Synopsis (from
the publisher):
As the race to find the 39 Clues builds to its explosive finish, Amy
and Dan must explore an ancient culture and steal a Clue guarded by
thousands of the world's best-trained soldiers. It's the most dangerous
Clue search yet. As their enemies crowd in, Amy and Dan find themselves
separated for the first time ever. The choice lies before them –
find the next Clue, or find their way back to each other.
— ◊ —
— ◊ —
The Emperor's Code
The 39
Clues Series
Gordon
Korman
Scholastic (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-545-06048-6 (0545060486)
ISBN-13: 978-0-545-06048-6 (9780545060486)
Publication Date: April 2010
List Price: $12.99
— ◊ —
Review: The 8th
entry in The 39 Clues series of adventure novels for middle school
readers, The Emperor's Code
by Gordon Korman, opens with Amy and Dan Cahill landing in Beijing,
China, in search of another clue!
In the previous book in the series (The
Viper's Nest), the siblings learn they are part of the Madrigal
branch of the family, and are dismayed by this fact. "It's like living
your whole life without ever looking in a mirror," Amy thought, "and
suddenly you see your reflection, and you're a monster." Still, they
must move on and the trail for the next clue has led them to China ...
though they have no idea what to do once they get there. But a location
is suggested to them from a most unusual source: their airplane
seatback videos seem to be stuck on the film The Last Emperor, which, according
to Dan, must be the most boring movie ever made, when Amy sees a crest
of one of the Cahill branches painted on a wall in the Forbidden City.
Once on the ground, they make their way to the vast complex, where they
go on their separate ways in an effort to learn what may be hidden
there. Dan finds an ancient piece of silk depicting each of the four
Cahill crests together with some Chinese characters. But before he can
rejoin his sister, he's kidnapped by his cousins. Now separated, Amy
and Dan must find a way to get back together before their rivals learn
what they know.
In many ways, Dan is the more interesting of the two principal
characters, and while both he and Amy are given approximately equal
time in the book, those chapters and passages in The Emperor's Code involving Dan
are the most enjoyable to read. Amy is more reserved and intellectual,
Dan more impulsive and pragmatic and hates to be bored.
In the search for the 39 Clues,
Dan Cahill had been manhandled, half drowned, blown up, buried alive,
and poisoned. But this was the most perilous of all. He was being bored
to death. A thousand-mile journey on the slowest train in Asia,
creeping across the continent one rattle at a time.
And the author isn't above poking a little fun at the whole experience.
The third chapter begins, "The 39 Clues may have been a high-stakes
treasure hunt with world domination as the prize. But sooner or later
you always ended up in some dumb museum. Sad but true, Dan thought as the
smiling tour guide led them through vast halls filled with
floor-to-ceiling display cases."
As with all the books in the series, there's a bit of history involved,
which almost always relates to the search in some way or another.
Sometimes, however, it feels a bit intrusive or contrived, but here
it's more subtly done. And while the journey to the top of Mount
Everest seems more than a little fantastic, it's written in such a way
that it doesn't appear to be completely unrealistic.
Only two books remain in the series, Storm
Warning to be published in May 2010, and Into the Gauntlet in August 2010.
It's been a great journey so far, with The Emperor's Code possibly being
the best entry to date.
Special thanks to Scholastic for providing a copy of The Emperor's Code for this review.
Review Copyright © 2010 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved
Have you read The Emperor's Code? How would you rate it?
Mysteries in this series …
The
Maze of Bones
Scholastic (Hardcover), December 2008
ISBN-10: 0-545-06039-7 (0545060397)
ISBN-13: 978-0-545-06039-4 (9780545060394)
One
False Note
Scholastic (Hardcover), December 2008
ISBN-10: 0-545-06042-7 (0545060427)
ISBN-13: 978-0-545-06042-4 (9780545060424)
The
Sword Thief
Scholastic (Hardcover), March 2009
ISBN-10: 0-545-06043-5 (0545060435)
ISBN-13: 978-0-545-06043-1 (9780545060431)
Beyond
the Grave
Scholastic (Hardcover), June 2009
ISBN-10: 0-545-06044-3 (0545060443)
ISBN-13: 978-0-545-06044-8 (9780545060448)
The
Black Circle
Scholastic (Hardcover), August 2009
ISBN-10: 0-545-06045-1 (0545060451)
ISBN-13: 978-0-545-06045-5 (9780545060455)
In
Too Deep
Scholastic (Hardcover), November 2009
ISBN-10: 0-545-06046-X (054506046X)
ISBN-13: 978-0-545-06046-2 (9780545060462)
The
Viper's Nest
Scholastic (Hardcover), February 2010
ISBN-10: 0-545-06047-8 (0545060478)
ISBN-13: 978-0-545-06047-9 (9780545060479)
The
Emperor's Code
Scholastic (Hardcover), April 2010
ISBN-10: 0-545-06048-6 (0545060486)
ISBN-13: 978-0-545-06048-6 (9780545060486)
Omnimystery keywords for The Emperor's Code ...
Location(s) referenced: Beijing, China.
