— The Maze of Bones, the first book in the first series
Quiz time: What is ''The 39 Clues"?A. Childrens' book seriesB. Web siteC. Collectible card gameD. SweepstakesE. All of the above.The answer is E.The book series by Rick Riordan and various other authors, as well as the website, cards, and sweepstakes, deal with the Cahill family, one of the most powerful families the world has ever known, as almost every historical figure from the last five hundred years is related to them. The family is divided into one of four branches - the Ekaterina, who are the geniuses and inventors of the world, the Tomas, who are explorers and athletes, the Lucians, who are the spies, generals, and leaders, and the Janus, the artists, musicians, and authors.When Grace Cahill, arguably one of the last genuinely nice Cahills, dies, she chooses to unveil her alternate will and kickstart a globe-trotting quest to find the source of the family's power. Such power can only be found by assembling all 39 Clues.Our story begins when Amy and Dan Cahill, orphans who live with their disinterested great-aunt Beatrice, attend their grandmother Grace's funeral and the reading of her will. There, along with an assortment of colorful distant relatives, they make the choice: one million dollars or the chance to find the Clues alongside au pair Nellie Gomez. They choose to receive their first Clue, and are subsequently thrown into a five-hundred-year-old web of backstabbing, lies, and deceit. The first series follows them through the Clue hunt as they travel the globe, clash with their scheming relatives, and discover troubling truths about themselves and the Cahill family at large.Flash forward two years to the beginning of the Sequel Series, Cahills vs. Vespers. The Clue hunt has ended, but a new threat has surfaced; it was revealed at the end of the first series that the Clue hunt was really only a practice run for a greater conflict between the Cahills and a previously unknown rival faction. This group, the Vespers, are allegedly so evil that they make the Big Bad of the first series look like Mother Teresa by comparison. Now the Vespers have begun making demands of the Cahill family, and the lives of seven hostages are at stake. Amy and Dan are once more sent on a trip around the world, frantically chasing down Vesper One's demands, while their teammates provide support from the Cahill Command Center, a computer lab that has been set up in Grace's mansion.Here's a link to the the web site. Character sheet is here.
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This book series provides examples of:
First Series
Abusive Parents: This is most certainly the case with Ian and Natalie since, Isabel Kabra verbally degrades them on a regular basis. They both love her, and fear her simultaneously — while also thinking that they lead the perfect lives because of all the wealth their family has They'd be Woobies if they weren't so nasty themselves!
All There in the Manual: Inputting cards' codes on the website either unlocks a secret file or is part of a Clue Combo. Solving website missions' and inputting ultra-rare cards' codes unlocks one of the 39 Clues.
London does have a large population of Indian-Brits. Isabel is described as lighter-skinned than her children, so it's probably Vikram who has some Indian ancestry.
Ambition Is Evil: Everyone except Amy and Dan, the Lucians in particular.
Arc Number: Despite its inclusion in the series name, 39 only shows up as the number of clues, and there doesn't seem to be any reason for it to be this particular number. (When Amy wonders about this, Dan points out that 39 is "a pretty sweet number": 13x3, the sum of the first five odd prime numbers, 3^1+3^2+3^3). (Presumably, the authors wanted a numerically interesting number that no one had used before.) 7 actually shows up more in the story (7 teams, Amy and Dan discover their family branch at the end of Book 7, and 7 captives in the sequel series. 7 is also the age Amy was when she and Dan lost their parents, and the next big change in her life comes 7 years after that, when her grandmother dies and the clue hunt begins. Then she gets a small break until she's 16, the digits of which add up to 7, when the Vespers attack.
Area51: The Lucians are in charge of this location.
Beethoven Was an Alien Spy: Beethoven certainly was, as well as Mozart, Neil Armstrong, Einstein, Churchill, Benjamin Franklin, Houdini, Bill Gates, and George Washington, among others.
All of the minor characters get this. If you look at reviews of the first book of the series, you'll see critiques of the "one-dimensional" relatives. Stick around until the middle of the series and interesting developments will begin taking place, especially - unusually for a childrens' book series - among adult supporting characters; the younger minor characters' development mostly happens in the last two books.
Chekhovs Classroom: All the things Grace taught the Cahill siblings came in handy on the clue hunt.
Chekhov's Skill: At first, Jonah's love of Shakespeare seems to have only been thrown in to show that Jonah has Hidden Depths, instead of just being a Jive Turkey and Teen Idol. It turns out that a knowledge of Shakespeare's lost plays is required to reach the end of the gauntlet and find the final clue.
Coincidental Broadcast: Used in book 8. Dan has just left the company of the Wizards, with whom he'd temporarily allied after he and Amy split due to an argument. He ends up watching a TV report on weather conditions at Mount Everest, where he suspects the clue that they're looking for is hidden - and suddenly sees a few familiar faces on the broadcast. Turns out that the rival Clue-hunting team of the Holts have beaten everyone else to the mountain.
