'Double or Die' US Audiobook Cover Art

The cover artwork for the US audiobook edition of Charlie Higson’s third Young James Bond novel, Double or Die, has been revealed according to a report from the Young Bond Dossier.

Due for release on 22 April (the same day as the US hardback), the audiobook edition will be read by actor Nathaniel Parker, who previously read SilverFin and Blood Fever in the US.

This US edition also has the distinction of being completely unabridged in comparison to the UK counterpart read by Higson himself.

In addition, Young Bond fans can listen to an excerpt of the forthcoming release here, thanks to Random House Audio.

• Order the US hardback edition of Double or Die from Amazon.com
• Order the US audiobook edition of Double or Die from Amazon.com

Keep watching CommanderBond.net for all the latest Young Bond and literary 007 news.

First Look At Charlie Higson's 'Double or Die' US Hardback

Although it isn’t due for release until 22 April, James Bond fans can get a sneak peek at the forthcoming US publication of Charlie Higson’s third Young Bond novel, Double or Die.

The Young Bond Dossier got an in depth look at the hardback, which features brand new artwork from Kev Walker (who also designed the US Blood Fever cover and is behind the upcoming SilverFin graphic novel).

Higson offered his own praise of the cover: ‘It’s fantastic to see the new American cover of Double or Die which has all the romance and atmosphere I imagined when writing the books. Double or Die is a new start for Young Bond in the states and I’m very excited about its release.’

Click here for a full gallery of photos of the US Double or Die hardback.

• Order the US hardback edition of Double or Die from Amazon.com
• Order the US audiobook edition of Double or Die from Amazon.com

Keep watching CommanderBond.net for all the latest Young Bond and literary 007 news.

'By Royal Command' Audiobook Planned For September 2008

The Young Bond Dossier informs us that an audiobook edition of Charlie Higson’s fifth Young James Bond novel, By Royal Command, is planned for release this upcoming September.

According to a listing on the amazon.fr website, the audiobook will be released on 4 September–the same day that the UK hardback edition of By Royal Command debuts.

While further details are yet to be announced, as Higson previously read the audiobook editions for the four previous Young Bond novels, it’s a likely bet he’ll be reading this one as well.

As earlier reported on CommanderBond.net, this new adventure sees Bond ‘forced to go on the run, pursued by enemy agents and the British authorities. James must choose between friendship and duty. His life will never be the same again…’ Locations include England and the Alps.

• Order the UK hardback edition of By Royal Command from Amazon.co.uk

Keep watching CommanderBond.net for all the latest Young Bond news.

Charlie Higson's 'By Royal Command' Now Available To Pre-order

The Young Bond Dossier informs us that Charlie Higson’s fifth Young James Bond adventure, By Royal Command, is now available to pre-order online.

The Young Bond novel is due for release on 4 September 2008 in the UK. Like the initial release of last year’s Hurricane Gold, By Royal Command will debut in hardback format and retail for £12.99.

As earlier reported on CommanderBond.net, this new adventure sees Bond ‘forced to go on the run, pursued by enemy agents and the British authorities. James must choose between friendship and duty. His life will never be the same again…’ Locations include England and the Alps.

For more details on By Royal Command, visit this article where Higson discusses several elements that will feature in the story.

• Order the UK hardback edition of By Royal Command from Amazon.co.uk

Keep watching CommanderBond.net for all the latest Young Bond news.

Charlie Higson's 'Hurricane Gold' Coming To US In 2009

Charlie Higson’s ‘Hurricane Gold’

The fourth Young James Bond adventure by Charlie Higson, Hurricane Gold, is on its way to the US.

The Young Bond Dossier notifies us that Higson’s Hurricane Gold is being planned for a 7 April 2009 release by Hyperion Books–the US publisher of the Young Bond novels.

US fans have had to wait a little bit longer for the Young Bond novels to hit bookshelves. The third novel in the series, Double or Die, was originally published in the UK in January 2007. It will finally be released stateside this upcoming April.

• Order the US hardback edition of Double or Die from Amazon.com
• Order the US audiobook edition of Double or Die from Amazon.com

The first two, SilverFin and Blood Fever, are currently available.

Keep watching CommanderBond.net for all the latest Young Bond news.

'By Royal Command' is 'a great way to finish off the series'

Following up the announcement of By Royal Command as the title of Charlie Higson’s forthcoming fifth Young James Bond adventure, the author took some time to discuss the novel with the Young Bond Dossier.

Having just completed writing the book last week, Higson said: ‘I have tried to give it some emotional depth. Bond’s choices are not so clear cut. The book asks what is right and what is wrong, and Bond doesn’t always necessarily make the right decisions. It’s a great way to finish off the series, and at the end of it we really feel that James is poised for the next phase of his life.’

The author also revealed that the title is an echo to Ian Fleming’s 1963 novel, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, which saw 007 battling Ernst Stavro Blofeld in the Swiss Alps as well as get married–and widowed–at the conclusion.

