SilverFin is the first novel in the Young Bond series that depicts superspy James Bond as a teenager in the 1930s. It was written by Charlie Higson and released in the UK on March 3, 2005 by Puffin Books in conjunction with a large marketing campaign; a Canadian release of the same edition occurred in late March. The US edition, which was slightly edited for content, was released on April 27, 2005 by Miramax Books.

Because Ian Fleming never explicitly said when James Bond was born, Ian Fleming Publications and Higson chose the year 1920 as his birth year. SilverFin takes place in 1933.

Plot summary: SilverFin is broken up into three parts in addition to a prologue. In the prologue, an unnamed school boy is attacked by some eels while fishing in Loch Silverfin. Then from nowhere a mysterious man runs and jumps into the loch.

The first part of the book chronicles James Bond’s starting attendance at Eton School of learning which is one of the best schools in England. There he meets Pritpal, the son of an Indian maharajah. The two become good friends and live together in the dorms along with another of his friends, a Chinese boy named Tommy Chong.

Bond also comes into contact with George Hellebore, an American bully two years older than James. George’s father, Lord Randolph Hellebore is an armament dealer who sold weapons to various countries after World War I. It is later revealed that Lord Hellebore knew Bond’s father, Andrew Bond, who also sold arms while working for Vickers after the war. Lord Hellebore arrives at Eton to direct and host a tournament cup (“Hellebore Cup”) for the boys.

The competition is divided into three events: shooting, swimming, and running. Bond places seventh in shooting, third in his heat in swimming (which was not good enough to qualify for the final race), and first in cross country running. During the running sequence Lord Hellebore attempts to help his son cheat so that he could win the tournament; however, Bond after seeing George take a shortcut a first time decides to follow George the next time, and being the superior runner then passes him to win the race. George tries to trip James with his leg but loses his balance and falls into a mud puttle. Because Bond won first in running George Hellebore won only therd place in the cup overall, which was unacceptable by his father’s standard.

The second part of the novel details the Easter break. James travels to Scotland to meet his Aunt Charmian who is visiting Bond’s ailing uncle, Max, who is dying of cancer. Both Charmian and Max are siblings of Bond’s father, Andrew. It is also in this part of the novel that Higson reveals the details of Bond’s parents’ death, first mentioned in Ian Fleming’s You Only Live Twice. While travelling to Scotland, Bond befriends an older boy named “Red” Kelly who is travelling to the same place in search for his missing cousin, Alfie who disappeared whilst out fishing (thus tying in with the prologue). James also meets a girl called Wilder who loves riding.

While staying at his uncle’s place Bond learns how to drive his uncle’s car and finds out that his uncle was a spy during World War I. Bond also learns that Lord Randolph Hellebore owns a large stretch of land nearby that includes Loch Silverfin. He later meets back up with Red and ventures to Hellebore’s estate where the two encounter Mike “Meatpacker” Moran, a Pinkerton’s detective from New York City sent to investigate Lord Randolph Hellebore at the behest of Hellebore’s wife, who suspects Lord Randolph of having killed his brother, her lover, Algar. However, they later discover the detective dead and decayed in a pond full of eels.

The boys plan to infiltrate the castle by climbing a tree, but Red falls out of the tree and breaks his leg, and is unable to continue. James succeeds in entering the castle. After snooping around he bumps his head and is captured. When James regains consciousness he is tied to a table and Lord Hellebore begins to interrogate him. Hellebore explains to James that he and his brother set out to create better and stronger soldiers by manipulating the endocrine system. Because it is difficult to find humans to test on, Algar tested the first “SilverFin serum” on himself. Initially it worked, but later an increased dosage transformed Algar physically, giving him a distorted body.

Lord Hellebore subsequently perfected the serum and was able to turn it into a pill. The pill essentially acts a steroid making anyone who uses it more agile, stronger, etc. for a temporary set of time. Hellebore even tests this pill on his own son (as James had witnessed during the cross-country race). Lord Hellebore reveals that he tested the SilverFin serum on Alfie Kelly, the boy whom Bond is searching for, but Kelly’s heart gave out and he died.

Later Bond is also drugged with the SilverFin serum and locked in a cell. Bond, however, uses his enhanced abilities to escape the cell and the estate, with the help of Wilder Lawless (who kisses him at some point), only to return shortly later with George Hellebore as an ally to destroy Lord Randolph’s lab. George has increasingly become upset with his dreadful father and his work, and secretly wishes to be with his mother more than anything. The two destroy the lab and are later confronted by Lord Hellebore who intends to kill them both. Instead, however, he is drowned by his brother, Algar, who Lord Hellebore had imprisoned in the castle. Algar is also killed in the fight.

James collapses due to a lung infection and exhaustion shortly after and for ten days lies unconscious. When he regains consciousness he learns that George has moved back to America to be with his mother, and that his Uncle Max has passed away.

Graphic version: A graphic novel adaptation of SilverFin written by Charlie Higson and illustrated by artist Kev Walker was released by Puffin Books in the UK on October 2, 2008. It will be released by Disney Publishing in the US as both a hardcover and paperback in July 2010.