Everyone Is Related: Practically all the main characters are Cahills, with fans who make accounts on the web site also being "inducted" into the Cahill family. (However, it's a very distant relation, with common ancestors only as recent as the early 16th century.)
Follow in My Footsteps: The reason most of the main clue hunters, including Amy and Dan, want to win the clue hunt, and are so ruthless in the way they go about it.
Amy:(reading) There's this witness testifying against Anne Bonny and Mary Read, who said that they wore 'Men's Jackets and long Trouzers, and Handkerchiefs tied about their heads.' And that 'the Reason of knowing and believing them to be Women then was, by the largeness of their Breasts.'
Grey and Gray Morality: Even Amy and Dan, who are by far the nicest and most principled clue hunters, will do morally questionable things from time to time.
Handsome Devil: Ian Kabra seems to be molded perfectly for this. His sister Natalie is a gender flipped version of this.
By In Too Deep Irina has basically switched sides and wants to help Amy and Dan — but of course they don't believe her until the very end...
Hufflepuff House: Arguably, every single branch. Although the Lucians managed to get their hands on a vial of something-or-other in Book 1 from Ben Franklin, which then turned out to be the Lucian serum, part of the master serum.
Hypocritical Humor: At one point in the series, Dan complains "I can't believe she cheated me - right when I was in the middle of cheating her!"
Kissing Cousins: Almost any pairing in the book can be considered this seeing as almost every character is a Cahill. This is usually dismissed though, seeing as apparently half of Earth's population is one.
Literally Falling In Love: In The Sword Thief, Ian falls on top of Amy while saving her life, and the two share a kiss. However, the pseudo-Relationship Upgrade is short-lived, as he leaves her in a cave to die almost immediately afterward.
Little Girls Kick Shins: Amy (though hardly a little girl at age fourteen) to Ian in The Black Circle.
Also applicable on a smaller scale - there are seven "teams" in the Clue hunt. In these teams, there are, in total, seventeen people. Nearly every one of these seventeen people gets point-of-view chapters in multiple books, as well as a great deal of Character Development. Then there are the minor characters, some recurring and some not, and the villains who are not officially part of any team.
Machiavelli Was Wrong: Well, he was certainly right in regards to Ian and Natalie's relationship with their mother. Until the last book, when they realize that, while they loved Isabel, they were only following her (mostly) out of fear.
Mistreatment-Induced Betrayal: Irina betrayed Isabel because of the latter's cruel treatment of her (although her "reward" for this was death), and later, Ian and Natalie left their mother after learning that she drank the Lucian serum and did numerous evil things detailed in her secret files. Then, when Isabel tried to kill them, that only sealed the deal.
Never Found the Body: What happened with Alistair Oh in Book 3. Dan and Amy were genuinely upset about his death until... they found his dirty glove and realized he must have survived then left without them
Put on a Bus: The Starlings are caught in an explosion rigged by the Holts and end up in the hospital for the next nine books, but they return in book ten.
Though Lester may be more of a Sacrificial Lamb, given the fact that he was only around for one book.
Screw the Money, I Have Rules!: Actually a subversion. Amy and Dan aren't above stealing and lying if it means getting any information at all on their parents and the fire that killed them.
Although seeing as the prize for finding all 39 is super strength, intelligence, creativity and strategy skills that could grant you world domination... well, the way all the characters take it seriously doesn't seem too farfetched.
Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: Occurs whenever alliances are formed between teams. Of special note are the Cahills and the Kabras in book 3, and the Kabras and Irina in books 5 and 6.
There Are No Therapists: Whoo, boy... It'd be easier to name the characters in this series who don't have some form of mommy/daddy issues.
Tomato in the Mirror: This should be two living Tomatoes and three dead Tomatoes in the Mirror. Book #7 has Dan Cahill revealing Cahill's family's branch. It happens to be Madrigals, a branch known for its secretiveness. The reason is explained at the end of Book #9, the Madrigals' main goal is to unite the all five branches of the Cahill Family.
Twin Telepathy: Amy and Dan aren't twins, but they are siblings who are pretty close and always know what the other is thinking by reading each other's facial expressions. Some fanfiction makes it practically telepathy, in any case.
Two Aliases, One Character: As the series often involves espionage, it's inevitable that this trope comes into play.
Video Wills: How Grace starts the hunt for The 39 Clues.
Was It All a Lie?: Type 2 occurs in the third book. Amy Cahill wonders this after she and her brother make an alliance with Ian and Natalie Kabra, during which Ian flirts with her. The alliance ends with the Kabras making off with what Dan led them to believe was the clue, and in the meantime trapping the Cahills in a cave.
Amy and Dan, repeatedly, towards Isabel, Alistair, Cora Wizard, and the Holts.
Alistair towards Bae Oh.
You Wouldn't Shoot Me: Ian tells Isabel that he doesn't believe that she would shoot her own daughter, Natalie.
Warning: By definition, it is impossible to discuss a Sequel Series without spoiling the first series, so expect a lot of spoilers.
