librarylisa614's review
4.0
Got my interest up enough for me to try the Vespers vs. Cahills series... a little confusing maybe for younger students until you understand that the four sections take place at different times in history and are written by the four different authors.
simobae's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
roshk99's review
4.0
This bridge between the 39 Clues series and the Cahills vs. Vespers series explains many things about the origin the the 39 clues and the beginning of the 5 branches. Well written, and contains important information.
kentons's review
3.0
I think this was a stop-gap until the next series came out. Good background filler but not critical for he next part of the series.
hopejune123's review
5.0
I love this series so much! This book is one of my tops now. And the writing!!! OMG its near flawless and so hard to put down! The fact that 4 authors came together in these masterpiece is absolutely insane! The Medusa Plot, here I come!
madz2023's review
4.0
So I finished this yesterday and I for the most part I loved it.
FIRST STORY-GIDEON'S:
I'd have to say my favorite story was Gideon's for a few reasons. First off I just happened to like Gideon's character. He cared for his people even when Lord Vesper wouldn't, he loved his family dearly, and he created the serums that were the basis for the 39 Clues first 10 books. I felt soooo bad for him and everyone when he was killed, but I knew it would happen sooner rather than later due to the fact that he took the lethal serum and in the other books it says Gideon died before he could make a complete, working, safe serum. What/who I mostly loved about this first story was Luke! For like the whole 39 Clue's 1st 10 books all I was thinking was, "What a cruel bastard he had to be in order to have the Lucien's be the way they are!" I mostly blame Ian, Natalie, and of course Isabel for this. What I actually found out was that Luke was basically too smart for his own good and therefore rejected by most people outside his family. And then on top of that, the family he did love (even though he didn't show it well) rejected his love and help when their father was killed. So he was forced through circumstances to run off on his own and become a cruel, social climbing, manipulative nutcase (who still had some soft spots for his son). I also enjoyed learning a little bit more about the other 3 kids. (Go Ekats!/Katherine!)
SECOND STORY-MADELINE'S
Ok, so my friend Julia said this was the BEST of the stories, so naturally I was expecting something super amazing, to be able to surpass Gideon's. To tell the truth I was kinda disappointed. I mean it was good, don't get me wrong, it's just nothing really worked out at all for Maddy and I just didn't really get into it as much. Plus Luke basically sucked for most of it. And also there's this poem for Madeline, "Maddy Babbit, scared as a rabbit" that i could not get outa my head! The thing I loved most about this story, and this may sound weird, was the sayings Olivia (the mom) would always tell Maddy when she did something like her siblings: A Jot of Jane, a Cut of Katherine, a Touch of Tomas, and a Lick of Luke (my fav one). In this one Olivia finally dies, in an explosion. So Maddy's forced to run off and she goes looking for Luke which I though was kinda dumb. I mean I know I have a soft spot for Luke now after reading Gideon's story, but come on, I'm not stupid. There's a reason the Luciens are the most feared and ruthless of the groups, its b/c their leader became and stayed that way when he was forced to leave. If I were Madeline, I would have gone after Jane, much safer... Maybe Kate. I feel like Jane would be the most understanding of the 4, and I'm just all for Kate because I'm an Ekat. (BTW Kate=Katherine). Anyway Maddy tracks down Luke and long story short, he doesn't believe Maddy about her being his long lost sister, then he steals her ring, and is going to kill her. Thankfully she escapes. What a loser Luke is here! (Still love him though... and He's really good with his kid.)
THIRD STORY-GRACE'S
Ok truthfully I barely read this one. Grace never really interested me, even in the 39 Clues. From what I understand though, in this story she's like 13 and hanging out with her favorite beloved baby brother Fiske and the all of a sudden she's off to Africa and manages to land a plane safely all by herself. Ya sucky description, I know. (least fav story).
FOURTH STORY-AMY/DAN/SOMEWHAT FISKE'S
Ok to start off this review of this story, all I have to say is POOR FISKE! I mean Amy and Dan are super used to all this crazy stuff constantly, and I mean I guess Fiske is kinda used to it too, but you know he's getting up there in age... Anyway Amy and Dan's story was fine I guess, but not as great as one of the full books. Love Dan though, his comments always make me laugh soooo much! And Nellie of course. I was sad she wasn't really in it much at all. I do love though how the author managed to have them almost be killed/mortally wounded like 4 or 5 times in the span of 20 or 30 pages. Such creativity! :) I'm super excited for another couple full books with one of my fav brother-sister teams! I SOOOOOO hope the Holts come back! I LOVE THEM They were definitely my favorite team! And of course Ian and Natalie need to come back, so that either Amy or Dan or anyone for that matter (im not picky) can give Ian one seriously well aimed kick or punch where it really counts! :)
And my rambling comes to an end... Can't wait for the Medusa Plot (Book1 of Vespers)
FIRST STORY-GIDEON'S:
I'd have to say my favorite story was Gideon's for a few reasons. First off I just happened to like Gideon's character. He cared for his people even when Lord Vesper wouldn't, he loved his family dearly, and he created the serums that were the basis for the 39 Clues first 10 books. I felt soooo bad for him and everyone when he was killed, but I knew it would happen sooner rather than later due to the fact that he took the lethal serum and in the other books it says Gideon died before he could make a complete, working, safe serum. What/who I mostly loved about this first story was Luke! For like the whole 39 Clue's 1st 10 books all I was thinking was, "What a cruel bastard he had to be in order to have the Lucien's be the way they are!" I mostly blame Ian, Natalie, and of course Isabel for this. What I actually found out was that Luke was basically too smart for his own good and therefore rejected by most people outside his family. And then on top of that, the family he did love (even though he didn't show it well) rejected his love and help when their father was killed. So he was forced through circumstances to run off on his own and become a cruel, social climbing, manipulative nutcase (who still had some soft spots for his son). I also enjoyed learning a little bit more about the other 3 kids. (Go Ekats!/Katherine!)
