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jmgustaf's review
5.0
I feel like this book is author Raymond Benson’s magnum opus Bond work. I thoroughly enjoyed “Zero Minus Ten” and “The Facts of Death.” I remember enjoying “Doubleshot” and really liking “The Man With the Red Tattoo,” but this novel is - in a word - perfect.
The plot is brilliant and nuanced without becoming cliche, the twists are genuinely thrilling, but not convoluted or overly complex. The plot is simple, yet somehow fresh and enthralling. It is the simple McGuffin story line, but the setting and new characters breathe new life into it. The pace, the reveals, the climax, the twists, everything was perfectly done!
The introduction of the villainous organization and the brief but chilling scene we get with their manager, Le Grant, is marvelous. Our villain, rather villains, are shadowy and unknown to us except for one foil/friend that we meet early on in Roland Marquis. His former relationship with Bond and the fact that we see him best Bond, let’s us know that the stakes are high and this isn’t going to be and easy mission for our protagonist. Then the man we see beat Bond is his unknown adversary on an impossible mission to climb the third highest, and arguably most difficult mountain, Kanchenjunga. It is truly a maserstroke of storytelling.
We don’t have a conventional Bond romance either, I love that we get to explore an idea planted in the previous book with a kiss with his personal assistant, Helena Marksbury. It is a nice sideplot that is just distracting enough to catch us off guard at the end of the book. Just when you think it’s all tied up in a bow, we get our hearts ripped out in a true Bondian way that would make Fleming proud! I also enjoyed the other love interest in Dr. Hope Kendall. It wasn’t forced and it was well paced unlike many other romances for Bond. She really felt like a believable character. It was nice to see her save our hero more than once as well!
M was phenomenally written and Tanner played a nice part of the set up to the story. My favorite supporting character, by far, was Chandra, he felt like a mix between Felix and Kerim Bey. He is Bond’s equal and in some ways, Bond admits, his better. He is one of my favorite supporting characters in the entire series.
I enjoyed this book so much. It is one of my favorites of the entire series. The climbing reminded me of mountain warfare training in the Marine Corps, which I loved. The story is perfect, the characters are some of my favorites, and I love the shadowy villainous organization that is simultaneously and paradoxically ambiguous and ubiquitous! Let me leave you with the final lines that is one Fleming would love:
“He was sorry for her, but he no longer felt any affection for the girl who had been a wonderful part of his life for some time. Just as he had always shut his heart to other women who had betrayed him in the past, Bond forced Helena out of his life then and there.
As he took out a cigarette and lit it, Bond wondered what was colder—the cruel realm of espionage that had victimized and ultimately destroyed Helena Marksbury, the icy summit of Kangchenjunga, or his own hardened heart.”
It doesn’t get more Bond than that! Mr. Benson, well done sir-well done!
The plot is brilliant and nuanced without becoming cliche, the twists are genuinely thrilling, but not convoluted or overly complex. The plot is simple, yet somehow fresh and enthralling. It is the simple McGuffin story line, but the setting and new characters breathe new life into it. The pace, the reveals, the climax, the twists, everything was perfectly done!
The introduction of the villainous organization and the brief but chilling scene we get with their manager, Le Grant, is marvelous. Our villain, rather villains, are shadowy and unknown to us except for one foil/friend that we meet early on in Roland Marquis. His former relationship with Bond and the fact that we see him best Bond, let’s us know that the stakes are high and this isn’t going to be and easy mission for our protagonist. Then the man we see beat Bond is his unknown adversary on an impossible mission to climb the third highest, and arguably most difficult mountain, Kanchenjunga. It is truly a maserstroke of storytelling.
We don’t have a conventional Bond romance either, I love that we get to explore an idea planted in the previous book with a kiss with his personal assistant, Helena Marksbury. It is a nice sideplot that is just distracting enough to catch us off guard at the end of the book. Just when you think it’s all tied up in a bow, we get our hearts ripped out in a true Bondian way that would make Fleming proud! I also enjoyed the other love interest in Dr. Hope Kendall. It wasn’t forced and it was well paced unlike many other romances for Bond. She really felt like a believable character. It was nice to see her save our hero more than once as well!
M was phenomenally written and Tanner played a nice part of the set up to the story. My favorite supporting character, by far, was Chandra, he felt like a mix between Felix and Kerim Bey. He is Bond’s equal and in some ways, Bond admits, his better. He is one of my favorite supporting characters in the entire series.
I enjoyed this book so much. It is one of my favorites of the entire series. The climbing reminded me of mountain warfare training in the Marine Corps, which I loved. The story is perfect, the characters are some of my favorites, and I love the shadowy villainous organization that is simultaneously and paradoxically ambiguous and ubiquitous! Let me leave you with the final lines that is one Fleming would love:
“He was sorry for her, but he no longer felt any affection for the girl who had been a wonderful part of his life for some time. Just as he had always shut his heart to other women who had betrayed him in the past, Bond forced Helena out of his life then and there.
As he took out a cigarette and lit it, Bond wondered what was colder—the cruel realm of espionage that had victimized and ultimately destroyed Helena Marksbury, the icy summit of Kangchenjunga, or his own hardened heart.”
It doesn’t get more Bond than that! Mr. Benson, well done sir-well done!
howattp's review
3.0
3.5 stars
This was a fun read--the first one I've read from the Benson series of Bond (except for the novelizations of Tomorrow Never Dies and Die Another Day). I think I like the Gardner Bond series better, though I appreciated the introduction of a SPECTRE like organization here: The Union. I want to finish the Union triply and then I'll be able to judge a bit better.
This was a fun read--the first one I've read from the Benson series of Bond (except for the novelizations of Tomorrow Never Dies and Die Another Day). I think I like the Gardner Bond series better, though I appreciated the introduction of a SPECTRE like organization here: The Union. I want to finish the Union triply and then I'll be able to judge a bit better.
vjane's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
definitely not my typical novel of choice, but it was action packed and exciting to read! the writing isn’t amazing and the characters aren’t developed as ideally as i would have liked, but the plot is decent.
luqmanschwaab's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
tj00042's review against another edition
4.0
This was a great bond book, my first Benson bond book. The plot felt very Fleming in its delivery, and I must say the plot was very quick. You know most the times what you are getting when you delve into bond, so this book won't disappoint!
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