecue shop in Ninjago City when they passed by the Explorer's Club. While Nya was reminiscing about the last time she, Zane, and Lloyd went in, the ninja walked inside and encountered Cecil and the Sphinx out of control, which suddenly shot fire out of its mouth. Nya was able to easily put it out, although she accidentally also messed up Kai's hair.  Zane then covered the statue's head with ice. Cecil then deactivated it, mentioning that he would get a technician to repair once the ice melted.

Wu thought about his and Garmadon's adventure against Sphinxes and remarked that real ones were even more dangerous. Deciding to tell the story to the ninja, they walked out of the Explorer's Club to the restaurant, Wu telling his story on the way. Cecil called back angrily from the Explorer's Club noting that they made a mess.

Chapter 1: Valley of the Sphinx[]

Continuing their journey to the Northern Ocean, Wu and Garmadon spent several days travelling until they accidentally found themselves in the Valley of the Sphinx. Although Wu felt that the strange Pyramid in the center of the valley was ominous, Garmadon downplayed his brother's concerns, remarking they could probably find some good food in the village and ask the locals for directions. The two then met a man with a funny pyramid shaped hat, who introduced himself as Sage. From him, the brothers learned about the culture of the valley, including how the locals worshipped a Sphinx that resided in the pyramid and was said to have the ability to grant wishes. However, Sage confessed that everything the locals knew about their customs and beliefs came exclusively from ancient scrolls, as no one dared to venture into the pyramid themselves; who have tried in the past have never returned. In spite of Sage's warnings, Garmadon decided to investigate the pyramid anyway, believing that if such a Sphinx did exist, and could indeed grant wishes, he could wish for the tea plant immediately so he and his brother could finish their journey without needing to go all the way to the Northern Ocean. As the brothers made their way into the pyramid through a secret entrance, they would soon quickly find themselves falling through a trapdoor.

Chapter 2: Nobody Leaves![]

Landing on their feet after their fall, the Sons of the First Spinjitzu Master discovered that the fabled Sphinx was indeed real, and in fact, they were now face to face with it! Although Wu nervously attempted to persuade the Sphinx to allow him and his brother to leave, Garmadon demanded a wish from the mythical beast, who roared in response, demanding to know why they weren't wearing the pyramid hats that Garmadon had previously derided as looking ridiculous. Fortunately, Garmadon managed to slightly alleviate tensions by revealing he and Wu were the sons of the First Spinjitzu Master, with even the mighty Sphinx cowering before the mention of his name. Agreeing to spare the brothers, the Sphinx ordered them to accept her challenge: if they survived the maze within her pyramid and returned to her chamber, she would grant them one wish. Although Wu attempted again to request the way out, insisting they didn't need any wishes, the Sphinx roared that the only way out was through the maze, leaving Wu without a choice. The floor then gave way beneath the brothers, sending them both down into the maze.

Chapter 3: Pick a Door![]

Entering the maze, the brothers were confronted with the first challenge: before them lay a hallway completely empty save for countless torches and doors lining the walls. The doors were all identical with smooth surfaces, and seemed to stretch on for eternity. As Wu attempted to figure out their challenge, Garmadon went ahead and began opening doors at random, triggering various traps. In spite of having already triggered at least four traps, Garmadon decided to continue opening doors anyway with reckless abandon until one of them activated the ceiling trap, causing the ceiling to start slowly descending to crush anyone left in the room. Terrified, both brothers bickered for a few seconds regarding their predicament, with the only suggestion Garmadon being able to come up with was to open more doors. However, Wu noticed that although all the doors were featureless and identical, the tiles on the floor seemed to have been etched letters in random ordering.

Chapter 4: Soldiers in the Sand[]

Realizing that the letters on the floor tiles contained a hidden code once every three letters, the brothers hastily made their way through the shrinking corridor until they arrived at the correct door, making their way through with seconds to spare. Elated, the brothers briefly celebrated, high-fiving each other before continuing down the corridor, having realized that they now entered the maze proper. After several twists and turns, the brothers rounded a corner leading into a hallway filled with sand. From the sand soon emerged the Sand warriors, warriors made of the chamber's living sand that formed around sets of armor and spears. Dismissing the Sand warriors due to their nature, Garmadon immediately attacked one with a tornado of Spinjitzu, only to discover painfully that the warriors were as hard as solid stone. Nevertheless, by working together, the brothers were able to discover the warriors' weakness and defeat them, smashing them back into piles of sand and empty shells of armor. As the brothers reveled in their victory, the floor opened up beneath them once again, plunging them deeper into the pyramid. After landing on his back, Garmadon attempted to rise, only to find the leg of a hooded figure keeping him on the ground while also holding a spear's point up towards Wu's neck.

