When Ian Rider died at the hands of the assassin Yassen Gregorovich, Alex, ready or not, was thrust into the world of international espionage--the world's only teenage spy. Alex vowed revenge against Yassen and the two have battled ever since. Yet, years ago, it was none other than Alex's own father who trained and mentored Yassen, turning him into the killer he would eventually become.

The story of Yassen begins in Russia and his life is fairly regular to start off. He has a mother and father, lives in a small town, and he has friends he spends his days with. He's a rather unremarkable young boy, but suddenly one day things change for him, and everything that he thought was his life is severely tested. He's thrown into a whirlwind of events that are out of his control, and it's not hard to see why he ended up as he did. I think this recap is just what the series needed, and it's an excellent companion story for the Rider books. The final book in the #1 bestselling Alex Rider series with over 6 million copies sold in the U.S. alone ! The final book in the #1 bestselling Alex Rider series with over 6 million copies sold in the U.S. alone! This is technically book 10 in the Alex Rider series, although it follows the story of Yassen Gregorovich - an assassin who works for Scorpia. Spoiler alert.Now, there is a plot hole in this story, but I feel compelled to correct a mistake I made in an earlier review. I falsely stated that Yassen felt no loyalty to John Rider after discovering he was an agent for MI6. I reread the book, however, and saw what I had, eh, skipped.This book was everything and more! I absolutely love the Alex Rider series and although I can't really say it's because it was 'my childhood series' (because I started reading them at 13 years old and finished at 15 last year) they are as close as it gets to that. Therefore I have such a strong attachment to this series and these characters and strangely as this is a companion novel following a very minor character from the Alex Rider series, who definitely is not a hero within that series, I found myself so emotionally invested in this book and in his story. The Alex Rider novels have always fascinated me with their pulpy thriller writing. It's much like reading Matthew Reilly (without the expletives and really high-stakes escapes) and I definitely believe there is a place for this type of fiction in the market. Some may look at it and go: 'does it teach anything? Does it uplift at all?' Interestingly, this is a book that certainly for all the thrill and racing plot, does have a moral lesson. It is a book about good and evil being existent in the choices made by individuals. I really did enjoy the different times that this book was set from him escaping from his childhood home to joining scorpia and everything else in between.

All that sadness. All that anger. It is the smoke that gets into your eyes. If you do not blow it away, how can you hope to see? I also really wish (and this is a spoiler for EAGLE STRIKE so if you haven't read that, then um... lol why did you read this one?) Don't even gets me started on the actual 'Russian Roulette' game because I don't think I can talk about it. It was so awful. I don't like spoilers, so won't get too specific, but I assume the reader is familiar with Yassen from Stormbreaker, Eagle Strike, Scorpia, and Snakehead. In this book, Yassen and John Rider's relationship and their time with Scorpia simply isn't in sync with the other books, especially with Snakehead and the story Alex's godfather Ash tells about Malta. The style is slightly different from the rest of the series as most of it is written in first person instead of third person, but it's still a really enjoyable read!We are told the story of his life and how he became the assassin we first meet in Stormbreaker. Starting from his small town life in Russia, through various places around the world we see how different, yet how similar his life was/is to Alex's. I've been waitin for this book since like....2008! or something like that, ever since Anthony mentioned it. What's impressive about Anthony Horowitz's new book, `Russian Roulette', is that, for me, the answer to all those questions is yes. Horowitz has created a powerful and original story in which the bad guy is not only the `hero', but also someone you wish you could save. I have SO MANY FEELINGS about Yassen Gregorovich. Here is this kid, who loses not only his entire family but his ENTIRE VILLAGE when he's fourteen years old. He's just trying to survive and has to learn how to steal things, but then crosses the wrong man and gets trapped as a slave for three years. When Ian Rider died at the hands of the assassin Yassen Gregorovich, Alex, ready or not, was thrust into the world of international espionage—the world’s only teenage spy. Alex vowed revenge against Yassen and the two have battled ever since.Yet, years ago, it was none other than Alex’s own father who trained and mentored Yassen, turning him into the killer he would eventually become.

This is yet another triumph for the man who must, surely, be our finest living author of children's books. The character I fell the most sympathy for is also Yassen Gregorovich as his friend, parents and grandmother died when he was young. Also he worked as a slave in Russia, Moscow for around 3 years. I love the Alex Rider books, I think that they are a great series which is very exhilarating and enjoyable to read through and I love the characters and plots of each book. This book feels like a follow on rather than a prequel because it does recount things which happen within the Rider books, but it also feels like an older and more mature storyline than that of Alex.But when he finally escapes being a slave, it's only because an assassin made a mistake. And then Yassen finds himself caught up in that world and still, it seems to be the only thing he can do to survive, right? Obviously, once you're in too deep, you can't just 'leave' an organisation like Scorpia...

I'm not going to lie, I didn't realise this was a prequel until I actually started reading it. Usually I intensively study a blurb before I read the actual book, but in this case I didn't bother since either way I was going to read it - it's Alex Rider so, obviously. So yeah, I was pretty surprised when it was suddenly in first person from the perspective of Yassen Gregorovich at age 14 - before Alex was even born.If you have already read through Alex Rider series then, chances are that you have finished this too, if not then remedy that and then just keep on reading.