The Sequel Series, Cahills vs. Vespers
Adorkable: Amy's secret nickname for her boyfriend, Evan.
Also, the scene where Amy and Atticus are fangirling over old books in Trust No One.
Air Vent Passageway: Somewhat altered in The Dead of Night, in which Phoenix Wizard and Reagan Holt try to escape the Vespers' prison by climbing up a dumbwaiter shaft. Justified, since the characters are children.
Caper Rationalization: Silly Interpol. They aren't stealing because they're crazy criminals; they're stealing because a shadowy, evil organization has kidnapped seven of their family members and require that they steal things as part of the ransom.
Darker and Edgier: There's no doubt that Cahills vs. Vespers is darker than the original series...
A huge amount of Mook deaths occur, many with a healthy dose of Nightmare Fuel.
Besides death, there's an increase in violence, and the authors don't shy away from describing blood - see Only a Flesh Wound. And in Trust No One, Alistair is Killed Off for Real.
There are more deaths, both major and total, in Day of Doom alone than in all of the books of the previous series combined.
Though the language remains (almost always) kid-friendly, it's obvious that more liberties have been taken than in the original series. For example, "ass" appears once in Trust No One, and "pissed off" also appears twice.
Also, just take a look at Amy and Dan themselves in comparison with the beginning of the first series... or even the end. It's clear that their experiences have not only made them stronger, but also psychologically damaged them. (See also: Amy going into Heroic Safe Mode at the end of Trust No One.)
Face Heel Turn: It is revealed that one of the Cahills ( Sinead) is a double agent for the Vespers.
Fire-Forged Friends: The Cahill family, even if "friends" may be still a stretch in some cases.
Heroic Safe Mode: Amy goes into one near the end of Trust No One, even referring to this "calmly observing instead of actually experiencing" side as "Safe Amy" (while the side that is actually living in the situation and experiencing it is referred to as "Scared Amy"). Last we see of her in the book, she literally takes off running away from the others after learning exactly what the Vespers plan to do (create a doomsday device) and realizing that she has given them the final piece they need to do it and how it has fallen on her shoulders now to stop it.
Hostage Situation: The premise of the series is that seven Cahills have been kidnapped, and Amy and Dan Cahill have to fulfill bizarre ransom requests to get them back.
Hostage Video: How the Vespers prove that they have the hostages alive.
Hypocritical Humor: At one point in The Medusa Plot, HamiltonHolt complains that "Those guys ripped off what we rightfully stole!"
Little Useless Gun: Sinead has (and uses) one in Trust No One. (Contrary to what the trope title may make some assume, it's definitely not useless.)
Long Distance Relationship: Amy and Evan start one of these (carried on mostly via phone) after Amy and Dan take off on their missions around the world.
Mixed Metaphor: Amy combines "late to the party" with "missing the boat completely" in Trust No One, in what Ian refers to as "that appalling mixed metaphor."
Noodle Incident: In the bonus track on the Shatterproof audiobook, Atticus briefly mentions a few incidents from the past, involving things like sonar machines and Stonehenge, without fully explaining them.
Only a Flesh Wound: Nellie is shot in the shoulder and lives, although she needed to have the bullet removed to do so. Her survival might not be as implausible had the removal been done properly by trained professionals. Instead, the incisions are made by a twelve-year-old and the removal is done by a thirteen-year-old, both of whom are inexperienced, and the latter of whom is so squeamish about blood that she has her eyes closed while she removes the bullet. In an unsterilized environment, natch.
Parental Abandonment: As stated above, Ian and Natalie. Isabel disowned them. Also, Cora Wizard is no longer speaking to her son Jonah, and Amy and Dan's father is alive, meaning he left them to basically raise themselves for about nine years.
Revenge by Proxy: When the Vespers think that Amy and Dan are trying to trick them, they shoot Nellie, but she survives.
Shown Their Work: Like in the first series, it's Justified. This time, Amy's joined by Atticus in her love of talking about history.
Take Me Instead: Amy tries to trade herself for the hostages.
Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: Ian and Evan working together in the Cahill Command Center, though any of the Cahills working together qualify, since they had such a fiercy rivarly before the conclusion of the Hunt.
There Are No Therapists: Or at least, if there are, Dan hasn't seen any, even if he needs to. (For that matter, several characters need to.)
These Hands Have Killed: In Shatterproof, this is the instant reaction of Jonah after shooting Luna Amato at point-blank range.
Time Skip: Two years have passed since the first series (making Amy sixteen years old and Dan thirteen).
Noodle Incident: The Submarine Job never really explains the story behind Grace's decision to drive that car off a cliff.
Stalking Is Love: It's revealed in Operation Trinity that Ian watches Amy before the clue hunt via a surveillance camera, and there isn't even a hint that the author thinks this is wrong. The entire scene even seems to have been thrown in solely to please the Amy/Ian shippers. Then again, he seemed to come across the feed by accident, implying that this doesn't happen on a regular basis....
. Character sheet is here.
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