Labeling By Royal Command a love story, Higson stated: ‘There is a definite echo … there is a lot of stuff in the book about the secret service, and it sows the seeds for a lot of what happens in James’s later life. There was always a plan to have this book involve the royal family and as it’s a slightly more grown up book, it has a slightly more grown up title.’

Higson also discussed the fact that this novel marks the conclusion of the Young Bond series, which first began with the publication of SilverFin in 2005.

‘I’ve lived with Bond for a few years now and it’s been great fun,’ said Higson, ‘but writing 5 books back to back is a strange and draining experience. It will be good to take a break and do something else. I am not saying I won’t return to Young Bond in the future, but for now these 5 books will stand as a set.’

‘The graphic novel is out in September (it’s going to be fabulous), and if that does well there will be more to follow, so I hope to be involved with Young Bond in one way or another for many more years to come.’ [CBn Note: It appears that the graphic novel has been delayed to 2 October].

Head on over to the Young Bond Dossier for much more, including some brand new plot details that will feature in the novel.

The By Royal Command hardback is due for release in the UK on 4 September 2008, retailing for £12.99.

Keep watching CommanderBond.net for all the latest Young Bond news.

Young Bond To Return 'By Royal Command'

The Young Bond Dossier (now the official news source for youngbond.com) today landed a massive scoop for James Bond fans – the title of the fifth novel in Charlie Higson’s bestselling Young Bond series: By Royal Command.

The announcement of the title, evocative of some of Ian Fleming’s best, comes on the same day Higson delivered the novel to publishers.

Due for release later this year, By Royal Command will, reports the Young Bond Dossier, see James “forced to go on the run, pursued by enemy agents and the British authorities. James must choose between friendship and duty. His life will never be the same again…” The book’s locations include England and the Alps.

Working titles for the novel included “The Shadow War”, “Diamond Rain” and “Dynamite Kiss”.

By Royal Command follows 2005’s SilverFin, 2006’s Blood Fever and Double or Die and Hurricane Gold, both released last year. The entire series has been a critical and commercial success.

By Royal Command will be released in a hardback edition in the UK on 4 September 2008, retailing for £12.99.

Keep watching CommanderBond.net for the latest literary James Bond news.

German 'Hurricane Gold' Due Out Next Week

Hurricane Gold (Reden ist Silber, Schweigen ist tödlich)

Next week will see the German release of Charlie Higson’s fourth Young Bond novel Hurricane Gold, entitled Reden ist Silber, Schweigen ist tödlich (Talk is silver, silence is golden).

As reported earlier by CBn, the book will receive the identical treatment as the original UK release, hard bound in gold with gilt-edged pages, in honour of Ian Fleming’s 100th birthday.

According to publisher Arena-Verlag, the 352 page book will be delivered to shops “by the end of the week” and should be available there from Monday, 3rd March.

ISBN: 978-3-401-25973-4. 19.90 Euros in Germany, 20.60 Euros in Austria, 35.90 Swiss Francs in Switzerland.

• Order the German hardback edition of Hurricane Gold (Reden ist Silber, Schweigen ist tödlich) from Amazon.de

Keep watching CommanderBond.net for all the latest Hurricane Gold and Young Bond coverage.

Charlie Higson Reveals 'Young Bond 5' Tidbits

After being relatively quiet on the Young James Bond front for several weeks, the Young Bond Dossier reports that author Charlie Higson has checked in with a major update on his fifth and final Young Bond novel.

Although we continue to refer to this novel as Young Bond 5, Higson says that a title has been chosen, adding that it was not The Shadow War, Diamond Rain, Dynamite Kiss, or any of the other working titles previously mentioned. Beyond that, Higson only said the final title is Flemingesque and he’s very pleased with it.

Higson also confirmed that Young Bond 5 will echo back to the original Ian Fleming adventures with the inclusion of Hannes Oberhauser, James Bond’s climbing and skiing instructor, first introduced in the 1966 publication of Octopussy & The Living Daylights.

As the Dossier points out, Oberhauser was an important man in Bond’s life and ‘something of a father figure to [him] when he happened to need one.’

A mere week behind schedule in delivering this manuscript after a very busy 2007 (Higson has been writing the novel in Italy for the past month), the Young Bond 5 release date still stands at 4 September 2008.

Keep watching CommanderBond.net for all the latest Young Bond coverage.

Charlie Higson's 'SilverFin' Receives Isinglass Teen Read Nomination

The Young Bond Dossier reports that Charlie Higson’s SilverFin has been nominated for the 2007/2008 Isinglass Teen Read Award.

The author’s first Young James Bond novel is listed among the top 20 books as read and nominated by the 7th and 8th graders and then chosen by the Isinglass Teen Read committee members. The awards began in Barrington, New Hampshire in 2001 and became a state-wide event in 2005.

To learn more about the awards or to listen to a podcast review of SilverFin, visit the official website.

Keep watching CBn for all the latest details on the SilverFin graphic novel and all Young Bond news.