Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stormbreaker | 2000 | Anthony Horowitz | Buy |
| 2 | Point Blank | 2001 | Anthony Horowitz | Buy |
| 3 | Skeleton Key | 2002 | Anthony Horowitz | Buy |
| 4 | Eagle Strike | 2003 | Anthony Horowitz | Buy |
| 5 | Scorpia | 2004 | Anthony Horowitz | Buy |
| 6 | Ark Angel | 2005 | Anthony Horowitz | Buy |
| 7 | Snakehead | 2007 | Anthony Horowitz | Buy |
| 8 | Crocodile Tears | 2009 | Anthony Horowitz | Buy |
| 9 | Scorpia Rising | 2011 | Anthony Horowitz | Buy |
| 10 | Russian Roulette | 2013 | Anthony Horowitz | Buy |
| 11 | Never Say Die | 2017 | Anthony Horowitz | Buy |
| 12 | Nightshade | 2020 | Anthony Horowitz | Buy |
| 13 | Nightshade Revenge | 2024 | Anthony Horowitz | Buy |
Alex Rider was 14 when MI6 recruited him. His uncle Ian had been raising him as a spy without his knowledge, teaching him languages, martial arts, and survival skills under the guise of normal education. When Ian dies on a mission, MI6 pressures Alex into taking his place. A teenager can go where adult agents cannot.
Anthony Horowitz pitched the idea as “James Bond for kids” and sold the first book, Stormbreaker, in 2000. The novels feature genuine tradecraft and gadgets alongside action set pieces. Each book sends Alex on a new mission, though an overarching storyline develops across the series involving the criminal organization Scorpia and Alex’s family history.
Horowitz had already written extensively for television, including episodes of Poirot and Midsomer Murders, before starting Alex Rider. That experience shows in the pacing. The books move fast, with short chapters and cliffhanger endings. The series has sold over 20 million copies.
A film adaptation of Stormbreaker was released in 2006. Amazon produced a television series starting in 2020, with two seasons adapting the early novels. Horowitz continues to write new entries in the series.