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"A page-turner in the spirit of Alex Ride and Co."--Kirkus

Only one secret agent can defeat the world's most ruthless criminal organization.

He was surrounded. Jason's body worked automatically, his mind blank. He was fighting to breathe, forcing himself not to give up. But he was trapped. Standing on one leg and kicking out to keep the men back, he fumbled for the door handle to his left. He ran inside and leaped onto the narrow window ledge. He was nearly a hundred feet up, but the Triad thugs were closing fast. Jason jumped--

Martial arts expert and undercover agent Jason Steed is on the run, hunted by a crew of vicious criminals. To survive, he must rely on his training-to be faster, smarter, tougher. Jason will do whatever it takes to defeat the Triads. But when his own government turns against him, does he have more enemies than he can handle?

240 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2012

52 people are currently reading
581 people want to read

About the author

Mark A. Cooper

22 books166 followers
Mark A. Cooper is ranked alongside Enid Blyton and Anthony Horowitz as "The most original and best spy-kids authors of the century." (New York Times).

The first book in his Jason Steed series was self-published in 2008. Since then the series has won over fans across the world with its mix of action, emotion and coming of age originality.
Mark was snapped up by the Barbara Zitwer agency and since has written 4 more in the series now published by Sourcebooks.

Mark has spent many years interviewing ex-Edelweiss Pirate and Hitler Youth members across the globe and he is seen as the foremost expert on The Edelweiss Pirates. The novels are fiction based on actual events that happened between 1936-1945 in Germany.

Fictionreviwer.com named 'Fledgling Jason Steed' Young adult book of the year 2009. The book was also voted as finalist in the 2009 'Indie book Awards'. In 2013 in the Beverly Hills Book Awards it came first in Juvenile fiction.


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5 stars
447 (48%)
4 stars
335 (36%)
3 stars
103 (11%)
2 stars
21 (2%)
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12 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
Profile Image for Kyle.
168 reviews67 followers
July 14, 2018

Jason Steed goes undercover to investigate the Triads, what could go wrong? (Insert evil laugh here).

Unlike the first book in the series, there was no background here. We know how Jason learned to fight, we know how he learned to speak Chinese, we how he met his friends. So thankfully, the author doesn't spend the first third of the book reviewing all of that like so many do. It's right into the story and right into the action. That doesn't mean there isn't any more character building though. All through the book, there are small glimpses into who Jason is. Helping us to remember that he's really only a twelve-year-old boy doing things well beyond his years.

The plot was exciting and held my interest throughout. Thought it wasn't anything complex, which I wouldn't expect in a YA novel, the climax and conclusion were both surprising and satisfying. Remember to go into it with the understanding that most of everything is just fiction and read it for the fun of it. It will make some of it a bit more believable.

Like the first book in the series, it was a quick, fun and enjoyable read. Considering the audience it's targeted at, it's pretty much the perfect book!

Profile Image for Laura.
1,520 reviews253 followers
January 7, 2015

”Keeah!”

Jason Steed is in trouble again! Maybe even a little over his head in trouble. But don’t let the little guy fool you. He is one tough kid. And he’s on the run for his life in book 2 of Mark Cooper’s spy series.

Revenge is non-stop action. I’m sorry let me say that louder—NON-STOP ACTION! From prison to Spain to Hong Kong and more! We are constantly moving and fighting! Bullets zing. Kicks fly. Blood flows! And revenge is not far behind. The Triads will do anything to get their hands on the undercover agent that turned their criminal empire upside down. They want Jason Steed! Along for this action packed ride is Joanne—the daughter of a powerful leader who the Triads want silenced and under their control. Joanne….hmm. What to say about Joanne?

She annoyed me!!! Haha…I was going to try to soften that a bit, but…*shrugs* no other way to say it really. Now to be fair I tend to like and root for kickass girls. Mo’ne Davis, Buffy, Maya Angelou! But I know we can’t all be kickass. ;) Joanne was eye-rollingly whiney and annoying though. It wasn’t just the crying or helplessness either. Jason did his fair share of crying and breaking down. You have to under such stress. It was her flirty bat-the-eye-lashes way she had about her that drove me nuts. You are running for your life! Focus, girl! To add insult to my annoyance though were some comments about women that set my alarms and defenses off. For example…

“You were head-butted. You’re so small. Was it a midget?” Wong Tong teased.
“Don’t laugh. It was a woman.”
“Ha, a woman. Jason, you need practice more,” Wong Tong laughed.”


