FIRST LOOK at By Royal Command US hardcover

Thank to our friends at Disney-Hyperion, here’s a first look at the new U.S. hardback edition of Charlie Higson’s fifth Young Bond adventure, By Royal Command.

The hardcover features cover art by series newcomer Owen Richardson (which looks sensational “in the flesh”) and sports the new series title treatment. The book runs 361 pages and is uniform in size with the other U.S. hardcovers. The boards are a blue-grey with red lettering.

By Royal Command will be released in the U.S. on May 18 -- just 27 short days away!

No plans for a By Royal Command Collectors Edition

Disappointing news for collectors and completists. Puffin has confirmed for me that they currently have no plans to produce a By Royal Command Limited Collectors Edition.

The first four Young Bond books were all released as Limited Collector’s Editions in the UK. These signed, numbered, slipcased volumes were published as Waterstone’s exclusives and sold for £25.

However, the economic downturn last year forced retailers to tighten their belts on such specials, and Puffin decided not to produce a BRC special, saying they’d explore the possibility in 2010.

But the news today means it’s unlikely that we’ll ever see a By Royal Command Limited Collectors Edition.

Official John Gardner website relaunched

By Devin Zydel, CommanderBond.net.

The official website for author John Gardner, www.John-Gardner.com, is back in action with an all-new look.

Best known by James Bond fans as the continuation author who guided 007 through 14 official novels and 2 novelizations in the 1980’s and 90’s, Mr. Gardner’s contributions to the literary Bond legacy cannot be understated.

The redesigned and relaunched website has several new features, including a news section and Twitter feed (as well as a Facebook page) to make it even easier for followers to stay up to date.

Also worth checking out is the biography section and the photo galleries, featuring numerous editions of the Bond novels, from 1981’s Licence Renewed to 1996’s COLD.

Check it out today: John-Gardner.com

Hurricane Gold paperback out now

The paperback edition of Charlie Higson’s fourth Young Bond novel, Hurricane Gold, is released today in the U.S. by Disney Books.

Hurricane Gold finds James Bond battling gangsters deep in the jungles of Mexico. Along the way he teams with a Southern Bell named Precious Stone and tangles with a deadly villainess named Mrs. Glass. Says author Charlie Higson, “I made sure it’s fairly non-stop action from the beginning.”

The book also contains a preview extract of the next Young Bond adventure, By Royal Command, due for U.S. release on May 18, 2010.

Hurricane Gold can be purchased now on Amazon.com.