Scorpia Rising (Alex Rider #9)

Mar 23, 2012 Jonathan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own, favourite-series, thriller, favourites

In my opinion Scorpia Rising may be the best novel in a long and excellent series. The gadgetry has always been well thought out, the twists and the suspense is brilliant and the emotional aspects of the series is astounding. To convincingly portray how a teenage kid abused by so many people into becoming a hardened weapon is emotionally affected is superb.

When I read it earlier this year I was blown away. For me coming to the end of a series I have appreciated is always gut wrenching to a degre...more

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Oct 29, 2011 Johnp rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

I knew I was in trouble when the book cover announced that this was “The Final Mission”..! This book was very different from all the others in the series. For starters, the plot had a LOT of background and setup that went on. We don’t even SEE Alex Rider until the book is HALF over. I think that was too long to wait.

Basically, Scorpia is trying to show themselves as a force to be reckoned with, so they hatch a plan to not only pull off a major league crime, but pin it on Alex. There were flashe...more

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Sep 14, 2010 Mikaela marked it as to-read

Shelves: hyped-up-books, top-of-to-read

I just can't wait to see how it ends! I feel as though I've been reading this series forever!

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May 14, 2011 Clare Cannon rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 13-15yrs, young-adult

It’s finally here: the last Alex Rider. An author faces a lot of pressure writing the last book of a popular series. And up to now, Horowitz has done well to tell the same story in so many different ways.

What impressed me with this series was that woven in between all the killing and running was interesting information about world issues that would otherwise be relegated to the realm of adults: refugees and the criminals who exploit them; medical research and the noble and corrupt interests that...more

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Aug 18, 2012 Sarah Chang rated it 4 of 5 stars

There's a difference between a good book and a good series. With Alex Rider, I loved all the books so much but I loved them as individuals. As a whole series, I think it could have improved. When I read the last book in a series, I always expect a big finale. With most series there's a common threat or antagonist throughout all the books. So when the big battle does happen and the series concludes, it has more meaning. In Alex Rider the most reoccurring bad guys were Scorpia, so it makes sense t...more

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Feb 28, 2012 Rachel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Based on what i read on Horowitz blog this book sounds like its going to be alot better than that horrible Crocidile tears. i hated that book, too predictable.

I can't wait to read this though because the best organization Scorpia is Back!!!! Someone from all the books are going to die, i bet its going to be Jack.

Well i'll edit this after i read it on my birthday (April 5th, the day it comes out!!!!) I'm so exited, thankfully The lost hero is coming out next week, can't wait for that book. More t...more

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Aug 09, 2011 Husnaa rated it 4 of 5 stars

I must say when I saw that this book, the final book, was out I got so excited :D and literally could not wait to read it!! And I read it in one day, that's how it pulled me in. Alex Rider is one of my favorite series, and to see it end is heartbreaking!!

This book had everything in it: Suspense, Mystery, Action, Heartache.

I'm happy that Alex finally has a happy ending.. Well maybe not a VERY happy ending :( but it was better than nothing.
This book really did shock me tho and it wasn't predictabl...more

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Apr 28, 2013 Emily Collins rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Suddenly, the series is over. Oh man. Suddenly. But the twist of Horowitz finally bringing back Julius like I knew he would okay I'm so happy about that. I was really hoping. We needed some reoccurring villainy. That being said, I also spent a few chapters thinking Razim was that guy from the Indian secret service from the last book. But he wasn't. Don't make the mistake I made!

(view spoiler)...more

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Apr 17, 2013 Shivani rated it 4 of 5 stars

A year has passed since Alex Rider joined M16. His life has finally returned back to normal – but the desire for revenge burning in one of his past enemies comes back to haunt him, thus luring him again into the world of spying and espionage.

Danger comes in the form of Scorpia, an organization dealing in Sabotage, Corruption, Intelligence and Assassination. Having encountered Alex twice during horrifying projects earlier, and having failed both times at the hands of a 14 year old Alex, Scorpia i...more A year has passed since Alex Rider joined M16. His life has finally returned back to normal – but the desire for revenge burning in one of his past enemies comes back to haunt him, thus luring him again into the world of spying and espionage.

Danger comes in the form of Scorpia, an organization dealing in Sabotage, Corruption, Intelligence and Assassination. Having encountered Alex twice during horrifying projects earlier, and having failed both times at the hands of a 14 year old Alex, Scorpia is hungry to regain their reputation and pride. A chance to reclaim their status as the best criminal organization in the world comes to them in the form of an assignment given to them by the dying Yannis Ariston Xenopolos who was the fourth richest man in world. As a final tribute to his countryGreece, Ariston wants to restore the famous Eligin Marbles which the British had stolen from the Greeks centuries ago. But with Scorpia in charge, a comparatively easy task like this becomes a twisted complex project, dealing with spying, lies, traps and death.