The combination of comments like that and Joanne’s character pulled me right out of the story at times. I respected Wong Tong in the first book, so that kind of joke and reaction really stood out to me. Disappointed me. Both Wong Tong and Jason should know better—never underestimate your opponent. Fingers crossed this issue doesn’t pop up in future adventures.

That said…I still loved this book. Jason Steed grabbed a’hold of my heart in book one. I never know where Jason will take me, but danger and suspense are guaranteed. Death, guns, fists, and leopards! Yes, leopards. Haha…One particular feeding time scene was my favorite part of the book. A very haunting scene that will stay with me with chills and shivers. Loved it!

Go meet Jason Steed! This adrenaline fueled read will have you wanting more.

I’m off to hunt down book 3.


Profile Image for Kadi P.
876 reviews140 followers
April 5, 2022
This book was so disturbing that I fear for the psyche of anyone who rated it higher than 2 stars.

Every character in this book was either completely disillusioned to the seriousness of death or had a penchant for murder as though their default reaction to even the slightest grievance was to whip out their gun and shoot to high hell. Despite his young age of only twelve, the protagonist Jason also seemed to have a ‘kill on sight’ policy. He was presented with numerous opportunities to disarm bad guys or render them unconscious, but he always chose to murder them instead. Then, like some kind of punishment for even bothering to read this mess, the reader had to endure watching Jason go through PTSD and guilt for his actions and, even worse, get mad at others for his choices, as if he didn’t willingly volunteer himself for the undercover work his father specifically told him not to do in the first place and actively avoided any scenario which could’ve gotten him out of the undercover work.

Other unsavoury and unsettling aspects of this book included, but were not limited to, the unnecessary inclusion of suicide, negligent and irresponsible parenting, animal cruelty, sexism, misogyny, approval and encouragement of underage romance by multiple irresponsible adults, overt racism through stereotyping, adult manipulation of underage minors, explicit reference to pornography, lack of respect for women’s bodies, and the list goes on and on.

Beyond the many problematic issues, the plot didn’t actually make sense. The premise of the book was supposed to revolve around Jason going undercover in a jail, but the pacing was so off that his time in jail was skimmed through and the undercover plan collapsed after just a few chapters. From there the plot completely derailed and took Jason to an entirely different country for seemingly little reason in what began to look like a remixed edition of the first book’s Jakarta mission. And after the halfway mark it became a repetitive slog of Jason being found, being unable to trust anyone, and then escaping after killing people until I could practically predict what was coming next before it had even happened. Then the ending itself came about five times; every time you thought the plot was over another mediocre twist popped out from nowhere and you were forced to go through the whole palaver of watching Jason being unable to trust anyone, killing people, then escaping all over again.

Not only that, but the story was so unrealistic that calling some of the feats achieved by Jason impossible would be too light of a word. This was a twelve year old child who could perform some superhuman actions. Having fast reflexes is one thing, but surviving a leopard (and human) bite, broken ribs, and being pummelled continuously right after scaling a one hundred foot wall barefoot and then moving faster than a speeding bullet, are five entirely different things. The book didn’t beg you to suspend belief, it demanded you shot your belief up to the moon and let it have a nice little holiday up there, that’s how incredulous all the action was.

And, as if all those weren’t issues enough, the writing was so abysmal. I didn’t think it could get worse than book 1 but congratulations to the author for proving me wrong! The writing was stiff and wooden, the author seemed to be allergic to contractions, and the dialogue was poor. One of the characters spoke almost exclusively in crude British slang and not only did it not make any sense, but it also came across as cliché, amateurish, and, quite frankly, an offensive caricature of your ‘classic British bloke’ as perceived by any non-British person.

And so, I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone. In fact, and this is something I’ve never done before, but I would go so far as to strongly caution parents not to let their children read this book due to its harmful and inappropriate content.
Profile Image for Leensey.
310 reviews27 followers
September 17, 2013
The story of a cereal containing addictive drugs....it concerns me lol. #random

*cough cough* 'Nyways, I really enjoyed this book. it would be wonderful to see grown-up Scott and Jason working together in SYUI (?). :))

What I think I like most about Jason's character (as opposed to Alex Rider I guess lol) is that he really wants to be a spy. It's sad because he's only 11 or 12 y/o so the scars of seeing dead might've had scarred Jason more in term of psychological and emotional aspects.

I look forward to the next installment (if there is any) and I'm pretty darn sure I'll enjoy it as well.


