SILVERFIN audio drama cover art and details

 Cover art for the SilverFin audio drama has been revealed, along with details. See below.

SilverFin is comprised of 16 half-hour episodes, making up approximately eight hours of full-cast audio drama. It will be released on 29 October 2026 as two box sets, available from www.bigfinish.com and www.ianflemingshop.com. Each box set can now be pre-ordered for just £24.99 (download to own) or £35.99 (download to own + collector’s edition CD).

Additionally, listeners can pre-order the two volumes together as a bundle, available in a number of premium tiers with strictly limited, exclusive collectable packages:

• Platinum (limited to just 300 copies worldwide): SilverFin Volumes 1 and 2 as collector’s edition CDs and digital downloads to own, plus an exclusive ‘Young Bond Intelligence Report’ magazine and commemorative collectables (notebook, mug, fridge magnet, and behind-the-scenes postcards), for £119. 
• Gold (limited to just 300 copies worldwide): SilverFin Volumes 1 and 2 as collector’s edition CDs and digital downloads to own, plus commemorative collectables (notebook, mug, fridge magnet, and behind-the-scenes postcards), for £95. 
• Silver: SilverFin Volumes 1 and 2 as collector’s edition CDs and digital downloads to own, for £68. 
• Bronze: SilverFin Volumes 1 and 2 as digital downloads to own, for £48.

Copies of the SilverFin novel by Charlie Higson can also be purchased from the Big Finish website, for £6.99. And, the novel is available in a bundle with both volumes of the SilverFin audio drama, for £54 (with the audio drama as digital downloads to own) or £68 (with the audio drama on CD).

Sign up to the Young Bond mission briefings at www.youngbondadventures.com for upcoming inside intel.

Isaac Rouse is Bond, Young Bond. © Dave Bird 

SilverFin 20TH ANNIVERSARY edition from IFP

Ian Fleming Publications has released a special 20th Anniversary edition of Charlie Higson's first Young Bond novel, SilverFin. It's signed and limited to 300 copies. You can purchase it from the Ian Fleming Publications website.

An Ian Fleming Shop global exclusive, limited to just 300 copies.

There's something in the water at Loch Silverfin. Something that must be kept secret. Something deadly...

Introducing a special twentieth anniversary edition of Charlie Higson's SilverFin, the first adventure in the Young Bond series, first published in 2005. This exclusive edition features a new cover design, a new introduction by the author and a hand-written signature.

In 2011, I wrote a series of blog posts about the history of Charlie Higson's excellent Young Bond novels. You can read the first installment covering SilverFin here: THE SECRET HISTORY OF YOUNG JAMES BOND, PART I.

SILVERFIN 20th Anniversary Edition released

A 20th Anniversary Edition of Charlie Higson's first Young Bond novel, SilverFin, has slithered into bookstores. I remain a huge fan of the Young Bond series and consider Higson's books among the best continuation novels ever written. This new edition sports a refreshed cover and a new foreword by Charlie Higson.

Purchase the SilverFin 20th Anniversary Edition at Amazon.co.uk.

Thanks to Bazeer Flumore of pizgloria.com for the alert.

Young Bond GALAXY large print editions

Below are all five UK Large Print editions of Charlie Higson's Young Bond novels. These were released by Galaxy Plus and make a nice set. I especially like Hurricane Gold as the release UK paperback used a highly reflective gold cover that obscured the artwork. But here the croc can be seen clearly! Also notice SilverFin uses the UK proof cover art and By Royal Command the hardcover art. 

Click to read THE SECRET HISTORY OF YOUNG JAMES BOND

James Bond ORIGIN Vol. 2 released (maybe)

The second volume of James Bond Origin may or may not be released today. Even in normal times Dynamite's release dates have been all over the place, and the Covid shutdowns have scramble those dates even more. But according to Amazon, the book has a July 14 release, so...

RUSSIAN RUSE: A Norwegian supply ship carrying gold mysteriously sinks. A Russian crew claims the Nazis are responsible. Royal Navy Lieutenant James Bond suspects foul play.

Purchase James Bond Origin Vol. 2 from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.

The Young Bond PROOFS

I was surprised at how popular the Raymond Benson James Bond proofs were that I just sold on eBay and shared here. So I thought I'd share my set of Young Bond proofs. I don't have plan to sell these, but still thought people would enjoy a look.

For the final two Higson books the publisher released what might be more accurately called Galleys. But as far as I know, these were the only advance copies. Hurricane Gold came in two variants.

The only proof I have for the Steve Cole books is Shoot To Kill. I don't know if proofs exist for his other three books.

U.S. publisher Miramax produced proofs for the first two Charlie Higson books. As far as I know, these are the only U.S. proofs for any of the Young Bond titles.

Collected JAMES BOND ORIGIN now shipping

The collected hardcover edition of James Bond Origin Vol. 1 by Jeff Parker with art by Bob Q is now shipping from Amazon.

At last, the definitive account of James Bond's exploits during World War II!

