191 replies to this topic

[Byron]

Took me 2 weeks to wade through my indies (661/1500) edition of CB. In comparison i read through each Fleming in 2 days. Overall CB was a decent but not stellar effort.

Like others, the biggest issue i had was with the Felicity Willing twist at the end, seemed tacked on and very poorly plotted. It would have been far better to leave it as it was up to that point - Hydt as a psycho wanting to murder people simply out of pleasure.

Bond was too clean-cut, too nice, too pasteurised and homogenised. A little subtle snobbery or racism wouldn't have hurt.

Minor issues include the very blatant product placement e.g. shirts from Turnbull and Asser. If you're going to do it, do it with a little more class. Similarly, references to cricket, test match etc used in support of American perceived Britishness. Finally the words sexy and sexiest used in conversation simply jarred with me, do professionals talk like that? These are minor things but they do spoil the flow of the book, by making the reader stop and think about them.

Although it was great to use South Africa and Cape Town, a bit more vivid description of the sights and sounds would have helped to bring the place to life more.

Despite this , jeffery deaver does deserve a big thank you for his hard work on researching and writing this novel.

[hcmv007]

It took me a while, and while a good read, I missed the self doubting boozed up Bond as in Dr. No, Thunderball and Goldfinger. Still a good read, and the ending I hope sets up the next one (a bit bland-this book ended weak IMO), but I think its a good start for the 21st century Bond revamp. Of course drinking Vesper's helped but I can't say I dig the new Bond drink introduced in this book. I prefer to drink my Crown Royal with Coke thank you-not triple sec and bitters. Hmm, gotta try that






Edited by hcmv007 on 7-10

[Major Tallon]

Took me 2 weeks to wade through my indies (661/1500) edition of CB. In comparison i read through each Fleming in 2 days. Overall CB was a decent but not stellar effort.

Like others, the biggest issue i had was with the Felicity Willing twist at the end, seemed tacked on and very poorly plotted. It would have been far better to leave it as it was up to that point - Hydt as a psycho wanting to murder people simply out of pleasure.

Bond was too clean-cut, too nice, too pasteurised and homogenised. A little subtle snobbery or racism wouldn't have hurt.

Minor issues include the very blatant product placement e.g. shirts from Turnbull and Asser. If you're going to do it, do it with a little more class. Similarly, references to cricket, test match etc used in support of American perceived Britishness. Finally the words sexy and sexiest used in conversation simply jarred with me, do professionals talk like that? These are minor things but they do spoil the flow of the book, by making the reader stop and think about them.

Although it was great to use South Africa and Cape Town, a bit more vivid description of the sights and sounds would have helped to bring the place to life more.

Despite this , jeffery deaver does deserve a big thank you for his hard work on researching and writing this novel.

I pretty much agree with this review. I can't say that I want to see any racism, but I'd like to see Bond more fallible, having to dig himself out of trouble by improvisation and a sheer determination not to be beaten. I'd also like to see him rely less on iPhone "apps". Unlike several of our reviewers, I didn't mind the references to Bond's past. I thought they helped link Deaver's Bond to Fleming's and establish that this is, despite the reboot, still basically our James Bond. I'd been concerned that a native Chicagoan wouldn't be able to capture Bond's Britishness, but Deaver seems to have laid British cultural references on with a trowel, from "The Two Ronnies" to Wenlock and Mandeville. I found that distracting after a while.

For all that, I found Carte Blanche a worthy effort, and I wouldn't be unhappy to see Deaver try his hand at another.

[Stainless Steel Teeth INC]

Overall an enjoyable read but not one I would necessarily return to in the future.

I liked the short chapters which helped maintain a sense of pace and urgency. The emphasis on 'tradecraft' was very nice and I appreciated the little moments of ingenuity & awareness 007 used on the job as in capturing fingerprints on the lense of his sunglasses and counting down the number of rounds he had left in his gun. I could have done with a little less of the 'iqphone' though.

In Severan Hydt an interesting villain (with a nice, twisted Flemingesqe quirk) was established but ultimately failed to deliver as did the whole 'Incident 20' which left me somewhat underwhelmed as the culmination felt rushed, maybe even detached.

Some of the contemporary references (Top Gear, pop stars) felt a little shoehorned into the narative as if to underline the fact Deaver had done his homework but he did write some of the established characters very well with the dialogue between Bond, M, Tanner & Leiter flowing quite comfortably as if he'd been doing it for years.

There were times I felt 007 lacked a little ruthlessness though. I was actually disappointed when it was revealed Bond had not actually shot Hydt's worker at the plant to prove his loyalty. It was a moment 007 faced a tough choice (with no apparent options) but one he was trained to make, it was a cold act but vital to ensure the safety of many others and I felt a little betrayed when it was revealed he knew the bullets wern't live. Did he have a plan if the bullets were real and it was not a rouse? That (in my eyes) would have been a more interesting test of the character and his ingenuity.

However, I did enjoy slipping back into the world of Bond as I think did Deaver who I would be interested in seeing return and build upon what he has started.

[Four Aces]

I downloaded the free Kindle sample. I was not impressed. Still wondering whether I should buy the remainder. I have not ready anybody's reviews yet, but will do so shortly.

[Jack Spang]

I wasn't a fan of all the television/actor references either - 'Top Gear' etc. One is okay, maybe even two, three is too much.

[Johnboy007]

As far as continuation novels go this was one of the better ones, I think. Certainly better than "Devil May Care", Gardner post-"Nobody Lives Forever" or any of the Benson novels.

If I had to pick one thing about the book I truly hated, it was the "my parents are spies!" story-line. Absolutely pointless. I assumed the bullet sitting on the mantle above his fireplace was going to be a reference to Tracy. Sad it wasn't, that would have better suited the James Bond-as-a-loner thread going through the book than his parents being dead.

Other minor things: Bond was too nice. Half the fun of the older books are some of the strikingly off-color things Bond (Fleming) had to say. I miss things like that.

Otherwise, it at least seemed like Deaver put effort into it, which is more than you could say for Faulks.

[OmarB]

This Bond wouldn't have met Tracy yet though. Too "early" if you get what I'm saying within the context of Bond's new universe.

[Johnboy007]

This Bond wouldn't have met Tracy yet though. Too "early" if you get what I'm saying within the context of Bond's new universe.

I agree to some extent. But, all through the book he is already someone who knows that he will always be alone, that he will never be close to anyone. Having already lost his beloved wife so young would have made perfect sense in that regard.

(It could also have set up a better future story thread than "Who killed my parents? Why was mom a spy?")

