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Shadow of the Sphinx is the 16th book of the Charmed novels and was written by Carla Jablonski.

It is set between Season 4 Episode 12 of "Lost and Bound" and Season 4 Episode 15 "Marry-Go-Round" as Phoebe is engaged to Cole for the duration of the novel.

Summary[]

For a complete plot of Shadow of the Sphinx, go here.

Shifting sands, eternal dust,
unending time moves as it must.
But ancient wisdom works through me,
time is mine—where e'er I be.

Paige Matthews is having a minor identity crisis. She is slowly but surely embracing her long lost sisters' witchy ways, but she doesn't want to overstep her boundaries. After all, she wouldn't ever want to replace Prue Halliwell—even if she could. So Paige considers it a stroke of luck when, one day, her experiments with magic turn her into a cat. Who knew she had a knack for shape-shifting?

One problem: She can't shift herself back. Her sisters inadvertently betray her when they deposit her at a local animal shelter. Suddenly she finds herself the familiar of a cult that worships ancient Egyptian deities, and is catapulted into ancient Egypt! Piper and Phoebe discover the identity of the stray cat and rally a rescue mission, only to discover another cat-woman, also entrapped within a fortress-like sphinx. This kitty is one feline femme fatale, and the sisters are going to have to put human heads together to defeat her!

Characters[]

Major[]

  • Piper Halliwell: The eldest sister with the powers of Molecular Immobilization and Molecular Combustion. She has the power to throw energy balls in this novel. After learning what happened to Paige, Piper and Phoebe race against time to find her.
  • Phoebe Halliwell: The middle sister with the powers of Premonition and Levitation. She has the power to throw energy balls in this novel. After learning what happened to Paige, Piper and Phoebe race against time to find her.
  • Paige Matthews: The youngest half-sister with the powers of Telekinetic Orbing and Orbing. She has the power to throw energy balls in this novel. Paige tries on a shape-shifting spell that turned her into a cat, but before she has the chance to turn herself back, her sisters bring her to an animal shelter where she is ultimately adopted by an Egyptian cultist who taps into her magic and sends them both back in time.
  • Leo Wyatt: The Charmed Ones' Whitelighter and Piper's husband. He has the powers of Orbing and Healing.
  • Cole Turner: Phoebe's fiancé. He was known as Belthazor in the Underworld with the powers of Shimmering and Energy Balls.

Support[]

  • Tyler Carlson: Member of the Disciples of Thoth. A tall African-American with chiseled features and a beard. Never felt comfortable in his own time. Traveled back to Ancient Egypt with Paige. Gave his life for the greater good and was given eternal happiness in the afterlife. Also called "Osiris".
  • Hoptith: A Dark Priestess cursed into cat form as punishment for her crimes, but was accidentally released by Piper and Phoebe.
  • Tipket: High priestess in the temple of Bastet. She started priestesshood the same time with Hoptith.

Minor[]

  • Marianna: A blond, short and plump woman in her 30s. Member of the Disciples of Thoth.
  • Tina: A petite, Asian woman and a Member of the Disciples of Thoth.
  • Talus: Also called Re, an Egyptian High priest of the Disciples of Thoth. He fainted at the sight of magic that sent Tyler and Paige back in time.
  • Kuthra: Royal scribe. Tests Tyler's abilities.
  • Vizier: A high-up official.
  • Mailin: Tipket's acolyte. She learned from Piper and Phoebe about Hoptith's return and went to warn Tipket.
  • Kraken Demon: Black-clad, slimy-green rogue demons that scavenge leftover magical energy left from battle between witches and other demons.
  • Skull Headed Demons: Skeletal Beings working under Hoptith. Have blue tongues with teeth transfixed in their skeleton heads. Their teeth are poisonous and will kill their victims in minutes.
  • Ammut: Goddess who devours the hearts of unworthy souls.
  • Bastet: Cat goddess who represents happy times. Has the head of a cat and body of a woman.
  • Osiris: Lord of the Underworld. Gave Tyler passage to eternal happiness when he died.
  • Thoth: Egyptian god of wisdom.
  • Anubis: Egyptian God of the dead.
  • Animal Shelter Clerk: A young woman who told Phoebe and Piper their "cat" had been adopted.
  • Giant Demon: Hoptith's minion, who came to Halliwell Manor to fetch her back to ancient Egypt, but was tricked by Paige.
  • Egyptian Royal Guards: Royal guards of ancient Egypt. They imprisoned Piper and Phoebe after they took the cursed Hoptith, believing them to be evil.

Mentioned[]

  • Prue Halliwell: The eldest Charmed One with the powers of Telekinesis and Astral Projection. She was killed by the demon Shax.
  • The Source of All Evil: Ruler of the Underworld and all evil forces.
  • Mr. and Mrs. Matthews: Paige's adoptive parents who died in a car accident when Paige was a teenager.
  • Johnson: Member of the Disciples of Thoth. Was initially the role of Osiris, but was voted out and replaced by Tyler after months of failure.
  • Maat: Goddess of truth, divine order, and judgment. Her feather was used to weight Tyler's heart.
  • Nephthys: A goddess mentioned by the Disciples of Thoth during a ritual.

