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Alex Rider #10
Russian Roulette: The Story of an Assassin
Alex Rider will soon be a star in his very own TV series! The final book in the #1 bestselling Alex Rider series with over 6 million copies sold in the U.S. alone! Alex Rider’s life changed forever with the silent pull of a trigger. When Ian Rider died at the hands of the assassin Yassen Gregorovich, Alex, ready or not, was thrust into the world of international espionage—the world’s only teenage spy. Alex vowed revenge against Yassen and the two have battled ever since. Yet, years ago, it was none other than Alex’s own father who trained and mentored Yassen, turning him into the killer he would eventually become. What makes us choose evil? Why did one boy choose to kill while another chose to risk his life to save others? In some ways, Alex Rider and Yassen Gregorovich are mirror images of each other. Yet the paths they traveled turned them into mortal enemies. This is Yassen’s story. A journey down a darkened path. International #1 bestseller Anthony Horowitz delivers a blockbuster thrill ride in this, his final Alex Rider novel. Perfect for young fans of James Bond.
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2013
997 people are currently reading
9045 people want to read
About the author
Anthony Horowitz
345 books20.9k followersAnthony Horowitz, OBE is ranked alongside Enid Blyton and Mark A. Cooper as "The most original and best spy-kids authors of the century." (New York Times). Anthony has been writing since the age of eight, and professionally since the age of twenty. In addition to the highly successful Alex Rider books, he is also the writer and creator of award winning detective series Foyle’s War, and more recently event drama Collision, among his other television works he has written episodes for Poirot, Murder in Mind, Midsomer Murders and Murder Most Horrid. Anthony became patron to East Anglia Children’s Hospices in 2009.
On 19 January 2011, the estate of Arthur Conan Doyle announced that Horowitz was to be the writer of a new Sherlock Holmes novel, the first such effort to receive an official endorsement from them and to be entitled the House of Silk.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/anthon...
On 19 January 2011, the estate of Arthur Conan Doyle announced that Horowitz was to be the writer of a new Sherlock Holmes novel, the first such effort to receive an official endorsement from them and to be entitled the House of Silk.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/anthon...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 849 reviews
May 16, 2015
OH. MY. GOD. I did not know this was coming out this year I am so excited this is literally me right now:
Even though I'm insanely sick and feel like dying this just made my day. I can't wait!!
Edit:
I finished the book a while ago but never got around to reviewing it, but just wanted to update this saying that I actually really enjoyed this book. I think because I read it quite a while after I finished the Alex Rider series, I didn't go into this book expecting it to be exactly like that. And I think that's why I really enjoyed it. Although not everyone enjoyed it as much, I really liked it (maybe I'm biased).
Even though I'm insanely sick and feel like dying this just made my day. I can't wait!!
Edit:
I finished the book a while ago but never got around to reviewing it, but just wanted to update this saying that I actually really enjoyed this book. I think because I read it quite a while after I finished the Alex Rider series, I didn't go into this book expecting it to be exactly like that. And I think that's why I really enjoyed it. Although not everyone enjoyed it as much, I really liked it (maybe I'm biased).
April 25, 2019
All that sadness. All that anger. It is the smoke that gets into your eyes. If you do not blow it away, how can you hope to see?
This book was really different because even though this book is set in the same world it follows a different character a main character who is a villain. This novella is focused on Yassen Gregorovich and it follows his life from when he was younger right up until the time he became the assassin that we know from the main series.
I wasn't expecting there to be a novella and it still be considered apart of the main series but i really enjoyed this different story. I have always found Yassen very interested from meeting him in the main series so it was good to peel back some of those layers and discover more of this cover.
I really did enjoy the different times that this book was set from him escaping from his childhood home to joining scorpia and everything else in between.
I believe that Yassen was only doing a lot of his things to try and save people that he really cared about even though the way he did them wasn't really the right way i can see why and how he did things.
In the epilogue of this book it was good to see the perspective of Yassen at the end of Stormbreaker so we got to see how he saw things appose to only seeing it from Alex's point of view. There was also a little redemption for Yassens part because he got to spare Alex and go behind Scorpia's back and not kill him which added a lot more to his character.
I enjoyed this one and i loved learning more about Yassen and his life but i cannot wait to see what Alex has been up to since the end of Scorpia Rising because i really need to know.
This book was really different because even though this book is set in the same world it follows a different character a main character who is a villain. This novella is focused on Yassen Gregorovich and it follows his life from when he was younger right up until the time he became the assassin that we know from the main series.
I wasn't expecting there to be a novella and it still be considered apart of the main series but i really enjoyed this different story. I have always found Yassen very interested from meeting him in the main series so it was good to peel back some of those layers and discover more of this cover.
I really did enjoy the different times that this book was set from him escaping from his childhood home to joining scorpia and everything else in between.
I believe that Yassen was only doing a lot of his things to try and save people that he really cared about even though the way he did them wasn't really the right way i can see why and how he did things.
In the epilogue of this book it was good to see the perspective of Yassen at the end of Stormbreaker so we got to see how he saw things appose to only seeing it from Alex's point of view. There was also a little redemption for Yassens part because he got to spare Alex and go behind Scorpia's back and not kill him which added a lot more to his character.
I enjoyed this one and i loved learning more about Yassen and his life but i cannot wait to see what Alex has been up to since the end of Scorpia Rising because i really need to know.
Want to read
July 6, 2013Yassen's story?
A companion novel for the Alex Rider series?
Umm..
A companion novel for the Alex Rider series?
Umm..
September 24, 2013
Absolutely brilliant - and a must- read for every Alex Rider fan! I had never expected to hear from Alex Rider again - so discovering this book was really an exciting surprise. Having enjoyed the entire series, my expectations were high but I wasn't disappointed. I basically read it in one go. It was fascinating to discover the secret life of Alex Rider's biggest enemy, the Scorpia assassin Yassen Gregorovich. Very clever idea and brilliantly executed. I had actually wondered while reading the Alex Rider series what the story behind that man was and whether there was a connection between him and the Rider family - remember the part at the very end of Stormbreaker, when Yassen does not kill Alex, didn't you wonder why. Well, read Russian Roulette and you will find out. A very special little side-treat for me was the description of Yassen's time in some of my favorite cities, like Venice and Paris. The whole book has definitely woken my appetite for reading more - I hope Anthony Horowitz will come up with another clever idea sooner or later to keep the series alive.
July 15, 2022
Overall Rating : B+
"I would kill him. I swore it to myself.
I would kill him.
I would kill."
This was a surprisingly emotional story of the life before Yassan Gregorovich became a cold blooded killer. How each step lead to him becoming what he'd never thought he'd be.
And the way his past coincided with Alex Riders future was done brilliantly. I almost wish Alex's Books has this level of depth and meaning, but they are kids books so...