Chapter 5: Shezada[]

The brothers immediately fought back against their attacker, believing them to be another sand warrior. As the fight wore on however, the brothers noticed that the hooded figure's movements were occasionally defensive in nature and overall too fast and nimble in comparison to the warriors they had fought previously. Realizing that the hooded figure was another imprisoned traveler, the brothers stopped fighting and addressed the traveler, who then removed her hood and introduced herself as Shezada. Shezada then led the brothers to a hideout she had dug inside the maze, explaining briefly that she had been trapped within the maze for weeks and had been surviving off of her dwindling food supplies and Brillies. a type of native reptile. Although the brothers attempted to engage Shezada in conversation about what wish she sought from the Sphinx, the young woman seemed reluctant to answer, leading Wu to steer the conversation instead towards a series of carvings etched into the wall. Shezada explained that every day, she explores a little bit more of the maze and then returns to her hideout to document her explorations. That way, she makes sure to never traverse the same way twice in the maze and sooner or later she would finally be able to find her way out. At that moment, Garmadon suddenly recalled that Shezada said she had been trapped in the maze for weeks, leading him to question her as to how much longer it would be until she discovered the exit, to which Shezada answered that she did not know, much to Garmadon's despair.

Chapter 6: The Smart-Mouthed Sphinx[]

Deciding that they could trust Shezada, the brothers decided to sleep for the night before continuing again in a few hours. As Garmadon slept, he dreamed of himself falling endlessly until he was awoken by Shezada who excitedly told Garmadon that his brother was a genius! Shezada explained that Wu had brought paper with him, and with that, they would be able to transcribe Shezada's carvings into a map, likely making it easier to traverse the maze. Garmadon could not help but feel a tinge of jealousy in response to Shezada's praising of his brother. As the group departed Shezada's hideout, they encountered a Sphinx statute, from which the voice of the Sphinx emanated, taunting the group. Shezada explained that similar statutes lined the corridors of the maze, and the Sphinx used them to communicate with would be challengers, usually in the form of demoralizing comments. Trudging onward, Shezada informed the brothers that they were approaching a section of the maze she called the "Scorpion Highway," as it was infested with giant scorpions that had been granted immortality by the Sphinx. Although the scorpions could not be killed, they did possess a weak spot on their undersides that would immobilize them for some time after being struck, and the trio proceeded to strike the scorpions in the exact spots. After defeating the scorpions, Garmadon felt another rush of jealousy as Shezada began to compliment Wu's technique while saying nothing about him. In frustration, Garmadon stormed off ahead, rounding the corner and falling down another pit.

Chapter 7: The Mirror of Dread[]

Fortunately, Shezada managed to grab ahold of Garmadon just in time, helping him out from the pit. As the trio continued onward, they arrived at a section of the maze that Shezada called the "Pokey Passage." This corridor was lined with holes on both sides from which spears fired out of on occasion. Following Shezada's lead, both brothers managed to get past the Pokey Passage, but Shezada noticed a scratch on Wu's neck. Although Wu initially downplayed the injury, Shezada admitted that she willfully neglected to inform the brothers that the tips of the spears were coated in an incredibly noxious poison, the effects of which Shezada was aware of based on an experience with a previous, ill-fated traveler. At that moment, the Sphinx contacted the trio through an adjacent statute, informing the trio that while she believed Wu was a goner, she would give them the opportunity to save him by informing them that the poison could be cured with the venom of the green spider. Fortunately, Shezada knew which section of the maze green spiders could be found in, although the passage there would be a bit of a detour from the exit. After braving many more traps and perils, the group arrived at a narrow ridge that dropped into a looming chasm below. Shezada referred to this room as the "Mirror of Dread," explaining that along the narrow strip of ground, there was a mirror that showed the passerby's greatest fears. Although Shezada insisted for the brothers to close their eyes as they crossed the mirror portion, Garmadon could not resist sneaking a peek out of curiosity. What he saw in the mirror, however, filled him immediately with despair. He had glimpsed at his future self: a dark, twisted, almost inhuman version of the man he was now.

