Colonel Sun by Kingsley Amos - a James Bond book review

 This book is about James Bond saving M from a kidnapping. It is a continuation of the James Bond series, but is the only one written by this author. Let's jump in. 

It starts with James Bond visiting M, after a health concern led him to stay home and be cared for by others. Bond comes in and something is wrong. Bond nearly gets kidnapped with him in the ensuing fight, where he is temporarily drugged after escaping the crew taking M. He then has to get captured in Greece on purpose to have a chance at saving M. From there things get complicated. You have a Nazi man and Colonel Sun to contend with at the very end, both trying to sabotage a political conference and blame the English. 

The Review

The Bad

This one was a three star. Why three stars? Let's talk about sexism. I know Ian Fleming was sexist. I know that. Some authors drop that sexism and others don't. Yet others who continue the series will tone it down (making the character, but not the narrator, sexist). You have a spectrum of sexism based on the authors who picked up the Bond series. This one had undertones of sexism, which wasn't a problem when you are used to Ian Fleming levels of sexism. No, what irked me is the way our villain used women like they were sex toys. While I applaud the writer for making the women have minds of their own (one saved Bond from torture and another saved Bond early on), I don't appreciate the focus on women being only good for sex. 

The other problem I had was related to this, but not just sexism. It had a focus on sexual relationships that maybe wasn't necessary. While I could easily brush off the Nazi man using young men from the island in unhealthy ways (they say it in passing and it isn't seen), one event makes this focus on sex go over the edge. We all know Bond likes to have lots of fun times; that isn't anything new. I'm talking about the villain capturing Ariadne (main Bond girl of the book) and deciding that drugging her wouldn't be enough to keep her out of their plans. No, they decide she'll be forced into a three-some against her will. Bond finds this out while he's being tortured. Bond also has the decency to ask how she is after such events - twice. Again, good job for including the check-in, but did we need this event? No. Ariadne got herself out of it by ruining the pleasure of the other two in the threesome, getting kicked out of bed because she ruined the fun entirely. That was her defense. I found it deeply unsettling that they didn't just drug her and leave her in a room - like literally everyone else. When I say women were used by the enemy as toys, I mean it. 

The Good

Otherwise, the book was a decent Bond adventure. You've got shooting, boat chases, Greek islands, trading boats with a local to hide, Bond escaping and killing a nasty villain...all the good stuff. For all the sexism, at least the women had brains and their own minds. It was worth it to finish it. If not for the above section, it'd be a four to five star. 

Bond is Bond. He's an accurate picture of the Ian Fleming Bond I enjoy reading. He also has the decency to check in with Ariadne after her forced threesome - twice, one of them when they are back from the whole adventure. He has a soul. It's good that he did that. Ariadne is also rather resilient - or putting on a brave face. She's not a character that crumbles easily. That was clear from the first meeting onward. I also liked that one of the women kept by Colonel Sun saved Bond from torture. She stood up to Sun. Unfortunately, she died very soon after. Sun had looked dead and he wasn't. 

Overall Thoughts

We have a three star Bond adventure here. I'd be lying if I said I loved it. I liked it at best. It was good fro the most part - just overshadowed by the preoccupation with sexual stuff. I can't say that sat well with me - it didn't. This one wasn't my favorite. I'm glad I read it, but not my favorite. 

If you read it, know that the sexism undertones are there. If you've read Fleming you'll be fine. That being said, I found the Ariadne threesome situation (not seen, just talked about) distasteful. Let me know what you think in the comments. 

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Morrow is coming out before Christmas 2025. This novella is the story of two women writing a family history for the Morrow family. They find a nasty secret while researching. Will they survive their internship? Find out when the book releases this year. 

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