[OmarB]

Well I don't think him knowing he'll always be alone need not tie directly into any singular relationship. Even in CR and LALD he seemed quite aware of the cost of his job on his personal life.

[Loomis]

I downloaded the free Kindle sample. I was not impressed. Still wondering whether I should buy the remainder.

I'd advise spending the money instead on COLONEL SUN, JAMES BOND: THE AUTHORISED BIOGRAPHY or JAMES BOND: THE SPY WHO LOVED ME if you haven't got 'em. Failing that, even one of the Bensons will give you more of an authentic Bond hit than CARTE BLAND.

[Jump James]

I downloaded the free Kindle sample. I was not impressed. Still wondering whether I should buy the remainder.

I'd advise spending the money instead on COLONEL SUN, JAMES BOND: THE AUTHORISED BIOGRAPHY or JAMES BOND: THE SPY WHO LOVED ME if you haven't got 'em. Failing that, even one of the Bensons will give you more of an authentic Bond hit than CARTE BLAND.

Well said. Although not available on the kindle. Go for Devil May Care or of course there is that chap called Ian Fleming. If you really want your Carte fix get Carte D'or, which is a much more satisfying experience and more British.

Edit: Go for Gardner who is also now available on kindle. Just need to bring the prices down.

Edited by Jump James, 18 July 2011 - 03:52 AM.

[Jack Spang]

Had a good time at the Deaver talk/Q & A/book signing the other day. I said that I had heard the Fleming Estate had placed some restrictions on him when writing Carte Blanche and enquired as to what these may have been. He said that he didn't know where I had heard this, stating that they hadn't put any restrictions on him. He said there was one time when after them reading the book they said "Bond would never refuse a Chablis!" This was in reference to when Bond was in Dubai with Felix in the restaurant. He wasn't going to have Bond drink because he had to work. Good on the Fleming Estate for this one! When he signed my book I told him that I thought he had written a great book (of course I didn't mention how I felt Bond lacked personality though), then I asked him about Bond's chauvinism and smoking and whether it was his decision or the Fleming Estate's to leave this out and he said it was his because it was important that Bond was liked by everyone. Personally, I don't think he needs to be liked by everyone. This wouldn't have been Fleming's aim when he created the character. Following this he shook my hand and thanked me for my thoughts. I think he wanted to get rid of me. LOL.

It was an enjoyable evening helped along with free martinis, wine and beer. Deaver is a very nice, humorous, down to earth guy.

R.I.P. Amy Winehouse. What a shame. What a waste of a magnificent talent.

Edited by Jack Spang, 24 July 2011 - 01:24 AM.

[MHazard]

So, Carte Blanche came out later in the U.S. so it took me a while to read it and then even longer to post my thoughts. I feel a little guilty because I've done longer reviews of fan fiction, but I guess it seems to me that the fan fiction I've reviewed deserved a longer review. My take, briefly. I liked it way better than Devil May Care. It was highly readable and reasonably entertaining. This is somewhat surprising because I generally prefer my Bond set in Fleming's world which is a late 50's early 60's kind of world. Unfortunately, Faulks couldn't write a thriller to save his life (no suspense) and in my view doesn't understand the character. So, what's the point. Deaver is a competent thriller writer who understands plotting so his book was readable. His villains are better and more believable than Faulks (a guy who is obsessed with death and decay sounds sort of Fleming, a guy with a hairy hand sounds sort of one step away from JAWs or at least Karl Stromberg). I appreciated him coming up with a new drink (skeptical though I am of Bond being a Crown Royal drinker-has anyone tried this?) and I do believe that Deaver read Fleming for fun long before he ever thought of writing CB-I think he actually likes the character. His re-boot is a reasonable attempt to incorporate Fleming's Bond history into a modern version. I'm grateful that Sir Miles is still M and that May, Moneypenny and his Bentley are still there. Deaver's Bond isn't as interesting as Fleming's but then again, who's Bond is? His effort reminds me of the first two Gardner books and of Zero Minus Ten. It's not quite Fleming, but its reasonably fun to read. The continuation authors all seem to have one or at most two books in them and then they go downhill. While reading it and occaisionally re-reading portions of Fleming, I realized that, at least for me, one of the most important qualities of Fleming is that he can make everything he writes about interesting. Fleming will spend chapters on digressions involving travel, food, character background, local culture and its as captivating (sometimes more so) than the action sequences. In none of the continuation novels will you find the observation about "the smell and sweat of a casino" or what's the most proper arrodndissement in Paris or learn that the best way to improve a poor drink is with first class seltzer water. Fleming could write a thriller and give you that. Deaver can write a thriller but can't give you that. Amis could give you some of that but not so good on the thriller. Anyway, it's a difficult thing to do and I can't think of anyone else who does it the way Fleming did. If Deaver writes another one I'll read it which is more than I can say for Devil May Care or for how I felt after Benson's last Bond. I guess this is to say that writing good Bond is very hard. I've tried and I've read several efforts on CB.net by others. Unlike Faulks I believe Deaver put effort into trying to make it good and I appreciate that. If it was fan fiction I'd give it a very good review. As the official continuation novel, you sort of expect a bit better. I'd be interested in what others who tried to write Bond think.

[Matt_13]

Finished it today. I liked it for the most part - I certainly liked it better than Devil May Care. And I would like to see Deaver do another one. But to me personally, it wasn't great.

What I liked:
The female characters. There was effort put in to make them real, or 3D, and I really appreciated that.
The new section, ODG, etc. I like it, it felt fresh. And if Deaver does continue, he's set up a nice bunch of characters to work with.
The pacing.
Bond. Call me 'not a true fan', but I like him better when he's not being a dick. So I liked how he handled his Bond girls and appreciated his 'insecurity' about his parents, among other things.
Interesting villain in Hydt (sadly he didn't get the ending I would have hoped for).
The part where I believed

Spoiler

Dunne was in love with Hydt (sadly not true).

What I really did not like:
This is my problem with this book. And I can't find the right word for it now... Darn. Faking? Back-pedalling? I'm talking about every time we were led to believe something happened that actually didn't happen at all, or happened differently. Particularly when something bad (and therefore interesting) happened to Bond, at the end of a chapter. At the beginning of the next chapter we would find out Bond had anticipated this all along and had come up with a plan to counter it. Now, this was clever for the first couple of times. But it just kept on happening, and I started to hate it. Luckily it didn't ruin the tension for me, but that was merely because I myself was so royally stupid I kept falling for it - because I wanted things to get bad (and therefore intereesting) for Bond. But come on... this was just... not fun anymore by the end.

3 out of 5 stars.