I have now completed the entire ALEX RIDER and now I can finally rest, relax, and move on with my life content in at least I finished something! 😅
"I would kill him. I swore it to myself.
I would kill him.
I would kill."
This was a surprisingly emotional story of the life before Yassan Gregorovich became a cold blooded killer. How each step lead to him becoming what he'd never thought he'd be.
And the way his past coincided with Alex Riders future was done brilliantly. I almost wish Alex's Books has this level of depth and meaning, but they are kids books so...
I have now completed the entire ALEX RIDER and now I can finally rest, relax, and move on with my life content in at least I finished something! 😅
January 26, 2015
I have to say that it's difficult to rate this book. I averaged the two ratings I would have given it and ended up with three stars. If it were a stand-alone novel, I would have given it 4, maybe 4.5 stars. It was interesting to find out how an innocent boy of fourteen could end up becoming one of the world's deadliest assassins. However, this is supposed to be a part of the Alex Rider series, and in that respect, I would have only given it two stars: it simply doesn't fit in with the background set out in the prior books.
I don't like spoilers, so won't get too specific, but I assume the reader is familiar with Yassen from Stormbreaker, Eagle Strike, Scorpia, and Snakehead. In this book, Yassen and John Rider's relationship and their time with Scorpia simply isn't in sync with the other books, especially with Snakehead and the story Alex's godfather Ash tells about Malta.
In fact, Malta is completely ignored in this book. I've made allowances in the past with the other books when a few small details don't match up between them, but this one I can't. Mdina is such an integral part of canon. Yassen and John are supposed to be partners, all the way until their assignment in Malta 'goes bad'. It's the motive behind Ash's actions in Snakehead, the motive in Eagle Strike for Yassen telling Alex about Scorpia in the first place. It makes the chapter 'Power Plus' in this book simply hard to accept.
As a fan of the series, I was disappointed with how this book turned out. I really wanted to like it because it was well written. It started out strong, but failed for me in the end.
I don't like spoilers, so won't get too specific, but I assume the reader is familiar with Yassen from Stormbreaker, Eagle Strike, Scorpia, and Snakehead. In this book, Yassen and John Rider's relationship and their time with Scorpia simply isn't in sync with the other books, especially with Snakehead and the story Alex's godfather Ash tells about Malta.
In fact, Malta is completely ignored in this book. I've made allowances in the past with the other books when a few small details don't match up between them, but this one I can't. Mdina is such an integral part of canon. Yassen and John are supposed to be partners, all the way until their assignment in Malta 'goes bad'. It's the motive behind Ash's actions in Snakehead, the motive in Eagle Strike for Yassen telling Alex about Scorpia in the first place. It makes the chapter 'Power Plus' in this book simply hard to accept.
As a fan of the series, I was disappointed with how this book turned out. I really wanted to like it because it was well written. It started out strong, but failed for me in the end.
June 24, 2022
A kind of prequel to the main Alex Rider series. This book follows Yassen, one of the antagonists from the first book as we watch the twists and turns that led him to become an assassin for the big bads of the series, Scorpia.
Yassen was a very likeable lead and I empathised with him throughout. It was engaging and exciting.
3.5 stars
Yassen was a very likeable lead and I empathised with him throughout. It was engaging and exciting.
3.5 stars
November 10, 2022
2nd read: 2022
There are a few lines in this book, as with the entire Alex Rider series, where I had to pause and think to myself, why would Horowitz put that on paper and admit to having something akin to these thoughts? (Especially pertaining to foreignness and the state of people's bodies/appearance). But, it's a children's series from the early 2000s, it's bound to have the best and the worst parts of that era mixed in. So while I acknowledge that it isn't a perfect book, for what it is, I loved it. I think Horowitz achieves, in this book, what many children's books set out to do, which is to entertain and also leave the reader having learnt something in the process. He manages this without using a condescending or moralistic tone, which is a point in his favour. The protagonist of this book, Yassen Gregorovich, is one of my favourite characters. Despite having a minor role in the original series and only this one book about him, I keep thinking back to his story every so often. Even though there is a lot of ground covered in this book, I think we still get a very well rounded and insightful look on the character and his motivations and how he ends up where he does. Horowitz somehow manages breadth and depth simultaneously, which is rare to find, in my experience. My favourite thing about this series and Russian Roulette specifically, is the way that Horowitz creates a distinct atmosphere for the many countries and cities that he writes about. Within this book, we go to Kirsk, Moscow, Venice, Paris and many other places and he creates a vivid, distinct and appropriate atmosphere for each place. I particularly loved the scenes set in Russia. The titular Russian roulette scenes were very moving. I would read 10 more books about Yassen Gregorovich.
Original review: 2016
This book was everything and more! I absolutely love the Alex Rider series and although I can't really say it's because it was 'my childhood series' (because I started reading them at 13 years old and finished at 15 last year) they are as close as it gets to that. Therefore I have such a strong attachment to this series and these characters and strangely as this is a companion novel following a very minor character from the Alex Rider series, who definitely is not a hero within that series, I found myself so emotionally invested in this book and in his story.
SPOILERS AHEAD FOR 'EAGLE STRIKE' THE FOURTH ALEX RIDER BOOK AND MILD SPOILERS FOR SCORPIA RISING THE NINETH BOOK IN THE ALEX RIDER SERIES.
.
.
.
Yassen is around 20 years older than Alex, which means he dies at the age of like 33/34 which is so sad since this series' tag line is 'you're never too young to die' and although nearly everyone does die in this series, this book was told from Yassen's perspective and it's weird having a protagonist whose fate is matched to the tag line (obviously unlike Alex.)
There are a few lines in this book, as with the entire Alex Rider series, where I had to pause and think to myself, why would Horowitz put that on paper and admit to having something akin to these thoughts? (Especially pertaining to foreignness and the state of people's bodies/appearance). But, it's a children's series from the early 2000s, it's bound to have the best and the worst parts of that era mixed in. So while I acknowledge that it isn't a perfect book, for what it is, I loved it. I think Horowitz achieves, in this book, what many children's books set out to do, which is to entertain and also leave the reader having learnt something in the process. He manages this without using a condescending or moralistic tone, which is a point in his favour. The protagonist of this book, Yassen Gregorovich, is one of my favourite characters. Despite having a minor role in the original series and only this one book about him, I keep thinking back to his story every so often. Even though there is a lot of ground covered in this book, I think we still get a very well rounded and insightful look on the character and his motivations and how he ends up where he does. Horowitz somehow manages breadth and depth simultaneously, which is rare to find, in my experience. My favourite thing about this series and Russian Roulette specifically, is the way that Horowitz creates a distinct atmosphere for the many countries and cities that he writes about. Within this book, we go to Kirsk, Moscow, Venice, Paris and many other places and he creates a vivid, distinct and appropriate atmosphere for each place. I particularly loved the scenes set in Russia. The titular Russian roulette scenes were very moving. I would read 10 more books about Yassen Gregorovich.
