# SilverFin > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/SilverFin > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/SilverFin.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SilverFin > Source revision: 1356494856 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Novel by Charlie Higson SilverFin Puffin Books 2005 British paperback edition Author Charlie Higson Language English Series Young Bond Genre Spy novel Publisher Puffin Books Publication date 5 March 2005 Publication place United Kingdom Media type Print (hardcover and paperback) Pages 372 pp (first edition, paperback) ISBN 0-14-131859-7 (first edition, paperback) OCLC 59011406 Followed by Blood Fever ***SilverFin*** is a 2005 spy novel written by [Charlie Higson](/source/Charlie_Higson), and published by [Puffin Books](/source/Puffin_Books). The story focuses on the life of [Ian Fleming](/source/Ian_Fleming)'s superspy [James Bond](/source/James_Bond) as a teenager in the 1930s, in which he begins his school life at [Eton College](/source/Eton_College), before uncovering an unethical plan to create supersoldiers whilst spending his Easter holidays in Scotland. Several editions for the international market were created, including in [Canada](/source/Canada) and the [United States](/source/United_States). Higson's work spawned a special edition, alongside a graphic novel, while forming the basis for the *[Young Bond](/source/Young_Bond)* series. ## Plot 13 year-old James Bond starts attending [Eton College](/source/Eton_College), a prestigious English boarding school, where he makes friends with Indian student Pritpal, the son of a [Maharajah](/source/Maharajah), and [Chinese](/source/Chinese_people) student Tommy Chong. A few days after the new school year begins, Eton hosts a sporting tournament consisting of three events, all arranged by American businessman Lord Randolph Hellebore, whose son George attends the school but is perceived by other students as a bully. During the final event of the tournament, James spots George taking a shortcut, and decides to use it himself in order to win the race. This causes George to come third overall in the competition behind a rival student, much to the disgust of his father. When the Easter holidays arrive, James travels to Scotland to meet with his aunt Charmian, along with his ailing uncle Max, who is dying from [cancer](/source/Cancer). He spends time talking with them, including discussing the [death of his parents](/source/You_Only_Live_Twice_(novel)) and his uncle's life as a spy during the Great War, along with learning how to drive Max's car. Whilst travelling the country, Bond befriends a Scottish boy named "Red" Kelly, who is searching for his cousin Alfie, after they disappeared when they went out to fish at Loch Silverfin, and Wilder Lawless, a young girl at a local stables. James learns Hellebore owns a large stretch of land in Scotland that includes Loch Silverfin, and so teams up with Red to investigate Hellebore's castle estate. Arriving on the estate grounds, the pair discover the remains of a [Pinkerton](/source/Pinkerton_National_Detective_Agency) detective, who had been killed by eels living in Loch Silverfin. Through their possessions, they learn the detective was sent from [New York City](/source/New_York_City) by Hellebore's distant wife to investigate her husband, on suspicion Hellebore killed his brother Algar, who happened to be her lover. After Red injures himself, James breaks into the castle on his own, but knocks himself out whilst snooping around. When he regains consciousness, he finds himself interrogated by Hellebore, who reveals that Algar is alive and that the two brothers have been working on a supersoldier drug known as "Silverfin serum", designed to act as a [steroid](/source/Steroid) that affects the [endocrine system](/source/Endocrine_system). Algar tested the first batch of the serum on himself, but later dosages of it mutated him physically. Hellebore later perfected the serum, though dumped the waste of the manufacturing process into Loch Silverfin, mentally altering its eel population into vicious creatures. James learns Alfie was rescued by Algar when he was nearly attacked by the eels, only to be