Have had some time to think about it and I agree with the above almost 100%, except for the last sentence. I thought it was a lot of fun, and I did thoroughly enjoy what I was reading for the duration. I enjoyed the minor character twists more than the plot twists, for I think that is where Deaver's true strength lies. I also feel a bit shortchanged that Bond knew exactly what was happening at all times. It definitely would have been nice to see him have to make a tough decision or to miss something big that would lead to a tragedy, just to keep things interesting. That being said, on a first read through when you know none of the secrets or what is to come, Carte Blanche is a fantastic Bond adventure, one that I argue is the best since From Russia in Love. Not much to return to, though. Have to forget about it before I give it another go. In any event, I love it.

[Dustin]

I guess this is to say that writing good Bond is very hard. I've tried and I've read several efforts on CB.net by others. Unlike Faulks I believe Deaver put effort into trying to make it good and I appreciate that. If it was fan fiction I'd give it a very good review. As the official continuation novel, you sort of expect a bit better. I'd be interested in what others who tried to write Bond think.

I did try to write Bond (and if one of these days I get drunk enough to drop every last bit of self-respect I may even throw the result at the CBn people; alas, I'm not yet gone so far) and I agree, it's not easy to write good Bond. It takes lots of effort and dedication as well as the right set of ingredients and chances are the outcome will always satisfy only part of the readers, no matter how much of a fan one happens to be or how many classic elements one uses. So I guess Lee Child is at least partially right that a Bond continuation is in the end a thankless task.

That said I still feel Carte Blanche could - and should - have been somewhat bolder. I already gave my thoughts - random as they were - about what I noted during reading, so I won't go into these again. But after reflecting on this latest official Bond story for some time now I still see numerous edges and missed opportunities that I feel should have been worked over or addressed in some way. For example, why has a rebooted Bond, born in the eighties, practically no link to any form of music whatsoever? Even the most unmusical, tone-deaf characters of my generation - twenty years older - do have some kind of a music taste; for many it's even quite an important element in life, regardless if that be AC/DC or Jamie Cullum.

Instead we get an endless list of references that are intended to give us an idea of Bond's suave and sophisticated flair, his chiefly expensive tastes (ofttimes mistaking one for the other) and his general character, but all those mainly serve to depict an insufferably dull, aged-before-his-time bore who confused the ads in GQ with real life (let alone the articles!). Sorry, but at no time do I get the feeling of reading about a younger character than I am myself, and I'm a fairly old geezer compared to Deaver's Bond. A reference to some of Bond's musical preferences would go a long way to help securing Bond's place in the modern world. Alas, all we are allowed to learn is that he's got a Bose sound system he seldom listens to (and what would a Bose sound system have to say that Bond would want to listen to?) I suspect the Kindle version offers the link to Bose's website and an authorised dealer near me, would I be inclined to read CB on it. That screams 'expensive' at the top of its lungs, but the result is vulgar rather than posh and refined. And does nothing to make me believe in this Bond as a modern character.

As it is I really feel Carte Blanche would have worked better if it had just been written as a regular continuation of the Gardner canon. Cut the reboot element (not really that elaborated and mostly unnecessary for the plot) and go with a generic Bond adventure and at least that annoyance is out of the way. It makes no difference if Bond is supposedly working for Microglobe One or Overseas Development Group and if he's in his 30's or 40's or 90's. Gardner's later Bond also provided the mould of the professional intelligence officer this later model seems so eager to fit into.

And frankly, when I die and my feckless spoilt brat of a son has nothing better to do than blow my life insurance for a Bentley I'm going to crawl from my grave and bang his sorry head so long against the bloody Volkswagen-for-hedge-funds-twerps until he knows the difference between style and what passes for it in Consumer-Tinsel-World. Of course, Bond must drive the Bentley, they are much too friendly to IFP's presentations in recent times. But let him earn the bloody thing himself, he's already a multimillionaire by the inherited estate in Chelsea. I'm afraid the attempt to explain away an outright ludicrous element resulted in a naffness that's even more grating. Leafing through CB right now to help my memory I find this part reads as if Bond had profited quite some from the death of his parents. Which he of course has. I'd rather they had been left well alone.

Edited by Dustin, 25 July 2011 - 07:46 PM.

[Jump James]

Finished it today. I liked it for the most part - I certainly liked it better than Devil May Care. And I would like to see Deaver do another one. But to me personally, it wasn't great.

What I liked:
The female characters. There was effort put in to make them real, or 3D, and I really appreciated that.
The new section, ODG, etc. I like it, it felt fresh. And if Deaver does continue, he's set up a nice bunch of characters to work with.
The pacing.
Bond. Call me 'not a true fan', but I like him better when he's not being a dick. So I liked how he handled his Bond girls and appreciated his 'insecurity' about his parents, among other things.
Interesting villain in Hydt (sadly he didn't get the ending I would have hoped for).
The part where I believed

Spoiler

Dunne was in love with Hydt (sadly not true).

What I really did not like:
This is my problem with this book. And I can't find the right word for it now... Darn. Faking? Back-pedalling? I'm talking about every time we were led to believe something happened that actually didn't happen at all, or happened differently. Particularly when something bad (and therefore interesting) happened to Bond, at the end of a chapter. At the beginning of the next chapter we would find out Bond had anticipated this all along and had come up with a plan to counter it. Now, this was clever for the first couple of times. But it just kept on happening, and I started to hate it. Luckily it didn't ruin the tension for me, but that was merely because I myself was so royally stupid I kept falling for it - because I wanted things to get bad (and therefore intereesting) for Bond. But come on... this was just... not fun anymore by the end.

3 out of 5 stars.

Have had some time to think about it and I agree with the above almost 100%, except for the last sentence. I thought it was a lot of fun, and I did thoroughly enjoy what I was reading for the duration. I enjoyed the minor character twists more than the plot twists, for I think that is where Deaver's true strength lies. I also feel a bit shortchanged that Bond knew exactly what was happening at all times. It definitely would have been nice to see him have to make a tough decision or to miss something big that would lead to a tragedy, just to keep things interesting. That being said, on a first read through when you know none of the secrets or what is to come, Carte Blanche is a fantastic Bond adventure, one that I argue is the best since From Russia in Love. Not much to return to, though. Have to forget about it before I give it another go. In any event, I love it.

You argue that it's the best since From Russia in Love?

[Santa]

I'd rather they had been left well alone.

