School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-8-What began as schoolboy fun leads to life-threatening adventure for 13-year-old James Bond when he stumbles upon members of an Italian secret society who speak only Latin. On break from the prestigious Eton School, James and his schoolmates travel with two teachers to the Mediterranean isle of Sardinia to study archaeological ruins. James later stays with his cousin and a famous artist who become the target of an art theft. It turns out that one of James's teachers is a spy for the Millenaria society, which is conducting a series of art heists throughout England and Europe for a megalomaniacal man based on Sardinia. James and the new friends whom he meets on the island must find a way to rescue a kidnapped English girl and to stop the villain who wants to relive the days of the Roman emperors. The story occurs sometime between the World Wars and during the reign of Mussolini. It involves piracy, danger, violence, and intrigue. With its highly descriptive style of writing, it's a fun, easy read, although the characters are not particularly well developed. Its greatest appeal might be to reluctant middle-school readers, but it would not receive as much attention if not for the 007 connection.-Corinda J. Humphrey, Los Angeles Public Library (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Adventure, intrigue, romance, pirates, murder, stolen treasures, deception, characters good and bad, teenagers both brave and clever and strange secrets all play a part in this suspenseful second entry in the Young Bond series. As a 13-year-old attending an English boarding school (Eton), Bond is not immune to danger and trouble. The setting soon moves from Eton to the Island of Sardinia where the real action takes place. Red herrings are used liberally and the reader will find twists and turns abound as each episode brings a mountain of suspense. One of James Bond's classmates is left parentless when the classmate's father is killed for his cache of famous artworks and Bond is there to help right the wrongs. The tale is neatly and satisfactorily concluded--perhaps a little too neatly and far sooner than most readers will want to stop reading. A page-turning read. (Fiction. YA) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
