Dark Sun by Robert Muchamore- Review by Carlyn

Dark Sun by Robert Muchamore is a short story that is part of the Cherub series. It was written in celebration of World Book Day. The Cherub series is about a secret spy organization called Cherubs where children are used as spies. Dark Sun follows the adventure of Greg Rathbone  who is a secondary character in the series. In this story, his mission is to sabotage the plans of Dark Sun, a terrorist group from creating nuclear weapons. He does this by becoming friends with the son of the lead chemical engineer, Kurt Lydon.

This book is a bonus book that is good for fans of the books rather than a person who hasn’t read the series. The adventure is short and ordinary involving Rathbone and his partner Andy changing the plans for a nuclear weapon so that it doesn’t work. I considered the book to be like an extra chapter. It reminded me that sometimes spy work isn’t all about long missions, blowing up stuff and punching bad guys..

I have read most of the Cherub books and I’m trying to collect them all. There’s also a spin off series called Henderson’s Boys which is a prequel series about child spies in World War 2 . I have read one of the books from that series and I will probably read more of them.

What I like Muchamore’s spy series is that it’s set in the present day and the spies use the technology that is currently available instead of the futuristic high tech stuff found in other books and movies. The plotlines have featured cults, drug rings, terrorists and gangsters and it’s no Home Alone style violence so it may make some parents uncomfortable. I would let my future kids read it if they were interested but I wouldn’t put the books in my classroom.

I recommend the Cherubs series and Henderson’s Boys for anyone who wants to read something action packed and fast paced.