MARCH, 1941: Seventeen-year-old James Bond is a restless student in Scotland, an orphan, eager to strike out and make his mark on the world. But a visit by an old family friend coincides with THE CLYDEBANK BLITZ, the most devastating German attack on Scotland during the War. James will fight through hell to survive, coming out the other side determined to make a difference. He'll find his calling in a new British government service, secret in nature...

Purchase James Bond Origin Vol. 1 from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. The U.S. Amazon is also offering a signed edition for release August 13.

The surprising scarcity of Steve Cole's last two YOUNG BOND books

Every collector knows that some books marketed as a "limited edition" can turn out to be anything but. Or, even if limited (i.e., expensive), they never really become desirable enough to increase in value, and often decrease. This has happened with some of the recent James Bond continuation novels, which have seen multiple "special" and "limited edition" releases. But many can still be found at their original price or lower.

The exception appears to be the last two Steve Cole Young Bond novels, Strike Lightning and Red Nemesis, both of which were released as a "limited edition" hardcovers at the same time as the paperback editions. These hardcovers have proved to be very elusive and are now listing online for quite a bit of money. That is if they show up at all. At the moment, I can't locate a single copy of Red Nemesis. Chances are this final book may have had an especially small print run.

Publishers sometimes print only what is pre-ordered. This is what happened with the John Gardner novels. Gardner's later books are harder to find than his earlier works, with his last book, COLD, especially difficult to find in hardcover. But it now looks like Red Nemesis might be even harder to find than COLD, and this only a few year after publication.

So if you bought these at the time...feel good about it!

Thanks to Tanner at Double O Section for the alert.

The Young Bond Dossier is going OFFLINE

My first James Bond website The Young Bond Dossier will be going offline sometime in the coming week as I've decided to not renew the URL for another year.

Launched in 2006, The Young Bond Dossier is where I covered the Young Bond series with news, interviews, and event reports. In 2007 it became the official news feed to youngbond.com. I stopped updating the site in 2011 as the adult James Bond books came back into the fore, and integrated young and old Bond book coverage here at The Book Bond.

While I've migrated select past news stories here, there are galleries that contain variant and international Young Bond covers and event photos that will vanish along with the site. So here's your notice to snatch what you like before it all goes the way of the Wayback Machine!

And while on the topic of my websites, while I will continues to update The Book Bond with news of upcoming releases and IFP projects, I spend most of my time these days at my Houdini blog WILD ABOUT HARRY. So if you have any curiosity about the Handcuff King, have a visit! Oh, and I also have a little Sherlock Holmes blog called The Battered Tin.

UPDATE: It appears the site is already offline. I thought I was in a grace period. Well, that's all folks!

JAMES BOND ORIGIN issue #2 released

Today sees the release of the second issue of Dynamite's James Bond Origin series by Jeff Parker, Bob Q, and Simon Bowland.

The epic account of James Bond's exploits during World War II continues! After barely surviving the Clydebank Blitz, James is determined to enter the Royal Marines, despite being two years too young. He'll need to rely on a family friend to help him through, where he'll begin training alongside the best and brightest that the United Kingdom has to offer. But his military training becomes dangerous, when it's discovered there's a German mole in their midst.

You can purchase James Bond Origin #2 at Dynamite or Midtown Comics. The issue comes in an assortment of variant covers.

RED NEMESIS unabridged audio book released

An unabridged audiobook of Steve Cole's final Young Bond novel, Red Nemesis, is released today by Whole Story Audio Books. It runs 6 discs and is read by Nathaniel Parker.

James is on home soil when he receives a package with a message from beyond the grave. The package s mysterious contents put James at the heart of a long-running plot that, if it runs its course, will paint London s streets red with blood. Not only will James have to fight to stay alive and save the country he loves, but to clear the Bond family name, which he holds so dear. The stakes couldn t be higher, and James doesn t know who he can trust . . .

Purchase at Amazon.co.uk

Higson's A HARD MAN TO KILL released as eBook

Charlie Higson's Young Bond short story A Hard Man To Kill is now available as an eBook at Amazon.com (U.S.) and Amazon.co.uk (UK).

A luxurious cruise
A deadly prisoner
A desperate scheme
Can James Bond overcome the chaos before it’s too late?

A Hard Man To Kill was first published in 2009 as part of the book Danger Society: The Young Bond Dossier. The story is set between the books Hurricane Gold and By Royal Command and takes place aboard an ocean liner. It's an excellent story that also sees the return of Wilder Lawless from SilverFin.

In a recent tweet, author Charlie Higson said: "I liked writing this story and fully intended to do more with the characters, but alas it wasn’t to be."

You can read more about A Hard Man To Kill at www.ianfleming.com. For a full history of Charlie Higson's Young Bond series, check out: The Secret History of Young James Bond.

Young Bond saga continues in JAMES BOND ORIGIN

CBR.com reports that Dynamite will continue where Charlie Higson and Steve Cole left off in JAMES BOND ORIGN. News of this series first broke last year. Exciting to finally get details and cover art!

