This is a spoiler free review where I will give overall impressions and thoughts, without explicitly revealing anything about the plot which isn’t in the marketing of King Zero.
“Is this a faithful version of James Bond?”
I suspect this is the question most James Bond fans will ask. The answer is yes, and no.
Literary Bond is my favorite version of James Bond. I say this because I think any faithful adaptation or continuation of Ian Fleming’s James Bond on the page is going to be a different version than the cinematic hero a reader or fan may expect.
With this in mind, I think Charlie Higson captures most of the image and attitude of Ian Fleming’s James Bond perfectly on the page. Continuing from his work on On His Majesty’s Secret Service, I feel like Higson’s Bond is best described as a disinterested observer. He’s not passive and maintains an active role in the plot, but it feels like there’s a world of distance between Bond’s attitude and the activity of the modern characters he encounters.
The best James Bond novels know they are not a standard thriller. King Zero manages to maintain a kinetic pace and larger than life plot. The scheme manages to be unique but similar at the same time. It has a video game like feel, where James Bond moves through “levels,” in the plot getting closer to the ultimate climax of the novel. This is how most books work, but I feel the mechanics in King Zero.
There’s plenty of globetrotting and exotic locations. Intriguing characters and gorgeous set pieces for the actions sequences.
The supporting cast was brilliantly written, with the MI6 characters creating some of my favorite moments in the story.
Some of the villains of the story are very unique and entertaining, while others are generic. As mentioned by Barbara Broccoli when describing the time it takes to create a Bond script, it is a challenge to create anything truly unique for James Bond to face. Within the scope of the books and films over the decades, James Bond has fought almost every permutation of adversary. That said, Higson still keeps it mostly fresh yet familiar.
The women of the book I think would be best represented as, “Bond Women,” instead of “Bond Girls.” The difference will either improve or distract from your reading experience depending on your preference.
Higson recognizes and handles the use of AI and a digital landscape deftly, both integrating it into the story and forcing the characters to use physical and tactile means to solve problems.
Summary
This is the first truly contemporary James Bond novel since 2011’s Carte Blanche by Jeffery Deaver, and the world has changed a lot in that time. I went into the book curious if a contemporary James Bond adventure could still work.
King Zero not only surpassed my expectations, it entertained my thoroughly. I read it in three nights, which may be the highest compliment I can give.
King Zero is a great addition to the James Bond novels. Charlie Higson understands how to write James Bond on a thrilling spy adventure, I hope this is the first of many James Bond adventures to come from him.
Thank you Ian Fleming Publications and Blackstone Publishing (the publishing partner in the US) for providing a copy of King Zero by Charlie Higson from NetGalley.
King Zero will be available in the UK on September 24th, 2026 and in the US on November 17th, 2026.