Abdul-Aziz al-Razimis put in charge of Scorpia’s mission. And Razim’s plan to return the Eligin Marbles back to Athens involve not just Alex Rider, but also a hidden ghost of his past – Julius Grief. Alex had encountered Julius Grief during his second M16 mission at Point Blanc, and it hadn’t been pretty. Hugo Grief, who was the head of the Point Blanc academy had cloned himself sixteen times in an attempt to take over the world by impersonating billionaires. With Alex being the cause of the death of his father, Julius Grief has many reasons to hate Alex – and he wants nothing short of an excruciatingly painful death for Alex.

What follows is Alex being sent to Cairo for protection against a sniper who tried taking a shot at Alex but failed. But like always, M16 makes use of this opportunity to send Alex to keep an eye on a school in Egyptwhere Scorpia has plans of targeting.

But what M16 and Alex find out is that everything was just a perfectly carried out trap. Scorpia had spun a web of lies and deceit for them in order to accomplish their task. And their plan worked just perfectly.

Alex doesn’t just fight for M16 in this compelling book. He fights for a loved one whom he eventually loses. He fights for survival – even though the chances are bleak and he finds himself with almost no reason to live. And he fights to save the British Parliament from humiliation beyond repair.

But how will it take its toll on Alex?(less)

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Mar 18, 2013 Andrew Ezio rated it 5 of 5 stars

In my opinion Scorpia Rising may be the best novel in a long and excellent series. The gadgetry has always been well thought out, the twists and the suspense is brilliant and the emotional aspects of the series is astounding. To convincingly portray how a teenage kid abused by so many people into becoming a hardened weapon is emotionally affected is superb.

When I read it earlier this year I was blown away. For me coming to the end of a series I have appreciated is always gut wrenching to a degre...more

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Jan 13, 2013 Bryan rated it 5 of 5 stars

I would recommend this book to those that like suspense, sci-fi, and action because this book is filled with all of that and more. The way that the author wrote this book made it so that when someone reads it, it feels as if you were dragged into this book and was in that part of the story yourself. You could see the flames as it spread across the field, you could hear the panting of Alex as he ran through the street trying to hide from the bad guys, and you could feel and taste the salt water a...more

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Jan 04, 2013 Audrey rated it 5 of 5 stars

I first read Stormbreaker, the first book in the Alex Rider series, a long time ago (actually, I read Point Blanc first. But that's another story) and as I picked up Scorpia Rising last Thursday I was deathly afraid that I was far too grown-up to enjoy it any more.

But of course, I needn't have worried. Alex Rider was not the same, and has never been the same in any of the nine novels that comprise the series. Despite Horowitz keeping the time frame strictly around Alex's fourteenth and fifteenth...more I first read Stormbreaker, the first book in the Alex Rider series, a long time ago (actually, I read Point Blanc first. But that's another story) and as I picked up Scorpia Rising last Thursday I was deathly afraid that I was far too grown-up to enjoy it any more.

But of course, I needn't have worried. Alex Rider was not the same, and has never been the same in any of the nine novels that comprise the series. Despite Horowitz keeping the time frame strictly around Alex's fourteenth and fifteenth birthdays, he has certainly experienced a lot more than any teenager. Emphasis is placed on the fact that the reluctant MI6 operative is no longer a boy, forced into manhood by the ruthless world that he is now irreversibly part of. I thought it was impossible, but Alex had more than grown up with me, he had grown past me into a larger-than-life figure that lingers in my mind as a memento of the books that held my attention for the past seven years. It ensures that I will never be too old for Alex Rider. The only thing I admire more about Horowitz's understanding of adolescent character development is his ability to keep up with the big issues of the world; the illegal organ business, people-smuggling, the ridiculous influence that rich people exercise over our world.

It's not different in Scorpia Rising. A rich and selfish businessman dreams of satifying a patriotic whim, at ridiculous expense, and employs Scorpia to carry out his wish. I did feel that Scorpia's chosen method of execution was a little out on a limb (you'll see what I mean when you read it) and seemed like, although their plan was sound enough, they were going very far out of their way to destroy the teenage spy who had twice foiled their organization. Whether or not this is deliberate on Scorpia's (Horowitz's) part is doubtful. I mean, why risk utter ruin by once again courting fate rather than focusing on completing their assignment in a simple and efficient manner? But then, I'm not a criminal organization who has been wrecked by the efforts of a teenager twice, so I guess I wouldn't know.

