An impossible ransom.
"Follow the Sparrow to the Mad King's castle."
— Astrid Rosenblossom
A King's Ransom is the second book in the second series of The 39 Clues, Cahills vs. Vespers.
When seven members of their family were kidnapped by a sinister organization known as the Vespers, thirteen-year-old Dan Cahill and his older sister, Amy, vowed they'd stop at nothing to bring the hostages home. But then the ransom comes in and the Vespers demand the impossible. Amy and Dan have just days to track down and steal an ancient map. The only catch? No one has seen the map for half a century.
Now Amy and Dan are on a desperate search that will lead them to the Nazis, spies, a mad king and some of history's dirtiest secrets. It's the race of their lives... and one misstep will mean certain death for the hostages.
Tropes:
- "Ray of Hope" Ending: Amy and Dan lose by the end of the novel, as Atticus runs to where the two are dropping off the DeVirga World Map, despite the orders that only the two can be present at the drop off zone. As a result, Atticus is taken by the Vespers, and the Marco Polo epilogue, which was Amy's and Dan's only lead to the Vespers, is stolen by the latter group as well. The only consolation is Dan's new text received from what appears to be his long-dead dad.
- Wham Episode: William McIntyre dies, starting the Anyone Can Die atmosphere. The Guardians are revealed, and Atticus is one. Then Atticus is kidnapped after he arrives at the place where Amy and Dan drop off the map, even though he wasn't supposed to. As a consequence, the Marco Polo epilogue is also taken. Finally, Dan gets a text from AJT.
- Wham Line: The text message Dan receives at the end. From a person believed to be Amy's and Dan's father.Suspend judgment. The whole story is always more complex than its parts. Wait. AJTnote