Chapter 8: Just a Little Bite[]

Still reeling from gazing into the Mirror of Dread, Garmadon nearly fell off the ledge but was stopped by Shezada who scolded him for ignoring her orders not to look into the mirror. She then asked if Garmadon was okay, to which he replied in the affirmative, lying through his teeth. As the trio then entered the chamber of the green spiders, the Sphinx contacted them again through one of the statues, at first mocking Garmadon for nearly falling before telling them that Wu had to let himself be bitten by one of the green spiders to be cured of the toxin coursing through his body. Wu however, hesitated, fearing both that the Sphinx had lied and that there might be side effects to the spider's bite, knowing fully well how the Great Devourer's venom had changed his brother. Shezada however, allayed those fears, remarking that while cruel, the Sphinx was fair, and as such, it would not intentionally give them the wrong information. Relenting, Wu allowed the spider to bite him, immediately curing and reversing the effects of the poison, much to everyone's relief. Leaving the spider room, with Wu leading the way, Garmadon pressed Shezada for more information about her past, noting how she knew relatively much more about he and his brother than they knew about her. Shezada looked at Garmadon silently in response for a moment before finally relenting, explaining that she came from the Village of Haru, which was destroyed a long time ago in a devastating flood, leaving her among the few survivors. Since then, she had been on her own, roaming the world in search of treasure to rebuild her home. When Garmadon asked if she intended to wish for Haru to be restored, Shezada clarified that she intended to wish for the flood to never have happened, leaving Garmadon to silently think about how his brother wanted to wish for the Devourer to have never bit him.

The trio then entered a chamber that Shezada referred to as the, "quicksand room." Aside from the entrance, the entire chamber was filled with quicksand, with the only footing to cross being a series of pillars. Shezada ordered the brothers to follow her exactly, as she had discovered this room only a few days before and still remembered the correct ordering of pillars to cross. Unfortunately, the Sphinx had since changed the ordering of the pillars, and after stepping on another incorrect platform, all of the pillars began to sink into the sands below. Fortunately, Wu had spotted a ladder that led upwards through the pyramid, which the trio used one by one to escape the quicksand room. Finding themselves inside a new chamber, Shezada noted they were now venturing into uncharted territory as the voice of the Sphinx boomed from a nearby statue, congratulating the travelers on being one room away from the Sphinx's chamber. "However," the Sphinx continued, "Nobody ever gets out of this room alive!"

Chapter 9: Battle of the Ghouls[]

As the entrance to the chamber sealed itself off, the trio scanned their surroundings for any other passageways. They were able to identify two tunnels, each on opposite sides of the room. As the group approached the tunnel on the right, a loud, moaning sound began to emanate from both tunnels, soon revealing itself as an army of Ghouls. For a moment, the three began to fight back against the drooling monsters, but when the ghouls began to prove themselves as being too strong to overwhelm, Shezada suggested running across their shoulders and down one of the tunnels, with Garmadon quickly following from behind. As they made their way down the tunnel however, Shezada quickly noticed that Wu was not following them. Although Garmadon suggested leaving his brother behind, briefly thinking to himself that his life might actually be so much better without his younger brother's pestering, Shezada managed to snap Garmadon out of his dark thoughts, emphasizing that Wu was Garmadon's brother. Recalling what he had seen in the mirror of dread, with two figures turning their backs to Garmadon's future form, Garmadon agreed to go back and help his brother, vowing to never let himself become what he had seen in the mirror.

When the two returned to Wu, fighting their way past the ghouls once more, they found Wu studying the map in the center of the chamber. Wu explained that since they fell through a trap door upon entering the pyramid, then surely the Sphinx's chamber had to be above them. The only confusing matter though, was there did not seem to be a way up. At that moment, the Sphinx commanded the trio to maintain their balance as the ground beneath them suddenly began to rise upwards, taking them to the final chamber.

