Thursday, September 1, 2016

STEVE COLE'S NEW YOUNG BOND 'STRIKES' TODAY IN UK

Steve Cole's third Young Bond novel Strike Lightning is released today in the UK in paperback and as a limited hardcover.


Steve Cole's first two Young Bond novels were serviceable adventures with some good ideas. But Strike Lightning is a HUGE step up. In my opinion, this is far and away Steve's best Young Bond novel, and one that even challenges Charlie Higson's books. I'd even place it in my top ten best James Bond continuation novels.

What I like best about this adventure is it has a strong narrative flow and a great sense of the period (which was almost completely absent from Heads You Die). Also, this time Steve doesn't overpopulate the book with Bond's friends along for the ride. Here we only have a Bond ally (Perry Mandeville) and a Bond girl (Kitty Drift). Classic. In fact, this one truly nails all the aspects of a classic James Bond adventure, and continues the story of Young Bond very effectively. This feels like the book we've been waiting for.

Congrats to Steve Cole. His third strike is a HIT!

No sign yet of a U.S. eBook, but know that the UK editions are available via third party sellers on the U.S. Amazon.com.

5 comments:

  1. Well, now I'm curious... What are your top ten continuation novels?

    Mine, chronologically are:

    Colonel Sun
    James Bond, the Spy who Loved Me
    License Renewed
    For Special Services
    Ice Breaker
    Carte Blanche
    Trigger Mortis

    And Higson's
    Blood Fever
    Double or Die
    And
    Hurricane Gold

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hm, that's a fun game. Not that anyone asked, but using that chronological order method, I think mine would be:
    Colonel Sun
    James Bond, The Spy Who LOved Me
    Nobody Lives Forever
    Win, Lose or Die
    Doubleshot
    Blood Fever
    Double or Die
    The Moneypenny Diaries
    The Moneypenny Diaries: Secret Servant
    Trigger Mortis

    ReplyDelete
  3. I ordered it from The Book Depository, since they took good care with my previous Young Bond order...

    ReplyDelete
  4. I change all the time, but would say my Top 10 in chronological order would be:

    James Bond The Authorized Biography of 007
    License Renewed
    Icebreaker
    Nobody Lives Forever
    Brokenclaw
    High Time To Kill
    Never Dream of Dying
    Blood Fever
    Solo
    Trigger Mortis

    So if I decide I want to add Strike Lightning, I'll need to rethink this, but it is good enough to bump one of these.

    And before someone says it, no, I don't think Colonel Sun is all that. I loved it until I recently re-read it. Something changed for me.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Solo was nearly on my list, but ultimately I couldn't find a place for it. But that and Pearson hover near my Top 10!

    I had the opposite experience with Colonel Sun. I re-read it last year, and found myself enjoying it far MORE than I remembered!

    ReplyDelete

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