SilverFin

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Title SilverFin

Puffin Books 2005 British paperback edition.
Author	Charlie Higson
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Series	James Bond / Young Bond
Genre(s)	Spy novel
Publisher	Puffin Books
Released	3 March 2005
Media type	Print (Hardcover and Paperback)
Pages	384 pp (first edition, paperback)
ISBN	ISBN 0-14-131859-7 (first edition, paperback)
Preceded by	Die Another Day
Followed by	Blood Fever

SilverFin is the first novel in the Young Bond series that depicts Ian Fleming's superspy James Bond as a teenager in the 1930s. It was written by Charlie Higson and released in the UK on March 3, 2005 by Puffin Books in conjunction with a large marketing campaign; a Canadian release of the same edition occurred in late March. The U.S. edition was released on April 27, 2005 by Miramax Books, however this edition was edited.

SilverFin's success spawned a mobile game published by PlayerOne on January 5, 2006 in conjunction with the release of the second novel in the Young Bond series, Blood Fever. The game features 3 locations, 15 levels, and a variety of enemies that the player must avoid. A graphic novel adaptation of SilverFin is still in the works and set for a release in 2008.

Because Ian Fleming never explicitly said when James Bond was born, Ian Fleming Publications and Charlie Higson chose the year 1920 as his birth year. SilverFin takes place in 1933.

Contents 1 Plot summary 2 Trivia 3 Publication history 4 References 5 See also 6 External links

[edit] Plot summary

SilverFin is broken up into three parts in addition to a prologue. During the prologue an un-named boy attempts to catch a legendary fish at Loch Silverfin, a loch in Scotland. This part is left on a cliff-hanger - the boy is about to perhaps be rescued - but by what or whom?

The first part of the book chronicles Bond's starting attendance at Eton College. There he meets Pritpal, a boy from India and the son of a maharajah. The two become good friends and live together in the dorms. Bond also comes into contact with George Hellebore, an American bully two years older than James. George's father, Lord Randolph Hellebore is an armament dealer who sold weapons to various countries after World War I. It's later revealed that Lord Hellebore knew Bond's father, Andrew Bond, who also sold arms for a company named Vickers post-World War I. Lord Hellebore arrives at Eton to direct and host a tournament cup ("Hellebore Cup") for the boys. The cup is broken up into three competitions; shooting, swimming, and running. Bond places seventh in shooting, third in his heat in swimming (which wasn't good enough to qualify for the final race), and first in cross country running. During the running sequence Lord Hellebore attempted to help his son cheat so that he could win the tournament, however, Bond after watching George take a shortcut a first time decided to follow George the next time, which allowed Bond to take first place being the superior runner. Because Bond won first in running George Hellebore won second place in the cup overall, which was unacceptable by his father's standards.

The second part of the novel details Bond's Easter break. James travels to Scotland to meet with his Aunt Charmian who is visiting Bond's ailing uncle, Max. Both Charmian and Max are siblings of Bond's father, Andrew. It's also in this part of the novel that Bond reveals the details of his parents death that were first mentioned in Ian Fleming's You Only Live Twice. While travelling to Scotland, Bond befriends an older boy named "Red" Kelly who is travelling to the same place in search for his missing cousin, Alfie - who disappeared whilst out fishing (thus tying in with the prologue). James also meets a girl that just absolutely loved her horse, her name was Wilder. While staying at his Uncle's place Bond learns how to drive his Uncle's car and finds out that his Uncle was a spy during World War I. Bond also learns that Lord Randolph Hellebore owns a large stretch of land nearby that includes Loch Silverfin. He later meets back up with Red and ventures to Hellebore's estate where the two encounter Mike Moran ("the meatpacker"), a Pinkerton's detective from New York City sent to investigate Lord Randolph Hellebore at the behest of Hellebore's ex-wife who suspects Lord Randolph of having killed his brother, her lover, Algar. Days later the meatpacker goes missing and Bond along with Red infiltrate the Hellebore estate and finally attempt to gain access to the castle.