Quite. The whole parent death subplot was one of my least favourite things about CB. I realise this is mostly just me and wouldn't suit everyone, but I like some darkness, some mystery. I don't like everything explained and I don't like any form of 'sensitive, in touch with his emotions' Bond. I hate CB's attempt to fill in some of the backstory and now I've read it, I can't unread it. I don't want to know, just as I don't like to watch any 'making of' type programmes because if I know how it's been faked, how can I believe it really happened when I watch it?
Bond has worked well for about 60 years without us needing to know more about his parents. Even Higson doing young Bond didn't cross any lines that made me feel uncomfortable. If it ain't broke, don't fix it...
I'm also not keen on any specific references that link the character to any particular time period. I realise all of the books have clues in them to their era, but CB uses actual dates. As someone who subscribes to the 'floating timeline' theory, again I don't want to know.

[Matt_13]

Finished it today. I liked it for the most part - I certainly liked it better than Devil May Care. And I would like to see Deaver do another one. But to me personally, it wasn't great.

What I liked:
The female characters. There was effort put in to make them real, or 3D, and I really appreciated that.
The new section, ODG, etc. I like it, it felt fresh. And if Deaver does continue, he's set up a nice bunch of characters to work with.
The pacing.
Bond. Call me 'not a true fan', but I like him better when he's not being a dick. So I liked how he handled his Bond girls and appreciated his 'insecurity' about his parents, among other things.
Interesting villain in Hydt (sadly he didn't get the ending I would have hoped for).
The part where I believed

Spoiler

Dunne was in love with Hydt (sadly not true).

What I really did not like:
This is my problem with this book. And I can't find the right word for it now... Darn. Faking? Back-pedalling? I'm talking about every time we were led to believe something happened that actually didn't happen at all, or happened differently. Particularly when something bad (and therefore interesting) happened to Bond, at the end of a chapter. At the beginning of the next chapter we would find out Bond had anticipated this all along and had come up with a plan to counter it. Now, this was clever for the first couple of times. But it just kept on happening, and I started to hate it. Luckily it didn't ruin the tension for me, but that was merely because I myself was so royally stupid I kept falling for it - because I wanted things to get bad (and therefore intereesting) for Bond. But come on... this was just... not fun anymore by the end.

3 out of 5 stars.

Have had some time to think about it and I agree with the above almost 100%, except for the last sentence. I thought it was a lot of fun, and I did thoroughly enjoy what I was reading for the duration. I enjoyed the minor character twists more than the plot twists, for I think that is where Deaver's true strength lies. I also feel a bit shortchanged that Bond knew exactly what was happening at all times. It definitely would have been nice to see him have to make a tough decision or to miss something big that would lead to a tragedy, just to keep things interesting. That being said, on a first read through when you know none of the secrets or what is to come, Carte Blanche is a fantastic Bond adventure, one that I argue is the best since From Russia in Love. Not much to return to, though. Have to forget about it before I give it another go. In any event, I love it.

You argue that it's the best since From Russia in Love?

I guess that's poor phrasing on my part. It has been the literary adventure I have enjoyed most since From Russia with Love. I can only defend my own tastes.

[Dustin]

Where I feel CB is really missing the mark is the supposed reboot that does not really change anything that couldn't have been used in a regular continuation. Not even the age was touched, Bond was always supposed to be in his 30's. So why bother then? Why at all? Just to have an excuse to give Bond a Harry Potter backstory and make it seem as if he came from a whole dynasty of spies?

I can see no real gain there and doubt further books will be able to make me see it.

[Jump James]

Finished it today. I liked it for the most part - I certainly liked it better than Devil May Care. And I would like to see Deaver do another one. But to me personally, it wasn't great.

What I liked:
The female characters. There was effort put in to make them real, or 3D, and I really appreciated that.
The new section, ODG, etc. I like it, it felt fresh. And if Deaver does continue, he's set up a nice bunch of characters to work with.
The pacing.
Bond. Call me 'not a true fan', but I like him better when he's not being a dick. So I liked how he handled his Bond girls and appreciated his 'insecurity' about his parents, among other things.
Interesting villain in Hydt (sadly he didn't get the ending I would have hoped for).
The part where I believed

Spoiler

Dunne was in love with Hydt (sadly not true).

What I really did not like:
This is my problem with this book. And I can't find the right word for it now... Darn. Faking? Back-pedalling? I'm talking about every time we were led to believe something happened that actually didn't happen at all, or happened differently. Particularly when something bad (and therefore interesting) happened to Bond, at the end of a chapter. At the beginning of the next chapter we would find out Bond had anticipated this all along and had come up with a plan to counter it. Now, this was clever for the first couple of times. But it just kept on happening, and I started to hate it. Luckily it didn't ruin the tension for me, but that was merely because I myself was so royally stupid I kept falling for it - because I wanted things to get bad (and therefore intereesting) for Bond. But come on... this was just... not fun anymore by the end.

3 out of 5 stars.

Have had some time to think about it and I agree with the above almost 100%, except for the last sentence. I thought it was a lot of fun, and I did thoroughly enjoy what I was reading for the duration. I enjoyed the minor character twists more than the plot twists, for I think that is where Deaver's true strength lies. I also feel a bit shortchanged that Bond knew exactly what was happening at all times. It definitely would have been nice to see him have to make a tough decision or to miss something big that would lead to a tragedy, just to keep things interesting. That being said, on a first read through when you know none of the secrets or what is to come, Carte Blanche is a fantastic Bond adventure, one that I argue is the best since From Russia in Love. Not much to return to, though. Have to forget about it before I give it another go. In any event, I love it.

You argue that it's the best since From Russia in Love?

I guess that's poor phrasing on my part. It has been the literary adventure I have enjoyed most since From Russia with Love. I can only defend my own tastes.

Suprised to read that even more so if you read the rest of Flemings work. But as you say each to their own.

[Loomis]

I did try to write Bond (and if one of these days I get drunk enough to drop every last bit of self-respect I may even throw the result at the CBn people; alas, I'm not yet gone so far)

Please do. I've a feeling it'd be pretty good stuff.

But after reflecting on this latest official Bond story for some time now I still see numerous edges and missed opportunities that I feel should have been worked over or addressed in some way. For example, why has a rebooted Bond, born in the eighties, practically no link to any form of music whatsoever? Even the most unmusical, tone-deaf characters of my generation - twenty years older - do have some kind of a music taste; for many it's even quite an important element in life, regardless if that be AC/DC or Jamie Cullum.

Well, Depeche Mode are mentioned (astoundingly - when were they last "hip" or indeed in any way relevant to the world of music? You'd have to go back a good twenty years or more, surely?), but I must admit that I'd have cringed (even more) if I'd read that "Bond had always loved Radiohead", or "Bond's CD collection was small but cherished - his most recent purchase was Amy Winehouse's latest album" - I really don't want or need to know about Bond's musical (or cinematic, or televisual, or whatever) tastes. As well as an instantly-dating element, it feels somehow---- well, wrong, for an icon like Bond (albeit that he doesn't know he's an icon) to be a fan of anything.

