About the Author

Mark Walden spent a decade as a video game designer and producer before becoming a fulltime writer and father. He has a BA in English literature and an MA in 20th-century literature, film, and television, both from Newcastle University. He is the author of the H.I.V.E. series and the Earthfall Trilogy and lives with his family in the United Kingdom.

Reviews

Villain-in-training Otto is back in H.I.V.E.: The Overlord Protocol by Mark Walden. When Otto's friend falls prey to a powerful new foe, Otto, his friends and a former enemy join forces to seek vengeance and save the world from imminent destruction. (S&S, $15.99 384p ages 10-14 ISBN 9781-4169-3573-5; Jan.) Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.

Gr 5-9-If Alex Rider attended a school for bad guys, he'd end up at the Higher Institute of Villainous Education. In this follow-up to H.I.V.E.: Higher Institute of Villainous Education (S & S, 2007), the action doesn't stop for a moment. The story begins with Otto Malpense falling through the sky at a speed "beyond acceptable parameters." It then flashes back two weeks to an assassination attempt on the life of Dr. Nero, headmaster of H.I.V.E., and the adrenaline keeps pumping from there. The mysterious Cypher is plotting some move against Dr. Nero that begins with the murder of Otto's friend Wing and continues with the mobilization of an army of assassins that is both unbelievably fast and nearly indestructible. Everything is connected somehow to the Overlord Protocol, an AI that went rogue and was then destroyed soon after it was booted up 15 years earlier. Now Otto and his friends, along with Dr. Nero and his staff, must work to counter Cypher and his ninjas. Plot twists and startling revelations continue to the very end. The conclusion suggests that a sequel is inevitable. Just-over-the-horizon technology gives this thriller a bit of a science-fiction flavor, and it's sure to appeal to readers interested in novels that combine action and intrigue.-Eric Norton, McMillan Memorial Library, Wisconsin Rapids, WI Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.