A great segue from one series to another. Being a lover of back story the multiple viewpoints in multiple time periods really appealed to me. After 10 books of hearing about it there was a certain degree of satisfaction involved in actually seeing the epic Cahill sibling fight. And getting some insight into who Grace became the powerhouse of woman we have heard takes of was fascinating. It gets me psyched up for the Vespers series. I really did enjoy this title. The book is broken up into 4 stories, Gideon, Madeleine, Grace and, of course, Dan and Amy. The story is told of how and why Gideon started his experiments and why he needed to separate the clues. In his story we meet the first Vesper, Damien. A man ruled by a thirst for power and domination. Gideon takes great steps to keep his serum out of Damien's hands, which costs him his life. Next we learn abut Madeleine. As readers already know, Madeleine was the fifth child of Gideon and Olivia Cahill. She was born AFTER the other four siblings split up and went on their separate ways in the world. They knew nothing of her. She made an attempt to reach out to Luke, only to be met by an individual that was dark, cold and callous. He had her locked in King Henry's dungeon, where she escaped. When given the opportunity to meet Damien in a fight, Luke found him and a servant bound and a note left in the dirt stating "Beware the Madrigals". Then we meet Grace Cahill, whose mother has past away while in child birth with Fiske. Her father is so distraught that he leaves his three children to fend for themselves(with servants of course). Grace happens upon a Morse code message meant for her father and decides that she needs to see it through. It takes her to Morocco where a war is being waged with General George S. Patton leading. She takes the message to Patton, whom she suspects is a Cahill. Upon further interaction, she realizes that he is a Vesper and has stolen the item that has been in the Cahill family for generations, Gideon's ring. After stealing it back, she decides to do everything that she can to help her family and keep them safe from the Vespers.Finally we go back to Amy and Dan. They are back in Boston where Fiske and Nellie are trying to keep them safe, but there is danger on the horizon and Amy and Dan have to go back into the fight. Grace has hid Gideon's ring and it is believed that the Vespers are hot on its' trail. After going to a bank to retrieve a message and dodging an ambush by Vesper spies, they are sent to the Swiss Alps to a house where Grace has hid the ring. But Vesper agents are also there and are willing to kill to get their hands on the prize. Action packed and well worth the read. I found myself wanting more of Madeline's story. Did she ever meet her other siblings, Jane, Katherine and Thomas? If so, how did they come to know to "Beware the Madrigals"? What of her travels and how did she meet her demise? I also wanted to know more about Grace's adventures. Again, great read for children and adults.
What do You think about Vespers Rising (2011)?
The short-story travel-through-time history of the Vespers worked pretty well, I thought.
—mero
Haven't yet read it I am only on the sixth or seventh book but so far they are great
—nooney
I simply loved this book so much, I don't know what to say about it.
—emilymeisner