Besides, he should inhabit an exotic, mysterious and aspirational universe of luxury and snobbery and classiness in which our own real life celebs don't really belong. It breaks the fourth wall a bit, if that's the correct expression. I mean, would Bond watch DIE HARD on DVD, and if so would he enjoy it or would he think John McClane a wimp and Hans Gruber's scheme hopelessly small-time? Just to pose this question yanks us out of the "Bondverse", dontcha agree? So while I enjoyed the namechecking of the Coen Brothers and David Lynch in NEVER DREAM OF DYING (although a terrorist threat to the Cannes Festival made it appropriate enough to mention them), I found Deaver's apparently compulsive and uncontrollable namedropping of everyone and everything from Depeche Mode to Harry sodding Potter to be distracting and irritating.

I'd rather they had been left well alone.

Quite. The whole parent death subplot was one of my least favourite things about CB. I realise this is mostly just me and wouldn't suit everyone, but I like some darkness, some mystery. I don't like everything explained and I don't like any form of 'sensitive, in touch with his emotions' Bond. I hate CB's attempt to fill in some of the backstory and now I've read it, I can't unread it. I don't want to know, just as I don't like to watch any 'making of' type programmes because if I know how it's been faked, how can I believe it really happened when I watch it?
Bond has worked well for about 60 years without us needing to know more about his parents. Even Higson doing young Bond didn't cross any lines that made me feel uncomfortable. If it ain't broke, don't fix it...
I'm also not keen on any specific references that link the character to any particular time period. I realise all of the books have clues in them to their era, but CB uses actual dates. As someone who subscribes to the 'floating timeline' theory, again I don't want to know.

Well said, Santa. I also detected the dead hand of numbingly predictable political correctness in the twist that it wasn't Bond's father who was the spy but his mother.

[Matt_13]

Suprised to read that even more so if you read the rest of Flemings work. But as you say each to their own.

I have, and FRWL is my favorite of Fleming's work (excluding his short stories, From a View to a Kill and Quantum of Solace are quite good in their own right). I think the twin killing of OHMSS and YOLT definitely represents some of his best work, but that doesn't make them my favorites. Kind of confusing I know.

[Dustin]

But after reflecting on this latest official Bond story for some time now I still see numerous edges and missed opportunities that I feel should have been worked over or addressed in some way. For example, why has a rebooted Bond, born in the eighties, practically no link to any form of music whatsoever? Even the most unmusical, tone-deaf characters of my generation - twenty years older - do have some kind of a music taste; for many it's even quite an important element in life, regardless if that be AC/DC or Jamie Cullum.

Well, Depeche Mode are mentioned (astoundingly - when were they last "hip" or indeed in any way relevant to the world of music? You'd have to go back a good twenty years or more, surely?), but I must admit that I'd have cringed (even more) if I'd read that "Bond had always loved Radiohead", or "Bond's CD collection was small but cherished - his most recent purchase was Amy Winehouse's latest album" - I really don't want or need to know about Bond's musical (or cinematic, or televisual, or whatever) tastes. As well as an instantly-dating element, it feels somehow---- well, wrong, for an icon like Bond (albeit that he doesn't know he's an icon) to be a fan of anything.


Besides, he should inhabit an exotic, mysterious and aspirational universe of luxury and snobbery and classiness in which our own real life celebs don't really belong. It breaks the fourth wall a bit, if that's the correct expression. I mean, would Bond watch DIE HARD on DVD, and if so would he enjoy it or would he think John McClane a wimp and Hans Gruber's scheme hopelessly small-time? Just to pose this question yanks us out of the "Bondverse", dontcha agree? So while I enjoyed the namechecking of the Coen Brothers and David Lynch in NEVER DREAM OF DYING (although a terrorist threat to the Cannes Festival made it appropriate enough to mention them), I found Deaver's apparently compulsive and uncontrollable namedropping of everyone and everything from Depeche Mode to Harry sodding Potter to be distracting and irritating.

I have completely forgotten about Depeche Mode already.

Well, I agree that it is indeed a difficult topic. My problem is not so much the absence of any concrete artist or music style, that was probably kept out exactly to avoid readers exclaiming 'What?!? He listens to that rubbish?!?' I just can't believe in a character who is supposedly so young, yet doesn't reflect how music has become a vital part of society we can (and in many cases do) enjoy nearly round the clock. It is a blank that I feel doesn't go with the premise of the rebooted Bond.

That's not to say Bond should feature overly mainstream or avant-garde preferences, just that I think the Bose sound system should be more than just props of a literary franchise. I still remember that Moonraker book I once read that gave Bond's fictional MI6 file, claiming his hobbys were sailing, golf and listening to a small collection of classic and jazz records. That I could indeed see Bond - both the film and book version - do in his spare time. It would not have to be a specific artist - or even the bloody Bose toy - I could as well live with Bond spending the odd evening at Ronnie Scott's or The Vortex. His preferences needn't be topical or mainstream. I wouldn't even want too much detail given there, I just want to feel that he has preferences (instead of just buying his equipment because that's the rave with the in-crowd he hangs around.)

I remember the topic was even touched by Modesty Blaise at different times. At one time there is Bert Kampfert's
'A Swingin' Safari' playing in her penthouse; at another occasion Willie or Modesty, I forget who, wants the other to listen to a new Frank Zappa record. It is a most uncommon detail, yet it didn't blow the entire Modesty-verse. But then Modesty Blaise is a series full of the most uncommon curio and incorporated such elements always with panache. Bond would probably have to tread lightly there.

I'd rather they had been left well alone.

Quite. The whole parent death subplot was one of my least favourite things about CB. I realise this is mostly just me and wouldn't suit everyone, but I like some darkness, some mystery. I don't like everything explained and I don't like any form of 'sensitive, in touch with his emotions' Bond. I hate CB's attempt to fill in some of the backstory and now I've read it, I can't unread it. I don't want to know, just as I don't like to watch any 'making of' type programmes because if I know how it's been faked, how can I believe it really happened when I watch it?
Bond has worked well for about 60 years without us needing to know more about his parents. Even Higson doing young Bond didn't cross any lines that made me feel uncomfortable. If it ain't broke, don't fix it...
I'm also not keen on any specific references that link the character to any particular time period. I realise all of the books have clues in them to their era, but CB uses actual dates. As someone who subscribes to the 'floating timeline' theory, again I don't want to know.