Looking back, I realize I've treated Alex Rider as a bit of an embarrassment, snuggled up half-forgotten against my Dan Browns and my Tolkiens, no longer appropriate for a maturing reader of my age. I now have no idea why I ever had such thoughts. Scorpia Rising sits proudly next to my Tom Clancys, just as much a modern spy novel as all the rest.
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Dec 05, 2012 Sharif Hamidi rated it 1 of 5 stars

I've been reading this series since I about eleven years old and I remember enjoying it a lot. I was excited to see that the author had written another one, and I was also sad it was going to end. Felt a lot like Harry Potter,except a little different. These books, I remembered, were a great series.
It is a little difficult to explain this book because it is the last in the series. You would have to read all of it to understand what is going on. This is what happens in the book: Alex Rider is a f...more I've been reading this series since I about eleven years old and I remember enjoying it a lot. I was excited to see that the author had written another one, and I was also sad it was going to end. Felt a lot like Harry Potter,except a little different. These books, I remembered, were a great series.
It is a little difficult to explain this book because it is the last in the series. You would have to read all of it to understand what is going on. This is what happens in the book: Alex Rider is a former teenage spy and he is just trying to live a normal life. Everything changes when he is suddenly forced back into the dangerous world of MI6. After almost being killed, they send him to Cairo, undercover. He is to find out what an evil organization named Scorpia is planning. Scorpia teamed up with a Middle Eastern man named Razim. Alex later discovers that there is a clone that is trying to kill him and an important government official. He manages to thwart all of their plans and only a few people are killed.I'll be honest, I didn't love this book, even though I devoured it in two nights. It has random events and the ending was not what I expected, it also wasn't satisfactory. I feel like Horowitz was running out of time so he threw together a quick ending. However, nothing was explained and the events just didn't work. For example, when Razim killed Jack; he just blew her up. That's it. Even though she was a somewhat main character? Get it together Horowitz! Also, at the end Sabina's father takes Alex with him and Alex acts like a wall. Now, I could understand this if he was sad but he didn't act like he was so depressed over Jack's murder. He was experiencing apathy more than depression. (Please don't hate me for using apathy). One other thing I didn't like was how Blunt set up the sniper for Alex, because I thought he was going to be a secret member of Scorpia but he wasn't. Two more things- It was so cheesy and unrealistic when Kurst had a sniper because he "knew" Kroll had the gun. Unrealistic, yes, but still enjoyable to read. And finally, Smithers had a fat suit the whole time. Actually, that was pretty awesome.
I'd also like to add that the opening scene wasn't bad but then it just got confusing about Ariston and the marbles. The author tried to make it seem like it was such an elaborate scheme but it just didn't work. It fell flat on its face. I feel the most disappointing part of this book is Horowitz's complete disrespect for the reader. Firstly, you have to get through about a quarter of the book before you even get to Alex. Then after Jack dies, you see that Horowitz makes you go through the entire book, and then you realize the level of mediocrity the plot has. In a way, Horowitz is insulting you, by assuming you have nothing better to do with your time. In honesty, the only thing that made me want to finish the book is to see the way Horowitz ended the series. The book itself wasn't good.

What a bad end to an almost legendary series.(less)

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Nov 17, 2012 Owen rated it 2 of 5 stars

SPOILER ALERT!!

I've been reading this series since I was very young and I remember enjoying it a lot. I was excited to see that the author had written another one, and I was also sad it was going to end. These books, I remembered, were a great series for boys and it was one of the first middle grade series I read.

It is a little difficult to explain this book because it is the last in the series. You would have to read the whole series to understand what it going on. I'll admit it, I don't remem...more SPOILER ALERT!!

I've been reading this series since I was very young and I remember enjoying it a lot. I was excited to see that the author had written another one, and I was also sad it was going to end. These books, I remembered, were a great series for boys and it was one of the first middle grade series I read.

It is a little difficult to explain this book because it is the last in the series. You would have to read the whole series to understand what it going on. I'll admit it, I don't remember some of the things because I read the prequel, Crocodile Tears, probably over a year ago. This is what happens in the book: Alex Rider is a former teenage spy and he is just trying to live a normal life. Everything changes when he is suddenly forced back into the dangerous world of M16. After almost being killed, they send him to Cairo, undercover. He is to find out what an evil organization named Scorpia is planning. Scorpia teamed up with a Middle Eastern man named Razim. Alex later discovers that there is a clone that is trying to kill him and an important government official. He manages to thwart all of their plans and only a few people are killed.

I'll be honest, I didn't particularly enjoy this book. It has random events and the ending was not what I expected, it also wasn't satisfactory. I feel like Horowitz was pressed for time so he threw together a quick ending. However, nothing was explained and the events just didn't work. For instance (this is actually toward the end of the middle), when Razim killed Jack- he just randomly blew her up even though she was a somewhat main character? Also, at the end Sabina's father takes Alex with him and Alex acts like a wall. Now, I could understand this if he was sad but he didn't act like he was so depressed over Jack's murder. One other thing I didn't like was how Blunt set up the sniper for Alex, because I thought he was going to be a secret member of Scorpia but he wasn't. Okay, two more things- It was so cheesy and unrealistic when Kurst had a sniper because he "knew" Kroll had the gun. And finally, Smithers had a fat suit the whole time. Really?