SECOND STORY-MADELINE'S
Ok, so my friend Julia said this was the BEST of the stories, so naturally I was expecting something super amazing, to be able to surpass Gideon's. To tell the truth I was kinda disappointed. I mean it was good, don't get me wrong, it's just nothing really worked out at all for Maddy and I just didn't really get into it as much. Plus Luke basically sucked for most of it. And also there's this poem for Madeline, "Maddy Babbit, scared as a rabbit" that i could not get outa my head! The thing I loved most about this story, and this may sound weird, was the sayings Olivia (the mom) would always tell Maddy when she did something like her siblings: A Jot of Jane, a Cut of Katherine, a Touch of Tomas, and a Lick of Luke (my fav one). In this one Olivia finally dies, in an explosion. So Maddy's forced to run off and she goes looking for Luke which I though was kinda dumb. I mean I know I have a soft spot for Luke now after reading Gideon's story, but come on, I'm not stupid. There's a reason the Luciens are the most feared and ruthless of the groups, its b/c their leader became and stayed that way when he was forced to leave. If I were Madeline, I would have gone after Jane, much safer... Maybe Kate. I feel like Jane would be the most understanding of the 4, and I'm just all for Kate because I'm an Ekat. (BTW Kate=Katherine). Anyway Maddy tracks down Luke and long story short, he doesn't believe Maddy about her being his long lost sister, then he steals her ring, and is going to kill her. Thankfully she escapes. What a loser Luke is here! (Still love him though... and He's really good with his kid.)
THIRD STORY-GRACE'S
Ok truthfully I barely read this one. Grace never really interested me, even in the 39 Clues. From what I understand though, in this story she's like 13 and hanging out with her favorite beloved baby brother Fiske and the all of a sudden she's off to Africa and manages to land a plane safely all by herself. Ya sucky description, I know. (least fav story).
FOURTH STORY-AMY/DAN/SOMEWHAT FISKE'S
Ok to start off this review of this story, all I have to say is POOR FISKE! I mean Amy and Dan are super used to all this crazy stuff constantly, and I mean I guess Fiske is kinda used to it too, but you know he's getting up there in age... Anyway Amy and Dan's story was fine I guess, but not as great as one of the full books. Love Dan though, his comments always make me laugh soooo much! And Nellie of course. I was sad she wasn't really in it much at all. I do love though how the author managed to have them almost be killed/mortally wounded like 4 or 5 times in the span of 20 or 30 pages. Such creativity! :) I'm super excited for another couple full books with one of my fav brother-sister teams! I SOOOOOO hope the Holts come back! I LOVE THEM They were definitely my favorite team! And of course Ian and Natalie need to come back, so that either Amy or Dan or anyone for that matter (im not picky) can give Ian one seriously well aimed kick or punch where it really counts! :)
And my rambling comes to an end... Can't wait for the Medusa Plot (Book1 of Vespers)
little_miss_darkness's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
We see not only the beginning of Vespers, but also of Cahills.
I can understand Damien Vesper being a cold, distant psychopath. And somehow all (or at least most) of his descendants are like him. Not sure why his goals were so large in 15th century. After all, the world was so much bigger back then. Took months to get from one place to another. He could have maybe started with trying to rule over Ireland?
Cahills, on the other hand, seem almost weirdly dysfunctional. Sure, Gideon worked a lot and long hours by himself in his lab. But for all of his children to so easily abandon their family and set across the globe? No wonder Olivia was so heart-broken.
I am so happy to see Madeleine Cahill, the famous progenitor of the Madrigal branch. She is absolutely brilliant. It is sad she never got to live to see her and her mother's mission completed. I like to think she knew, and was watching Amy and Dan from above, with all the rest of the Madrigals over the centuries, and wept out of joy when The Hunt was completed and the new generations of each branches united.
I can understand Damien Vesper being a cold, distant psychopath. And somehow all (or at least most) of his descendants are like him. Not sure why his goals were so large in 15th century. After all, the world was so much bigger back then. Took months to get from one place to another. He could have maybe started with trying to rule over Ireland?
Cahills, on the other hand, seem almost weirdly dysfunctional. Sure, Gideon worked a lot and long hours by himself in his lab. But for all of his children to so easily abandon their family and set across the globe? No wonder Olivia was so heart-broken.
I am so happy to see Madeleine Cahill, the famous progenitor of the Madrigal branch. She is absolutely brilliant. It is sad she never got to live to see her and her mother's mission completed. I like to think she knew, and was watching Amy and Dan from above, with all the rest of the Madrigals over the centuries, and wept out of joy when The Hunt was completed and the new generations of each branches united.