Luck Be a Lady is the 22nd book of the Charmed novels.
This book takes place between Season 4 Episode 22 "Witch Way Now?" and Season 5 Episode 12 "Centennial Charmed".
Summary[]
| For a complete plot of Luck Be a Lady, go here. |
A desperate gamble
An ancient curse
Will it be good or evil
That triumphs first?
Phoebe Halliwell may be ready to turn over a new leaf as a single gal, but her newly redemonized ex-husband, Cole, isn't ready to let her go. Aware of a supernatural plot against the Charmed Ones, Cole keeps watch over Phoebe, and intercedes at the moment of battle, only to accidentally create a rip in time. Cole disappears to WW II-era Hollywood—and brings the sisters with him!
While the Charmed Ones are no strangers to extreme circumstances, what they didn't anticipate was a demonic stronghold shaking down local businesses. To infiltrate the evil underground, Paige poses as a young starlet, working an entirely different kind of magic before the camera. Meanwhile, Piper is tempted to seek out Leo—in this world, he's still human—and Phoebe is at her wits' end contending with Cole. But a demon henchman is working the black magic mojo on Paige, and if the sisters don't focus, before long they'll find themselves completely out of luck!
Characters[]
Major[]
- Piper Halliwell: The eldest sister with the powers of Molecular Immobilization and Molecular Combustion. She, her sisters, and Cole are accidentally sent back in time to 1942. She finds herself torn between maintaining the cosmic balance and go looking for Leo, who was yet to become a Whitelighter at the time.
- Phoebe Halliwell: The middle sister with the powers of Premonition and Levitation. She, her sisters, and Cole are accidentally sent back in time to 1942. Taking a job at a movie studio, she befriends a witch on her quest to return to her own time.
- Paige Matthews: The youngest half-sister with the powers of Telekinetic Orbing and Orbing. She, her sisters, and Cole are accidentally sent back in time to 1942. After an actress left her job, Paige takes her place to get close to a powerful gangster lord.
- Leo Wyatt: The Charmed Ones' Whitelighter and Piper's husband. He has the powers of Orbing and Healing.
- Cole Turner: Phoebe's ex-husband. He was vanquished as the Source of All Evil and then came back to life as something entirely different. Because his past self was briefly powerless in 1942, Cole also lost his own powers while in this timeline.
Support[]
- Mr. Sigh and Mr. Tremble: Two demon brothers who could influence luck. Not their real names. They planted a vision in Phoebe to make her see George in trouble with the Lords of the Outer Dark in order to send her and her sisters to their enemies. The unexpected arrival of Cole complicated their plan.
- Ned Hawkins: Shady businessman, with sandy hair and gray-blue eyes. He is a demon who can predict patterns, influence events, exert Super Strength, and cast spells. Imprisoned by the God of Luck.
- Banzaf: Used the name Barrish as an alias. Ned's mentor. Fell under Phoebe's spell during a confrontration, and then got vanquished by Cole's electrically charged sais. His powers included Luck Granting and Super Strength.
- Theda McFey: An actress and a witch sent by Chloe to help. Her powers involved Sensing, Intangibility, Energy Blast, and Hypnosis. Gives the Charmed Ones spells they needed against Ned Hawkins. After turning down Oscar's offer, she convinced him to let Theda take over for her.
- God of Luck: The one who punishes Ned and his kind in 1942, and names his worshippers the Lords of the Outer Dark.
- Chloe: The lady at the café who found Phoebe a job with her at the film studio. She wears a Wiccan pendant and is from Oregon.
- Oscar Lyons: Owner of Osiris Studios. Producer and director. Innocent. Said to be small but sweet-looking with a walrus mustache.
Minor[]
- Michael J. O'Malley: Soldier who meets Piper at the Hollywood Canteen.
- Ben Kwatsai: Paige's classmate and romantic interest. Asian-American with model features. Phys ed instructor.
- Louis Lascher: Paige's genealogy teacher at the community college.
- Lords of the Outer Dark: Have curved horns, scaly faces, diamond-sharp teeth, and glowing crimson eyes. Dominated Sigh and Tremble's clan. The brothers sent the Charmed Ones to them to make them fight and destroy each other.
