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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Kerim was my favorite part of this. Very fast and readable. Definitely racist/sexist/homophobic coming to it in 2025.
For being a James bond book he is not really a focus, we hear his inner monologue a bit but he doesn't seem to have all that much agency in the story.
The ending!
I definitely am feeling inclined to go back and read more of these.
For being a James bond book he is not really a focus, we hear his inner monologue a bit but he doesn't seem to have all that much agency in the story.
The ending!
I definitely am feeling inclined to go back and read more of these.
Best bond book so far but the racism and misogyny was rampant
This is my least favourite of the Bond books so far. It felt like the first half of the book was just introducing the Russians and Bond wasn’t even present. The action was boring, none of the characters were interesting, and the plot felt weak. It was also the first book that didn’t trigger and movie memories. Hopefully, the next one will be better.
This book does get props for not being hugely sexist, racist, or homophobic.
This book does get props for not being hugely sexist, racist, or homophobic.
That was exceedingly fun, even if Bond was dumb as a brick throughout the whole thing. The books are getting more and more pulpy (and Dr. No is next, so yeah), but I don't particularly mind pulpy even when the evil plans are overwrought and the resolutions disappointing. Probably my biggest criticism is that Tatiana could have been used better, and the ending of the konspiratsya wasn't up to the build up.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Gets off to a rough start as Fleming spends half the book presenting the back stories of Bond's enemies in excruciating detail. And even when Bond finally shows up, he spends more time touring Istanbul than making any headway on his mission (though to be fair, it frustrates him almost as much as it did me). Once Bond and Tatiana meet though and all the planning starts to pay off, the finale is one of the most thrilling sequences Fleming's written.