Magical Notes[]

Spells[]

Shape-Shifting Ritual[]

Flames for transformation, comfrey and nettles in an infusion, and cinnamon sticks to burn.
Pour boiling water over a handful of Comfry and Nettles, light candles and look into the flames and concentrate on an animal you picked. Choose an animal you easily identify with for a start: Thinking of the qualities of this animal and sense for these qualities in yourself. Anoint forehead, hands and feet with the infusion. Burn the Cinnamon Stick and recite the spell:
Take what I am
Turn it into what I will be
Animal Power, Animal Me
Animal Energy, Animal Shape
Animal form my body to take.

To Drive Away a Crocodile[]

Power of the Cat, unite with me,
Send away this enemy.

To Conjure Up a Papyrus[]

Power of the Cat, unite with me,
Bring me papyrus for this scribe to see.

To Transport Oneself to a Loved One[]

Separated by time,
Separated by space.
Reunite us three,
In our sister's current place.

Transportation Spell[]

Ancient wise ones,
Link to my will
My greatest desire
Now you fulfill.

Translation Spell[]

Visitor from another land,
We need help to understand.
Let our words now be clear.
When we speak, both far and near.

To Drive Away Scorpions[]

Power of the Cat, unite with me,
Banish these scorpions to eternity.

To Break Out of a Prison Cell[]

Open the doors, open the gate,
This is a crisis, we really can't wait.

Conjunction Spell[]

An Egyptian spell used in conjunction with hieroglyphs.
Ho Tyranto Klepanth, Welisk calorinto set.

Reversal Spell to the Shape-Shifting Ritual[]

The spell doesn't actually reverse the spell, but merely helps the user return to their original form.
Return to who you were
Remember who you are
No longer animal—
Become human once more.

To Vanquish the Giant Demon[]

Creature of chaos, we vanquish thee,
Demon be gone so that good may go free.
Power of Three now vanquish thee,
We will forever be Power of three!

Powers[]

  • Apportation: Used by Hoptith to call objects to herself.
  • Channeling: Used by Tyler to channel Paige's magic.
  • Elasticity: Used by Skull-Headed Demons to attack with their tongues.
  • Energy Ball: Used by Phoebe, Paige, Cole, Tyler, and Kraken Demons in battle.
  • Molecular Combustion: Used by Piper to vanquish her enemies.
  • Molecular Immobilization: Used by Piper to freeze her enemies.
  • Orbing: Used by Paige in cat form and Leo to teleport between places.
  • Projection: Used by Tyler while channeling Paige's magic. It allowed him to access Paige's individual powers, magically fill a jug of water, and understand Paige's speech.
  • Projective Levitation: Used by Hoptith to lift Phoebe off the ground.
  • Sensing: Used by Leo and Hoptith to sense power.
  • Shapeshifting: Used by Paige to transform into animals while under the shape-shifting spell.
  • Shimmering: Used by Kraken Demons to teleport.
  • Telekinetic Orbing: Used by Paige and Tyler to move objects.
  • Telepathy: Used by Tyler and Paige via their connection. Paige heard his voice whenever he chanted a spell in his head.
  • Time Travel: Used by Kraken Demons and a Giant Demon to travel to Ancient Egypt with Hoptith.
  • Zoolingualism: Used by Tyler to talk to Paige in cat form.

Artifacts[]

  • Book of Shadows: The Halliwells' tome of knowledge and magic.
  • Feather of Truth: Used to determine whether the deceased is worthy to enter eternal happiness.
  • Hieroglyphs: Ancient Egyptian writing system. Magicians used it for spell casting.

Notes and Trivia[]

  • The Handfasting entry was mentioned to be written by an ancestor during the 18th century.
  • Paige once had a boyfriend who told her she reminded him of a cat.
  • The Egyptian version of the Underworld is called "Duat".
  • Phoebe and Cole were preparing to train in the basement. This was something that happened in "Enter the Demon".

Continuity Errors[]

  • Piper, Phoebe, and Paige possess the power to throw Energy Balls in this novel.
  • Cole Turner is incorrectly referred to as Cole Porter in chapter 1.
  • Paige is a social worker instead of an assistant.
  • When the Halliwells were attacked by demons, there was a sentence that said two demons dodged a flying energy ball thrown by Cole. This is controversial, as Cole was mentioned to no longer be a demon and had not demonstrated any other powers since.
  • Paige has learned to orb elsewhere while Cole was human.
  • The sisters aren't supposed to be able to use their active powers when they are in the past.

International Titles[]

  • Russian: Tjen' Sfinksa (Shade Sphinx)
  • Spanish: La sombra de la esfinge (The Shadow of the Sphinx)
  • French: L'ombre du sphinx (The Shadow of the Sphinx)
  • Dutch: Schaduw van de sfinx (Shadow of the Sphinx)
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