Mere Mortals Book Reviews Podcast
1) The most unique book in the Alex Rider series | Secret Weapon Book Review
In this Mere Mortals book review, I dive into Secret Weapon, the 12th entry in the Alex Rider series, but not a traditional one. Instead of a full-scale mission, Horowitz delivers seven short, f...Show More
2) Helm’s Deep to Shelob | Book Review The Two Towers
A raw, no-fluff review of The Two Towers — the darker, tighter middle act of LOTR. I cover the split structure, why Book III feels punchier (Helm’s Deep, Ents), why Book IV slows to a crawl before the...Show More
3) Action-Packed Throwback with a Soft Spot | Book Review Never Say Die
Alex Rider returns in Never Say Die — a fast, zany, throwback instalment that swaps grit for velocity. I break down what works (pace, scale, that classic Rider ingenuity), what doesn’t (the Jack twist...Show More
4) Not a sequel, but a reckoning | Book Review Russian Roulette
Horowitz turns the camera away from Alex and into the fire that forged Yassen. Set around the Stormbreaker timeline, this darker companion novel binds the series together with grit, symmetry and conse...Show More
5) When the book finally draws blood | Scorpia Rising Book Review
Alex Rider stops being bulletproof. In Scorpia Rising, Anthony Horowitz cashes in every IOU the series has dodged: real stakes, identity games, and a gut-punch that actually lands. Today I break down ...Show More
6) Urgency Is Non-Negotiable | Crocodile Tears Book Review
A new villain and a new frontier. Crocodile Tears throws Alex Rider into the jaws—literally. We open in Scotland, meet philanthropist-on-paper Desmond McCain of the First Aid charity, and quickly disc...Show More
7) Enemy Within: Alex Rider’s Darkest Test | Snakehead Book Review
“The enemy isn’t out there. It is within.” That line sets the tone for Snakehead, the seventh Alex Rider novel: darker, sharper, and closer to the bone. We open in Australia (very on-brand for me), su...Show More
8) When a Teenage Spy Goes to Space | Ark Angel Book Review
Into space we go!Ark Angel takes Alex Rider higher, literally, as he stumbles from a hospital bed into a conspiracy that leads straight into orbit. Anthony Horowitz throws his young spy into billionai...Show More
9) Alex Rider’s Identity Crisis | Scorpia Book Review
Scorpia isn’t just another Alex Rider adventure, it’s the book where everything shifts. Darker, grittier, and more morally complex, this is where Alex discovers the terrifying legacy of his father, th...Show More
10) Careful what you wish for: Eagle Strike Book Review
In this review, we dive into Eagle Strike, the fourth Alex Rider book by Anthony Horowitz. Alex finds himself on his own against the billionaire villain Damian Cray, with MI6 refusing to back him. Pac...Show More