Prior to infiltrating the castle, Red falls out of a tree and breaks his leg, and is unable to continue on. James, however, climbs the tree and enters the castle. After snooping around Bond bumps his head and is captured. When Bond regains consciousness he is tied to a table and Lord Hellebore begins to interrogate him. Hellebore explains to James that he and his brother set out to create better and stronger soldiers by manipulating the endocrine system. Because its difficult to find humans to test on, Algar tested the first "SilverFin serum" on himself. Initially it worked, however, it later failed and Algar was physically transformed into a man with a distorted face. Lord Hellebore later perfected the serum and was able to turn it into a pill. The pill essentially acts a steroid making anyone who uses it more agile, stronger, etc. for a temporary set of time. Hellebore even tests this pill on his own son (James had actually witnessed this during the cross-country race). Lord Hellebore reveals that he tested the SilverFin serum on Alfie Kelly, the boy whom Bond is searching for, however, Kelly couldn't handle it and died. Later Bond is also drugged with the SilverFin serum and locked in a cell. Bond, however, escapes the cell and the estate, with the help of Wilder Lawless, only to return shortly later with George Hellbore as an ally to destroy Lord Randolph's lab. George has increasingly become upset with his dreadful father and his work, and secretly wishes to be with his mother more than anything. The two destroy the lab and are later confronted by Lord Hellebore who intends to kill them both. He, however, is drowned by his brother, Algar, who Lord Hellebore had imprisoned in the castle. Algar is also killed in the fight.

Bond collapses due to a lung infection and exhaustion shortly after and for ten days goes unconscious. When Bond regains consciousness he learns that George has moved back to America to be with his mother, and that his Uncle Max has passed away.

At the end, he has a memorial service for his uncle, says goodbye to Red (who he would later meet in Double or Die and would even have Red's sister kiss him), is kissed by Wilder and taken back to Eton. Hellebore's old friends try to threaten him. However, due to a look in his eye and his realisation that they don't scare him, they leave him alone.

[edit] Trivia

• SilverFin begins with a similar opening to Ian Fleming's Casino Royale.

Fleming: "The scent and smoke and sweat of a casino are nauseating at three in the morning"

Higson: "The smell and noise and confusion of a hallway full of schoolboys can be quite awful at twenty past seven in the morning."

• Bond's Aunt Charmian drives an identical Bentley to one Bond drives in Casino Royale and in subsequent books. Bond also inherits his Uncle's 1.5 liter Bamford & Martin Sidevalve Short Chassis Tourer. Bamford & Martin later became Aston Martin.
• During a scene at a circus the announcer presents "The Mighty Donovan". "The Mighty O'Donovan" is Donovan "Red" Grant's father, referenced in From Russia with Love^[1].
• When released in Germany in August 2005, SilverFin was retitled "Silent Waters Are Deadly".
• A special signed limited edition hardcover was released exclusively at Waterstone's Bookstores in the UK on October 6, 2005.
• The U.S. edition of the book was edited to remove descriptions that were considered too racy for young readers. One such example includes a description of Wilder Lawless' legs during a tussle between herself and Bond.
• Higson's original working title was "Out of Breath," but it was felt this sounded too much like an Elmore Leonard novel. Several permutations on "Silver" were tried including: "SilverBack", "SilverSkin", "SilverHead", and "SilverFist", before settling on "SilverFin". ^[2]
• Hellebores are poisonous plants in buttercup form, similar to Lord Hellebore's Aryan (blonde) looks resembling something beautiful yet deadly.

[edit] Publication history

[edit] References

• CommanderBond.net coverage of SilverFin. 2005 - SilverFin. Retrieved on April 27, 2005.
• Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang review. Review: 'SilverFin' Debuts Young Bond. Retrieved on April 27, 2005.
• MI6.co.uk coverage and review. Young Bond: SilverFin (2005). Retrieved on April 27, 2005.
• ^  Cameos in SilverFin. Young Bond Cameos... Did you notice?. Retrieved on May 13, 2006.
• ^  Unused title information for SilverFin. The Charlie Higson CBn Interview. Retrieved on May 14, 2006.
• SilverFin Graphic Novel. SilverFin Graphic Novel in Summer 2008. Retrieved on June 8, 2006.

[edit] See also

• Young Bond
• Alex Rider, a series of books by Anthony Horowitz about a fourteen year old boy working for MI6. Often referred as a 'youthful James Bond.'

[edit] External links

• Official Young Bond website
• CommanderBond.net interviews Charlie Higson
• The Young Bond Dossier
• MI6.co.uk - Full SilverFin coverage