Well said, Santa. I also detected the dead hand of numbingly predictable political correctness in the twist that it wasn't Bond's father who was the spy but his mother.

I think that was more a case of let's-have-one-more-twist, just for the sake of it. It's not even a particularly original idea, the spy father using the kid as cover; I already read that one in George Jonas's book about the Mossad operation against the Munich attackers (on which Spielberg's Munich was based) before. Making the mother the spy adds another layer of deception and avoids comparison here. Another seen-before element is Bond sitting amid the furniture of his dead parents, where he hasn't replaced anything, just added a few pieces. The Swedish super agent Hamilton ( a series by Jan Guillou) in one of his books is sitting in the English-classic-Sherlock-Holmes style flat in Stockholm and reflects how he hasn't changed a bit since his father died and he inherited the stuff. The thing is, with Hamilton it seemed fitting while with this new Bond it's terribly Potterish, to say the least.

[Santa]

But after reflecting on this latest official Bond story for some time now I still see numerous edges and missed opportunities that I feel should have been worked over or addressed in some way. For example, why has a rebooted Bond, born in the eighties, practically no link to any form of music whatsoever? Even the most unmusical, tone-deaf characters of my generation - twenty years older - do have some kind of a music taste; for many it's even quite an important element in life, regardless if that be AC/DC or Jamie Cullum.

Well, Depeche Mode are mentioned (astoundingly - when were they last "hip" or indeed in any way relevant to the world of music? You'd have to go back a good twenty years or more, surely?), but I must admit that I'd have cringed (even more) if I'd read that "Bond had always loved Radiohead", or "Bond's CD collection was small but cherished - his most recent purchase was Amy Winehouse's latest album" - I really don't want or need to know about Bond's musical (or cinematic, or televisual, or whatever) tastes. As well as an instantly-dating element, it feels somehow---- well, wrong, for an icon like Bond (albeit that he doesn't know he's an icon) to be a fan of anything.


Besides, he should inhabit an exotic, mysterious and aspirational universe of luxury and snobbery and classiness in which our own real life celebs don't really belong. It breaks the fourth wall a bit, if that's the correct expression. I mean, would Bond watch DIE HARD on DVD, and if so would he enjoy it or would he think John McClane a wimp and Hans Gruber's scheme hopelessly small-time? Just to pose this question yanks us out of the "Bondverse", dontcha agree? So while I enjoyed the namechecking of the Coen Brothers and David Lynch in NEVER DREAM OF DYING (although a terrorist threat to the Cannes Festival made it appropriate enough to mention them), I found Deaver's apparently compulsive and uncontrollable namedropping of everyone and everything from Depeche Mode to Harry sodding Potter to be distracting and irritating.

I have completely forgotten about Depeche Mode already.

Well, I agree that it is indeed a difficult topic. My problem is not so much the absence of any concrete artist or music style, that was probably kept out exactly to avoid readers exclaiming 'What?!? He listens to that rubbish?!?' I just can't believe in a character who is supposedly so young, yet doesn't reflect how music has become a vital part of society we can (and in many cases do) enjoy nearly round the clock. It is a blank that I feel doesn't go with the premise of the rebooted Bond.

I can´t remember the exact details of the Depeche Mode thing (frankly the book didn´t hold my attention enough for that), but wasn´t it saying his father saw Depeche Mode (and a couple of others) in concert? Something about it didn´t seem right, timeline-wise. Depeche Mode seemed a bit late, I vaguely remember thinking it should have been something from about 10 years earlier than Depeche Mode for his father.

I think that was more a case of let's-have-one-more-twist, just for the sake of it.

I´d say so, it´s very Deaver. It´s like a stuffed crust on a pizza - unnecessarily (and unpleasantly) filling and nutritionally defunct. I don´t like it. Pout.

[Jim]

Harry PotterJames Bond and the Deadly Carteblanche

It was a still summer’s morning in Privet Drive the Chelsea mews, the sort of morning good for shopping at one of the big names that instantly place our hero in the Muggle world a tangible real world no matter how fantastically stupid this is about to get, like TJ Hughes or Woolworths or Virgin Megastore or, oh I dunno, Bejam, will that do? I've been to Englandshire, me. Eat my England, bitch.

Harry Potter James Bond was in the bathroom contemplating the scar on his forehead down his right cheek and wondering when he might grow a character rather than just be a fixed point of dullitude around which contrived escapades magically magically happen. Harry Potter James Bond was nice and as he brushed his dark hair he wondered why Dumbledore M always shoved him into danger as if the old man got some sort of sick thrill out of it. Being part of Dumbledore’s Army the 00 Section sometimes was extremely trying for this fifteen thirty year-old! That, and the strange message the previous day from the Ministry of Magic Defence and Relentless Un-magic had kept Harry James awake most of the night; that and the recent onset of puberty escape from puberty anyway. That business about fighting trolls in Romania stopping train crashes in Serbia had mightily got on his wick, although he was generally and inexplicably mild mannered for a child-demon drunken murderer.

There was a sudden strange sound. Harry James turned away from the mirror and stared at the magical envelope about to announce its message i-Phone thing with its tinkly ringtone. He reached for it and tapped it once with his wand to release the message pressed the app thing that did an app thing voicemail-like interface paradigm thing on an app, is app really a word? I despair.

“Harry Potter James Bond” said the message. “You are summoned immediately to the Headmaster’s study M’s office, where your life will be imperilled once more because it’s the increasingly overintricate and totally out-of-control plot the publisher demands it ‘cause the last one was a bit poor.” Harry James sighed. What next? All these mysterious summonses were interfering with his own investigation into how his parents had died in mysterious and sinister circumstances and had left him a millionaire orphan with all that money in Gringott’s Royal Bank of Scotland, the sinister bank run by miserable, vicious goblins.

Half an hour later, Harry James stood in front of Dumbledore M and waited as the old man filled his pipe, no euphemism intended although it is a good one and probably reveals the truth about the relationship, frankly. “Harry James,” started the old man, and Harry James knew it to be a bad sign when he was addressed by his first name; it usually meant dragons Russians. “We have a particularly serious problem and I want your help. That mysterious signal from the Ministry last night was all about Severus Snape Hydt and a suggestion that he’s probably a Death Eater Fancier. I want you to place yourself in mortal peril because it amuses me; now go away before I break my record of only telling you half the truth of any given situation.”

