When 14- year-old Alex Rider hears of his uncle's tragic death in an auto accident, he becomes immediately suspicious. As far as Alex knew, Ian Rider had been a banker, a very careful man. He was also Alex's only living relative.
Following up on his uncle's fate, Alex discovers that the car is at a junkyard and is sporting dozens of bullet holes and blood on the seats that proves his uncle was murdered. So who killed Ian Rider and covered the act up? And why?
Alex's quest for the truth introduces him to Alan Blunt, a spymaster for Britain's MI6 espionage agency. Caught while seeking further information, Alex is blackmailed by Blunt into becoming the youngest spy to ever work for MI6.
Herod Sayles, a multi-millionaire, is giving away thousands of his newest computers, Stormbreaker, to the children of London's schools. Ian Rider was investigating the man and those machines when he was killed. If Alex doesn't agree to undertake the mission, Blunt promises that he will be sent off to an orphan's home, and that his housekeeper, Jack Starbright, will be deported back to America.
Before he can adjust to getting blackmailed, Alex is sent on a three-week crash course training with SAS commandos. Yanked out of training, Alex is thrown headlong into the grinning jaws of death where he will meet a spectacular array of villains, including Mr. Grin, who has had his face disfigured during a throwing knife accident in a circus, and a huge jellyfish.
Anthony Horowitz is a successful writer of novels and television shows. His latest Alex Rider novel, Ark Angel, is out this year, bringing the total number in the series up to six. The series has exploded internationally, bursting on to the scene and grabbing the reading public of all ages. A movie based on the first novel is awaiting release. In addition, Horowitz has television and movie scripts for Poirot and Midsomer Nights, and he has created his own television shows, Murder In Mind and Foyle’s War.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Mr.So-an-so
I was really dissapointed when I watched the film as it didn't give me any of the happy feelings the book gave me. I felt it lacked comedy apart from when the 'Bad Guy' accidentally shot a pigeon. The action scenes didn't grip me as the scenes in the book. But the 'Bad Guy'...god...i mean couldn't they have thought of something else. No offence to anyone who wears mascare but I didn't like him wearing it...it made look silly, what with him monologing to take over the world an' all. They've got the idea but I do not want to see the next in the series.
2 - IZ
i think me like this book ehhe
3 - tycokia
ALEX RIDER ROX~!!GOGO anthony horowitz~wirte more abt alex rider~IM UR BIGGEST FAN~
4 - Alison
Im about to read the book....hope its good....:)
5 - Alezina
I loved the book but i wasn't really impressed with the movie . the guy was cute dont get me wrong but all of the other characters weren't like the one's that was described in the book . i kind of hated the movie. i would give a 4 out of 10 stars . i wish they hadn't made the movie .
6 - Ka
i hope it's good
7 - go gir ;)
brilll book tryin to do a review for the book now got any ideas ?
8 - awsome one
i have read the entire series and they are brilliant books. the movie Stormbreaker sucked!!! it was terrible and it was nothing like the book.
this was wrote by AWSOME ONE
9 - maria
i have read the book my teacher is reading it to us is a perrtie ecxiting book trust me if you like action this is the perfect book.i really recommend it!
10 - maria
i am reading the sequel to this book
it is realy good to as good as the first one.
11 - takai
YOUR BOOK ROCKS BIGGEST FAN EVERRRRRRRR !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
12 - 7OORIE
ITTTTTTTTTTT ROOOOOOOCKS.x3!~ ... We Took Itt in ENGLISH ,,, itss Realllllllly HARD 2<3
13 - every_reador
this book was OKAY but i really must admit, alex never did ANYTHING wrong, he always wins, hes the perfect child and i think this and many other aspects of the book sucked
14 - Jollyjenjens.
im speechless
15 - spencer
this booked sucked cock iate it.
16 - JESS
ALEX PETTEFER IS FIT!!
17 - Alex
I am 9 years old and read the book at the age of 7 or 8. His life went up-side-down when his uncle died and eventualy he finded the truth about his uncle,dad and godfather.
18 - austin
best book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11
19 - nottelling
The books were pretty good, but the movie was not. That's all I have to say.
20 - John
Never Read Book Lol Need To Do It For My Home-Work
21 - paul
this book is .................
THIS BOOK THE BEST ONE!!!!
22 - Cool
theres a movie sweet. these books are like a action packed movie through your head and like tv everywhere. action, violence, danger, what more can a guy ask for!
23 - Jaymes
Many people thought that James Bond was a tired series suffering from too many cliches, poor character development, and also that every film contained a ludicrous plot that seemed in every way too dramatic and poorly organised to ever have a place in real life. I disagree with many people on this matter; James Bond, although cliched, remained a powerful and though-provoking series, (at least until Pierce Brosnan took center stage.) However, I cannot say the same about Anthony Horowitz's tentative entry into the already heaving young spy genre, "Stormbreaker."
There is very poor character development; Alex Rider ends the book as if he has not been for more than a ride in the park. There is no remorse or aftershock felt, and that severely detracts from any empathy the reader has with him. As usual in this kind of book, all of the good character featured in the book survive, and most of the bad people die. (I would just like to point out that:
1. Alex Rider's uncle dies before the first chapter.
2. I really couldn't have cared less about his death, or Alex's parent's deaths either, because you are given nothing to use to relate to the characters. Typically, the gadgets seem ludicrous and overblown; a yoyo is a yoyo, not a friggin' rock climber aid! Some characters are interesting, for example the villain, whose name is curiously changed in the film. His inevitable plot to destroy the world is brought on by a bitter past, which I appreciate, because it is believable, at least in that area. One curious thought though; the villain did what he did in order to exact revenge upon someone who had caused him pain in the past. I can relate to that. Naturally, Alex Rider defeats him, but when Alex, likewise attempts to take revenge, the author writes as though nothing is wrong. Major hole.
Another cliche that I feel I must mention is the dramatic death sequence Alex Rider goes through. I do not understand why the villain did not take a magnum, and blows Alex Rider into next year. It is just not logical. That said, it's not a bad novel. It has the action it just misses out on a few areas such as:
Character development
Any sense of logic
Anything the reader can empathize with
A quiet moment.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
This was written by an avid reader who is, unfortunately, not a fan.
24 - lol
well. the book was ncie action packed it was. it a lot like james bond btw, and i kind of cant out de bk down btw. and it s nice.
25 - Lim Jeslin
The book stormbreaker was very interesting. I liked the way the author, Anthony Horowitz described the main character, Alex Rider. The book is mainly about how a teenage boy became a spy because of his uncle's death. It is fasinating to know that the teenage boy did not realised that his uncle was traning him to be a spy since young or maybe I should say he couldn't believe it. I liked the description of word during the part when Alex Rider fund his uncle's car by accident and realised that his uncle did not die because of a car accident but died under gun shots. This is kind of an action book. So, if anyone likes to read an action book and is above 7, I'll recommend this to them.