Original review: 2016
This book was everything and more! I absolutely love the Alex Rider series and although I can't really say it's because it was 'my childhood series' (because I started reading them at 13 years old and finished at 15 last year) they are as close as it gets to that. Therefore I have such a strong attachment to this series and these characters and strangely as this is a companion novel following a very minor character from the Alex Rider series, who definitely is not a hero within that series, I found myself so emotionally invested in this book and in his story.
SPOILERS AHEAD FOR 'EAGLE STRIKE' THE FOURTH ALEX RIDER BOOK AND MILD SPOILERS FOR SCORPIA RISING THE NINETH BOOK IN THE ALEX RIDER SERIES.
.
.
.
Yassen is around 20 years older than Alex, which means he dies at the age of like 33/34 which is so sad since this series' tag line is 'you're never too young to die' and although nearly everyone does die in this series, this book was told from Yassen's perspective and it's weird having a protagonist whose fate is matched to the tag line (obviously unlike Alex.)
September 20, 2013
Could you sympathise with a cold-blooded killer?
What if that cold-blooded killer was planning to assassinate a 14 year-old boy?
And what if that 14 year-old boy was Alex Rider, one of the best-loved heroes of children’s literature?
What’s impressive about Anthony Horowitz’s new book, ‘Russian Roulette’, is that, for me, the answer to all those questions is yes. Horowitz has created a powerful and original story in which the bad guy is not only the ‘hero’, but also someone you wish you could save.
Some may question the morality of a children’s book that makes young readers empathise so strongly with a contract killer, but I found Horowitz’s exploration of what might cause a child to grow up to become a deadly assassin to be sensitively handled and one of the reasons why, for me, this is the best book he’s written.
In interviews going back several years, Anthony Horowitz has frequently mentioned his desire to tell the story of Yassen Gregorovich – the arch-villain from the first four Alex Rider books – and that’s exactly what he does in ‘Russian Roulette’.
As he prepares to complete his mission to 'Kill Alex Rider', Yassen opens his personal diary (I know, I know, this seems like a dubious framing device, but it’s stored on a memory stick and disguised as a car key, so it's a manly murderery kind of diary, okay?). We read in horror as disaster after disaster befalls young ‘Yasha’ – orphaned by anthrax, imprisoned by a man with a swastika tattoo and tight speedos, and indoctrinated by Scorpia.
The interesting thing is that although we know what Yassen will become, we continue to root for him as he fights the intense external and internal pressures to kill. And the great irony is that the person who tries hardest to save Yassen from this cold heartless fate, is the one whose actions finally push Yassen to kill.
Horowitz is a skilled writer and manages to give this fast-paced thriller a depth and intelligence that raise complex moral and philosophical questions for young readers, even while they're being hurtled on a headlong rush through disaster and adventure at break-neck speed.
An impressive achievement. A compelling character portrait. A great book.
So, what do you do with this new perspective on Alex Rider’s nemesis? Go and re-read the series from the beginning, obviously.
For more reviews of great kids' books, visit http://www.book-walrus.com
What if that cold-blooded killer was planning to assassinate a 14 year-old boy?
And what if that 14 year-old boy was Alex Rider, one of the best-loved heroes of children’s literature?
What’s impressive about Anthony Horowitz’s new book, ‘Russian Roulette’, is that, for me, the answer to all those questions is yes. Horowitz has created a powerful and original story in which the bad guy is not only the ‘hero’, but also someone you wish you could save.
Some may question the morality of a children’s book that makes young readers empathise so strongly with a contract killer, but I found Horowitz’s exploration of what might cause a child to grow up to become a deadly assassin to be sensitively handled and one of the reasons why, for me, this is the best book he’s written.
In interviews going back several years, Anthony Horowitz has frequently mentioned his desire to tell the story of Yassen Gregorovich – the arch-villain from the first four Alex Rider books – and that’s exactly what he does in ‘Russian Roulette’.
As he prepares to complete his mission to 'Kill Alex Rider', Yassen opens his personal diary (I know, I know, this seems like a dubious framing device, but it’s stored on a memory stick and disguised as a car key, so it's a manly murderery kind of diary, okay?). We read in horror as disaster after disaster befalls young ‘Yasha’ – orphaned by anthrax, imprisoned by a man with a swastika tattoo and tight speedos, and indoctrinated by Scorpia.
The interesting thing is that although we know what Yassen will become, we continue to root for him as he fights the intense external and internal pressures to kill. And the great irony is that the person who tries hardest to save Yassen from this cold heartless fate, is the one whose actions finally push Yassen to kill.
Horowitz is a skilled writer and manages to give this fast-paced thriller a depth and intelligence that raise complex moral and philosophical questions for young readers, even while they're being hurtled on a headlong rush through disaster and adventure at break-neck speed.
An impressive achievement. A compelling character portrait. A great book.
So, what do you do with this new perspective on Alex Rider’s nemesis? Go and re-read the series from the beginning, obviously.
For more reviews of great kids' books, visit http://www.book-walrus.com
November 1, 2022
Cover Blurb: Yes or No? Yeah, there's a character impersonator in the background, but he's not terribly noticeable, so it doesn't bother me as much. I liked the old Alex Rider covers better; they weren't as busy. But Russian Roulette definitely screams action and excitement, and it catches my interest.
Characters: Yassen Gregorovich has always been my absolute favorite character in this entire series. Not exactly a villain, he always treated his assassinations as just a job; there was nothing personal in it. I could always tell that he had a tragic past, because it was easy to see that he was someone who really was a regular, and even decent person; so obviously something horrible had to have happened to make him turn to killing for his profession. Normally backstories for villains (though I kind of consider Yassen more of an anti-hero) will ruin them. You can make a villain too sympathetic. However, with Yassen, it just made him that much more of a brilliant character; that much more tragic; that much more complex. I positively enjoyed seeing him as a kid, a youth, and finally a young man; I enjoyed seeing him grow as a character, seeing the changes that took place in his personality that made him the amazing assassin we Alex Rider fans know him as. You wouldn't think an assassin would be an easy character to emotionally connect to, but Yassen is. Because Yassen really is a good person, and circumstances and a betrayal he can never forgive change him. Talk about tragic! The other characters we meet in this story - Yassen's best friend Leo; the Moscow street boys who take Yassen in; Sharkovsky and his dreadful son Ivan; even John Rider, Alex's father - are all very interesting and complex. Sharkovsky was so creepy and Ivan was even worse. I loved actually meeting Alex Rider's father, and Leo . . . All I can say is: poor Leo! And poor Yassen!
