King Zero
Reviewed on 7th November 2026
The latest James Bond novel introduces us to a modern day Bond in his 30s, caught up in a typically complex plot which requires travel to exotic locations and interaction with a variety of strange characters.
This is the first time I've really noticed Bond being actually younger than me, and that's quite a weird transition to notice. The character is more nuanced than we've sometimes seen him, with times were his impulses override his rationality. But he's also inconsistent in his take - we see segments where he's critical of anti-technology attitudes, and some where he exhibits exactly the same himself.
I was nervous going in having abandoned a previous Higson thriller, and my nerves felt justified by the first half of the novel. The first half almost felt like it didn't want me reading it, the narrative feeling like it was attacking aspects of modern culture, presenting stereotyped younger people, not bothering to put in effort to understand how technically-minded people might talk or behave, and introducing a surprising number of side characters with reprehensible views.
But the second half then pivoted to a more classic action thriller style, a bit more focussed on plot, and that half flowed much more smoothly. This I found more engaging and raced through without feeling put out by what was going on.