I'd also like to add that the opening scene wasn't bad but then it just got confusing about Ariston and the marbles. The author tried to make it seem like it was such an elaborate scheme but it just didn't work.

Sadly, this book made me question Horowitz's writing and I might need to go back to make sure he wasn't always like this. What a bad end to a great series.
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Oct 16, 2012 Elvis Perez rated it 5 of 5 stars

I think many things about this book.Alex Rider is a 15 year old teenager he is basically a spy that worked for m16 an organization Anti-terrorrisim he had being a spy afterwards he no longer wanted to risk his life and wanted to break apart his raltionship between m16 he only wanted to be an ordaniry school kid like others. One unexpected day when he went to a normal school-day he had being in math period when suddenly he dashed to throw himself to the floor when he dodged a bullet that was goin...more

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Sep 19, 2012 Amanda rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Wow, so this has been a long time coming. Not just the my reading the book itself, but the Alex Rider series has been going on for 10 years! I've had Scorpia Rising sat on my shelf since the day it came out, and I guess I've been busy with other books, but I think a part of me was just reluctant to say goodbye to something I've grown up with. This may also be why I'm yet to read the last Artemis Fowl...

Although I don't necessarily think the Alex Rider books has been as big of an influence on my...more

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Jun 12, 2012 Kengo rated it 5 of 5 stars

Scorpia Rising by Anthony Horowiz sets the stunning finale as the 16 year-old protagonist goes on his most dangerous and amazing mission ever, making it one of the only books that I would be satisfied as an end for the best selling Alex Rider series.

The story has two parts, the former about Scopia’s plan and the latter about Alex Rider’s mission. Part 1 starts with the leader of Scorpia, a secret organization, Zeljan Krust meeting Yannis Ariston Xenopolos, a billionaire, and setting up a deal...more Scorpia Rising by Anthony Horowiz sets the stunning finale as the 16 year-old protagonist goes on his most dangerous and amazing mission ever, making it one of the only books that I would be satisfied as an end for the best selling Alex Rider series.

The story has two parts, the former about Scopia’s plan and the latter about Alex Rider’s mission. Part 1 starts with the leader of Scorpia, a secret organization, Zeljan Krust meeting Yannis Ariston Xenopolos, a billionaire, and setting up a deal to get the elgin Marbles back in Greece. It also consists of Julius Grief, a boy who through plastic surgery was made to look completely like Alex, escaping from prison and a introduction of a men called Razim who a member of Scorpia.

Part 2 starts with Alex Rider 6 months after the last book “Crocodile Tears” and finally feeling that all his M16, spying life was gone. However, M16 gets information off the i-phone of a dead former Scorpia member that they will be attacking CICAE, a school in Cairo, Egypt. The M16 rapidly needing a spy in the school chooses Alex, although orders have been sent from higher ups to not use him. Then coincidentally, Alex gets attacked by an unknown sniper and from all the problems that gets caused including the likelihood that he gets assassinated, he has to get out of Britain. M16 use this as an opportunity and half forces him to go to Cairo not knowing that they have bitten on Scorpia’s bait.

I had three favorite parts in this book which explains why I gave this book 5 complete stars.

One part that I liked a lot was when CIA mistakingly captured Alex when the House of Gold, a paddle streamer, blew up and Habib,a engineer who sold weapons, got killed. I really liked the amount of action in the scene and the speed of how all of it happened. When Gunter shoots Habib just after getting a rifle, everything starts going wrong. The whole boat blows up and Alex Rider just about gets out safe but loses sight of Gunter. However it doesn’t end only with that. Just as Alex gets out of the Nile river, the place he escaped into, he is told by a man with a gun to come with him. This part was very interesting because just as I thought all problems were over, something that I did not expect happened; turning the whole situation upside down. After Alex gets captured, he is taken to the Cairo Islamic Authority and questioned. At first Alex tries to act like he was just a normal school boy, which is half true. However the men already knew who he actually is, and Alex is forced to spill the beans. But the worst is still to come; the men don’t believe him and uses a method called waterboarding, a drowning method. Although Alex desperately tells them everything he knows, they still do not believe him and Alex slowly starts to suffocate. Just seconds away from his death, another man comes in the room and furiously sets Alex free. This was also a highlight in this scene, as the description of the suffocation was described very accurately. It was described as “He couldn’t breathe. Worse than that. His lungs were tearing themselves apart, his whole body trying to swallow itself. He was going mad.” (250) I liked the line “his whole body trying to swallow itself.” because it was a very unique way of describing the experience.

