format:paperback before you read the review of ark angel, you need to take into account that this is the sixth book in the engaging, entertaining, action--packed adventure series starring alex rider. if you haven't read the first five books in the series, you'll probably want to do that before you pick up ark angel. although it can stand on its own, you'll feel more in the loop by reading the previous books first.ark angel picks up immediately where scorpia, book five, left off. at the end of that book, we saw alex rider on the ground, wounded by a sniper's bullet. for those who thought that anthony horowitz was planning to kill off our favorite young mi6 agent, please be assured that ark angel does not in any way imply dead. alex is alive and relatively well, recuperating in an exclusive private hospital in london. the sniper's bullet missed his heart, instead bouncing off a rib and exiting out his arm. now, as he's recovering in posh room nine of the hospital, he becomes friends with paul. the same paul that turns out to be the son of nikolai drevin, one of the richest men in the world.when alex saves paul during a kidnapping attempt, nikolai invites alex to finish his recuperation at his estate. alex soon wonders at the wisdom of being in drevin's company, however, when he learns that an eco--terrorist group known as force three has threatened not only the drevin family, but the safety of the entire world.nikolai drevin's latest project, ark angel, is in full swing. designed to become the first ultimate luxury hotel in outer space, it contains everything the world's richest people could want. it's also, at least according to force three, a threat to the environment of earth as we know it. now the members of the terrorist group are out to stop ark angel from ever opening, and they'll do anything----and everything----they can to see their mission come to completion. even if it means hurtling the hotel back through the atmosphere and onto earth's surface.ark angel is another action--adventure read that will keep you turning pages right through to the end. alex rider has come a long way since the fourteen--year old boy roped into complying with mi6, but there's part of him that's still determined to leave the spy organization for good. yet he knows that his skills are needed, and the unending action of ark angel show in detail why that is. you won't go wrong with any of the books in the alex rider series, and i can say that i'm excited about the opening of the movie stormbreaker, the first alex rider adventure, which is in development now.reviewed by: jennifer wardrip, aka ""the genius"" read more ›