Thursday, May 31, 2018

REVIEW: 'Forever and a Day' is both great and okay

Anthony Horowitz's second Bond novel, Forever and a Day, is released today in the UK by Jonathan Cape. (The U.S. edition will wait until November 6.) This time we see Bond's first mission as a double-oh agent in what amounts to a prequel to Casino Royale. I've had the great pleasure of reading the book, and I'm happy to report that it's a another strong Bond novel from Horowitz.

But I have to be honest in saying that while I thoroughly enjoyed Forever and a Day, I preferred Horowitz's Trigger Mortis. Every beat of that first book felt original to me, while every beat of this book felt familiar. It has familiar locations (South of France), familiar situations (a casino, a party, warehouses), familiar allies (CIA agent), and a familiar villain's plot (I'll keep this review spoiler free, but this one comes right out of a movie). Also, the original Fleming material, a story about a mad Russian who threatens to shell the casino at Monte Carlo, is related as a past event. It's a great story (or scene), and I'm surprised it wasn't integrated into the plot, as Horowitz did with the race car action in Trigger Mortis. And the idea that Bond "saved the casino" a year earlier undermines the whole idea of this being 007s first mission. Bond walks into the casino and he's greeted like Roger Moore!

The action also takes an unusually long time to kick in, but this is because Horowitz takes time to develop a strong Bond Girl in Sixteen. And once the action finally does kick in (around page 200), it is a relentless rush with a spectacular extended climax aboard the villain's luxury cruise ship. Again, no spoilers, but what Bond has to endure physically -- always a highlight of any Bond book -- is something we've never seen in any Bond adventure, and it's harrowing! This chapter alone makes Forever and a Day unforgettable and a classic among continuation novels.

So apart from my quibbles, I'm thrilled to have another beautifully written James Bond novel from the pen of Anthony Horowitz. I hope we get some more.

Purchase Forever and a Day from Amazon.co.uk.

Wednesday, May 30, 2018

Play Bond-themed ROULETTE at Waterstones Piccadilly

The countdown has begun to the release of Forever and a Day by Anthony Horowitz, with 4K in pre-orders and promotions kicking into high gear. For those near London, Waterstones Piccadilly will be running a Bond-themed roulette game starting tomorrow until the end of Saturday to celebrate the publication.


Purchase Forever and a Day from Amazon.co.uk or Waterstones.com. I will post my review of the book tomorrow.

Tuesday, May 29, 2018

FOREVER AND A DAY U.S. audio book cover

Now that we've confirmed the U.S. cover art for Anthony Horowitz's Forever and a Day, here's the audiobook. As usual, some are grossing about how this is vastly inferior to the UK art, but I really like it. I think it's the best U.S. cover we've had in some time.


You can pre-order the U.S. edition of Forever and a Day at Amazon.com. Release date is November 6, 2018. But if you can't wait, know the UK edition is out on Thursday.

Monday, May 28, 2018

"OO7 is dead." Read the first chapter from FOREVER AND A DAY

To mark Ian Fleming's 110th birthday today, the first chapter of Anthony Horowitz's upcoming Forever and a Day has been posted to the Penguin website.



Forever and a Day will be released in the UK this Thursday, May 31. It can be purchased at Amazon.co.uk.

Saturday, May 26, 2018

ANTHONY HOROWITZ appearance schedule


Here's a full list of Anthony Horowitz's upcoming UK appearances promoting his new Bond novel, Forever and a Day.

Waterstones Leadenhall: Lunchtime signing (June 1st)
Southbank Centre, Royal Festival Hall (June 1st)
Waterstones Glasgow: Lunchtime signing (June 11th)
Waterstones Edinburgh (June 11th)
Waterstones Reading (June 13th)

Forever and a Day will be released in the UK this Thursday, May 31. It can be purchased at Amazon.co.uk.

Friday, May 25, 2018

FOREVER AND A DAY U.S. cover art

Back in April, the website The Real Book Spy posted the below cover art for Anthony Horowtiz's Forever and a Day. The site doesn't specify any details, but it certialy appears this might the U.S. cover art, or at least temp art. Whatever it is, I like it!


