By Royal Command
Hardback cover
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| Author | Charlie Higson |
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| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Series | James Bond / Young Bond |
| Genre | Spy fiction |
| Publisher | Puffin Books |
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Publication date
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3 September 2008 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover and Paperback) |
| Pages | 354 pp (first edition) |
| ISBN | |
| OCLC | 230989341 |
| Preceded by | Hurricane Gold |
| Followed by | Danger Society: The Young Bond Dossier |
| Website | http://www.youngbond.com/ |
By Royal Command is the fifth novel in the Young Bond series depicting Ian Fleming's superspy James Bond as a teenager in the 1930s. The novel, written by Charlie Higson, takes place in 1934 and see James at the age of fourteen. Locations include The Alps (Kitzbühel), England, France, Lisbon, and Vienna.
By Royal Command was published in hardcover by Puffin Books in the UK on September 3, 2008. Cover art (featuring a black and red Union Jack) was not revealed until the day of publication. The paperback was released on May 28, 2009, and includes an extract from a new Young Bond short story by Charlie Higson, "A Hard Man to Kill".
By Royal Command was released by Disney-Hyperion in the U.S. on May 18, 2010. Cover artwork is by Owen Richardson.
In Lisbon, OGPU Colonel Irina Sedova, also known as 'Babushka' (Russian for 'grandmother'), visits the leader of the Communist Cell in Portugal. However, she soon realizes that he isn't the cell leader. He vainly tries to kill her but Sedova's bulletproof vest protects her and she manages to kill the imposter. She then finds a sheet of paper with a name from the past on it: James Bond.
During this time, Bond is on his way for a school skiing trip in Austria when he runs afoul of a group of Hitler Youth members who call him a cheater for having won a game of poker. He beats them, gives them back their money, and tells them to play with good grace. Some time later, he arrives in Austria where he realizes that he is being followed. When he arrives at his hotel, he is still being followed. There, he meets with his friend Andrew Carlton and his teacher Mr. Merriot. During a skiing outing, Bond goes after one of his classmates who is drunk and they get caught in an avalanche. After saving himself and his classmate, Bond is hospitalised and hears a man crying out about his cousin named Jürgen who is going to be killed. He later finds out this man was the Graf Von Schlick.
A few days later, the boys return to Eton where Bond is introduced to the new head of his House's Library, Theo Bentinck, a cruel and sadistic individual who enjoys tormenting the younger boys, and who immediately decides to target James for his abuse, knowing that he is not afraid of standing up to older students. Bond also meets the new maid, Roan Power. He finds himself falling in love with her and starts to spend time with her, although doing so brings him unwanted attention from Theo Bentinck. She takes him to meet her friend, an Irishman named Dandy O'Keefe. During this meeting, Bond accidentally meets the Princesses, Elizabeth and Mary but doesn't recognize them. A few days later, he is invited to a party given by the Prince of Wales where he meets the mysterious Graf Otto von Schlick.
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Wikipedia