Writer Jeff Parker and artist Bob Q will revisit how the future 007 got his start in James Bond Origin, arriving in September from Dynamite Entertainment and Ian Fleming Publications Ltd. 

The new ongoing series will take readers back to March 1941, and introduce 17-year-old James Bond as a restless student in Scotland who’s eager to make his mark on the world. However, a visit by an old family friend coincides with the devastating Clydebank Blitz, forcing James to fight to survive. 

“It’s a weighty challenge to reverse-engineer this icon into a young man on a life’s journey of danger, but Nate Cosby paired me up with Bob Q, who not only brings the gravitas of war in 1941 Europe, but nails the promising hero in his youth,” Parker said in a statement. “James doesn’t have the vast experience of a double-O agent yet, but he’s tenacious and a lightning-quick study. Bob and I work to show the full force of Bond’s spirit.” 

The first issue of James Bond Origin will boast a selection of variant covers from John Cassaday, David Mack, Kev Walker, Gene Ha, Ibrahim Moustafa, and Bob Q. and Jordan Boyd.

You can see all the variant covers for Issue One at CBR.

Thanks to Tanner at Double O Section for the alert.

RED NEMESIS eBook now available in U.S.

Steve Cole's final Young Bond novel Red Nemesis is now available as a Kindle eBook in the U.S. The eBook is released by IFP and sports unique original cover art (below). Steve's four Young Bond novels have only been released as eBooks in the U.S.

Purchase Red Nemesis for Kindle at Amazon

STEVE COLE's farewell present

Check out this tweet from the now former Young Bond author Steve Cole.

Farewell to #YoungBond dinner this evening! Was presented with this artwork. Huge thanks to @TheIanFleming and @PenguinRHUK for everything. pic.twitter.com/2zAdxuLA8u

— Steve Cole (@SteveColeBooks) May 9, 2017

YOUNG BOND 'RED NEMESIS' OUT TODAY IN THE UK

Steve Cole's fourth and final Young Bond novel Red Nemesis is released today in the UK in paperback and as a limited hardcover. (The hardcover can also be found via third party on the U.S. Amazon.) Red Nemesis sees the young James Bond traveling to Moscow following up on a clue discovered in the backpack of his deceased father.

I already have mine in hand and I can't wait to dive in!

Steve's other Young Bond adventures are Shoot To Kill, Heads You Die, and the superb Strike Lightning.

Steve Cole reveals RED NEMESIS special specials

Steve Cole has given fans a peek at the endpapers of his new Young Bond, Red Nemesis, and also revealed that there will be 5 special "red adorned" editions mixed into the stock of signed limited hardcovers.

Detail of endpapers for the RED NEMESIS #YoungBond limited edition hardback out May 4th. 5 special copies signed and adorned in red! pic.twitter.com/INaRb6DfKn

— Steve Cole (@SteveColeBooks) April 21, 2017

Red Nemesis will be released on May 4 in the UK in hardcover and paperback. Pre-order at Amazon.co.uk.

RED NEMESIS hardcovers signed and ready to ship

Author Steve Cole has signed the full stock of limited Red Nemesis hardcovers, as you can see below from his recent tweet. The book will be relased on May 4. It can be pre-orderd at Amazon.co.uk.

Just signed limited edition run of collector's hardbacks for #YoungBond Red Nemesis, on sale May 4th pic.twitter.com/cxGyYn2QQ0

— Steve Cole (@SteveColeBooks) March 31, 2017

IFP spills new RED NEMESIS plot detail

In their own reveal of the Red Nemesis cover art on Instagram, Ian Fleming Publications has revealed a new plot detail...

Hardback cover art for Red Nemesis, the new Young Bond book by Steve Cole, out in May 2017. The 9th book in the series sees young James set on a deeply personal mission after his father's backpack is discovered and delivered to his Aunt Charmian. The hardback special edition will feature extra material #youngbond #007 #stevecole #bond #jamesbond #rednemesis #red #1930s #bookstagram @penguinrandomhouse

A post shared by Ian Fleming Publications Ltd. (@ianflemings007) on Mar 25, 2017 at 5:03am PDT

Pre-order Red Nemesis in hardcover or paperback from Amazon.co.uk.

RED NEMESIS hardcover jacket art revealed

Today I'm excited to reveal cover art for the limited signed hardcover edition of Steve Cole's next Young Bond novel, Red Nemesis. The book will be released in the UK on May 4. The hardcover will contain extra content not available in the paperback edition. Also below is text from the hardcover jacket that gives new clues what to expect from Steve's final Young Bond adventure.

Bond fans old and new will be thrilled with Steve Cole's skillful IFPL-approved elucidation of James Bond's mysterious family history . . .

Steve Cole's final addition to the Young Bond cannon brings James to the brink of destruction in a blistering adventure that comes to a climax in the iconic heart of London. This story shows the young James coming into his own as a proto-spy, and a showdown with a high-level MI6 double-agent, that references classic Bond adventures and is full of Soviet intrigue, cements Bond's hero status on home turf.

Pre-order Red Nemesis in hardcover or paperback from Amazon.co.uk.