Boys Rule Boys Read!: Vespers Rising

Showing posts with label Vespers Rising. Show all posts

Monday, September 26, 2011

Michael Keeps Them Coming In with The Medusa Plot and Amulet 4.

Do you remember how, at the end of the last post, I asked you guys to keep those reviews and surprises coming? Well, our good friend Michael (King of Books and Time Travel) has done just that! He's sent in not one but two reviews of some really good-sounding reads. Let's see what Michael has to say:

The 39 Clues: Cahills Vs. Vespers, book 1

The Medusa Plot

by Gordan Korman

The most anxiously awaited book of the year is finally here! The Vespers are a secret family that has been after the master serum for decades. But the Vespers aren't all related. They hire people to do their dirty work. So no Cahill is truly safe. The Vespers kidnap Fiske Cahill, Nellie Gomez, Reagan Holt, Natalie Kabra, Ted Starling, Alistair Oh, and Pheonix Wizard. Amy and Dan, having narrowly avoid kidnapping themselves, are recieving myterious mesages from Vesper One. They must do what he says and steal the famous painting "Medusa", or one of the kidnapped Cahills will be killed. Can Amy and Dan do it in time? Will the branches cooperate? And who is Vesper One? This new book is brilliantly written with more than five thriller scenes. Introducing new characters Pheonix and Leila Wizard and Evan Tolliver, this book is truly an instant classic that no one should miss out on! And be sure to look for book 2 in December: A King's Ransom by Jude Watson. And don't miss the epic movie saga starting in 2014!

Amulet, book 4

The Last Council

by Kazu Kibuishi

Finally Emma has arrived in Ceilis, home of the Guardian Council. Now all she has to do is warn them of the elf king, and everything will be fixed, right? Not so easy. Emma must undergo a series of tests put on by the Guardian Council against other stonekeepers. The strongest will survive, the weakest will die. It's possible for all the competitors to survive, but it's also possible that none should make it. And if the stonekeepers pass the tests, the reward will be far greater than any of them could imagine. Introducing new characters Ally, Vigo Light, Cecil, and Dagno, and featuring the return of Miskit and Cogsley, this book is beautifully illustrated and has incredible action and drama. So don't miss out on this one-of-a-kind graphic novel!

Thanks, Michael!! I have to agree with you totally about The Medusa Plot. It's really, really, really good and I can hardly stand waiting for the next one. There is a lot of action, as in all the 309 Clues books, and lots more secrets and mysterious characters. (Do you think Evan can be trusted? Why did they find a Lucian symbol in the factory? How old is the Vesper family? Could they really have had something to do with Mount Vesuvius?) Ah, there's a lot to figure out! (Although this book is not perfect--I had a very hard believing that the art thief, who had taken so much trouble to steal that painting, would stop looking for it because Dan "crashed" the boat)
And I've never read any of the Amulet graphic novels but you made me really curious now! May have to go and check them out.

Thanks again. Be sure to go and get these books, guys! You've heard from another reader guy (as well as the Iron Guy) just how good they are!

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Micahel and the Iron Guy Write About Vespers Rising

Our good friend Michael, King of Books and Time Travel, has sent us another first-rate review:

The 39 Clues, book 11

Vespers Rising

by Rick Riordan, Peter Lerangis, Gordan Korman, and Jude Watson

The Cahills have always had a secret enemy: the Vespers. They're a secret organization that hires the best people to do their dirty work. They want to be the most powerful people in the world. But they're not after the serum. Gideon Cahill had a ring that is much more dangerous than the serum. And the Cahills, generation after generation, have had to protect it from the clutches of the Vespers. This book takes you through four stages of Cahills, Vespers, and the ring. The first is Gideon Cahill, 1507, followed by Madeleine Cahill, 1527, Grace Cahill, 1942, and finally Amy and Dan Cahill, present. It's brilliantly written, and it's by the best authors to write it. Discover a secret more powerful than the serum. Discover the ring. Discover the Vespers.

Thanks, Michael!! He's hit it right on the head--this is a brilliantly-written

book, full of mysteries, exotic locations, and the extreme action you've enjoyed in the first ten 39 Clues books. I was afraid of being disappointed because sequels are often not as good as the originals, but have no fear, bold reader guys, Vespers Rising is every bit as good and maybe even better!
So go get it before the Vespers discover the secret of the ring! And if you've read it, send us your thoughts in the Comments tab under this post. (and that goes for you grownups as well)

Here's How Our Blog Works

If you don't know how to post comments or reviews to our blog or if you want to read what we and other boys have written, here's what you do:

1. Every post has a place underneath it that says "Comments". Click on it and it will take you to a place in which you can write something. When you're done, click on a way to identify yourself. You don't have to create a Blogger/Google account (unless you already have one); you can click on "Name/URL" or even "Anonymous." Then click "Publish Your Comment." We try to get your comments and reviews posted right away, but sometimes we get busy with other duties. So, if you don't see your comment right away, don't panic. We'll post it soon.

Don't forget--any boy can get a free book the first time he writes a review. If you live too far away to come to the Myers Park library, go ahead and write to us anyway. We'll try to find a way to get a book to you. Besides, all the other boys out there would love to hear from you.

When you tell us about a book, please give the title, author, what the book is about, and why you did or didn't like it.

2. Blogs go "front to back"; that is, the newest post comes up first and the older ones are put further back. You click on the "Blog Archive" to read older articles. The posts for this month have the titles listed. You can click on other months to catch our other posts. (Our introduction is in June of 2007; if you're new to this blog, you might look it up.)

3. Underneath each post you'll see a line that says "Labels" and several other words such as "graphic novels" or "Andrew Clements." These extra words are links to a subject; for instance, if you clicked on "graphic novels," it would pull up all the posts about graphic novels. There's also a section below on some of our best posts on the most popular subjects

4. Did you notice that the posts from last year don't show up month by month as they did before this year? If you click on the triangle next to the previous years, the months will drop down and you can go back and see what we and your fellow readers have written.

The Iron Guy's Review Policy

1. Since the Iron Guy works for the terrific Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, I review only books that the library already has or will get soon.
2. If you are an author or publisher or agent and think you have a book that boys will go crazy over, please leave me a comment (with your email address so I can contact you) under any post. I will look and see if we have the book. If not, and if the book looks good, I will contact Those Who Order Books and see if CML would be interested. (Please note--CML does not usually order self-published books) PLEASE do not just send me a book! I appreciate the offer but but first I want to see if CML has it or will get it soon.