By Royal Command is the fifth novel in the Young Bond series depicting Ian Fleming’s superspy James Bond as a teenager in the 1930s. The novel, written by Charlie Higson, takes place in 1934 and see James at the age of 14. Locations include The Alps (Kitzbuhel), England, France, Lisbon, and Vienna.

Plot summary: Recovering in a clinic after saving the life of a school contemporary in the vast expanse of the Swiss Alps, James witnesses a sinister scene and meets Graf von Schlick. Has as James seen the Graf somewhere before..? Later, he meets the royal princesses and then their uncle, the King, himself. And then Sedova, a senior member of the Russian secret service turns up at school. Despite promising his friends he’ll be the model schoolboy, James is back in the thick of international action.

James also falls in love with a tough witty and beautiful maid, Roan Power. But then as always James is deceived by the ones he trusts the most. Roan and her fellow communist husband, Dandy O’Keefe plan to blow up the church and the visiting dignitaries including the Royal Family and also have plans for Bond. After destroying Dandy’s plan James finds himself running from the SIS as well as Sedova. But what Bond tries to figure out is why are so many people after him?

After being caught by SIS James finds that his favourite teacher, Mr. Merriot is a SIS recruit and now requires James’ help. James is told to deceive his love, Roan, who doesn’t yet know that her husband has been slain. But as he leads Roan into the SIS trap, he decides that he must save her from these shadow games of secret services. And they both run away from England and to Continental Europe. Eventually after weeks of running from God knows who all? They find a haven in Bond’s friend’s farmhouse. However, this time around it is Roan that leads James into a trap.

Roan informs her handlers and they are arrested by Graf’s men and taken to his castle. There James discovers that the Graf is Dr Perseus Friend, who James encountered in his adventures in Scotland. Friend tells Bond that he escaped by using Hellebore’s aeroplane after injecting himself with the Silverfin serum because he was badly burnt. The serum helped him reach Germany where he joined the fascist movement and plans to destroy England and Soviet Union. On the other hand, Roan is shocked to learn that she is working for the fascist and not the communists.

However like always James escapes and rescues Roan too. While escaping Roan dies due to the cross fire between SIS, Sedova’s troops and Dr. Friends Fascists. The SIS defeat the communists and fascists but Sedova as always manages to escape. The SIS and Mr. Merriot make up a cover story to escape embarrassment and record that James Bond left Eton College after just two halves instead of the four halves that he spent there. Mr. Merriot also informs James that he will be moved to Fettes, which was his father’s school.Which is where Perry Mandeville now goes to school after the danger society was found out by the beaks, and he, as founder was expelled.