James is back and he still has his faults but he is a little more mature. We all love James despite the fact
that he is a sexist homophobe because we do see progress. This is one of my favorite books of the series. It moves along quite well and has Robert Muchamore's touch of detail and non Hollywood endings. Not everything has to work out as planned. I like the character development in this book. Quite a few pages are spent at the beginning of the book describing Dante and the Brigands which sets up the mission well.

If you are a parent and new to the Cherub series you should read them first as they do deal with sexuality, violence and teenagers being teenagers. My son started reading the books when he was 11 years old and I feel they have been helpful for him as he came into and passed puberty. But be aware James is after every girl he sees and he is not the most subtle person in Cherub. The girls and women are always presented as independent and strong which I think makes them good role models. ( )