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writeronherway's review
4.0
Yassen as a teenager? How did I miss this being released? I liked this more than I expected too and I think it gave the reader a lot more understanding of why Yassen sees himself in Alex and explains Yassen’s history with Alex’s family a bit more. It might have been a little too successful making Yassen so reluctant to kill as I didn’t quite believe his motivation for later committing to the life of an assassin as an “I’ll show you” move. I did really like the parallels between Alex and Yassen and the idea that neither of them really had a choice about the lives they end up leading but ultimately Yassen chooses not to kill Alex in an attempt to give Alex back that choice.
johnnytest's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
samtherat17's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Quite funny how the book not focused on Alex Rider is the best in the Alex Rider series.
jakewjerrard's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
nightshade_novels's review against another edition
4.0
I have been looking forward to this book for ages, ever since the end of the Alex Rider series. As Yassan Gregorovich is one of my favourite characters in the series I was really looking forward to learning more about him. In that respect this book was really good; however its plot was not quite as exciting as any of the Alex Rider books.
It was interesting to learn what a disaster his life was right from the young age of fourteen. However,
I liked the way that he got to know John Rider fairly well and looked up to him. This meant that the book also gave you more information about what Alex’s father was like. I loved the way that he would creep away to secretly meet his wife. It was John who showed him that he could not become a killer and him that Yassen then proved wrong.
Although not quite what I expected, this book was really interesting.
It was interesting to learn what a disaster his life was right from the young age of fourteen. However,
Spoiler
despite all of that and all his training at Malagosto he still did not have it in him to become a killer. In the end it all came down to a second game of Russian Roulette; he chose to fill five of the six chambers of a gun with bullets and shoot at his head. He wanted to die, but accepted that if he did not then it was his destiny to become a killer. He shot the two men that had made his life a misery for three years and then returned to become the contract killer he had been trained to become. He used the Russian roulette to finally take control of his own life for the first time.I liked the way that he got to know John Rider fairly well and looked up to him. This meant that the book also gave you more information about what Alex’s father was like. I loved the way that he would creep away to secretly meet his wife. It was John who showed him that he could not become a killer and him that Yassen then proved wrong.
Although not quite what I expected, this book was really interesting.
itratali's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
sophiecountsclouds's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
yulinkosmos's review
5.0
Before I started the series I knew that I wanted to read this book most and after finishing reading it I realised that I was right and I have to say that I enjoyed this one most. Not only did I enjoy it but I actually had tears in my eyes at one specific point...
This is the story of the Russian assassin in the Alex rider books. Yassen Gregorvich, whose name is actually Yasha (which as a Russian I can tell you that it's not actually a full name but only a nickname that comes from the name Yakov but anyways...).
The actual time line of the book is during Alex's first mission and so it takes place during their first meeting and the stormbraker events. Although most of the book is not during the "present" but rather Yassen thinking about his life.
***** MILD SPOILERS *****
I just found it so much fun looking at Russian culture from the perspective of a foreigner. It was just so interesting to read about how he (the author) tries to explain our school marking system (which has nothing to do with stars...just saying) and the way the children dressed and how the villages looked... And I think that the reason that I really liked this book was mostly because I could relate to the situations and picture the environments since they were something I knew (at least a little bit since most of it was quite old...)
Which is why this book is probably not going to be enjoyed by a lot of foreigners, because honestly looking back at it right now I don't think I would have understood most of what was going on without my knowledge of Russian culture... Also pronunciation would have been kinda hard...
***** SERIOUS SPOILERS *****
So that moment that I actually cried in was when he returned to that house in the silver forest and had that chat with Sharkovsky... I just couldn't not shed a couple silent tears when he said "I am what you made me". I mean first of all that's just an emotional line but like mostly I think that it got to me because it's kinda a reference to the mortal instruments... Is that a spoiler? Lol .. I'm spoiling a book in the review of a different book. But basically that line is connected to a very emotional part in the life of a different character and like that tied the two together for me and then I was even sadder and I just ... I had to like wait a second before I could keep reading...
All in all I very much enjoyed this book, it was awesome and sad (I believe the word is melancholy) because while I really wanted to know more about his life, I knew it wasn't going to have a happy ending... So Ye I feel like I could rant about this guy forever so I'm gonna end it here... End of rant.
This is the story of the Russian assassin in the Alex rider books. Yassen Gregorvich, whose name is actually Yasha (which as a Russian I can tell you that it's not actually a full name but only a nickname that comes from the name Yakov but anyways...).
The actual time line of the book is during Alex's first mission and so it takes place during their first meeting and the stormbraker events. Although most of the book is not during the "present" but rather Yassen thinking about his life.
***** MILD SPOILERS *****
I just found it so much fun looking at Russian culture from the perspective of a foreigner. It was just so interesting to read about how he (the author) tries to explain our school marking system (which has nothing to do with stars...just saying) and the way the children dressed and how the villages looked... And I think that the reason that I really liked this book was mostly because I could relate to the situations and picture the environments since they were something I knew (at least a little bit since most of it was quite old...)
Which is why this book is probably not going to be enjoyed by a lot of foreigners, because honestly looking back at it right now I don't think I would have understood most of what was going on without my knowledge of Russian culture... Also pronunciation would have been kinda hard...
***** SERIOUS SPOILERS *****
So that moment that I actually cried in was when he returned to that house in the silver forest and had that chat with Sharkovsky... I just couldn't not shed a couple silent tears when he said "I am what you made me". I mean first of all that's just an emotional line but like mostly I think that it got to me because it's kinda a reference to the mortal instruments... Is that a spoiler? Lol .. I'm spoiling a book in the review of a different book. But basically that line is connected to a very emotional part in the life of a different character and like that tied the two together for me and then I was even sadder and I just ... I had to like wait a second before I could keep reading...
All in all I very much enjoyed this book, it was awesome and sad (I believe the word is melancholy) because while I really wanted to know more about his life, I knew it wasn't going to have a happy ending... So Ye I feel like I could rant about this guy forever so I'm gonna end it here... End of rant.
shauniesbookshelves's review against another edition
4.0
It is quite possible that I will never get enough of this series