Outside the study office Harry James bumped into Professor Maggie Smith Miss Moneypenny the pinch-faced but kindly old bag who always hung around Dumbledore M in the crazed belief that he would look twice at any woman. She and Harry James shared a mutually cautious flirtatious relationship although both knew that they had to keep each other at a distance because he was powerful enough to kill her and he was a scarred and abused automaton psychopath with a big wand willy.

“Careful now,” she said as she pushed him away pulled him closer, “you’ll injure impregnate someone if you bump into them like that! What’s the hurry, anyway?”

“Secret mission for Dumbledore M,” muttered Harry James under his breath. “I can’t tell anyone about it under any circumstances unless you’d like to know really come around to mine and watch Top Gear.”

Professor McThingyaggall Miss Moneypenny arched her eyebrows at the pointless secrecy and terrible writing that crunched its way along. “Very well, Harry James; on your way but do be careful. And make sure you don’t stick that wand willy of yours anywhere that it’s not wanted!” Harry James was confused at this final remark, given that he was not intending to utterly asexual and boring.

Deep in the cellar basement of Hogwarts Castle some building near Regent’s Park from can’t-be-bothered-to-check memory, Harry James wandered through the chamber office of his friend Professor Deadmeat Q, the tutor of Mysterious Objects the last name to check off to convince you that you’re reading James Bond even if it doesn’t quite feel like it. Professor Deadmeat Q was tinkering with a very unsafe looking cauldron WMD and whacking it several times with his wand mallet, again not a euphemism but a pleasing one if accidentally so.

“You might want to stop that, Professor! Q!,” shouted Harry James, like the overearnest well-scrubbed little creeper that he was. “That’s Fidgepoddle weapons grade uranium and if it blows up, it’ll destroy every single Muggle outlet of Superdrug in the country!”

Professor Deadmeat Q smiled at Harry James. “Yes, I know!,” he said, smiling. “That’s why it must be kept under strict lock and key and not brought out thirty pages before the end as some sort of incredibly poorly signposted twist. Come over here,” he beckoned Harry James with his wand mallet, and walked to a big oak table really groovy iPad style desktop thingy still won’t take pdfs rubbish. On it was a bottle of polyjuice potion set of clothes and a nasty watch. “To get close to Severus Snape Hydt, you need to change your appearance. Drink this Put these on.”

Harry James did as he was told and suddenly he was transformed into a Slytherin vicious South African thug with a totally convincing scarf accent and an extremely glittery and rampagingly vulgar product-placed timeturner watch. “There!” said Deadmeat Q, “perfect!”

“But I don’t understand,” said Harry James, “why am I doing this?”

“You’ll find out in thirty chapters’ time when the first of multiple twists starts kicking in,” grumbled Deadmeat Q, miffed that he was stuck in this cellar included in the narrative just for the hell of it. “It may be something to do with an attack on Hogwarts a university in Bradford or somewhere no-one in their right mind would ever attend. But then, maybe not…,” he added mysteriously. “And I’ve got one final thing you’ll need.” He pulled from his cloak a Morrison’s bag a broomstick set of car keys. “Keeping in with your cover as someone utterly vile, this is a lovely new Subaroom. Look after it!”

Harry James caught the first Buckbeak Jumbo to Dubai where he met up with his comically useless friend Ron Felix with whom he always enjoyed a glass of butterbeer absurdly insipid white wine and who was always getting into pathetic scrapes usually imperilling his hair legs. But no matter how idiotic and by-the-numbers his frequent and plotless meetings up with Ron Felix were, Harry James was always thinking about the death of his parents at the hands of He Who Could Not Be Named They Who Are Yet To Be Made Up. How he longed for revenge but how wise the advice of Dumbledore M that seeking revenge at this stage in the plot was bound to be detrimental to his mortal soul too early in the ostensible non-character arc.

Harry James enjoyed flying around Dubai on in his Subaroom but largely achieved nothing and then suddenly apparated caught a flight to Cape Town, got to keep the pace up even if it is utter bilge, where he made contact with Severus Snape Hydt, who admired his wand watch because he too was a Slytherin knew rubbish when he saw it, which appears to be the plot. Harry James wondered how long his disguise would last and whether Severus Snape Hydt, who was a bit lank and dirty and doubtless misunderstood, would work out who he was. But, try as he might, he didn’t, even when forcing Harry James to point his wand gun at a defenceless Muggle bloke and shout Abracadabra or whatever it was shoot him in the nose. Amazing things happened for no apparent reason and I get away with it because it’s set in a fictional world full of wizards branches of Boots.

In the exhaustingly underwhelming climax, Harry James exposed the villain due to a clever trick with his cloak of invisibility coat, when Harry James magically appeared in the last place the villain thought he would. Killing the double-crossing female villain, Harry James exclaimed "the witch bitch is dead now". He then proceeded to enter into a platonic relationship with the brilliant but often extremely angry and petulant Hermoine policelady because he’s Harry Potter James Bond and hasn’t got time for girls the frigid.

Harry Potter James Bond will return when someone is in danger wants more money out of us Muggles.

[SecretAgentFan]

[Dustin]

Splendid stuff, worthy of seven follow-ups and at least 14 adaptions, all filmed back-to-back with an enormous Marble Arch character arc in mind. First sequel will be set on the moon (Brixton will stand in for that on the screen) and concern a plot to turn all Earth's werewolves into rubbish, thereby revealing that M is one of them.

Edited by Dustin, 02 August 2011 - 12:34 PM.

[George88]

Harry PotterJames Bond and the Deadly Carteblanche

It was a still summer’s morning in Privet Drive the Chelsea mews, the sort of morning good for shopping at one of the big names that instantly place our hero in the Muggle world a tangible real world no matter how fantastically stupid this is about to get, like TJ Hughes or Woolworths or Virgin Megastore or, oh I dunno, Bejam, will that do? I've been to Englandshire, me. Eat my England, bitch.

Harry Potter James Bond was in the bathroom contemplating the scar on his forehead down his right cheek and wondering when he might grow a character rather than just be a fixed point of dullitude around which contrived escapades magically magically happen. Harry Potter James Bond was nice and as he brushed his dark hair he wondered why Dumbledore M always shoved him into danger as if the old man got some sort of sick thrill out of it. Being part of Dumbledore’s Army the 00 Section sometimes was extremely trying for this fifteen thirty year-old! That, and the strange message the previous day from the Ministry of Magic Defence and Relentless Un-magic had kept Harry James awake most of the night; that and the recent onset of puberty escape from puberty anyway. That business about fighting trolls in Romania stopping train crashes in Serbia had mightily got on his wick, although he was generally and inexplicably mild mannered for a child-demon drunken murderer.

