Alex Rider vs young James Bond

[TammyRich]

Has anybody read the young James Bond series by Charlie Higson and Alex Rider books by Anthony Horowitz which start with Stormbreaker (of which a film has just been made). What did you think of them - the characters, or the writing, or storylines - whatever interested you.

[Sugar]

I adore Alex Rider. I haven't yet made it to the cinema to see Stormbreaker, although I do hope to soon (very soon, before it goes off...)!

I found the Horowitz books incredibly fast paced, and read the first five at a rate of one per evening, over the course of a week. They are well thought out, with twists and turns, and Alex is a wonderful, if reluctant at first, hero!

I have read the first of the Charlie Higson books (Silverfin), and although I own Bloodfever I haven't yet got around to reading it. I managed to aquire a very pre-publication copy of the third one at a conference this weekend though (it is due out in January, title to be confirmed) so I think I will read Bloodfever and get onto it in the next month or so.

What I thought Higson did best was he planted all the seeds for the adult James Bond as written by Ian Fleming (the love of cars - particularly the Aston Martin! - the school history).

Alex and James are very different teenage spies. But they come from very different times and places (Alex is set now, James in the 1940's - possibly earlier?). Both authors have to acknowledge the limits of the technologies available to them to keep it believable but there has to be enough to grip today's playstation generation readers!

They both do what they aim to, and they do it very well!

[TammyRich]

I have read both Silverfin and Bloodfever and prefer Silver altho it did take a while to get to the real story. Bloodfever seems to go on and on with lots of extra bits being added on. As far as I perceive James doesn't yet seem to be developing any sort of suave, sophisticated, characteristics altho he is still young maybe it may come out in the 3rd book. Higson's writing involves a lot more detail and a time I wondered it teenagers would find it a bit tedious going.

I like the character of Alex Rider and find myself feeling genuinlly sorry for him being without family and few friends and the fact he keeps getting hauled away from school. The stories are quite original and fast paced and I prefer Horowitz's writing.