The youthful James Bond continues his education at Eton, and now that he is a bit more comfortable in his surroundings, he is taking a few lightweight risks. In this tale, his relationships with his instructors play a larger role than those with his peers, which makes the going a tad bit slower than before. I am sure that this is intentional; in some way it is developing the character toward his inevitable future.

We also get the opportunity to see young Mr. Bond in an almost exotic location as he gets tangled up in the web of another villain, this one not quite so interesting as the previous bad guy in Silverfin. It is very fun to read about some of his extended family members; a fair amount of the book covers James’ holiday with an uncle, and although the section feels methodical, the complete picture of that episode is indeed captivating. We also get to experience the young man’s first opportunity to rescue a girl, and that is highly entertaining.

This is promising to be a fascinating and enjoyable series of the adventures (and misadventures) of a literary icon. I am eagerly anticipating the third installment.

Rated: None. An exciting, fun, and clean read.