OK, I've had the link to the website posted since the earliest days of this blog waaaaay back in the late summer of 2008, so I guess it's finally time I tackled the multi-platform, epic in the making, Internet tie ins galore, collectible trading cards included Juggernaut that is The 39 Clues.Volume I (Apparently each volume will be written by a different author), Th Maze of Bones, was written by Rick Riordan whose work on the "Percy and the Olympians" series (The Lightning Thief, Sea of Monsters, etc...) I admire, so I decided to crack it open in search of the answer to that all-important question, "But is the book any good?"
The answer? A surprising yes. You all know how I feel about most series, and this one seemed more soulless and prepackaged than most, but by the end of The Maze of Bones, I had decided to read further, something I certainly can't say for all Volume I s I encounter.
Well, it starts out with the line "Five minutes before she died, Grace Cahill changed her will." OK, I'm in. Death, last minute will alterations, world-wide ramifications, those are definitely ingredients that can be baked in to a compelling yarn.
The afore-mentioned Ms. Cahill is changing her will to offer a Westing Game style scavenger hunt to her considerable number of heirs. The main two are Amy and Dan Cahill, and they also seem to be the only ones actually named Cahill. At the reading of the will Amy, Dan an many other heirs (of all ages, genders, and nationalities) are informed that they may either accept one million dollars, or participate in a hunt for 39 clues around the world. The team that finds the final clues will become the most powerful and influential Cahill ever.
Apparently all famous figures throughout history were Cahills of one sort or another: Thomas Jefferson, Pablo Picasso, Mozart, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Napoleon, etc... To further complicate matters, the Cahills have been split into four feuding and competing factions- The Janus, Ekaterinas, Tomas, and Lucian. All of the current heirs competing for the clues are from these different divisions. The branches of Grace Cahill as well as Amy and Dan are not mentioned in the first volume.
Once Amy and Dan agree to accept the challenge (Of course they've been orphaned as small children, so they are being raised by a dowdy and overbearing aunt.) they are immediately plunged into life-threatening danger. Without revealing too much, they barely escape the reading of the will with their lives, and are soon on their way to Paris on the trail of Benjamin Franklin, who was apparently a member of the Lucian branch.
Intrigue, explosions, codes, hidden messages, catacombs, double crosses, triple crosses, and and other high adventure follows shortly thereafter. Dan and Amy have to use their wits (Amy is very bookish while Dan provides a keen number sense and a head for codes and patterns) to stay in front of their murderous competitors, both their own distant relatives, and some other shadowy figures whose presences are never fully explained in The Maze of Bones.
Overall, the tension and excitement are maintained throughout. Since this is a preconceived series, Volume I wrapped up in a relatively tidy fashion. Volume II sees Dan, Amy, and the rest of the Cahills on the way to Vienna in search of a clue concerning Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
After finishing the book, the first thing I did was head to 39Clues.com in order to register myself. After picking a username (SirReadsalot of course), I was prompted with a series of questions in order to determine what family branch I would be. I wasn't sure why I would need to do this, but I certainly did not want to deny myself even the tiniest bit of the 39 Clues experience.
After answering a series of questions as truthfully as possible ("Remember, we can TELL if you are lying" I was warned at one point), I was the presented with the following message:
Excellent!
You’ve been identified as a member of the Ekaterina branch. We’re sure it’s a relief to understand why you’re so much smarter than everyone you know. You’re related to the most brilliant scientists and inventors in history – Albert Einstein, for instance. The other branches don’t stand a chance!
OK, so I'm an "Ekaterina," whatever that means. I wonder if that is a good thing? Moving on...
It remains to be seen whether or not the website and trading cards will either add to, or take away from the reading experience, but I'll let you all know after I take in Volume II: One False Note, by Gordon Korman.