Additional comments:


++The Triad reminds me of the Matarese Circle (book by Robert Ludlum) and the Circle of Cavan (from Gallagher girls series by Ally Carter)
Profile Image for Becca.
157 reviews
June 22, 2012
Aww, I love Jason Steed! These are such fun books. They should be made into movies.
Profile Image for R.A. Danger.
Author 1 book7 followers
March 8, 2015
Good as always.
Being a spy is hard work but even more harder when your working undercover, on the run from both sides and hard to make choices that you might regret later in life.
I agree with Joanne if I want someone to take me back to my parents; I would pick Jason Steed.
Profile Image for Natalie.
75 reviews64 followers
July 2, 2012
Wow this kid is insanly KICK-BUTT!!!

Json Steed has:
a pilot license
fluency in several languages including chineese
3rd degree blackbelts in several kinds of martial arts
an awesome british accent
a genius best friend
a girlfriend who is a princess of England
mob bosses wanting his head on a stick

his greatest weapon is that people often underestimate him, why you ask?

BECAUSE HE IS FRIGGEN 11 YEARS OLD

think its kinda unrealistic?? impossible?? wildly unlikely??

READ THE BOOKS
Profile Image for Bianca.
218 reviews
June 1, 2015
Rate: 4.5 Stars

Definitely not a disappointment.
And before we begin I have say that I forget sometimes that he's only eleven.
Jason is in jail, in Spain, in Hong Kong, basically everywhere. And everyone is trying to kill him. I'm always amazed by how much actual death occurs in these books. Authors don't normally kill off that many semi important people. This one does. We have some knew character. Andrew, his dad, boudina, Joanne, Georges bitch of a wife and son. Really fuck them. He's fucking eleven, your the adults. Anyways, also I think Jason forgot he had a royal girlfriend.
Profile Image for Maggie.
94 reviews
October 23, 2015
I really enjoyed this book and thought it was just as good as the previous one in the series, Fledgling. I would recommend Revenge to anyone who loves to read books filled with action and nonstop suspense. I liked both Jason and the new character, Joanne, and found the latter to be especially enjoyable for a new character. Revenge may be geared more toward boys, but I think it would an excellent read for a person of any gender!
(Updated October 23, 2015)
2 reviews
Read
January 10, 2014
Revenge: Jason Steed written by Mark A. Cooper is an action story that follows the character Jason Steed an eleven year old boy. Jason is an extraordinary young boy he is a very skilled fighter and is one of the bravest people in London. In the story Jason work undercover for S.Y.U.I. (Scotland Yard Undercover Intelligence) in the beginning of the story. Eventually the Triads come after him and he has to constantly fight and kill for his safety and the safety of his friends.

To be honest I did not really enjoy reading this book for many reason. One of the reasons why I didn't like reading this book is because the book is very monotonous. Toward the middle and end of the book it just repeats the pattern of Jason fighting winning and he keeps going. Occasionally a cop gets killed or trades on Jason, but it's still way too predictable. Another thing I didn't like about the book is that a lot of things are told to the character and I would have like to have read some of the event instead of it being brought up in a conversation all of a sudden. For example one of the character in the book who is very important to the story is alive and well in one chapter, then after a few chapters another character brings up that he is dead and the character never get to see what really happened to him. Truthfully one of the few things I did like about the book was the action in it and the description the author used when the characters were fighting. Like when a fight starts he explains every with the exception of occasionally saying "a lot of wild punches" or "A fury of punches guided by anger".

I would not recommend this book to anyone who seeks some of those missing quality in a book, although I would recommend it to someone who only care about the action that is involved in a book. The book does make you want to know what will happen next I think it is just rushed a little bit, which is why some events that could have been important are either just talked about by other characters or speed up in a way that keeps the reader from enjoying it. Truthfully though I think this book could be a lot better but I think it would have to be longer so all the event can have the appropriate amount of time and the author will have to change the way things happen so it isn't too predictable.
Profile Image for Nathan Wood.
6 reviews
August 1, 2012
The only book I have read in one day. It was great!
81 reviews
February 20, 2018
Jason is only 12 years old but he can take on full grown men. When his father is away Jason takes the opportunity to help take down the tirades who are trying to get really rich so they can take over China. Jason experiences so much and has to run from the Spanish government and other people who want him dead. Jason is really brave.
Profile Image for Michael.
Author 14 books70 followers
June 24, 2012
It's nonstop spy action with a twelve year old multiple-black belt secret agent. Jason Steed makes Alex Rider look like a wimp.
2 reviews
August 5, 2013
EXCELLENT book!! Easily a 5 star rating!! An epic, teen spy, adventure!! -Cristian
Profile Image for Sean Randall.
2,120 reviews54 followers
February 25, 2014
Keeping things rocketing along at a breakneck pace, shattered kneecaps and broken noses do only go so far. Still, they're really fun and Cooper's quite a talent.
Profile Image for Gabriel M.
19 reviews1 follower
January 12, 2018
it was good if you like action and spy books witch i do.
Profile Image for Mr. Good Read.
22 reviews4 followers
November 30, 2017
This was a very good book. I really enjoyed it. There was action on every page, which is something that a lot of "spy books" lack. I personally enjoyed this book better that the first, Fledging. I have yet to cry, but my eyes ave watered up. :) I'm enjoying the Jason Steed books, so far!

