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By Royal Command

The fifth in the Young Bond series

Charlie Higson | Author,

First published in 2008

Paperback, Audiobook

OVERVIEW

Following a treacherous rescue mission high in the freezing Alps, James Bond is preparing for life back at Eton. But James is under surveillance; his every move is being watched. He alone holds the clue to a sinister plot that will bring bloodshed and carnage to his school – and his country.

Life for James Bond will never be the same again. Forced to flee from Eton to Austria, James must leave behind everything he knows, with only a beautiful – and dangerous – girl by his side. Soon he is trapped in a deadly war of secrets and lies, as a nightmare reunion with a bitter enemy throws him once more into the path of death.

PREVIEW

REVIEWS

‘Watching Bond slowly turning from the innocent 13-year-old schoolboy for whom everything (including Eton) was new, to a battle-hardened 14-year-old has been a pleasure for anyone who appreciates real craft and graft. By Royal Command is the fifth and final of [Higson’s] Young Bond books and I am honestly sad to see them end’

The Times

‘Full of Russians, Germans, the Hitler Youth and mad scientists. What more could you want?’

The Guardian

CHARACTERS

Graf von Schlick is a character in the Charlie Higson novel By Royal Command. Graf is shown here as a white man with dark glasses and a tall hat.

GRAF VON SCHLICK

The thrill-seeking Graf von Schlick enjoys fast cars and the cool air of his native Austria. But when the young James Bond encounters him after a tumble in the mountains, he is sure that all is not as it seems. Has James seen the Graf somewhere before..?

‘As James and Andrew walked back towards their taxi James glanced up to see the Graf von Schlick emerging through the big brass-studded double doors of the clinic. He was wearing a long, black, astrakhan overcoat that came almost down to the ground, black leather gloves and a black fur hat covering his bald head. Once more he stared at James with that disconcerting blank look.’

Illustration of Roan Power, from By Royal Command. Roan is depicted as a white girl with dark hair and a maid's apron.

ROAN POWER

Roan is the intriguing new boys’ maid at Eton. Tough, witty and beautiful, this Irish girl soon makes an impression on James and his school-friends.

‘”You must be James Bond,’ she said, looking him up and down with a raised eyebrow. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“And you must be Roan, the new maid” said James. “I’ve heard a lot about you, too.”
And his messmates hadn’t been making it up. Roan was indeed a lot prettier than the previous maid. She was about the same height as James, but two or three years older, with wavy black hair and skin as white and smooth as a marble statue. Her huge eyes were deep and dark, but they shone with an intense brightness, like polished glass. Her wide mouth was curled up at one end in a slight, mocking smile.’

Dandy O'Keefe is a character from the Young Bond book series. Dandy is shown here as a white skinned young man with sandy hair and a neckerchief.

DANDY O’KEEFE

A friend of the new boys’ maid Roan, James is both drawn to and suspicious of the roguish and charming Dandy.

‘The young man was as handsome as Roan was beautiful, with a glamorous mop of wavy fair hair and dark blue, almost black eyes. He was dressed in an olive green moleskin suit with a bright orange waistcoat and a red scarf knotted loosely around his throat. ‘Roan stretched out on her back on the blanket and called over to James. “This is my pal, Dandy O’Keefe” she said. “Us paddies need to stick together, you know. We’re a long way from home.”’