Spy fiction is a common genre when it comes to books and Stormbreaker, by Anthony Horowitz is a good example. This is due to the novel's protagonist, a youth with unrealistic skills; an antagonist, along with a couple of henchmen; and action scenes were the protagonist barely escapes.
Stereotypes are commonly found in most stories and Stormbreaker is no exception, especially with the Alex Ryder being one the most stereotypical character in the novel, beside him being 14, however this does not make him substandard, as predictable characters can be interesting too. Alex is unrealistic because, like many spy fiction novels, he’s unrealistically young to be a spy, but this is not a bad thing. It gives the reader the chance to compare the main
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It is not until near the end of the story we find out his more troubled childhood, even after he has been taken to England. Similar to most basic storybook villains, Sayle had a bad childhood growing up in poverty and this could possibly be that reason for his bad deeds, but as the story continues Sayle is said to have been adopted into a rich family. This information makes the reader doubt whether or not Sayle is the villain. He is described as a kind, charismatic and generous person who is friends with the Prime Minister and making the reader doubt their own judgement is a another reason why Stormbreaker is a good example of spy fiction. Sayle’s intentions with the Stormbreaker computers do seem extreme. Along with his own brilliance, Sayle has a collection of henchmen; Mr.Grin and Nadia Vole are the main two. Yassen Gregorovich is also a bad guy in the story, but he is not working for Sayle directly. Mr. Grin and Vole are two excellent choices for henchmen, as they are both somewhat outcasts who have had Sayle give them their jobs. So, although Sayle’s reasons for wanting revenge on London are lacking, his manipulative, evil personality and great choice of henchmen make him a great antagonist for