The second part I liked was when Mr Smithers, the fat gadgets master, shows his true self. After Alex makes the choice to go back to Britain, he meets Mr Smithers to inform him about it. Scorpia, knowing that Mr Smithers is a secret agent, chooses to attack him. So when Alex meets Smithers in his house, a small army of well armed men sets to attack his house. Although Smithers keeps them off for a while with his gadgets built in his house, the men invade further and the two have no choice but make a run. They successfully take a few men down and escape. However while Alex can run away safely to Britain, Smithers doesn’t have a place to go and with his size, is a easy target. In that instance something unbelievable happens, as Smithers unzips something. As soon as he is done, things start to come off his whole body, his huge stomach, oversized arms, several chins, etc. When the whole transformation finishes, the real Mr Smithers, a thin and wary man, comes out. This part was a very surprising and unbelievable, making it a good twist in the story. I also liked what Alex remembered in the end “He was reminded of an advertisement he had once seen in a newspaper for diet pills. What had it said? Inside every fat man there’s a thin man trying to get out.” (295-6) It was quite funny as Alex just saw that it could actually be the truth.

The final part I liked was when Alex was caught in a van with only Eric Gunter and how he escapes out of it. As Scorpia’s plan comes to an end with only the assassination of the secretary of state and the death of Alex Rider left, Gunter spills all the beans to Alex believing that there is no way for him to escape. After he finishes telling his story, Alex pleads as a last wish for a cigarette. Gunter says there isn’t one but Alex points to the cigarette box on the top of a table. Gunter falls for the trick and puts his hands in the cigarette box just to get stung by a angry scorpion. It is then explained that Alex had lured a scorpion into the box the night before and had put in on the table on the way in. This was the best part in the book in which the tables are turned by just one action. It was also ironical because the organization’s name is Scorpia and Gunter gets killed by a Scorpion. I never suspected this and surprised me quite a lot.

Overall the book was great with a unbelievable plot full of twists and turns. I believe that although it is a great book, the reader would have had to have read the other books in the series to be able to enjoy the book completely. However I also think that if you have already read 2 or 3 books in the series it would be ok for you to read this book. It had some bloody, violent parts to the book,so I would not suggest it for students under the age of 12 but I do think that it is a book which can be enjoyed by anyone who likes action and adventure types of books. I really think that this book was by far the best in the series and made a great finale for a thrilling series.(less)

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Mar 28, 2012 Rowena Tylden-Pattenson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have read every Alex Rider book that has come out, sometimes waiting avidly for the next book to snatch it off a library shelf as soon as I found a copy. I remember staying up all night to finish these books, and then spending days after in a sort of haze of spies, adventure and wondering what was going to come next.

How I haven't picked Scorpia Rising up before now is pretty surprising, for me. Thankfully, I haven't been disappointed. As always, it was packed from start to finish with brillian...more

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Mar 02, 2012 Melanie rated it 5 of 5 stars

*SPOILER ALERT!!*
I gave this book five stars, which is not to say it wasn't flawed. There were certainly parts I will complain about, but the reason I gave it five stars was because it rounded off the series very well, and some parts of the series suddenly made sense.
In terms of plot, my favourite is still Scorpia Rising, but in terms of emotions and endings, this was definitely my favourite, because, as reluctant as I am about the ending, it had to happen that way. The set up for this, with no...more *SPOILER ALERT!!*
I gave this book five stars, which is not to say it wasn't flawed. There were certainly parts I will complain about, but the reason I gave it five stars was because it rounded off the series very well, and some parts of the series suddenly made sense.
In terms of plot, my favourite is still Scorpia Rising, but in terms of emotions and endings, this was definitely my favourite, because, as reluctant as I am about the ending, it had to happen that way. The set up for this, with non-Alex points of view, was really long, around 100 pages or something, and I was irritated and impatient to see Alex again, but it was necessary, I suppose, and well-written. I thought the plot was pretty interesting overall (the middle lagged a bit), even if it didn't have the type of moral and political messages the other books have had, but there was definitely a couple good twists in there. The Black Devils and scorpion thing was genius, and I am still reeling over the Smithers thing- who could have seen that one coming?! I liked Razin. I thought he was a suitably clinically-insane villain. It was certainly interesting to read from his point of view.

