Reviews

Scorpia Rising by Anthony Horowitz

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elsaaaqazi's review against another edition

5.0

5 stars

Okay, first off I want to hate to Horowitz. HOW CAN A PERSON IN THERE SANE MIND KILL JACK STARBRIGHT?? EITHER HE MADE A PACT WITH THE DEVIL OR HE WAS DRUNK WHILE WRITING THAT PART AND I AM PISSED.

Now that I have ranted off on Horowitz and calmed myself to some extent, here's the review:

*This was definitely my favorite book of the series.*

This was the only book in which character development is really visible. Alex not only matured physically but his character also changed. Whether it be the way he handled MI6 or the fact that he just seemed a little more independent and free.

Now of course that was before someone (cough *Horowitz*) decided to kill Jack. After that Alex just became a new person. But we are going to come to that later.

The action in this book was rather believable if you compare it to the other books. It was certainly fast-paced (you cannot accuse a Horowitz novel to be slow), and it was full to the brim of the manipulative devices of MI6. A classic Alex Rider book.

Now I believe that a character is really good or let's say "well-written" not when they have done great things in the books but when you feel about them the way the author wants you to feel about them. So, Razim and Julius were actually great characters not because they were portrayed as good people but because I hated them as much as Horowitz wanted me to.

Coming to the plot it was unpredictable as always. You couldn't possibly point out where everything would go right for Alex and he would finally be safe (except for the fact that it is somewhere in the last 10 pages).

The way Alex was described at the end of the book really made me want to cry. This series means a lot to me. This has been a two year long journey where I have taken breaks from and read obsessively these nine books. Before this book and even before the last chapters or so I didn't want this series to end. BUT I DON'T WANT HOROWITZ TO LAUNCH A NEW BOOK. Alex sounded so despondent and sad and drawn that I felt sorry for him and really don't want him to go through everything that comes with spying again. Some part of Alex lives with me and he has been a great friend but I don't want a sequel.

HE KILLED SOMEONE FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE!! HOW IS HE SUPPOSED TO RECOVER FROM THAT? HOW IS SUPPOSED TO RECOVER FROM THE FACT THAT HE SAW JACK DIE??

I DON'T WANT A SEQUEL.

a_chickletz's review against another edition

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4.0

It pains me to say that this was perhaps the best book since the first two books of the series. No longer was it following the same formula that the other books were following. Everything felt new and fresh, and by god there was some excitement. Finally the spy world was bleeding into his normal life.

Unfortunately it all came too late.

There was one major thing that bothered me, and I could see it coming a mile away.

Spoiler

Jack's death was one of the worst plot points, ever. In this last book did we finally get some character development - character development that was NEEDED - and all of it wasted when she was killed. I'm not sure if it was needed. It could have smarted more if she was a character that we grew to care about, but the lack of her in the previous books (coined to the ever repeated 'Oh Alex, stay away from MI6') really hurt the impact.

Let us hope that Yassen's book will make up for everything prior to the last book.