Never Dream of Dying Book

Updated review 4/22/2020
Leading up to "No Time to Die" I am re-reading as many Bond novels as possible.

I was unsure of re-reading "Never Dream of Dying" - because it is an emotional rollercoaster for the literary Bond fan.

Raymond Benson has a lot of audacity, frankly, as he conjures up some sacred ground from Ian Fleming and boldly takes it in an unexpected direction.

Furthermore, the torture scene is taken to a new level. The deaths and how they play out are taken to a new level. What our heroes go through are taken to a new level.

And while most James Bond novels follow a certain formula, this one turns it on its head. The unexpected arrives often, and involves characters we've known since "Casino Royale."

The best Bond novel ever is "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" and this book - like no other Bond novel or continuation novel - extends that story in an unforeseen way.

James Bond faces hidden opponents and never-before-experienced occurrences as he tracks down the head of the Union once and for all.

4 stars.

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Something Raymond Benson does quite effectively is weave his stories through the tapestries of the Fleming lore and this story is no different, albeit in a more poignant and controversial way. He treads on sacred ground here, but does it respectfully though I still am not 100% sure how I feel about it.

That said, right up until the chilling conclusion, this one navigates through interesting terrain - that of the subconscious and nearly superhuman - but does it in a realistic way, integrating familiar elements like casinos and baccarat into the final showdown with the Union.

4 stars.