- George Phinnagee: A crime reporter at the Bay Mirror. He was seen in Phoebe's vision.
- Penny Day Matthews: Hollywood star in the 1940s. Ancestor of the Matthews family and a spitting image of Paige. Worked at Osiris before resigning.
- Dinah Shore: Singer, actress, and television personality, and the top-charting female vocalist of the 1940s.
- Eddie Cantor: "Illustrated song" performer, comedian, dancer, singer, actor, and songwriter.
- Lana Turner: An actress who worked in film, television, theater, and radio. Piper ran into her at the Hollywood Canteen.
- James Cagney: Actor of Yankee Doodle Dandy on a radio talk show. Called Jimmy by the host.
- Bertha: Waitress at the Schwab's. Worked with Piper.
- Freddy Booth: The leading actor at Osiris. Good looking, but complains about everything.
- Roger: The publicist.
- Lucy: Script supervisor.
- Michael Romanoff: Owner of Romanoff's. Nicknamed Prince Mike. Eats with his dogs.
- Groucho Marx: Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx was an American comedian, writer, stage, film, radio, and television star. He ate at Romanoff's with Louis B. Mayer.
- Louis B. Mayer: The American film producer who co-founded Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios in 1924. He ate at Romanoff's with Groucho Marx.
- Billy Wilder: Samuel "Billy" Wilder. Famous filmmaker, screenwriter, producer, artist, and journalist. He ate at Romanoff's with Alfred Hitchcock.
- Alfred Hitchcock: Famous English film director. He ate at Romanoff's with Billy Wilder.
- Mr. Peters: Assistant manager of the Sunset Tower Hotel.
- Petey: One of Ned's drivers.
- Tom Phillips: Propmaster and Chloe's Whitelighter.
- Beast Demon: One of Theda's many enemies. Attacks Theda and Phoebe at the hotel, but was vanquished.
- Red: A soldier who spoke with Piper at the Hollywood Canteen.
Mentioned[]
- Elise Rothman: Editor-in-chief of The Bay Mirror.
- Bugsy Siegel: Kicked out of the Sunset Towers for placing bets at the hotel.
- President Roosevelt: President of the United States of America in 1942.
- The Source of All Evil: The ruler of the Underworld, who once inhabited Cole's body.
- Penny Halliwell: The Charmed Ones' deceased grandmother with the power of Telekinesis.
- P. Baxter: Penny's mother and Piper's past life incarnation, who had the power of Molecular Deceleration.
- Lizzie: Chloe's aunt. A creative costume maker with two daughters.
- Mr. and Mrs. Matthews: Paige's adoptive parents who died in a car accident.
- Angel of Death: The neutral being who brings souls to the Beyond.
- Humphrey Bogart: Also known as Bogie. Regular customer at Romanoff's.
- John Garfield: Founded the Hollywood Canteen.
- Bette Davis: Founded the Hollywood Canteen.
- Jules Stein: Investor of the Hollywood Canteen.
Magical Notes[]
Spells[]
To Vanquish the Lords of Outer Dark[]
- Power of Three spell
- Demons in darkness cloaked,
- By the Power of Three we'll see you croaked.
To Return Things to How They Were[]
- Return, return, the form that was,
- Reshape, retake, we ask because,
- Much good will come, much evil flee,
- Return, return 'twas meant to be.
To Vanquish Sigh and Tremble[]
- In darkness and in light,
- You evil we will fight.
- As you have doomed so many souls,
- This spell will blow you full of holes.
Other Spells[]
- Theda provided the Charmed Ones a few spells, among which were "The Binding of Names", "The Cloak of Desire, and "The Forgotten Fear".
- Two luck demons attempted to cast a rain spell on Paige, but it bounced off and rainéd on them instead.
- Another two luck demons cast a tornado spell on the Charmed Ones, but it bounced off and swept them up instead.
- Ned cast a spell to make a whole building collapse.
Potions[]
- Cole acquired three vials of bad luck potions to help the Charmed Ones cancel out the luck demons' magic.