The Romance: There isn't any!
Plot: Russian Roulette picks up after the events of Stormbreaker. Yassen Gregorovich has just been ordered to kill Alex Rider. This causes Yassen to take a moment and review his past life; to reflect on how he came to be where he was. Yassen is a careful assassin, but his one weakness is a journal he's kept, and it is as he reads this journal that Readers are introduced to Yassen's past life, when he wasn't Yassen Gregorovich the assassin, but Yasha Gregorovich - a Russian boy living in a poor village that doesn't exist anymore. When Yasha is forced to leave his village and everything he knew, he has no idea that his life is about to change forever. Without friend or family, he finds himself stranded in Moscow, and when he attracts the unwanted attentions of Vladimir Sharkovsky - Moscow's richest, most powerful, and most ruthless criminal - Yassen finds out that survival is all that matters to him now. This is a major emotional read. Even if Yassen wasn't a favorite character, there's no way he won't be after this. A boy of fourteen, he's just lost everything, has no friends, no help, and then suddenly things just go even more horribly wrong. I bawled my eyes out in the beginning, when he had to leave his village and his best friend Leo, and I bawled my eyes out when he was forced to work for Sharkovsky, where he was terrorized and beaten and humiliated every day of his life. He can't trust anyone and he has no hope of escape. It was so unbelievably sad and painful to read! I wanted to snatch Yassen out of the story and give him a good life and a good home! The plot itself didn't have much of a structure. The Reader knows that whatever happens, Yassen will end up an assassin, so the plot is more about what all happens to him to make him choose that way of life, rather than it being about one iconic moment. It's not a from Point A to Point B plot. But because it's sort of a prequel to the entire Alex Rider series, I was fine with a totally character-driven book rather than plot-driven.
Believability: No complaints, except one: Yassen's narration is supposed to be his journal, and his journal is written in Russian; yet he defines Russian words several times. Why would he do that in his own private journal when Russian is his native language?
Writing Style: First person, past tense. While the backstory is supposed to be Yassen reading his journal, it doesn't really read like a journal narration; there's no date headings at the beginning of each chapter. It feels more like he's talking to someone, and I really liked it. I also liked that while Yassen is relating very tragic happenings, it never once sounds like he's pitying himself. He's just telling what happened as it was, and nothing more. The narration is not very moment-by-moment, but encompasses a lot of events in a short span of time. Normally, I don't like it when this sort of narration is kept up throughout a book because it keeps me from getting to know any of the side characters. But Yassen breaks into a moment-by-moment narration at the most iconic moments, so it works. As usual, the Author's style is very action-packed, filled with technical details, and doesn't really have any poetry to it. But it works for the book, and what he lacks in poetic rhythm, he makes up for in a very emotionally-charged narration.
Content: None.
Conclusion: While everything that happens to Yassen leads to his becoming an assassin, it really isn't until the very end that we see what major event truly made him turn. And it is perhaps the most depressing moment in the whole book. It's also the most satisfying; the entire time, I really wanted Yassen to be able to get his revenge against Sharkovsky. We're not disappointed. I was thrilled with Russian Roulette. My favorite character finally got his own book! And it was amazing! It made me love his character more than ever, and it explained a lot about him and about John Rider. I wasn't expecting it to be so emotional, but it was, and it really couldn't have been any other way.
Recommended Audience: Guy-read (and girls who like Alex Rider!), sixteen-and-up, great for fans of action and spy novels - and especially fans of Yassen Gregorovich.
Characters: Yassen Gregorovich has always been my absolute favorite character in this entire series. Not exactly a villain, he always treated his assassinations as just a job; there was nothing personal in it. I could always tell that he had a tragic past, because it was easy to see that he was someone who really was a regular, and even decent person; so obviously something horrible had to have happened to make him turn to killing for his profession. Normally backstories for villains (though I kind of consider Yassen more of an anti-hero) will ruin them. You can make a villain too sympathetic. However, with Yassen, it just made him that much more of a brilliant character; that much more tragic; that much more complex. I positively enjoyed seeing him as a kid, a youth, and finally a young man; I enjoyed seeing him grow as a character, seeing the changes that took place in his personality that made him the amazing assassin we Alex Rider fans know him as. You wouldn't think an assassin would be an easy character to emotionally connect to, but Yassen is. Because Yassen really is a good person, and circumstances and a betrayal he can never forgive change him. Talk about tragic! The other characters we meet in this story - Yassen's best friend Leo; the Moscow street boys who take Yassen in; Sharkovsky and his dreadful son Ivan; even John Rider, Alex's father - are all very interesting and complex. Sharkovsky was so creepy and Ivan was even worse. I loved actually meeting Alex Rider's father, and Leo . . . All I can say is: poor Leo! And poor Yassen!
The Romance: There isn't any!
Plot: Russian Roulette picks up after the events of Stormbreaker. Yassen Gregorovich has just been ordered to kill Alex Rider. This causes Yassen to take a moment and review his past life; to reflect on how he came to be where he was. Yassen is a careful assassin, but his one weakness is a journal he's kept, and it is as he reads this journal that Readers are introduced to Yassen's past life, when he wasn't Yassen Gregorovich the assassin, but Yasha Gregorovich - a Russian boy living in a poor village that doesn't exist anymore. When Yasha is forced to leave his village and everything he knew, he has no idea that his life is about to change forever. Without friend or family, he finds himself stranded in Moscow, and when he attracts the unwanted attentions of Vladimir Sharkovsky - Moscow's richest, most powerful, and most ruthless criminal - Yassen finds out that survival is all that matters to him now. This is a major emotional read. Even if Yassen wasn't a favorite character, there's no way he won't be after this. A boy of fourteen, he's just lost everything, has no friends, no help, and then suddenly things just go even more horribly wrong. I bawled my eyes out in the beginning, when he had to leave his village and his best friend Leo, and I bawled my eyes out when he was forced to work for Sharkovsky, where he was terrorized and beaten and humiliated every day of his life. He can't trust anyone and he has no hope of escape. It was so unbelievably sad and painful to read! I wanted to snatch Yassen out of the story and give him a good life and a good home! The plot itself didn't have much of a structure. The Reader knows that whatever happens, Yassen will end up an assassin, so the plot is more about what all happens to him to make him choose that way of life, rather than it being about one iconic moment. It's not a from Point A to Point B plot. But because it's sort of a prequel to the entire Alex Rider series, I was fine with a totally character-driven book rather than plot-driven.
Believability: No complaints, except one: Yassen's narration is supposed to be his journal, and his journal is written in Russian; yet he defines Russian words several times. Why would he do that in his own private journal when Russian is his native language?