Chapter 10: The Blue Warriors[]

Entering the final chamber, the trio found themselves face to face with a dozen of the Sphinx's Beetle Warriors. Undeterred and determined to finally escape the pyramid, Shezada immediately leaped to attack the warriors, slicing through one with her spear as she declared that this challenge would be too easy. To her horror however, Shezada soon discovered that the Beetle Warriors were not singular beings, but rather were each comprised of thousands of individual beetles that had formed together into a singular figure. Working together now, the trio fought there way through the warriors, dispersing them into their component insects as they fought their way to the door to the Sphinx's chamber. With all their might, the trio pushed aside the doors, revealing the Sphinx in all her grandeur. With the doors opened, the beetles dispersed, allowing the trio to step forward to claim their prize. As Garmadon noted the Sphinx's grin, he sarcastically asked if she was happy to see them, to which the Sphinx denied, stating that she was smiling for another reason. At that moment, Shezada let out a groan as her skin began to turn a sickly gray in color, her the whites of her eyes turning black as well. She was turning into a ghoul, much to the amusement of the Sphinx.

Chapter 11: One Wish[]

As Shezada transformed before their eyes, Garmadon asked Shezada if she had been bitten when they were returning to rescue Wu, to which she answered in the affirmative. The Sphinx then declared that she would grant the trio a single wish to be decided between all three of them, greatly angering Garmadon while shocking the other two. Wu attempted to protest with the Sphinx, but she ignored his pleas for additional wishes, simply stating that since this was her pyramid, she makes the rules. While Wu continued trying to compromise with the Sphinx, Garmadon looked at Shezada; all the energy and fire she had possessed during their journey together was gone, leaving her nothing more than a near lifeless husk of her former self. As Garmadon thought about the wish, he felt deep down that there would be no way for him to escape the dark future shown in the Mirror of Dread, but he could make the choice here to save Shezada. And so, Garmadon made his wish for Shezada to be restored, to which the Sphinx obliged. After Shezada was restored, the Sphinx opened the exit to the pyramid and beckoned for the trio to depart.

After leaving, Shezada gave Garmadon a kiss on the cheek in thanks for using the wish to save her instead of himself, remarking that for someone who was supposedly an "evil guy," he was actually quite the softie. Garmadon then invited Shezada to continue journeying alongside him and his brother, but the young woman declined, stating that she had to continue searching for treasure to help her people rebuild. The trio's departure from the Pyramid had also caught the attention of the valley's locals, who immediately swarmed the group with many questions about their journey. While the brothers tried to push their way through the crowd as politely as possible, Shezada slipped away into the crowd, leaving the Sons of the First Spinjitzu Master to continue their long journey onward to the Northern Ocean. Although having initially been indignant and denying that anything about him had changed since being bitten by the Devourer, Garmadon now wondered privately to himself about his future fate and if it would be too late to prevent its passing.

Epilogue[]

Now sitting inside the barbecue restaurant, Wu finished retelling his students, minus Kai, listened on eagerly. Jay asked Wu if he ever saw Shezada again following his experience in the pyramid, to which Wu did not immediately respond, thinking back and reminiscing on a time long ago before finally answering in the affirmative. At that moment, Kai returned from the restroom, having since fixed his hair. Unfortunately, a sudden burst of fire from the grill pit prompted Nya to use her powers to douse it, accidentally splashing her brother again and ruining his hair, again.

Appearances

Appearances[]

Characters[]

Mentioned[]

Creatures[]

Items[]

Events[]

Locations[]

Species[]

Trivia

Trivia[]

Continuity[]

Errors[]

Translations

Translations[]

Language Name
Dutch De Doolhof van de Sfinx
German Das Labyrinth der Sphinx
Polish Labirynt Sfinksa
Gallery

Gallery[]

References

References[]

  1. ↑ https://twitter.com/TommyAndreasen/status/1310970613335457793
  2. ↑ https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Random_House_LEGO_Spinjitzu_Brothers_Chapter_Book?id=rxk1EAAAQBAJ
  3. ↑ https://www.ameet.eu/lego-books/ameet-lego-books-2022-publishing-program/