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Vespers Rising

Vespers Rising

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Children's BooksHistorical Fiction
Published
2011
Language
English

Synopsis

Vespers Rising is the eleventh and final book of the original The 39 Clues series, a collaborative novel written by four of the series' authors: Rick Riordan, Peter Lerangis, Gordon Korman, and Jude Watson. It bridges the original ten-book clue hunt and the sequel series, Cahills vs. Vespers, revealing the hidden history of the Cahill family and the shadowy enemies who have stalked them for centuries: the Vespers. The book is structured as four short stories spanning five hundred years, each by a different author. Rick Riordan opens the book with the origin story set in 1507, recounting how Gideon Cahill invented the master serum during the Black Death, and how his friend turned betrayer, Damien Vesper, brought down Gideon's laboratory to seize it, scattering the serum's ingredients among Gideon's children. The second story follows Gideon's youngest daughter Madeleine, founder of the Madrigal branch, in 1814. The third, set during World War II, shows the children's grandmother Grace Cahill as a fourteen-year-old in action. The final present-day section returns to Amy and Dan Cahill in Boston, living with great-uncle Fiske and au pair Nellie Gomez, as the Vesper threat resurfaces and Grace leaves them one last, dangerous legacy. The result functions both as a satisfying epilogue to the clue hunt and a prequel that sets up the next chapter of the saga.

Prose complexity
3/10

Vibe

AdventurousTenseMysteriousDark
Family SagaBetrayalQuestMultiple POVsSecret IdentitySacrificeFound FamilyMystery Box

Genres

Children's Books Historical Fiction Middle Grade Mystery Thriller Adventure Short Stories

Authors

G
Gordon Korman

Gordon Korman was born in Montreal, Quebec. In 1970, he relocated with his parents to Thornhill, Ontario. In 7th grade, he wrote a work that went on to become his first novel in a school writing assignment. It was published under the title This Can't Be Happening at Macdonald Hall in 1978, when Korman was 14 years old. He wrote and published another four books while in high school. After high school, he moved to New York City where he studied film and film writing at New York University. In...

J
Jude Watson

American novelist. Judy Blundell, pseudonym Jude Watson, is an American author of books for middle grade, young adult, and adult readers. She won the annual National Book Award for Young People's Literature in 2008 for the young adult novel What I Saw and How I Lied, published under her real name by Scholastic Books.

P
Peter Lerangis

Peter Duncan Lerangis (born 1955, in Brooklyn, New York) is an American author of children's and young adult fiction, best known for his Seven Wonders series and his work on the 39 Clues series. As a ghostwriter he has been published under the name A. L. Singer.

R
Rick Riordan

An American author born June 5, 1964, in San Antonio, Texas, Rick Riordan writes mythology-based fiction for young readers. Before his publishing career, he taught English and history at public and private middle schools in San Antonio and the San Francisco Bay Area for fifteen years. While teaching, he wrote the adult Tres Navarre mystery series, which won the top three national mystery awards: the Edgar, the Anthony, and the Shamus. Percy Jackson originated as a bedtime story Riordan invented...

Characters

Gideon CahillProtagonist

The 16th-century founder of the Cahill line who invents the master serum and gives his life to protect it.

Madeleine CahillProtagonist

Gideon's youngest daughter, raised in secrecy as 'Maddy Babbitt,' progenitor of the Madrigal branch.

Grace CahillProtagonist

Amy and Dan's grandmother, shown here as a fourteen-year-old already in action during World War II.

Amy CahillProtagonist

Returns in the present-day section, trying to settle into normal life when the Vesper threat resurfaces.

Dan CahillProtagonist

Amy's younger brother, drawn back into danger as their grandmother's last legacy unfolds.

All characters in Vespers Rising

Frequently asked questions

  • Who wrote Vespers Rising?

    It was written collaboratively by four authors: Rick Riordan, Peter Lerangis, Gordon Korman, and Jude Watson, each contributing one section of the book.

  • Which part of Vespers Rising did Rick Riordan write?

    Rick Riordan wrote the opening section, set in 1507, which tells the origin of Gideon Cahill, the master serum, and his betrayal by Damien Vesper.

  • How is the book structured?

    It is built as four short stories spanning roughly five hundred years, each by a different author and set in a different era: 1507, 1814, World War II, and the present day.

  • Where does Vespers Rising fit in The 39 Clues?

    It is the eleventh and final book of the original series, serving as a bridge between the ten-book clue hunt and the sequel series, Cahills vs. Vespers.

  • Who are the Vespers introduced in this book?

    The Vespers are a powerful enemy organization founded by Damien Vesper, who betrayed Gideon Cahill for the serum and whose descendants have stalked the Cahill family for centuries.

  • Does Vespers Rising feature Amy and Dan Cahill?

    Yes. The final present-day section, written by Jude Watson, returns to Amy and Dan in Boston living with great-uncle Fiske and au pair Nellie Gomez as the Vesper threat reawakens.

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