Sixth in the "Alex Rider - teenage spy" series, after Scorpia, which ended with Alex being fatally wounded by a sniper's bullet. In fact, it wasn't a fatal wound, and the book starts with Alex recovering in hospital, only to find himself falling into adventure again as he attempts to foil a kidnap attempt only to be abducted himself. The kidnappers purport to represent a group of fanatical eco-terrorists, who are set on preventing the launch of "Ark Angel" - a hotel in space owned by a Russian billionaire.

Some good action sequences in here, with Alex having to get out of several tricky situations, made this book a quick and fun read. The template has a Bond-feel (including gadgets from "Smithers", the Q-alike) not dissimilar to Eagle Strike but I think it was a bit better than that one.

Completed : 14-Jul-2006