Powers[]
- Apportation: Used by Mr. Sigh to summon a crossbow he stole from a Darklighter after they died.
- Channeling: Used by the Lords of the Outer Dark to channel an energy point.
- Chronokinesis: Used by Cole to slow down time.
- Cursing: Used by the God of Luck to curse Ned Hawkins and his kind.
- Electrokinesis: Used by Cole to fight the Lords of the Outer Dark, and by Ned's demon minions to fight the Charmed Ones.
- Fading: Used by Cole and Mr. Tremble to teleport between places.
- Fireballs: Used by Cole to attack the Lords of the Outer Dark.
- Levitation: Used by Phoebe to kick a demon into Cole's sai.
- Luck Granting: Used by Luck Demons to manipulate the luck of their targets.
- Molecular Combustion: Used by Piper to attack the Lords of the Outer Dark and the Luck Demons.
- Molecular Deceleration: Used by Cole to stop a cup of coffee from falling.
- Molecular Immobilization: Used by Piper to freeze her enemies.
- Orbing: Used by Leo, Paige, and Tom to teleport between places.
- Portal Creation: Used by the God of Luck to open a ripple in space.
- Premonition: Used by Phoebe to see the Lords of the Outer Dark and George.
- Reality Warping: Used by the God of Luck to manipulate the physical realm.
- Reconstitution: Used by the Lords of the Outer Dark to reform their exploded bodies.
- Shadow Blasts: Used by Cole to attack the Lords of the Outer Dark.
- Shimmering: Used by Ned's demon minions to teleport.
- Super Strength: Used by Ned's demon minions.
- Telekinetic Orbing: Used by Paige to vanquish the Lords of the Outer Dark with their own weapons, then to test her powers by orbing a bottle into her hand.
- Telekinesis: Used by Ned's demon minions.
- Vortex Creation: Used by Cole in attempt to redirect the Charmed Ones' uncontrollable energy and accidentally sent them back in time.
Artifacts[]
- Danger-Sensing Amulet: Used by Cole to sense incoming danger.
- Darklighter Crossbow: Used by Mr. Sigh to fight Leo.
- Darklighter Arrows: Used by Mr. Sigh to fight Leo.
- Electrical Sais: Cole's weapons imbued with electric magic.
- Magical Sword: A sword imbued with destructive magic. It was among Ned's looted magical artifacts.
- Ned's Looted Objects: Legendary artifacts imbued with powerful magic.
- Protection Amulet: Wards off witchcraft and physical attacks, but not Whitelighter powers.
- Theda McFey's Scrolls: Theda delivered her spell scrolls to help the sisters.
Notes and Trivia[]
- In either a rare genetic fluke or an oversight by the author, Paige's adoptive great aunt looks exactly like her; and is named Penny.
- The title is a reference to the song of the same name, featured in the musical Guys and Dolls.
- This is the last book to feature Cole Turner.
- Leo's favorite song was "Sentimental Journey" from 1942, but it wasn't recorded until 1944. As it turned out, it was present-day Piper who sang it before he shipped out to war.
Differences from the Show[]
- Piper is not pregnant.
- Piper, Phoebe and Paige's powers remained intact after they traveled back to 1942. On the show, if a witch traveled back to a time before they had powers, they were usually powerless (excluding the basic abilities of spell casting and potion making).
- It was mentioned that Paige only found out her parents died in the accident when she woke in the hospital the next day. On the show, she witnessed it with her own eyes.
- Phoebe mentioned they were in 2004. Cole would have been vanquished by early 2003, and Wyatt and Chris would have come into existence.
- Phoebe would have also gained the power of Empathy by this time.
References[]
- The Schwab's Drug Store, Romanoff's, Sunset Tower Hotel, and Hollywood Canteen were featured.
- Piper's table dancing in Season 3 episode "Coyote Piper" was mentioned.
Covers[]
- Russian: Udača—kapriznaja ljedi (Chance to be 'Lady')
- French: une chance d'enfer (A Luck From Hell)
- Spanish (Spain): suerte, portate bien (Luck, Behave Well)
- Dutch: Magisch Hollywood (Magical Hollywood)
Russian cover
French cover
Spanish cover