TammyRich Posted September 9, 2006 Share Posted September 9, 2006 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugar Posted September 18, 2006 Share Posted September 18, 2006 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! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TammyRich Posted September 18, 2006 Author Share Posted September 18, 2006 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christie Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 JAMES BOND IS THE BEST! He's cute, intelligant and amazing! I've read them all! Silverfin, BloodFever, Double or Die, Hurricane Gold and By Royal Command! They were all fantastic!! I have to say that Hurricane Gold has to be my favourite! I loved the deathly maze! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maggie Dana Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 Thanks for starting this thread. I've been hunting for Bond books for younger readers and have happily ordered four of them. Am in the US, so don't always hear about UK-pub'd books. My Bond-crazy grandson will be happy to get these for his 12th birthday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dusky Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 I've read all but the latest of both series. I think I prefer the Bond books - they were a little more complex than the Rider ones, and Bond seems a bit more human, somehow, not a fairytale hero. Saying that, I got halfway through the latest Rider one and got a little bored. I've yet to start the newest Bond one, it's sat on my bedside table in the middle of a pile waiting to be read. Charlie Higson's writing style is just more my cup of tea, I think - it's more satisfying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted August 8, 2009 Share Posted August 8, 2009 I've also read all of both series, and I love them both for different reasons. Both the characters are reluctant heroes of their own stories, both have a similar family background, orphaned with a strong female influence (either aunt or housekeeper), so they're never fully alone in the world. The Young Bond books are obviously set in the pre-WW2 period, while the Alex Rider series are set in the modern day, and I feel this gives the books their difference in tone. The Bond books feel as if they're in muted, dour colours, compared to the bright, explosive colour of the Alex Rider series. By this I mean the Bond books have a darker, melancholic feel to them, while Alex seems to live in the modern world with it's fast moving, immediate nature. Both writers produce exciting, action-packed, fast-paced thrillers, for which I'm always eagerly awaiting the next instalment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bookcrazy14 Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 This is a series about a teenage boy who has been tricked into becoming a spy at the age of 14. The first one is called Stormbreaker. There are about 8 other books in the series. Stormbreaker: They told him his uncle Ian died in a car accident. But fourteen-year-old Alex Rider knows that's a lie, and the bullet holes in his uncle's windshield confirm his suspicions.But nothing prepares him for the news that the uncle he always thought he knew was really a spy for the M16-Britain's top-secret intelligence agency. Recruited to find his uncle's killers and complete Ian's final mission, Alex suddenly finds himself caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse, with no way out. Doesn't this sound good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funrun Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 yes!sound good need to find it and read it:readingtwo: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 I love the Alex Rider series - there's actually some discussion on these books as well as a comparison to the Young Bond series in this thread Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 Thanks Chesilbeach - I shall merge the threads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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