Writing Style: First person, past tense. While the backstory is supposed to be Yassen reading his journal, it doesn't really read like a journal narration; there's no date headings at the beginning of each chapter. It feels more like he's talking to someone, and I really liked it. I also liked that while Yassen is relating very tragic happenings, it never once sounds like he's pitying himself. He's just telling what happened as it was, and nothing more. The narration is not very moment-by-moment, but encompasses a lot of events in a short span of time. Normally, I don't like it when this sort of narration is kept up throughout a book because it keeps me from getting to know any of the side characters. But Yassen breaks into a moment-by-moment narration at the most iconic moments, so it works. As usual, the Author's style is very action-packed, filled with technical details, and doesn't really have any poetry to it. But it works for the book, and what he lacks in poetic rhythm, he makes up for in a very emotionally-charged narration.
Content: None.
Conclusion: While everything that happens to Yassen leads to his becoming an assassin, it really isn't until the very end that we see what major event truly made him turn. And it is perhaps the most depressing moment in the whole book. It's also the most satisfying; the entire time, I really wanted Yassen to be able to get his revenge against Sharkovsky. We're not disappointed. I was thrilled with Russian Roulette. My favorite character finally got his own book! And it was amazing! It made me love his character more than ever, and it explained a lot about him and about John Rider. I wasn't expecting it to be so emotional, but it was, and it really couldn't have been any other way.
Recommended Audience: Guy-read (and girls who like Alex Rider!), sixteen-and-up, great for fans of action and spy novels - and especially fans of Yassen Gregorovich.
September 28, 2014
The Alex Rider novels have always fascinated me with their pulpy thriller writing. It's much like reading Matthew Reilly (without the expletives and really high-stakes escapes) and I definitely believe there is a place for this type of fiction in the market. Some may look at it and go: 'does it teach anything? Does it uplift at all?' Interestingly, this is a book that certainly for all the thrill and racing plot, does have a moral lesson. It is a book about good and evil being existent in the choices made by individuals.
This book is perhaps one of the finest YA prequels I have read. It has the neat, precise style of the other novels in the world of Alex Rider but turns everything around to focus on Yassen Gregorovich, the assassin whose mysterious past links in with Alex Rider's. Yassen is by far one of the more intriguing characters in the series - an assassin with an antihero complex who makes complex moral choices for a YA character. In fact I believe it is the moral choices made in these books that make them so fascinating to read as part of an overall series. They are far from perfect, but they are oh so fascinating.
If you like the other Alex Rider books but are worried about the 'prequel' nature of this work, have no fear. Rest easy and read. Yassen's past may retread some old ground but it is also a novel that someone could jump into without reading any other Alex Rider books or after reading any of them at all. It's a fine work for a prequel and goes highly recommended from me!
Read
June 17, 2014This is a book that has been rumored that would have been made instead of 'Snakehead' but then fans demanded for the series to continue.
Finally, it is coming, the book about the back of my favorite character in the Alex Rider series...
When announced, at first I was all
Because through the entire series I was thinking
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Because whenis was like
Finally, it is coming, the book about the back of my favorite character in the Alex Rider series...
When announced, at first I was all
Because through the entire series I was thinking
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Because whenis was like
May 30, 2017
I LOVE THIS BOOK.
I am maybe just in love with Yassen... but shh.
This is technically book 10 in the Alex Rider series, although it follows the story of Yassen Gregorovich - an assassin who works for Scorpia.
The style is slightly different from the rest of the series as most of it is written in first person instead of third person, but it's still a really enjoyable read!
Spoilers:
The last thing I would like to say is a thank you to Anthony Horowitz for creating this character. Yassen Gregorovich is not perfect by any means, but he is intricate and complicated and compelling.
Yassen is one of my favourite fictional characters of all time and I'm so glad that Horowitz wrote an entire book about him.
I am maybe just in love with Yassen... but shh.
This is technically book 10 in the Alex Rider series, although it follows the story of Yassen Gregorovich - an assassin who works for Scorpia.
The style is slightly different from the rest of the series as most of it is written in first person instead of third person, but it's still a really enjoyable read!
Spoilers:
The last thing I would like to say is a thank you to Anthony Horowitz for creating this character. Yassen Gregorovich is not perfect by any means, but he is intricate and complicated and compelling.
Yassen is one of my favourite fictional characters of all time and I'm so glad that Horowitz wrote an entire book about him.
November 5, 2013
Amazing book. It's been awhile since I fangirled over Alex Rider. This book brings back so much. I was sad to let Alex go then, and I'm so glad there's this book now.
I can't believe I can actually sympathize with a contract killer, but Anthony Horowitz built Yassen so well. I loved his story. Every single page is interesting and added to Yassen's character. His childhood torn apart, his best friend , and how he had nothing by then but kept going, the three depressing years, scorpia, his assignments and John Rider... wow. I especially loved the part about Colette. I wish we could've known about Dimitry, though. I took a liking to him almost as much as Yassen- maybe it also had something to do with his name (It was like Dimitri in Vampire Academy) I wonder what happened to him. And oh, the irony. Yassen's turning point (I was so satisfied with his revenge) happened because of the exact same person who tried to save Yassen from reaching that turning point. And how the story ended with Alex in Stormbreaker was just... amazing. Now come to think of it, Horowitz is right in many ways about how Alex and Yassen are alike, even with such different stories.
And the title. Russian Roulette. It's perfect. It makes me think as much as the complex moral and philosophical questions this book raised.
The feels. It's killing me.
I can't believe I can actually sympathize with a contract killer, but Anthony Horowitz built Yassen so well. I loved his story. Every single page is interesting and added to Yassen's character. His childhood torn apart, his best friend , and how he had nothing by then but kept going, the three depressing years, scorpia, his assignments and John Rider... wow. I especially loved the part about Colette. I wish we could've known about Dimitry, though. I took a liking to him almost as much as Yassen- maybe it also had something to do with his name (It was like Dimitri in Vampire Academy) I wonder what happened to him. And oh, the irony. Yassen's turning point (I was so satisfied with his revenge) happened because of the exact same person who tried to save Yassen from reaching that turning point. And how the story ended with Alex in Stormbreaker was just... amazing. Now come to think of it, Horowitz is right in many ways about how Alex and Yassen are alike, even with such different stories.
And the title. Russian Roulette. It's perfect. It makes me think as much as the complex moral and philosophical questions this book raised.
The feels. It's killing me.
January 7, 2014
Alex Rider is a series of action-packed spy novels about a 14 year old boy who works for the British Secret Service. Russian Roulette is the latest in the series, but as a prequel, it takes place before the previous nine books, and so the reader won’t be too confused reading them out of sequence.
This book is told as a series of diary entries from the perspective of Yassen Gregoravich – the villainous Russian assassin who has threatened Alex Rider throughout the series. This book details Yassen’s childhood, and the circumstances which led to his becoming recruited by the Sinister Scorpia organization, and becoming a contract killer.
