Scorpia (novel)
| First edition cover Scorpia Cover | |
| Author | Anthony Horowitz |
|---|---|
| Original title | action |
| Language | English |
| Series | Alex Rider series |
| Genre | Adventure, Spy novel |
| Publisher | Walker Books (UK) |
Publication date | 1 April 2004 |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 369 pg. (first edition, paperback) 388 pg. (second edition, paperback) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-7445-8323-3 (first edition, paperback) Parameter error in {{ISBNT}}: invalid character |
| Preceded by | Eagle Strike |
| Followed by | Ark Angel |
Scorpia is the fifth book in the Alex Rider series written by British author Anthony Horowitz. The book was released in the United Kingdom on April 1, 2004 and in the United States on March 17, 2005. It takes place several weeks after the events of fourth book, Eagle Strike, and up to nine days before the sixth, Ark Angel.
Plot
In a secret meeting room of criminal organization Scorpia, Julia Rothman briefs her colleagues on their latest project, codenamed "Invisible Sword." It is a plan to kill all schoolchildren aged 12 and 14 in Great Britain.
Alex Rider is on a trip with his friend Tom Harris in Venice in search of Scorpia. Right before Yassen died, he told Alex "Go to Venice, find Scorpia, and you will find your destiny." With the help of Tom, Alex manages to sneak into Julia Rothman's party (one of nine Scoripia executives), infiltrating her office. He overhears a conversation between Rothman and Dr. Harold Liebermann, the executive of a pharmaceutical company Consanto. Nile, a Scorpia assassin, finds Alex and asks him why he is there; Alex identifies himself as Alex Rider. Nile places him in a water chamber, leaving him to drown. Alex escapes and takes a train with Tom to visit Tom's brother, Jerry.
Jerry agrees to help Alex infiltrate Consanto Enterprises via BASE jumping. Alex successfully lands inside the building. He is spotted by Dr. Liebermann, who is about to call security; Nile shows up and kills Liebermann. He then sets a bomb in his suitcase, setting the facility to explode and takes Alex to see Rothman which Nile explains was at her request.
Rothman meets Alex for dinner, and offers him a job at Scorpia. Alex declines, but says he would like to know the truth about his father's death. Rothman agrees and tells Alex that Scorpia became interested in John's services and hired him as an assassin and teacher at their training school on the island of Malagosto. Rider killed several men, and taught countless other assassins. Rothman tells him he was captured by MI6 as part of a trap.
MI6 offered John back in exchange for a citizen's son who Scorpia had held ransom and was intending to murder. Scorpia accepted the offer, and an exchange was arranged at the Albert Bridge. Scorpia video taped the exchange. MI6 double-crossed Scorpia and a sniper shot John in the back as he was crossing the bridge and the British citizen's son escaped. Rothman shows Alex on the video tape that Mrs. Jones, deputy head of MI6 Coverte Operations, issued the order to kill John. Hearing this, Alex joins Scorpia.
Alex begins training at Scorpia's school but tells its principal he doesn't have the killing instinct and will be unable to assassinate. As Alex's first assignment, and a ice breaker for Alex, Julia Rothman sends Alex to murder Mrs. Jones. Scorpia sends the English a list of demands that the Americans must obide by or tens of thousands of British school children will die. Scorpia warns MI6 that they will murder the English reserve football (soccer) team as a demonstration for "Invisible Sword." When the team lands, they soon drop dead upon arrival at London Heathrow Airport. In the resulting chaos, Alex sneaks back into England.
Alex infiltrates Jones' apartment. He hesitates at first, but is goaded into shooting her. Although he shoots, he cannot bring himself to shoot Jones in cold blood, so he subconciously tilts the gun away as he fires. Although he fires, he hits a large pane of bulletproof glass that he has not noticed and that Scorpia did not know about. Alex is arrested and taken to see Alan Blunt. Blunt takes Alex to a Cabinet Office meeting to discuss Invisible Sword. With Alex's help, they determine during the meeting that Scorpia embedded nanoshells into the soccer players' bloodstream. The nanoshells were in vaccinations, and contained cyanide, which were activated by satellite dishes. They realize that Scorpia will do the same to every child in London, since they had been recently vaccinated.
MI6 sends Alex to infiltrate Scorpia with a retainer in his mouth that is also a tracking device. Alex himself was injected with the nanoshells during a Scorpia inspection. Rothman brings Alex to witness the Invisible Sword at an abandoned church. Alex sees the satellites, concealed in a balloon, which will be activated at a thousand feet. He then activates the retainer and the SAS arrives. Alex escapes in the balloon. Mrs. Rothman orders Nile to follow him, but Alex forces him off. He then damages the satellites and the balloon plummets. The satellites fall on Rothman as she tries to escape.
Alex is debriefed by MI6, and learns that his father was a double agent pretending to work for Scorpia. MI6 pulled him out after Rothman fell in love with him. Jones tells him that they staged the bridge scene. MI6 then sent John and Helen to France on vacation, but Alex stayed behind due to an ear infection. Mrs. Rothman learned that John had faked his death, and ordered one of Scorpia's agents to detonate a bomb in their plane, killing them both. The Scorpia agent who killed Alex's parents is revealed in Snakehead.
As Alex steps out onto the street, he is shot by a Scorpia sniper that was paid $50,000 to take revenge on Alex for ruining Operation Invisible Sword, and he falls, "seeing his parents" before losing consciousness.
Reception
The official review from Amazon.com said "Fans of the Alex Rider Adventures will not be disappointed by the slam-bang action in this fifth book in the spy thriller series, although the ending may leave them feeling a bit dismayed." [[1]]
Awards
1st in children's fiction's bestsellers list. [[2]]