There was a sudden strange sound. Harry James turned away from the mirror and stared at the magical envelope about to announce its message i-Phone thing with its tinkly ringtone. He reached for it and tapped it once with his wand to release the message pressed the app thing that did an app thing voicemail-like interface paradigm thing on an app, is app really a word? I despair.

“Harry Potter James Bond” said the message. “You are summoned immediately to the Headmaster’s study M’s office, where your life will be imperilled once more because it’s the increasingly overintricate and totally out-of-control plot the publisher demands it ‘cause the last one was a bit poor.” Harry James sighed. What next? All these mysterious summonses were interfering with his own investigation into how his parents had died in mysterious and sinister circumstances and had left him a millionaire orphan with all that money in Gringott’s Royal Bank of Scotland, the sinister bank run by miserable, vicious goblins.

Half an hour later, Harry James stood in front of Dumbledore M and waited as the old man filled his pipe, no euphemism intended although it is a good one and probably reveals the truth about the relationship, frankly. “Harry James,” started the old man, and Harry James knew it to be a bad sign when he was addressed by his first name; it usually meant dragons Russians. “We have a particularly serious problem and I want your help. That mysterious signal from the Ministry last night was all about Severus Snape Hydt and a suggestion that he’s probably a Death Eater Fancier. I want you to place yourself in mortal peril because it amuses me; now go away before I break my record of only telling you half the truth of any given situation.”

Outside the study office Harry James bumped into Professor Maggie Smith Miss Moneypenny the pinch-faced but kindly old bag who always hung around Dumbledore M in the crazed belief that he would look twice at any woman. She and Harry James shared a mutually cautious flirtatious relationship although both knew that they had to keep each other at a distance because he was powerful enough to kill her and he was a scarred and abused automaton psychopath with a big wand willy.

“Careful now,” she said as she pushed him away pulled him closer, “you’ll injure impregnate someone if you bump into them like that! What’s the hurry, anyway?”

“Secret mission for Dumbledore M,” muttered Harry James under his breath. “I can’t tell anyone about it under any circumstances unless you’d like to know really come around to mine and watch Top Gear.”

Professor McThingyaggall Miss Moneypenny arched her eyebrows at the pointless secrecy and terrible writing that crunched its way along. “Very well, Harry James; on your way but do be careful. And make sure you don’t stick that wand willy of yours anywhere that it’s not wanted!” Harry James was confused at this final remark, given that he was not intending to utterly asexual and boring.

Deep in the cellar basement of Hogwarts Castle some building near Regent’s Park from can’t-be-bothered-to-check memory, Harry James wandered through the chamber office of his friend Professor Deadmeat Q, the tutor of Mysterious Objects the last name to check off to convince you that you’re reading James Bond even if it doesn’t quite feel like it. Professor Deadmeat Q was tinkering with a very unsafe looking cauldron WMD and whacking it several times with his wand mallet, again not a euphemism but a pleasing one if accidentally so.

“You might want to stop that, Professor! Q!,” shouted Harry James, like the overearnest well-scrubbed little creeper that he was. “That’s Fidgepoddle weapons grade uranium and if it blows up, it’ll destroy every single Muggle outlet of Superdrug in the country!”

Professor Deadmeat Q smiled at Harry James. “Yes, I know!,” he said, smiling. “That’s why it must be kept under strict lock and key and not brought out thirty pages before the end as some sort of incredibly poorly signposted twist. Come over here,” he beckoned Harry James with his wand mallet, and walked to a big oak table really groovy iPad style desktop thingy still won’t take pdfs rubbish. On it was a bottle of polyjuice potion set of clothes and a nasty watch. “To get close to Severus Snape Hydt, you need to change your appearance. Drink this Put these on.”

Harry James did as he was told and suddenly he was transformed into a Slytherin vicious South African thug with a totally convincing scarf accent and an extremely glittery and rampagingly vulgar product-placed timeturner watch. “There!” said Deadmeat Q, “perfect!”

“But I don’t understand,” said Harry James, “why am I doing this?”

“You’ll find out in thirty chapters’ time when the first of multiple twists starts kicking in,” grumbled Deadmeat Q, miffed that he was stuck in this cellar included in the narrative just for the hell of it. “It may be something to do with an attack on Hogwarts a university in Bradford or somewhere no-one in their right mind would ever attend. But then, maybe not…,” he added mysteriously. “And I’ve got one final thing you’ll need.” He pulled from his cloak a Morrison’s bag a broomstick set of car keys. “Keeping in with your cover as someone utterly vile, this is a lovely new Subaroom. Look after it!”

Harry James caught the first Buckbeak Jumbo to Dubai where he met up with his comically useless friend Ron Felix with whom he always enjoyed a glass of butterbeer absurdly insipid white wine and who was always getting into pathetic scrapes usually imperilling his hair legs. But no matter how idiotic and by-the-numbers his frequent and plotless meetings up with Ron Felix were, Harry James was always thinking about the death of his parents at the hands of He Who Could Not Be Named They Who Are Yet To Be Made Up. How he longed for revenge but how wise the advice of Dumbledore M that seeking revenge at this stage in the plot was bound to be detrimental to his mortal soul too early in the ostensible non-character arc.

Harry James enjoyed flying around Dubai on in his Subaroom but largely achieved nothing and then suddenly apparated caught a flight to Cape Town, got to keep the pace up even if it is utter bilge, where he made contact with Severus Snape Hydt, who admired his wand watch because he too was a Slytherin knew rubbish when he saw it, which appears to be the plot. Harry James wondered how long his disguise would last and whether Severus Snape Hydt, who was a bit lank and dirty and doubtless misunderstood, would work out who he was. But, try as he might, he didn’t, even when forcing Harry James to point his wand gun at a defenceless Muggle bloke and shout Abracadabra or whatever it was shoot him in the nose. Amazing things happened for no apparent reason and I get away with it because it’s set in a fictional world full of wizards branches of Boots.

In the exhaustingly underwhelming climax, Harry James exposed the villain due to a clever trick with his cloak of invisibility coat, when Harry James magically appeared in the last place the villain thought he would. Killing the double-crossing female villain, Harry James exclaimed "the witch bitch is dead now". He then proceeded to enter into a platonic relationship with the brilliant but often extremely angry and petulant Hermoine policelady because he’s Harry Potter James Bond and hasn’t got time for girls the frigid.

Harry Potter James Bond will return when someone is in danger wants more money out of us Muggles.

Hahahaha.

Funny, but disturbingly on the nose.

[TCK]

I've finised Carte Blanche this morning. I think it's a great novel, very interesting and fascinating, but some flaws remain to me.

I'll write my complete review this afternoon and try to post it tonight.