Russian Roulette is action-packed, but don’t write it off as all guns and explosions and ‘boyish’ adventures – it’s an intelligent and well-written book, and can be enjoyed by anyone!
This book is told as a series of diary entries from the perspective of Yassen Gregoravich – the villainous Russian assassin who has threatened Alex Rider throughout the series. This book details Yassen’s childhood, and the circumstances which led to his becoming recruited by the Sinister Scorpia organization, and becoming a contract killer.
Russian Roulette is action-packed, but don’t write it off as all guns and explosions and ‘boyish’ adventures – it’s an intelligent and well-written book, and can be enjoyed by anyone!
August 14, 2013
I wasn't sure how Horowitz was going too about a prequel Alex Rider, but now it all makes sense....though I won't give anything away. He has blended the lives together seamlessly, allowing fans to see inside the world of Scorpia, the mind of Yassen Gregorovich and the paternal past of the epically important Alex. Yup it is definitely worth the read for anyone who enjoyed the books.
February 6, 2024
Naskah kali ini membawakan kisah lampau Yassen Gregorovich. Alex Rider hanya disebut di hujung cerita. Ia membawa kisah bagaimana dari seorang anak kampung hingga ia menjadi seorang pembunuh upahan di Scorpia.
Geram SH membaca bahagian kampung Yassen dihilangkan dari muka bumi. Sebuah kampung serta seisi penduduknya dilenyapkan begitu sahaja hanya untuk menutup cerita dan kesalahan yang dilakukan. Seolah-olah orang kampung ini hanyalah tunggul kayu yang tidak bernyawa dan tidak berharga. Boleh dicabut sebegitu sahaja.
Nasib Yassen macam keluar dari mulut singa masuk ke mulut harimau. Tak lepas dari bahaya. Ada sahaja bahaya yang dihadapinya. Naskah kali ini dipenuhi oleh orang-orang yang tidak punya hati nurani. Memperhambakan orang hanya kerana ditangkap menceroboh. Membunuh kerana gagal tugas. Meranapkan sebuah kampung demi menutup sebuah cerita.
Antara isu menarik perhatian SH dalam naskah ini adalah tentang membuat pilihan. Apa yang terjadi dalam hidup kita bermula dengan pilihan yang kita buat. Begitulah dengan Yassen. Di mana dia banyak dipertemukan dengan situasi yang membuatkan dia perlu membuat pilihan dan menerima apa yang berlaku selepas pilihan itu dibuat.
Geram SH membaca bahagian kampung Yassen dihilangkan dari muka bumi. Sebuah kampung serta seisi penduduknya dilenyapkan begitu sahaja hanya untuk menutup cerita dan kesalahan yang dilakukan. Seolah-olah orang kampung ini hanyalah tunggul kayu yang tidak bernyawa dan tidak berharga. Boleh dicabut sebegitu sahaja.
Nasib Yassen macam keluar dari mulut singa masuk ke mulut harimau. Tak lepas dari bahaya. Ada sahaja bahaya yang dihadapinya. Naskah kali ini dipenuhi oleh orang-orang yang tidak punya hati nurani. Memperhambakan orang hanya kerana ditangkap menceroboh. Membunuh kerana gagal tugas. Meranapkan sebuah kampung demi menutup sebuah cerita.
Antara isu menarik perhatian SH dalam naskah ini adalah tentang membuat pilihan. Apa yang terjadi dalam hidup kita bermula dengan pilihan yang kita buat. Begitulah dengan Yassen. Di mana dia banyak dipertemukan dengan situasi yang membuatkan dia perlu membuat pilihan dan menerima apa yang berlaku selepas pilihan itu dibuat.
November 28, 2014
This is book number 10 in the Alex Rider series but in actuality it recounts events which happen before the series even begins. This is the story of one of the bad guys from Alex's adventures, his name is Yassen Gregorovitch. Everyone knows the story of Alex and how he was badgered into becoming a spy, but no one knows how Yassen ended up in his line of work - a hired killer - and their stories are not too far apart from one another.
I love the Alex Rider books, I think that they are a great series which is very exhilarating and enjoyable to read through and I love the characters and plots of each book. This book feels like a follow on rather than a prequel because it does recount things which happen within the Rider books, but it also feels like an older and more mature storyline than that of Alex.
The story of Yassen begins in Russia and his life is fairly regular to start off. He has a mother and father, lives in a small town, and he has friends he spends his days with. He's a rather unremarkable young boy, but suddenly one day things change for him, and everything that he thought was his life is severely tested. He's thrown into a whirlwind of events that are out of his control, and it's not hard to see why he ended up as he did. I think this recap is just what the series needed, and it's an excellent companion story for the Rider books.
I enjoy Yassen's character greatly because of the human qualities we can see in him despite the brutality of his profession and the events he's suffered through in his life. He's a strong character because of the things he's dealt with, and he's a fascinating person to read about and consider. Much of this story is told in the format of a diary, and that made the reader-character relationship much more personable and gave a real sense of life and intimacy to the character and his story.
On the whole I very much enjoyed this book and I'd certainly recommend you read this if you like the Alex Rider books. It's a fantastic story and I wish there were more (maybe more are in the works I don't know) so certainly a 4* book, my only complaint was that I knew a bit of the storyline from an extract in one of the other Rider books which meant that I was slightly under-awed by what should have been a big reveal. On the whole I enjoyed this format and learning about Yassen more, and I look forward to more books from Horrowitz in the future!
I love the Alex Rider books, I think that they are a great series which is very exhilarating and enjoyable to read through and I love the characters and plots of each book. This book feels like a follow on rather than a prequel because it does recount things which happen within the Rider books, but it also feels like an older and more mature storyline than that of Alex.
The story of Yassen begins in Russia and his life is fairly regular to start off. He has a mother and father, lives in a small town, and he has friends he spends his days with. He's a rather unremarkable young boy, but suddenly one day things change for him, and everything that he thought was his life is severely tested. He's thrown into a whirlwind of events that are out of his control, and it's not hard to see why he ended up as he did. I think this recap is just what the series needed, and it's an excellent companion story for the Rider books.
I enjoy Yassen's character greatly because of the human qualities we can see in him despite the brutality of his profession and the events he's suffered through in his life. He's a strong character because of the things he's dealt with, and he's a fascinating person to read about and consider. Much of this story is told in the format of a diary, and that made the reader-character relationship much more personable and gave a real sense of life and intimacy to the character and his story.
On the whole I very much enjoyed this book and I'd certainly recommend you read this if you like the Alex Rider books. It's a fantastic story and I wish there were more (maybe more are in the works I don't know) so certainly a 4* book, my only complaint was that I knew a bit of the storyline from an extract in one of the other Rider books which meant that I was slightly under-awed by what should have been a big reveal. On the whole I enjoyed this format and learning about Yassen more, and I look forward to more books from Horrowitz in the future!
