The Young Bond series gets underway with SilverFin written by Charlie Higson, with the blessing of the Ian Fleming Foundation. It’s a curious idea. By giving us a young James Bond, you’d think the stories are meant to appeal to young adult readers. But the stories themselves are in keeping with the literary James Bond character.

That means they are set in the early part of the 20th century. Fleming never confirmed Bond’s birthdate, so Higson sets SilverFin in 1933. Something younger readers may not vibe to, not to mention tying into the literary Bond, as opposed to the cinematic one.

That being said, the attention to detail and storytelling style are very much in keeping with Fleming’s style. Working off the details that can only be found in Fleming’s work, Higson’s narrative sees a thirteen-year-old Bond arriving at his new school, Eton.

He’d been homeschooled by his Aunt Charmain following the death of his parents in a climbing accident. She and her brother Max were looking after the boy, and hey! we’re introduced to May the housekeeper, who will be part of Bond’s ongoing story.

At Eton, Bond is trying to just get along, but there’s a bully, of course, George Hellebore, a young American. His father, Lord Hellebore, has taken over the family castle, and is doing something dark and devious, using the eels in the nearby loch.

On a break from school, James runs into Red Kelly, who is traveling to Scotland to find out what happened to a missing boy. James agrees to help, and what they uncover is very familiar to 007 readers.

There are escapes, villains, henchmen, there’s a pretty girl, and, then as the story progresses, James gets his iconic scar. Not to mention a very familiar car… And it all ties in with the political climate of the time. It’s smart, engaging, and very Bond.

Higson definitely lets the young character have a grand adventure, and there are some pretty horrific moments despite the fact that it’s aimed at young adults. It feels very much in keeping with Fleming’s tale and style.

It’s fast-paced, allows the character to begin his growth into the character we’ll see in the Fleming tales.

I was dubious when I first came across this series, but now, one novel in, I’m very eager to see where Higson takes the character, how he grows, and all the fun little payoffs that 007 fans will catch – there’s a very sly reference to Red Grant.

So he’s not a secret agent yet, but his adventures are beginning…

James Bond will return in Blood Fever.