- Mr. Good Read
Profile Image for Blue.
45 reviews
April 7, 2013
Good. Not as fantastic as #1. Very sad. The ending has him coming to the conclusion that he's all alone in the world and can trust no one at all, only himself. Not recommended for youth. Too morbid.
Profile Image for Lynn.
1,599 reviews12 followers
February 3, 2022
Jason goes undercover in a juvenile detention facility to make friends with Andrew Cho whose father is part of a diabolical plan to get people hooked on drugs by putting them into a popular breakfast cereal. Once Jason has passed all of his tests with Cho's family, it is decided that he can be an asset to them, so Jason begins his undercover work to find out who is behind the drugs and how they can be stopped. Jason's efforts work almost too well, and it isn't long before he is on the run.

Revenge is a very problematic book. There are major issues with pacing and content. For a middle grade book, there are a large number of adult themes and ideas. Action and adventure dominate the story, but the inclusion of so much death is disturbing. Jason once again does amazing things, especially for someone his age, but as in the first book in the series, it would be so much better if Jason was aged up a few years to make the impossible seem a little more within the realm of believability. Overall, the story in Revenge is built on an absurd plot with underdeveloped and underage characters.
2 reviews1 follower
September 19, 2021
Unlike the Alex Rider series, where there is a relatively slow build up of violence across the books, this book is non-stop violence from beginning to end.
I'm conflicted on how to rate this book. On one hand, it was a fun read. If the events of this book happened to an adult or young adult character, I would have totally enjoyed it and given it 4 or 5 stars. However, they happened to a kid.
Reading through what he goes through at the hands of both the 'good guys' and the bad guys, the level of trauma he undergoes and the way he apparently shakes it off, I couldn't bring myself to totally suspend disbelief. I went through bouts of immersion when I was enjoying the book, then something happens and the thought goes through my head, ' he's only a kid'.
On the whole, the book was fun but too violent and unbelievable.
Profile Image for Andra Dicu.
209 reviews3 followers
March 8, 2021
4.5
- 0.5 stars because it was so damn violent. In this and in the first book of the series the number of deaths were 60+. And some of them were quite explicit
Also, Jason acts a lot older than his age. I don't mean his martial arts experience and being able to kill so many people. I also mean his relationship with the opposite sex. Like... he's 11 and he already kissed 2 different girls, had a bath with one of them, slept in the same bed as the other. Also, one of them is his girlfriend ? This is a bit exagerated...


But otherwise, I loved the book and the writing style is amazing. My only problem with it was that it was way more violent than it needed to be.
Profile Image for Siobhán Bayertz.
382 reviews30 followers
November 19, 2023
Even for this type of book, it's pretty farfetched. None the less, it was an action packed book and was very entertaining.

The main gripe I still have, which I mentioned in the first book, is the romantic aspect of it. I think for kids that are 11, the way they act isn't the way most kids that are that age would act and it makes me uncomfortable.

Also as I've come to expect, a lot of violence.
Profile Image for Trish Boese.
826 reviews6 followers
July 14, 2019
1* Ok, the first Jason Steed book was far-fetched but fun. This book is far-fetched and frightening. Too many gory murders for a book about an 11-year-old. We won't be reading more of this series.
Profile Image for Beckett.
236 reviews9 followers
November 21, 2020
It would make a super fun TV series. Plot is good, but the writing grates, and the dialog is downright poor, but it's better than I could do, eh?
Profile Image for Phoebe.
63 reviews1 follower
January 12, 2013
If it's possible, I think this book has too much action. It's exciting, but there is a lack of a plot. They just keep running for their lives.
Profile Image for Diana Gagliardi.
Author 2 books7 followers
August 27, 2013
A good spy thriller with an 11 year old. Triads and MI6 and undercover work, oh my!

A good read, interested in continuing the series. Easy to get through :)
8 reviews
September 3, 2021

I don’t understand why everyone has to die in these books every five seconds? Jason steeds kill count must be in the high 90s by now
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews

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