Nightshade ~ Anthony Horowitz

Expected UK Publication Date: 2nd April 2020

If you asked me to pick a book series that defined my childhood, I would easily be able to tell you that it’s Alex Rider by Anthony Horowitz. I have been a fan of these books for at least two-thirds of my life. The first newly published Alex Rider book I bought was Snakehead in 2007. So, it’s fair to say that this is going to be quite a biased review as Alex Rider books mean a lot to me.

Honestly, I thought the series had finished with Scorpia Rising back in 2011. Even after reading Russian Roulette and Never Say Die (I’m waiting for Secret Weapon to come out in paperback before I read it), I thought that was it. To see the Nightshade proof was a bit of a surprise to me, but a welcome surprise. To find out that it’s been twenty years since the first Alex Rider book was even more of a surprise. 

Nightshade starts after the events of Never Say Die. Alex Rider is just trying to live as normal of a life as possible when he is once again asked to take on a mission. The mission is simple, pretend to be his dead clone and befriend a teenage prisoner to try and figure out the details of a terrorist attack on London by a group called Nightshade. As with every other mission Alex has undertaken, it gets a bit complicated rather quickly. 

As I said at the beginning, this is going to be a biased review, mostly due to the fact that Alex Rider is a nostalgic read for me. Opening the book up and seeing that familiar font makes me feel a little happier. Despite the world having changed a lot (especially in these last few weeks), Alex Rider is still the same anti-hero. Somehow, Alex is still taking his GCSEs, even after twenty years. It’s a little boggling that all twelve missions have taken place in only a year and a half (ish), but that may be because so much time has passed for me since the beginning (and that technology in the books seems to advance with the rate of the current world). 

Even with my bias, I really enjoyed Nightshade. The characters are still the same characters I fell in love with all those years ago. Alex, especially, is still the reluctant spy that probably isn’t as reluctant as he tries to make everyone believe. Despite seeing all the bad humanity can accomplish, up close and personal, Alex still believes in saving as many lives as possible and it’s hard not to love him for that (he was one of my first crushes, can you tell?). 

I had to pace myself whilst reading this book because I just wanted to sit there and devour it. Instead, I read it at a steady pace and allowed myself time to take it all in. It was the best decision I could’ve made as I got to appreciate all the nail-biting moments even more. Now, after finishing it, I have a burning desire to go back, starting with Stormbreaker, and read them all again. Unfortunately, I don’t think my TBRs will forgive me if I do that.

Nightshade was a brilliant throwback to a happier time and another brilliant Alex Rider story. I will admit that it’s probably unfair to all the other books that I have rated, but I have to give it five stars. At the time of writing this review, Nightshade is still set to be released on the 2nd April 2020 in the UK.

C🌙