When I was at the beginning of this series, I kinda hated Sabina and Jack Starbright. Sabina, because, well, this is a teen spy novel, and generally, the protocol for these books is that the romantic interest be a mysterious, strong-willed, gorgeous girl who has questionable loyalty to the good side. But Sabina? She was just kind of normal. She didn't really have much of a personality either. She just didn't fit into Alex's spy life. Same with Jack- she seemed like such a flat, cardboard character. The loving, doting, "big sister" figure with red hair and a big smile who cared. Just again, too NORMAL. But by the end of this book...I understood it. The normalness- that was the point.
Whereas with other spy kid novels, even with amazing ones like CHERUB, the kids are eager to become spies. It's cool, it's fun, it's saving the world! But with Alex Rider, one of the most important elements is that Alex doesn't want to be a spy. He doesn't want to be put in danger, to have his loved ones in danger. It's not happy missions where everything turns out okay. And I think that while, originally, I was like "Alex, you are MEANT to be a spy! It's so COOL!", by the end of this book, I just understood that he's just a kid. He shouldn't be forced to do these things, to have to kill people. And when Jack was killed, and when he shot Julius, and he kind of shut down, I understood it. He was out into a situation where he had to kill someone. This was emotionally traumatic for him- a good person like him should not kill people, and if they do, there a mental consequences. Jack was always the light for him, she was the normal, only adult he could count on, who would love and care for him unconditionally. She was his link to a normal life, and her death was, in fact, quite necessary. However, I think the way it was written could have been done much better, to have a bigger effect on the reader. The way J K Rowling and Suzanne Collins do deaths, they're very different styles, but they both achieve amazing effects. I think Anthony Horowitz just didn't achieve the kind of emotions they did.

In my mind, I imagine that someday, Alex'll grow up and work for the government again, but that's just a little fantasy of mine. In reality, Alex has been scarred beyond belief, and his stint as a spy is most probably finished forever. I think he DESERVES a normal, happy life. But in the end, really, was there any other way to end the series? Alex Rider had to have something extremely traumatic happen, and it had to end with him leaving the spy world forever, to live that normal life every kid should be given. In the end, that's what Sabina represented- a normal life. A safe one, a happy one, where he could heal, and live in peace.(less)

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Jan 18, 2012 Julie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: People who only read Scorpia's part of the book.

Shelves: books-i-own

The first thing I said when I finished "Scorpia Rising" was "WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK!??!", then I raged for a little while and then I went to bed. But lets start with the beginning.

I was thrilled when I found out that the last Alex Rider book was going to be about Scorpia. "Scorpia" was always my favourite Alex Rider book (they're such BAMFS!) and I was sure that Alex was going to go out with a bang. And for a while it actually looked like he was going to do exactly that.

"Scorpia Rising" is separat...more The first thing I said when I finished "Scorpia Rising" was "WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK!??!", then I raged for a little while and then I went to bed. But lets start with the beginning.

I was thrilled when I found out that the last Alex Rider book was going to be about Scorpia. "Scorpia" was always my favourite Alex Rider book (they're such BAMFS!) and I was sure that Alex was going to go out with a bang. And for a while it actually looked like he was going to do exactly that.

"Scorpia Rising" is separated into two parts, the first 100 pages are from Scorpia's POV and the last 300 are from Alex's. The first 100 pages from Scorpia's POV are AWESOME and made me think that "Scorpia Rising" was going to be the best book of the entire series. It was just so good! It seemed like Anthony had finally made a worthy villain that wouldn't make stupid mistakes or underestimate Alex and the plot seemed so intricate and carefully planned. It was addicting. Alex's POV.. Hmm, the middle of the book was really good too. I liked it a lot. The last 150 pages or so though.. just fucking rip my eyes out. It was awful.

First of all, killing of Jack Starbright, Anthony? REALLY!? What the fuck. As I've said before the Alex Rider books are more about the plot than the characters but that doesn't mean I don't care about the characters. Jack Starbright is one of my favourites in the series. I wouldn't mind her being killed off if it had meant that Alex truly accepted his life as a spy once and for all, but the way she was killed off was just fucking annoying. It was like Anthony Horowitz was trying to be J.K. Rowling, a writer who actually masters the art of killing off characters, and he fucking failed. (I think he's quite a "Harry Potter" fanboy - there's references to HP throughout the entire series.)

My biggest problem with "Scorpia Rising" though was that it ended from the POV of Sabina's motherfucking Dad. WHAT? WHAT? WHAT? How could you even think that was remotely okay, Anthony? I've "known" Alex for about 7 years now and stuck with him through 9 books, he's the fucking main character, and you end with the POV from a minor character who I couldn't give a single fuck about!? That's pretty awful. Also, I can't believe Alex ended up with Sabina. I hate that whore. Biggest Mary Sue ever.

Another thing that really bothered me was how Anthony treated Mr. Blunt. I've always had a slightly weak spot for him and liked him, but "Scorpia Rising" made me loathe him. UGH. JUST UGH.

I don't think I ever been this dissatisfied with the ending of a series ever. Thank God I'm not a hardcore fan like I was in my early teens because then I would have been heartbroken.(less)

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Jan 08, 2012 Dalton rated it 4 of 5 stars

im very sad to see that this is the last book in the series because i really enjoyed it. The author overall has done great work on all his books, especialy on this one. Warning: This Book may keep you up late hours until you finish it so i suggest you plan staying up late enough to finish it.

