Anthony Horowitz Alex Rider Undercover: Four Secret Files - World Book Day 2020

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However, later books in the series deliberately try and change certain parts of the formula, or move them around; for example, Eagle Strike is based around Alex going rogue after MI6 refuse to believe him when he comes to them rather than vice-versa, the seeming Big Bad of Ark Angel turns out to be a decoy created by the true villain of the piece. The main villain of Snakehead, meanwhile, is killed by having every bone in his body smashed to bits by the vibrations of a bomb going off underwater as he's riding away in a yacht. The result is described as still looking like a human for roughly half a second before collapsing into an unrecognisable heap of skin and gore. It’s no wonder that World Book Day celebrations have established themselves as mainstays of many schools’ annual calendars. Over the years, I believe that almost everything about the endeavour has gone from strength to strength. Punny Name: Lots. Horowitz has confirmed that since the series takes a lot of inspiration from Bond, several female characters have punny names (though since this is a young adult series, obviously teen-friendly ones). Sabina Pleasure ("it's been a pleasure") is the most notable; others include Fiona Friend ("phone a friend"), Tamara Knight ("tomorrow night"), and Diana Meacher ("dying to meet you"). Deconstruction: Despite not being Horowitz's original intention, the series gradually becomes a deconstruction of the entire idea of spying being a cool or desirable occupation.

The short story "Alex Underground", originally published in a newspaper, inexplicably features the return of a minor villain from Ark Angel who was killed off in full view of Alex. There is also nowhere it can fit into the series' canon, as there is no opportunity for it to take place between any of the books from Ark Angel onwards (although given the series has since been revived, it could possibly go after Never Say Die). It was likely omitted from the two short story collections for these reasons, perhaps rendering it Canon Discontinuity. The whole dressing-up endeavour should never have become a job for parents. Instead, it has always been an ideal task for children” Long-Running Book Series: Has been around since the turn of the millennium, with ten entries in the main series, one prequel, a short story collection, several tie-ins and more books in the main series still to come as of 2020. Alex expressly refuses to work for MI6 again in Nightshade, although he changes his mind when Mrs Jones reveals her personal connection to the eponymous organisation. Christmas at Gunpoint" (2007) (pre-series; included in some editions of Stormbreaker, Alex Rider: Mission Files, and Secret Weapon)

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Zig-Zagged with Nikolei Drevin and his son Paul. Alex is horrified when Nikolai admits that he arranged for Paul's kidnapping, and was going to have Paul lose a finger since no one would suspect a father of hurting his beloved child. On the other hand, Drevin suffers a Villainous Breakdown when he shoots Paul while aiming for Alex, though Paul survives.

There are also two supplementary materials, Alex Rider: The Gadgets (featuring blueprints of the gadgets Alex uses), and Alex Rider: Mission Files, featuring assorted in-universe correspondence, diagrams, blueprints and miscellany from the first seven books; and a World Book Day book to mark the 20th anniversary, Undercover: The Classified Files, released in 2020. The books are also being adapted as a series of graphic novels (that reached Ark Angel in 2020) that form a different canon to the books. The newly-elected, incompetent Prime Minister in Crocodile Tears (released a few months before the 2010 General Election) is, if not David Cameron, clearly intended as a Conservative.Personalised Items are non-returnable. Some goods are non-returnable for hygiene reasons. Please note that this does not affect your statutory rights. Bowdlerise: Early editions had Sarov complain about women and children working as prostitutes in The New Russia, whereas later editions replace it with Sarov complaining about the greedy oligarchs.

During the attempted kidnapping in Ark Angel, Alex hits Spectacles between the legs with a 10 kg oxygen cylinder. Jerkass Façade: Alex has to act like one of The Upper Crass teenage rebels that get sent to a disciplinary school like Point Blanc, with a bit of Obfuscating Stupidity such as pretending to not know French. Mr Men – Mr Bump (blue t-shirt and trousers, and some bandages), Mr Greedy (pink clothes with a pillow under the t-shirt) Bad mum/good mum? The book selected is used as a stimulus for creative work over the next few weeks, and this is all displayed inside. The door/cover therefore becomes – quite literally – a portal into another world. Brooks, Sam (5 June 2020). "Bond, Teen Bond: The brilliance of the Alex Rider series". The Spinoff. Archived from the original on 5 June 2020 . Retrieved 5 June 2020.Julia Rothman is flattened by the satellites on the hot air balloon needed to initiate Invisible Sword. In Scorpia, we meet Scorpia, the organization that hired John Rider, and learn more about his past, and then discover John was actually a mole for MI6; they faked his death so he could leave Scorpia.