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1%% Administrivia/ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.
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3[[quoteright:308:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/greygriffins.jpg]]
4[[caption-width-right:308:This is the cover used in Spain for the first book. Why can't America get such a cool cover for its own series?]]
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6Children's UrbanFantasy book series about a group of friends who end up going on a series of adventures involving monsters, creatures and magic; set in the modern world and mixing in some contemporary issues with the fantasy elements.
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8The four friends are essentially huge nerds, with an interest in comic books and playing card games, and indeed, this is how they met. Early in the first book, they accidentally release creatures from a book called the Codex, and they have to deal with the strange events that soon occur. Eventually, they learn there is a massive plot going on involving a centuries-long war between the Knights Templar (no, not ''those'' [[KnightTemplar Knights Templar]]!) and the forces of Morgan [=LeFay=], an immortal witch. Fortunately, Max, the lead hero and a billionaire, is the descendant of many heroes of the Templar, and many of his servants are also secretly part of this fight.
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10Although they're the heroes, the kids do not actively fight for the most part, other than occasionally carrying things they need to protect themselves which they need to use. Otherwise, they snoop around, explore, and use their wits to solve problems. Most of the actual fighting is done by adults, and the kids are frequently saved by them when things go wrong. Naturally, as an attempt to get the kids to play the main role in the story, they either end up going on many adventures by themselves or the adults are conveniently separated from them.
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12[[AC:The heroes are:]]
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14* Max - A rich boy whose parents are billionaires, as well as divorced. He doesn't care much for money, and only wishes for a normal life with his friends. He is also the descendant of the Knights Templar, and has many friends in high places who can help him.
15* Harley - A tough kid who lives in a trailer. Despite being intimidating and muscular, he's a good friend to the group, and shares their nerdy interests in comic books and playing card games.
16* Ernie - TheLoad for the most part. Wimpy, asthmatic, and tries to avoid danger as much as he can. He is sometimes forced into heroism.
17* Natalia - A smart girl who likes to write down notes and ask questions. She likes to dress up for any occasion possible, and sometimes acts bossy, such as when she tries to help Ernie with his diet. She is rather fearless, occasionally doing suicidal things such as jumping from one balcony to another over a thirty foot drop.
18* Brooke - Added to the group in the third book. She has a convenient backstory that allows her to join the action head-on.
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20Has a lot of potential for fun, but sometimes that potential is ruined by the sheer randomness of the plot (which is part of what makes it fun), [[AssPull Ass Pulls]] galore (and you gotta love the "at the last moment" rescues), and speech giving.
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22Starting from the fourth book on, the series becomes ''The Clockwork Chronicles'', as the kids move to a school of magic. This series is in contention, due to the change in dialog and characterization, as well as the new setting.
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24Not to be confused with Grey Griffin (a.k.a. Creator/GreyDeLisle).
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26!!This series contains examples of:
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28%%* ActionPrologue - ranging from the "foreshadowing" to the "totally unrelated to the main plot" variety
29%%* AdultsAreUseless - averted! Adults are actually quite useful
30* AwesomeButImpractical - Ernie's super speed, which he gains in the third book. Why can't he use it? Because it will speed up his transformation into a fairy.
31%%* BattleButler - quite a few of them
32* BeethovenWasAnAlienSpy: Did you know that the Knights Templar still exist in the modern world, and are protecting it from supernatural evil? Or that Morgan [=LeFay=] drives a Ferrari around and has her own arctic base?
33%%* CasualDangerDialog
34%%* CoolOldGuy - Iver
35%%* ForgottenPhlebotinum - part of why these books are so darn random
36%%* HoldingBackThePhlebotinum - another part of why they're so random
37* InformedAbility - Natalia is very smart. Or is she? Harley, the tough kid of the group, can't stand up to the bullies, who are bigger than him. Some tough guy he is. Same with all the stuff Max is taught by his bodyguard, Logan. It all goes unused.
38%%* KidHero - though the adults play major roles, and do most of the actual combat
39* LeftFieldDescription: The series has some strange writing flaws, but only a handful of stuff that really jumps out like this. For example, "The dawnless morning". How can there be a morning without a dawn? Figurately speaking, it can be [[{{Pun}} read]] as meaning that it's so cloudy that the sunrays are barely visible. Or that it's such an utterly hopeless day --dawn is a common symbol of new beginnings.
40* LittleHeroBigWar: The adults always engage in big fights against evil while the kids snoop around and go on their own adventures
41%%* TheLoad - Ernie, though not always
42%%* ParentalBetrayal: Max's dad is evil. A shame, since he's angry at his mom, but then he finds out that his dad is worse
43%%* RandomEventsPlot
44%%* SmallNameBigEgo: Ernie. At least due to his overt wimpiness and nerdiness, we can't accuse of him having a wasted InformedAbility... [[spoiler:until the third book]]
45%%* UrbanFantasy

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