What i found that i liked about this book is (Like all of his other books) he keeps the story interesting and enertaining. This book was so descriptive that i could paint a picture in my head of what he was...more

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Jan 07, 2012 01drews rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I thought this book was very good. Around every turn Alex is being attacked around every corner he fights for his life many times. It is amazingly awesome.
IN this book it starts out with Alex being woken up by his housekeeper Jack she is also his guardian because his uncle died a year before on a mission from m16. M 16 has used Alex so many times because he is small. He is 15 years old and he goes to school and later that day at school Alex feels hot and sweaty in the middle of his math class....more

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Dec 21, 2011 Jo rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-reads

ARK ANGEL was decent -- nothing special. SNAKEHEAD was downright laughable. CROCODILE TEARS was utterly and completely forgettable.

Thankfully, Anthony Horowitz doesn't let us down with SCORPIA RISING. It's not the best novel of the series, but definitely not the worst, and it brings the series to a nice close. Although I still believe SCORPIA would have been a better ending to the series, I think Mr. Horowitz has at least done the series justice with this last installment.

There are some surprise

...more

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Oct 28, 2011 georgia -ωαт¢н ɱє fℓу- rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-ve-reviewed

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Sep 10, 2011 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars

I started reading the Alex Rider series when the first book was released, so you could say that we've grown up together. I'm 22 now, and when I heard that the final book in the Alex Rider series had been released, I knew I had to read it and finish an adventure I started (and loved!) when I was much younger.

I wasn't disappointed. Scorpia Rising is a fabulous book, possibly the best of the series. The characters exude genuine humanity, perhaps because we've come to know them so well over so many...more I started reading the Alex Rider series when the first book was released, so you could say that we've grown up together. I'm 22 now, and when I heard that the final book in the Alex Rider series had been released, I knew I had to read it and finish an adventure I started (and loved!) when I was much younger.

I wasn't disappointed. Scorpia Rising is a fabulous book, possibly the best of the series. The characters exude genuine humanity, perhaps because we've come to know them so well over so many years, but also because Horowitz's writing is second to none. Even in this, the last book, we learn things about many of the major characters that we didn't know (and never would have suspected) before.

As well as giving us that final insight, I feel this book also round off all of the characters well. Alex is truly grown up now, enjoying as much of his "normal" life as can reasonably be expected -- he's studying for his GCSEs, is captain of the football team, and has both true friends of his own age, and a girlfriend. His carer, Jack Starbright, is seeing all of this and wondering if it isn't time to move on. It's definetly a time of new beginnings for all of the characters we've come to know and love.

As you'll know doubt already have heard, Alex doesn't appear in this book until well past page 100, but this isn't to its detriment. The first part of the book, which follows Scorpia's attempts to construct the plan that will renew their reputation, is essential scene setting for what is to follow. Giving us this insight into what is actually going on is a masterstroke from Horowitz, as we as readers see more clearly than anyone else right from the get-go.

Despite this, what happens is still unpredictable. MI6, of course, fall into the trap of using Alex again. This time, though, the consequences are far more real and unfixable than ever before. Without giving too much away, this book sees the death of a major character, a revelation of equal magnitude about another, and a change of personnel at the very top of MI6. I feel that Alex really grows up in this book -- it's more James Bond in style than any of the previous adventures, and we see Alex making decisions that really suit the person he has become. He does get his fresh start at the end of this novel, but we're left to consider whether it's worth the price. (less)

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Aug 29, 2011 Andrea rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Finally, It's here. The moment we've all been dreading.
Alex Rider had come to an end. :(

Ok so first let me start of by saying that Anthony Horrowitz is a bloody mastermind who ran out of ideas. Only he would combine all these evil people in one plot as simple as assassinating the senator.
Really? Just... no.

Quite honestly I hated yet loved the book. There were a few gripes I have with it, and yeah the ending was a bit anticlimactic, but still it is one of the best book series ever. So, the major...more Finally, It's here. The moment we've all been dreading.
Alex Rider had come to an end. :(

Ok so first let me start of by saying that Anthony Horrowitz is a bloody mastermind who ran out of ideas. Only he would combine all these evil people in one plot as simple as assassinating the senator.
Really? Just... no.

Quite honestly I hated yet loved the book. There were a few gripes I have with it, and yeah the ending was a bit anticlimactic, but still it is one of the best book series ever. So, the major issues I had with the book were 1) the format sucked, 2) they got rid of a lot of awesome characters, and 3)Alex seemed to be some sort of emotionless robot spy throughout half the book.

1) So i must admit, i totally hated the first part of the book. I mean, yeah it was important to find out what Scorpia was planning and how it all comes together, but seriously did we really need more then half the book devoted to this? It just cut back on the details about Alex, which is majorly a piss people off moment.