brought to Hellebore who used him test out the serum, dying from heart failure when his body couldn't handle the dosage. James is drugged with the serum by Hellebore and locked up, but escapes thanks to his enhanced abilities through an underwater entrance from the castle to Loch Silverfin. Aided by Wilder who witnesses his escape, the pair kiss, before she reveals that George is with her. James learns he is there in hopes of destroying his father's work, having despised his dreadful behaviour towards him. James joins with him to destroy the laboratory, only to be confronted by Hellebore. Before he can kill them with a double-barreled shotgun, Algar intervenes and forces both of them into Loch Silverfin. Hellebore shoots him, wounding Algar, whereupon his brother's blood attracts the eels who kill them. In the aftermath of his actions, James collapses due to a lung infection and exhaustion. Several days later, after recovering, he learns that George has moved back to America to be with his mother. He also learns Max has died, but is surprised to learn his uncle bequeathed him with his car. ## Development ### Connections to Bond canon - *SilverFin* begins with a similar opening to Ian Fleming's *[Casino Royale](/source/Casino_Royale_(novel))*. - Fleming: "The scent and smoke and sweat of a casino are nauseating at three in the morning." - Higson: "The smell and noise and confusion of a hallway full of schoolboys can be quite awful at twenty past seven in the morning." - Bond's Aunt Charmian drives an identical Bentley to one Bond drives in *Casino Royale* and in subsequent books. Bond also inherits his uncle's 1.5 liter Bamford & Martin Sidevalve Short Chassis Tourer. Bamford & Martin later became [Aston Martin](/source/Aston_Martin). - During a scene at a circus the announcer presents "The Mighty Donovan". "The Mighty O'Donovan" is [Donovan "Red" Grant's](/source/Red_Grant) father, referenced in *[From Russia, with Love](/source/From_Russia%2C_with_Love_(novel))*. - Lord Hellebore tells his son while they are hunting that they are a lot like Indians, and, when his son kills a deer, he says he is a true [Indian](/source/Indigenous_peoples_of_the_Americas). This is a reference to Ian Fleming's World War II days, where his soldiers were nicknamed '[Fleming's Indians](/source/30th_Assault_Unit)'. References to American Indians also appear in the novel *Casino Royale*, where Le Chiffre calls Bond a boy playing Indians, and on the last page, where Bond scolds himself for carelessly playing Indians while his enemies had been working right next to him. ### Title - Higson's original working title was *Out of Breath,* but it was felt this sounded too much like an [Elmore Leonard](/source/Elmore_Leonard) novel. Several permutations on "Silver" were tried, including "SilverBack", "SilverSkin", "SilverHead", and "SilverFist", before settling on "SilverFin". - A [hellebore](/source/Hellebore) is a poisonous plant often thought to resemble a rose, making a suitable name for the handsome but evil Lord Hellebore. ### International editions - When released in Germany in August 2005, *SilverFin* was retitled *Silent Waters Are Deadly*. - The U.S. edition of the book was edited to remove descriptions that were considered too racy for young readers. One such example includes a description of Wilder Lawless's legs during a tussle between herself and Bond. ## Publication history - 3 March 2005, [Puffin Books](/source/Puffin_Books), paperback, first British edition - 3 March 2005, Puffin Books, abridged audiobook, first British edition - Narrated by Charlie Higson. - 2 April 2005, [Miramax Books](/source/Miramax_Books), hardcover, first American edition - 6 October 2005, Puffin Books, hardcover, first British edition - Limited edition. 1000 copies numbered and signed by Charlie Higson. - 1 April 2006, Miramax Books, paperback, first American edition - 11 April 2006, Listening Library, unabridged audiobook, first American edition - Narrated by [Nathaniel Parker](/source/Nathaniel_Parker) ### 2011 special editions On 5 May 2011, Puffin Books released two special editions of *SilverFin*. First was a numbered, limited edition hardcover with a new introduction by Charlie Higson. It had a glow in the dark cover and came in an engraved Perspex slipcase. All copies were signed by Charlie Higson, and it was limited to 1,000 copies worldwide. Puffin also released a new special edition paperback with "all new material" and a redesigned cover.