September 24, 2017
I would like to apologise for the ridiculously long time it took me to read this. It is in no way a reflection of how much I enjoyed it because damn, this book was good.
I'm not going to lie, I didn't realise this was a prequel until I actually started reading it. Usually I intensively study a blurb before I read the actual book, but in this case I didn't bother since either way I was going to read it - it's Alex Rider so, obviously. So yeah, I was pretty surprised when it was suddenly in first person from the perspective of Yassen Gregorovich at age 14 - before Alex was even born.
We are told the story of his life and how he became the assassin we first meet in Stormbreaker. Starting from his small town life in Russia, through various places around the world we see how different, yet how similar his life was/is to Alex's.
Now, once I realised we were not shifting out of young-Yassen-first-person narrative, I was kind of terrified. Did this mean I wouldn't see my beloved Alex for the entire 400ish pages?!?! The horror.
But I was very pleasantly surprised. I believe Horowitz's change of style was executed very well and I was impressed. Yassen's life was shocking but interesting and I found that I really liked him. He's not quite Alex but I feel like they could be friends you know? He still thinks and acts like a teenager, makes realistic observations and questions things whenever I do. Plus I loved the way Horowitz intertwined Yassen's story with things we've already learnt about through Alex's adventures.
This book is different to all the others, that's for sure. But good different. And, partially because my memory is too weak to remember the first 7 books in detail, I'd say this is my favourite so far. I'm shocked I've even said that actually. Sorry Alex, I feel like I'm betraying you. I can just hear your voice saying:
"9 books. 9 books we've been together. Then this guy strolls in and off you go. How could you?"
*sobbing* I'M SORRY OK?!
I'll probably go running straight back if the next one is as good as this though. Which reminds me - I ABSOLUTELY CANNOT WAIT TO READ IT OH MY GOSH.
I'm not going to lie, I didn't realise this was a prequel until I actually started reading it. Usually I intensively study a blurb before I read the actual book, but in this case I didn't bother since either way I was going to read it - it's Alex Rider so, obviously. So yeah, I was pretty surprised when it was suddenly in first person from the perspective of Yassen Gregorovich at age 14 - before Alex was even born.
We are told the story of his life and how he became the assassin we first meet in Stormbreaker. Starting from his small town life in Russia, through various places around the world we see how different, yet how similar his life was/is to Alex's.
Now, once I realised we were not shifting out of young-Yassen-first-person narrative, I was kind of terrified. Did this mean I wouldn't see my beloved Alex for the entire 400ish pages?!?! The horror.
But I was very pleasantly surprised. I believe Horowitz's change of style was executed very well and I was impressed. Yassen's life was shocking but interesting and I found that I really liked him. He's not quite Alex but I feel like they could be friends you know? He still thinks and acts like a teenager, makes realistic observations and questions things whenever I do. Plus I loved the way Horowitz intertwined Yassen's story with things we've already learnt about through Alex's adventures.
This book is different to all the others, that's for sure. But good different. And, partially because my memory is too weak to remember the first 7 books in detail, I'd say this is my favourite so far. I'm shocked I've even said that actually. Sorry Alex, I feel like I'm betraying you. I can just hear your voice saying:
"9 books. 9 books we've been together. Then this guy strolls in and off you go. How could you?"
*sobbing* I'M SORRY OK?!
I'll probably go running straight back if the next one is as good as this though. Which reminds me - I ABSOLUTELY CANNOT WAIT TO READ IT OH MY GOSH.
April 7, 2016
The novel Alex Rider,' Russian Roulette' by Anthony Horowitz is about a boy called Yassen Gregorovich who lives in Russia and his life story. It tells the reader about his hard childhood and how he then later on became an infamous assassin and attempts to kill Alex Rider
The main character in this novel is Yassen Gregorovich. He is characterized physically as a very active, adventurous and fit type of person, however he can be very caring about others. For example he did not want himself to take an antidote (the only one) to a biochemical weapon and instead wanted his parents to take it. His dialogue portrays him as very independent person.
The character I fell the most sympathy for is also Yassen Gregorovich as his friend, parents and grandmother died when he was young. Also he worked as a slave in Russia, Moscow for around 3 years.
I chose to read this book because of two other book reviews I saw - one I was in Primary School & one when I was in Intermediate. This book is written as a character reading the diary of his life story, but there are no dates for the chapters. It seems like the character is talking to someone. This book took me around a week to finish and has 405 pages.
This story talks about one of my favourite characters and helps explain how he became to be a contract killer. I recommend this book to readers who are above 11 and who love adventure, action and mystery.
The main character in this novel is Yassen Gregorovich. He is characterized physically as a very active, adventurous and fit type of person, however he can be very caring about others. For example he did not want himself to take an antidote (the only one) to a biochemical weapon and instead wanted his parents to take it. His dialogue portrays him as very independent person.
The character I fell the most sympathy for is also Yassen Gregorovich as his friend, parents and grandmother died when he was young. Also he worked as a slave in Russia, Moscow for around 3 years.
I chose to read this book because of two other book reviews I saw - one I was in Primary School & one when I was in Intermediate. This book is written as a character reading the diary of his life story, but there are no dates for the chapters. It seems like the character is talking to someone. This book took me around a week to finish and has 405 pages.
This story talks about one of my favourite characters and helps explain how he became to be a contract killer. I recommend this book to readers who are above 11 and who love adventure, action and mystery.
April 10, 2020
This 10th book in the Alex Rider series shouldn't have been said Alex Rider in such big words on the cover when the story is about Yassen one of the most compelling character from the Alex Rider books. I usually purchase all the books in the series even if I haven't read them so same was the case with this series. I didn't know beforehand that it was a prequel so it was a nice surprise. It was fun reading about Yassen's misadventures from his small village to Moscow, to different parts of the world, how he came in contact with Scorpia and how he met John Rider, Alex's dad. It was a nice book.
If you have already read through Alex Rider series then, chances are that you have finished this too, if not then remedy that and then just keep on reading.
People who don't read generally ask me my reasons for reading. Simply put I just love reading and so to that end I have made it my motto to just Keep on Reading. I love to read everything except for Self Help books but even those once in a while. I read almost all the genre but YA, Fantasy, Biographies are the most. My favorite series is, of course, Harry Potter but then there are many more books that I just adore. I have bookcases filled with books which are waiting to be read so can't stay and spend more time in this review, so remember I loved reading this and love reading more, you should also read what you love and then just Keep on Reading.
If you have already read through Alex Rider series then, chances are that you have finished this too, if not then remedy that and then just keep on reading.