2) Ok, so we knew that, of course people were going to die in this book. It wouldn't be AR without death and destruction. But why, oh why did Jack have to die? That was absolutely horrible. Worse than the deaths, we never got to see Wolf or Ben Daniels again. Horrowitz spent all that time mentioning them and developing their characters and relationships with Alex just so they wouldn't be mentioned at the end? It was disappointing not to see them get together for one last fight.

3) this was the biggest issue I had with the book. I mean, come on I'm sure it wasn't just me who realized that we hardly ever got to see what Alex was truly thinking and feeling. We just get the random thought like him joining theater and having to sing, and not wanting to go to school. Seriously, not like Alex. And what, no major injuries? It seemed like Horrowitz just wanted to end things and not make it complicated.

But, anyway I really enjoyed this book, despite my ranting above. This series is still a million times better than any other spy novel you find out there, and looking back on it the story really does end well.(less)

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Jun 29, 2011 Zarina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Scorpia Rising marks the end of an era for me. Not quite up there with Harry Potter, but close. So very close.

Anthony Horowitz is an amazing writer and without a doubt had a chance to absolutely shine with his Alex Rider series. His teen spy books were packed with spectacular action sequences, nifty gadgets, near perfect descriptions of exotic locations and most of all wonderful characters. From the good guys such as Alex, Jack Starbright and Sabina Pleasure to the very screwed up ones such as...more Scorpia Rising marks the end of an era for me. Not quite up there with Harry Potter, but close. So very close.

Anthony Horowitz is an amazing writer and without a doubt had a chance to absolutely shine with his Alex Rider series. His teen spy books were packed with spectacular action sequences, nifty gadgets, near perfect descriptions of exotic locations and most of all wonderful characters. From the good guys such as Alex, Jack Starbright and Sabina Pleasure to the very screwed up ones such as Damian Cray, Dr. Grief and Yassen. They were all unique in their own right and no matter how small their part in the series they all had proper character development and Horowitz really made you either care for them, well, or hate their guts.

The final instalment in this series is no different. Set in Egypt for the most part it ties up most lose ends from the previous books as Alex gets send on a mission one last time to defeat quite possibly the most evil organisation this series has brought us. Old favourites make appearances and people we've known for eight books suddenly take us by surprise by revealing their true identity. Storyline wise Scorpia Rising has everything the loyal readers could've hoped for: a fab story, more nifty gadgets and an amazing location setting which has no doubt been thoroughly researched by Horowitz to get that authentic feel his books are known for.

Yet...

I didn't give this book 5 stars because I was slightly disappointed in its ending. I knew something bad was going to happen and expected fairly early on what would occur. Yet the pain Alex felt because of this did not feel real (for a while there I genuinely assumed that in fact Alex had died and the roles were still reversed). The last few sentences in particular; surely Alex isn't getting over this enormous emotional trauma already? There was too little focus on this major plot twist and not enough time for the character and readers to mourn.

But that is the only flaw I can remark upon in this book, other than that it's a perfect ending to a near perfect series. (less)

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Jun 15, 2011 Kiirsi Hellewell rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was SO sad to crack the cover of this 9th and final Alex Rider book...sad (but excited at the same time because, hello, it's a new Alex Rider book!). I LOVE Alex. He's a terrific character...one of my favorite characters ever. I did not want to say goodbye to him forever. It would be like saying goodbye to a dear friend.

I can understand why it had to end, though...if Anthony H. wanted to preserve some realism, Alex's series couldn't be like Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys, which go on forever and...more

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May 07, 2011 Shaft rated it 4 of 5 stars

The final installment of the Alex Rider series, Alex Rider has been out of the spy game for months and is finally thinking about how life might be as a normal teenager free from MI6 and its games. He should have known better. First an attack out of the blue and then he is on the run again and straight into the jaws of his enemies.

This was a fine final outing Alex Rider when I had thought that Crocodile Tears was the last adventure I was unimpressed it was for me the worst of the novels. This how...more

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Apr 10, 2011 Megan B. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, 4-stars

Alex Rider was out of the spy business. Well, he thought he was until MI6 sucked him back into the world of death and espionage. Everything he cared about was at risk, his friends, Jack Starbright, his chance at ever being a normal teenager. But what MI6 want, they generally get so Alex is off to Cairo, Egypt- but this time he's not alone, Jack Starbright is coming with him.

The final installment in the Alex Rider series, I think, has the most emotional impact and the most serious voice than the...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Do you think Alex wil become a spy when he grows up?	6	17	Jun 13, 2013 09:26am
Alex Rider V Cherub	3	11	Apr 05, 2013 07:05pm
Scorpia Rising for those who have read it only! spoilers	101	165	Mar 28, 2013 04:50am
What do you think was Alex's greatest escape int the series?	1	6	Mar 09, 2013 09:51pm
Why did the series end???	2	13	Dec 26, 2012 12:58pm
Loose Ends	7	25	Mar 25, 2012 12:05am

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Scorpia Rising (Alex Rider #9)

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