I Read, Therefore I Blog

The Blurb On The Back:

He's back.

Alex Rider is in hospital and determined to put his spying days behind him - but the reluctant teenage superspy is forced into action once again when a group of deadly eco-terrorists breaks in.

Suddenly Alex finds himself in the middle of a war that seems to be somehow connected to Ark Angel, a revolutionary space hotel. This time he will have to push himself to the very limits - and beyond.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

See my reviews of the previous Alex Rider books because very little has changed. Horowitz has said that the series will stop when Rider reaches 15 and he'll get a happy ending. I hope there's enough steam left in the series for that.

The Blurb On The Back:

Relaxing in the South of France reluctant MI6 agent Alex Rider is finally able to feel like any ordinary fourteen-year-old - until a sudden, ruthless attack on his hosts plunges him back into a world of violence and mystery. And this time, MI6 don't want to know.

Alex is determined to track down his friends' attackers, even if he must do it alone. But it's a path that leads to a long-buried secret - and a discovery more terrible than anything he could have imagined.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

The books are improving and are growing on me as the series continues, but excessive exposition and tell-don't-show remain big issues. If there was ever a planned narrative arc to the series (and I have my doubts given the sudden introduction of the backstory here), then it's been handled in a clumsy and contrived manner. That said, I enjoyed the villain and I thought that the ending was a good set up for the next book.

The Blurb On The Back:

When an investigation into a series of mysterious deaths leads agents to an elite prep school for rebellious kids, MI6 assigns Alex Rider, fourteen year-old reluctant spy, to the case. Before he knows it, Alex is stuck in a remote boarding school high atop the Swiss Alps with the sons of the rich and the powerful, and something feels wrong. Very wrong. These former juvenile delinquents have turned well-behaved, studious - and identical - overnight. It's up to Alex to find out who is mastermining this evil plot, before they find him. The clock is ticking - is Alex's luck about to run out?

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Whilst I think that scene wise, there was more to redeem this than there was in Stormbreaker, the lack of characterisation continues to irk. I'm still not caring about Alex as a character and whilst there's been some interesting developments on the part of a couple of the minor characters, it's troubling how little emotional resonance there is within the narrative and it's also troubling how there are no interesting, strong female characters either. In conclusion - not quite as disappointing as Stormbreaker, but the series still has a long way to go in terms of redeeming itself as a good read.

The Blurb On The Back:

It began with Raven's Gate.

But it's not over yet.

Once again the enemy is stirring.

After defeating the Old Ones at Raven's Gate, Matt Freeman thought he could get on with his life. But someone has other ideas.

Far away in Peru a second gate is about to open. Only Matt has the power to stop the forces of darkness breaking through, but now they know all about him. This time they're going to destroy him first.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

A fast-paced cracking read that will appeal to boys rather than girls. Not for the squeamish, it is an interesting contribution to the fantasy genre and you'll reach the end anxious to discover what happens next to Matt and his friends.