fhm1998's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
shauniesbookshelves's review against another edition
3.0
James Bond clearly didn't get enough of danger when he went to stay with his Aunt Charmian in the holidays, because as soon as he returns to Eton he joins the Danger Society, a group of students meeting up after curfew and performing daring acts without getting caught. One of the members of the Danger Society receives some bad news; his father has been killed whilst boating in the Mediterranean, and his sister is missing. The Danger Club realise there is nothing they can do, but they do think it's awfully exciting, while poor Mark is torn apart. After a Danger Club meeting threatening to be busted, James uncovers a secret church hidden on the school grounds, with a mysterious MM logo that keeps popping up in unexpected places. When the school organises a trip to Sardinia, James expects to have a nice relaxing time in the sun, not to find himself ill and dizzy. He breaks away from the school trip to stay with his cousin who lives in Sardinia, and finds that the mysterious MM seem to be popping up in his holiday too. When his cousin goes to the mountain Palazzio of an Italian Count, James is left in his home with the staff, and that's when they are burgled. James is convinced that there is something connecting all of these events, and he is determined to find out what. But, in traditional James Bond manner, he seems to have bitten off more than he can chew, and is soon in deep.
This was definitely the action packed James Bond read I was expecting; and I have to admit that I was reading this just to get it out of the way. There was rarely a dull moment, although I found myself skipping over a lot of the filler text just to get to the more exciting parts. This book was in-keeping with the image of James Bond, with the ladies falling at his feet, the tasks being pulled off that no normal person of that age would be able to perform, everyone singling him out for one reason or another, and ALWAYS being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Although, for the story, the right place at the right time, I suppose! There was a little bit of a plot twist to keep thing interesting, and enough detail about the scenery and characters to make them easy to visualise. There were so many situations that I myself would never know how to get out of, so it was unrealistic to see someone younger than me be able to instantly figure it out, but hey it's James Bond so it's not meant to be realistic *shrugs*. It's nice to know that there's someone (even made up) in this world that likes to save people and defeat the evil dudes. It's a nice semi-realistic, semi-fantasy read which helped me escape reality for a day, despite the few cringe worthy moments. I won't be reading this again, but it was pretty good.
This was definitely the action packed James Bond read I was expecting; and I have to admit that I was reading this just to get it out of the way. There was rarely a dull moment, although I found myself skipping over a lot of the filler text just to get to the more exciting parts. This book was in-keeping with the image of James Bond, with the ladies falling at his feet, the tasks being pulled off that no normal person of that age would be able to perform, everyone singling him out for one reason or another, and ALWAYS being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Although, for the story, the right place at the right time, I suppose! There was a little bit of a plot twist to keep thing interesting, and enough detail about the scenery and characters to make them easy to visualise. There were so many situations that I myself would never know how to get out of, so it was unrealistic to see someone younger than me be able to instantly figure it out, but hey it's James Bond so it's not meant to be realistic *shrugs*. It's nice to know that there's someone (even made up) in this world that likes to save people and defeat the evil dudes. It's a nice semi-realistic, semi-fantasy read which helped me escape reality for a day, despite the few cringe worthy moments. I won't be reading this again, but it was pretty good.
softstarrynights's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed reading 'Blood Fever' and thought it was a great spy story. It's been so long since I read the first book, 'Silverfin', that I'd forgotten how great Charlie Higson is as a writer.
srreid's review against another edition
4.0
All the elements of a typical Bond story, adventures, girls, criminal masterminds, people who may not be what they at first seem, and the explosive finale. What more can you ask for, can't wait to read the next in the series, well done Charlie Higson!
lottie_c's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
lynseyreads's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5