[1] ## In other media ### Graphic novel A [graphic novel](/source/Graphic_novel) adaptation of *SilverFin* written by Charlie Higson and illustrated by artist [Kev Walker](/source/Kev_Walker) was released by Puffin Books in the UK on 2 October 2008[2] and by Disney Hyperion in the U.S. on 18 May 2010.[3] ## See also - [Outline of James Bond](/source/Outline_of_James_Bond) ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["EXCLUSIVE: NEW YOUNG BOND SILVERFIN SPECIAL EDITIONS"](http://www.thebookbond.com/2011/02/exclusive-young-bond-silverfin-special.html). *The Book Bond*. Retrieved 22 February 2011. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["SilverFin The Graphic Novel released in UK"](http://youngbonddossier.com/Young_Bond/Danger_Society_News/Entries/2008/10/2_SILVERFIN_THE_GRAPHIC_NOVEL_OUT_TODAY.html). *The Young Bond Dossier*. Retrieved 2 October 2008. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["SilverFin Graphic Novel released today in the US"](http://youngbonddossier.com/Young_Bond/Danger_Society_News/Entries/2010/5/18_SilverFin_The_Graphic_Novel_released_today_in_the_USA.html). *The Young Bond Dossier*. Retrieved 5 June 2010. ## External links - [Official Young Bond website](http://www.youngbond.com/) - [CommanderBond.net interviews Charlie Higson](https://web.archive.org/web/20070203194642/http://commanderbond.net/article/2677) - [The Young Bond Dossier](http://youngbonddossier.com) - [MI6.co.uk - Full SilverFin coverage](https://web.archive.org/web/20050127100023/http://www.mi6.co.uk/sections/literary/silverfin.php3) v t e James Bond in literature James Bond James Bond series Ian Fleming Casino Royale (1953) Live and Let Die (1954) Moonraker (1955) Diamonds Are Forever (1956) From Russia, with Love (1957) Dr. No (1958) Goldfinger (1959) For Your Eyes Only (1960) Thunderball (1961) The Spy Who Loved Me (1962) On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1963) You Only Live Twice (1964) The Man with the Golden Gun (1965) Octopussy and The Living Daylights (1966) Kingsley Amis Colonel Sun (1968) John Pearson James Bond: The Authorized Biography of 007 (1973) Christopher Wood James Bond, the Spy Who Loved Me (1977) James Bond and Moonraker (1979) John Gardner Licence Renewed (1981) For Special Services (1982) Icebreaker (1983) Role of Honour (1984) Nobody Lives for Ever (1986) No Deals, Mr. Bond (1987) Scorpius (1988) Win, Lose or Die (1989) Brokenclaw (1990) The Man from Barbarossa (1991) Death Is Forever (1992) Never Send Flowers (1993) SeaFire (1994) Cold (1996) Raymond Benson Zero Minus Ten (1997) The Facts of Death (1998) High Time to Kill (1999) DoubleShot (2000) Never Dream of Dying (2001) The Man with the Red Tattoo (2002) Sebastian Faulks Devil May Care (2008) Jeffery Deaver Carte Blanche (2011) William Boyd Solo (2013) Anthony Horowitz Trigger Mortis (2015) Forever and a Day (2018) Spin-off works R. D. Mascott The Adventures of James Bond Junior 003½ (1967) Young Bond series Charlie Higson SilverFin (2005) Blood Fever (2006) Double or Die (2007) Hurricane Gold (2007) By Royal Command (2008) Steve Cole Shoot to Kill (2014) Heads You Die (2016) The Moneypenny Diaries Samantha Weinberg Guardian Angel (2005) Secret Servant (2006) Final Fling (2008) Unofficial works Take Over (1970) The Killing Zone (1985) Unpublished works Per Fine Ounce (1966) Related works Double O Seven, James Bond, A Report (1964) The James Bond Dossier (1965) The Book of Bond (1965) The James Bond Bedside Companion (1984) The Battle for Bond (2007) Danger Society: The Young Bond Dossier (2009) Related James Bond uncollected short stories Bibliography of works on James Bond James Bond comic strips James Bond (comics) Authority control databases MusicBrainz work Open Library --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [SilverFin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SilverFin) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SilverFin?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.