People who don't read generally ask me my reasons for reading. Simply put I just love reading and so to that end I have made it my motto to just Keep on Reading. I love to read everything except for Self Help books but even those once in a while. I read almost all the genre but YA, Fantasy, Biographies are the most. My favorite series is, of course, Harry Potter but then there are many more books that I just adore. I have bookcases filled with books which are waiting to be read so can't stay and spend more time in this review, so remember I loved reading this and love reading more, you should also read what you love and then just Keep on Reading.
November 19, 2014
This one let me down, I think it's because I was comparing it to the Alex Rider books, but it should be classed on its own because it is so different. I was waiting for something exciting and action-y to happen, the most I could say was the Russian Roulette between Yassen and Sharvovsky. The explosion at his house and in the jungle with Alex's father, specking about that I don't know if I wasn't concentrating when I read that part, but I wanted more clarification on the relationship between Yassen and Alex's father, because to be frank it's the only reason I read the book. and I wanted to know EXACTLY why Yassen let Alex live, maybe I missed it because it was open-ended. DONT read it if you are expecting another Alex Rider great.
May 3, 2021
My favourite Alex Rider book. All about my favourite character. Definitely one of my favourite recommendations.
Yassen Gregorovitch is a professional assassin. But when he recives orders to kill Alex Rider, he hesitates, remembering his father John Rider, who saved his life. Yassen opens a concealed memory stick and starts to read his only weakness - the story of his life. How could Yasha Gregorovitch, the poor country boy, turn into cold-blooded Yassen, a contract killer?
Yassen Gregorovitch is a professional assassin. But when he recives orders to kill Alex Rider, he hesitates, remembering his father John Rider, who saved his life. Yassen opens a concealed memory stick and starts to read his only weakness - the story of his life. How could Yasha Gregorovitch, the poor country boy, turn into cold-blooded Yassen, a contract killer?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 28, 2013
I read the Alex Rider books when they were first released, but never finished the series. Reading this has made me want to return to them! Well written and full of action, you really end up feeling for Gregoravich and understand how he ended up as Alex Rider's enemy. A must read for fans of the series!
February 11, 2019
This book was not about Alex rider at all. It mentioned him and he was in it for a few chapters, but it was a book about one of the main bad guys in the Alex Rider series. It is about the bad guys life and how he is not as bad as you think. I didn't really like it, it kind of changed the whole alex rider series. The book was interesting and it wasn't bad, but it wasn't really that good.
February 10, 2019
Russian Roulette is a companion novel to the Alex Rider series.
This book is in Yassen Gregorovich's point of view. I thought his story was quite emotional and well written. But I kept getting a feeling of deja vu; I felt like I've already read this book, but I obviously hadn't.
Also, pretty disappointed with the fact that they didn't tell the story of Malta, which seemed important!
This book is in Yassen Gregorovich's point of view. I thought his story was quite emotional and well written. But I kept getting a feeling of deja vu; I felt like I've already read this book, but I obviously hadn't.
Also, pretty disappointed with the fact that they didn't tell the story of Malta, which seemed important!
October 20, 2019
The tenth book in the Alex Rider series isn’t about Alex Rider at all. Instead, we follow a character introduced in the very first Alex Rider novel, Stormbreaker, a contract assassin by the name of Yassen Gregorovich. It’s an interesting choice for a protagonist as most readers will already know Yassen’s profession and fate before ever diving into this book. However, as expected, Anthony Horowitz pulls it off with great effect and actually turns what could have simply been a “spin-off” one-shot book into an important entry in the overall series.
Yassen’s life has many parallels to Alex’s life. We get to see glimpses of his childhood in a small town in Russia, and how an innocent existence gets ugly fast when the whole town is wiped out by its own government forces in order to contain a biological weapon outbreak. Yassen is the sole survivor. We follow him through a series of tragic events and circumstances through his teenager years that lead him along an inevitable path to his future. He makes logical choices at each stage, merely trying to survive, but in subtle ways, these events change him and lead him ultimately to his working for SCORPIA at the age of 19, as an assassin. His interactions with Alex’s father in the later stages of the book are especially poignant and will lead to scenes we have seen before in Stormbreaker. The ending is quite satisfying, especially to see him exact revenge upon the one man who is primarily responsible for Yassen’s fate in life.
Happily, the Alex Rider books are not yet complete. I still have two more to read and I recently read an author interview saying he is planning on at least one more after that. I’ll be ready.
Yassen’s life has many parallels to Alex’s life. We get to see glimpses of his childhood in a small town in Russia, and how an innocent existence gets ugly fast when the whole town is wiped out by its own government forces in order to contain a biological weapon outbreak. Yassen is the sole survivor. We follow him through a series of tragic events and circumstances through his teenager years that lead him along an inevitable path to his future. He makes logical choices at each stage, merely trying to survive, but in subtle ways, these events change him and lead him ultimately to his working for SCORPIA at the age of 19, as an assassin. His interactions with Alex’s father in the later stages of the book are especially poignant and will lead to scenes we have seen before in Stormbreaker. The ending is quite satisfying, especially to see him exact revenge upon the one man who is primarily responsible for Yassen’s fate in life.
Happily, the Alex Rider books are not yet complete. I still have two more to read and I recently read an author interview saying he is planning on at least one more after that. I’ll be ready.
August 4, 2024
OK, this book was absolutely exceptional. Sure its tropey, a bad guys story of how he became a bad guy but he isn't really a "bad guy", diary flashback, prequel story so we kinda know his ending but we don't know how he got there.
But damn was this story is fascinating and interesting and exciting every step of the way. Even seeing some of the more boring parts of Yashas life kept you on your toes cause you never knew what twists and turns were next.
And yes, this is just yet another story that tries to make you feel sympathy for the bad guy, but boy, does it work. For a character we get very little interaction with in the main books, he's always a character that sticks with you and a character that you can't help but love. And this book really does an excellent job of making you love him and feel for him more.
When I started my reread, knowing this was one of the few I'd never read, this was the one I was most excited for, and damn it did not disappoint.
But damn was this story is fascinating and interesting and exciting every step of the way. Even seeing some of the more boring parts of Yashas life kept you on your toes cause you never knew what twists and turns were next.
And yes, this is just yet another story that tries to make you feel sympathy for the bad guy, but boy, does it work. For a character we get very little interaction with in the main books, he's always a character that sticks with you and a character that you can't help but love. And this book really does an excellent job of making you love him and feel for him more.
When I started my reread, knowing this was one of the few I'd never read, this was the one I was most excited for, and damn it did not disappoint.
September 27, 2021
4.5 Stars
Such a well-crafted backstory!
Such a well-crafted backstory!
February 19, 2019
Amaaaazing book! I recommend it to anyone who wants thrilling suspense and adventure
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