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Tuesday 6 January 2015

Scorpia Rising by Anthony Horowitz

This is, in my opinion, the last proper Alex Rider book, as the last one doesn't feature him as the main narrator. As such it needs a dramatic ending, even more tension and to be a little darker; and it had all that in spades. Alex, the amazingly talented spy we've all come to love, is truly broken in this book. He has gone through things you’d never want to go through, and seen things you never need to see. Everything throughout the series so far has had its effect on him in one way or another, but the final events in this book are something else.

It’s far sadder than the other books, and more serious. It still has the awesome fight scenes, the vivid descriptions and a twisted villain, but everything is tenser, more climatic. The plot is deeply mysterious and quite complicated, but the book is fast moving and pacey so you never get bored. Hooking and original, Alex is still the character we all know and love, and is so real that you can empathise with anything he goes through, and as I've already said, he’s been through a lot.

Most of this book is set in Egypt, which is place that Alex (in the books) has never been. The descriptions are colourful and intricate, so you feel you are really there, from the hustle and bustle of the markets, to lounging in the luxurious rooms and pools. This makes everything that goes on seem much more real, and the devastating resolution much more painful.

Over all, this is exciting, gripping and action packed. I loved this book – I couldn't put it down - and would recommend it to anyone who has read the previous books.

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