Mark Walden (1) (1972–)

One-sentence summary: The fourth book in the H.I.V.E (Higher Institute of Villainous Education) series continues the adventures of a group of good kids attending a secret school run by a league of supervillains (the Global League of Villainous Enterprises).

This is an entertaining, energetic read that I sped through in a couple hours. It won't connect with everyone, because the writing is a bit stiff and entirely too wordy for the intended audience, but otherwise, this would be perfect for show more kids who like graphic novels, high-energy action adventures, and parodies of superhero stories. I'm thinking of things like the Alex Rider series, Catherine Jinks' Evil Genius series, and movies like The Incredibles and Doctor Horrible. The story is really fast-paced, has a lot of one-liners and cool tech and stuff blowing up, and is packed with over-the-top plots (for example, the bad guy in this one kidnaps the U.S. president in order to gain the nukes to blow up the supervolcano in Yellowstone and pin it on G.L.O.V.E.). The characters (the "good" villains, of course, who are loyal, selfless, kind, and brave, which is a disconnect from the series premise that I am willing to accept) are stylishly designed (I mean, they would look cool in a graphic novel) and likable, if flat. It's all very tongue-in-cheek, but maybe a little too serious at the same time -- still, I had a good time reading it and I'll probably go back and look for the earlier books. show less

We have all have heard it a million times before, but it still rings true – never judge a book by its cover. At first glance, H.I.V.E. appears to be good read; snappy, humorous and exciting, with a fun premise and a pretty nifty acronym. It's probably somewhere in the vein of Artemis Fowl, and it's even won an award, (apparently courtesy of 'Richard and Judy'.) All in all, it looks rather entertaining. It is only when one actually opens the book that the truth becomes apparent – H.I.V.E. show more is the work of an amateur. The prose is barely publishable, dotted with run-on sentences and questionable usage of commas (or lack thereof). Three pages in and I was thoroughly puzzled – why had this not been addressed by an editor? Slowly but surely, the answer became apparent. The writing may improve minimally over the course of the novel, but reworking H.I.V.E. to a professional standard would still be too mammoth a task for any human editor.

But if the writing doesn't put you off, don't worry – there are plenty more flaws here. Walden's characters are among the most stereotypical and trite that I have ever come across. Far from being remotely villainous, they soldier through the novel with all the selflessness, teamwork and heroism of Harry Potter and his goody-goody buddies. It obviously never occurred to Walden that his original premise would require original characters – rather, he has dredged up the stock high-school cohort (the American cheerleader, the fat German kid and the nerd with inch-thick glasses, to name but a few.)

The plot is not quite as unimpressive as the characters, but it is still predictable, clichéd and disjointed. It almost feels as though Walden, having come up with the idea of a school for villains, suddenly remembered that he needed a story to go with it, and scribbled down the most obvious thing that popped into his head. Indeed, for a book that relies so heavily on its premise, it handles that premise quite poorly. The entire idea is clearly absurd and should therefore be presented with a great deal more wit and humour than Walden can muster. For the first 70 pages, he treats it with such seriousness that it just comes off looking like failed realism.

As for 'Richard and Judy' – they are clearly both deluded. The highest level of praise I will grant this novel is that it is bearable. (Just.) My advice: read something else. This book is not worth your time. show less

Book 2 of the HIVE series sees Otto and Wing leaving the school under the close supervision of Raven. The plot is full of adventure with plenty of twists and turns for those who crave action and excitement. This book pits supposed villains against villains, and one is left with the distinct impression of the "good" villains and the "evil" villains. In some ways the original premise of the school as a school for "villains" is lost here, as most of the main characters fail to live up to their show more villainous reputations. The series is somewhat in the vein of Artemis Fowl, and will appeal to readers of that series, but one begins to develop the sneaking suspicion that the author has forgotten the original premise. Like the school in "Evil Genius" this is supposed to be a school for villains to train future villains, but one never really gets the sense of evil that comes through so strongly in the school of "Evil Genius." The book will keep readers entertained if they are willing to forget the original premise. show less

This book was everything I wanted and more. Do you ever find yourself rooting for the villain? I know I sure do. I didn't even have to read a synopsis, by title alone I knew H.I.V.E. was my sort of book. I love reading about the Mafia and gangsters. I love bad boys.
But of course, being me I tore through the book in several hours, hungry for more. I was surprised to read that this is a debut novel. The plot, characters, setting and world building we're all done remarkably well. I can't think show more of a single bad bad thing to say about this book . Mark Walden is now on my list of authors to pay attention to. show less