You can pre-order the U.S. edition of Forever and a Day at Amazon.com. Release date is November 6, 2018. This UK edition will be released on May 31.

Thanks to Patrick Donahue for the alert.

UPDATE: This art is now on Amazon, so it appears to be the confirmed U.S. cover.

Monday, May 21, 2018

JAMES BOND art exhibition opens at Bletchley Park, May 25


Bond at Bletchley Park: Illustrations and Inspirations
This summer James Bond comes to Bletchley Park. On display in Hut 12, a temporary art exhibition celebrates Ian Fleming’s original James Bond series, as well as the most recent 007 continuation novels written by critically acclaimed author, Anthony Horowitz. 
The exhibition includes a special section presenting new research into Fleming’s connection to Bletchley Park, exploring how his work in Naval Intelligence helped to inspire the creation of the James Bond books. When Ian Fleming was assistant to the Head of Naval Intelligence during World War Two he vowed to ‘write the spy story to end all spy stories’ and went on to create Casino Royale. 
The artworks have been newly commissioned by social enterprise Eazl from a carefully selected roster of emerging and mid-career artists from the UK and beyond. Participating artists include Threadneedle Prize finalists David Storey and Tomas Tichy, the Australian painter Marc Freeman, and the prize-winning illustrator Finn Dean. The pieces are each inspired by a specific scene, theme or character from a James Bond novel. 
The exhibition is part of a wider project organised by Eazl, with the kind permission of Ian Fleming Publications. The project will culminate in a charity auction in London, in October 2018. 
The exhibition coincides with the release of the second official Bond novel by Horowitz Forever and a Day, the follow up to the critically acclaimed Trigger Mortis.

Bond at Bletchley Park: Illustrations and Inspirations
Fri, 25 May 2018 — Sun, 14 Oct 2018
From 09:30 to 17:00
Free with admission

Visit the Bletchley Park website for more details.

Friday, May 11, 2018

Matthew Goode will read FOREVER AND A DAY audiobook

Ian Fleming Publications have announced that British actor Matthew Goode will narrate the Forever and a Day audiobook. The audiobook will be relased concurrently with the UK hardcover on May 31 (this according to the IFP site, but Amazon shows a June 7 release).


Pre-order the Forever and a Day audiobook at Amazon.co.uk

Wednesday, May 9, 2018

Anthony Horowitz talks Bond and FOREVER AND A DAY – get 20% off tickets!


Anthony Horowitz will discuss James Bond and his new 007 novel, Forever and a Day, on Friday June 1st at Southbank Centre in London.

The Book Bond readers get 20% off tickets*. Just enter promo code SPY when booking online here.

Anthony Horowitz is one of the most prolific and successful writers in the UK today. He has written over 40 books, including the bestselling Alex Rider series, about a teen spy, which has over sold 19 million copies worldwide.

Also an acclaimed writer for adults, Horowitz has written two new Sherlock Holmes novels, and in 2015 he was asked to write a continuation James Bond novel, Trigger Mortis. His second Bond novel, Forever and a Day, is published in the UK in May 2018. It can be pre-ordered at Amazon.co.uk.

*Please note that the book is not included in the discount.

Thursday, May 3, 2018

Tuesday, May 1, 2018

VARGR will be part of FREE COMIC BOOK DAY

A special printing of the first issue of Dynamite's James Bond 007 Vargr by Warren Ellis will be available as part of Free Comic Book Day this Saturday, May 5.

Reprinting the first chapter in Dynamite Entertainment's ongoing James Bond series! James Bond returns to London after a mission of vengeance in Helsinki, to take up the workload of a fallen 00 Section agent. But something evil is moving through the back streets of the city, and sinister plans are being laid for Bond in Berlin.

Visit the Free Comic Book Day website for more information and locations.

Thanks to Tanner at Double O Section for the alert.

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