BOY SOLDIER

Full Name:	Danny Watts
Nationality:	British
Organization:	MI6
Occupation	Agent

Creator:	Andy McNab
Time Span:	2005 - 2008

ABOUT THE SERIES

Danny Watts is a sometime agent for MI6.

Sometime meaning here that he is not an actual operative but does do an occasional little thing for them, their attitude it seems, which nearly gets him killed. This is the same MI6 that tried initially to kill his grandfather and since Watts was with him at them time, kill Watts as well.

When we first meet Watts he is 17 years old. The overall title for the series is 'Boy Soldier' though that is a tad misleading since Watts is 17 when the first recorded adventure takes place. We learn straight off that he has had dreams of becoming a soldier for some time and in our introduction to him he is taking part in a selection process for a bursary (scholarship) to get to university and then, hopefully, Sandhurst Military Academy.

Technically an orphan since his parents were killed a decade before, Watts is a resident of Foxcroft, "a privately run hostel for teenagers". He has been there for that last five years, dreaming of growing up enough to fulfill his military plans.

At 5'10 with a slim build with a skill in cross country racing, Watts is physically well qualified for his desired career and though his academic studies are not top of the line, they are nevertheless good enough to not be a hindrance. What will be the big obstacle which he will face comes to him out of the blue when he learns that it is his grandfather who will be the cause of his rejection.

Fergus Watts was an SAS veteran seconded to MI6 for a very special and very sensitive mission to Columbia going against the cartels when he supposedly turned traitor for money, completely bolluxed the ongoing operation, and got himself thrown into that South American prison. His reputation then being totally shot, that ignominy got extended to the younger Watts.

The first two adventures will deal with the 'resurrection' of Fergus and the work by he and Danny Watts to find the real traitor and clear the family name. The next two will be the times that Watts will be sometime agent once his name is no longer said with a snarl. Well, technically I think the last mission was more for MI5 than MI6 but perhaps that is quibbling.

Assisting the Watts for the first two matters and then working side-ty-side with Watts in the last two is Elena Omolodon, a close friend of Watts from his Foxcroft days and a computer whiz who will prove immensely valuable to the two Watts during their struggles. She will also prove to be even closer to Watts as time goes by.

YOUNG ADULT BOOKS

Number of Books:	4
First Appearance:	2005
Last Appearance:	2008


1			Boy Soldier Written by Andy McNab, Robert Rigby Copyright: 2005 When 17-yr old Danny Watts is told his dream of becoming a soldier would never happen, he is miffed. The cause is his grandfather, an SAS soldier who, while on a mission for MI6, betrayed his country for drug money. The elder was said to have been left to rot and die in a Columbian jail. Watts knows, though, that the man is really living in the UK under an alias and Watts is determined to find and expose him.

2			Payback Written by Andy McNab, Robert Rigby Copyright: 2008 "Seventeen-year-old Danny and his grandfather, ex-SAS explosives expert Fergus, are on the run again, with their cover in southern Spain blown. Encouraged by the mysterious Deveraux, they return to London to confront their ruthless enemy in MI6, Fincham. But a teenage suicide bomber has brought death and destruction to the heart of Westminster. And there seem to be plenty of other willing martyrs. As the trap is sprung, Danny and Fergus have to break into Northwood, and it is up to computer whiz Elena to trawl the Deep Web to help them find the information they need to put a stop to the nightmare."

3			Avenger Written by Andy McNab, Robert Rigby Copyright: 2008 "Having proved his grandfather Fergus’ innocence, Danny Watts and his friend Elena have now been recruited by the British government for a dangerous assignment. Elena must impersonate a would-be suicide bomber to win the confidence of Black Star, the master computer hacker who is behind the rash of teenage bombings that have swept the globe. When Black Star sends Elena to New York, Danny and Fergus come along to keep an eye on her. But Fergus knows that once this mission is over, the government will have them all eliminated. As Elena begins to fall under Black Star’s spell, it will take all of Danny’s survival training to find a way out."

4			Meltdown Written by Andy McNab, Robert Rigby Copyright: 2008 "A lethal new drug with devastating side effects, known as Meltdown, is threatening to destabilize society. Dudley knows that the security services have to act fast, and when his 4 x 4 arrives at their remote hideout in the Canadian lakes, eighteen-year-old Danny and his grandfather, ex-SAS hero Fergus Watts, are once again sucked into a deadly undercover operation and a race against time."

MY COMMENTS

British action-adventure author Andy McNab is known for his always exciting stories and this series, designed for young adults, i.e., tweens and teens, does not disappoint. How much of the writing he did is unknown; likely he lent his name and some direction to the project while co-author Robert Rigby did the heavy lifting.

Whatever the case, this is a solid and enjoyable series that I would gladly recommend to anyone of that age group and, considering that I liked it and I am 4-5 times that amount, even a bunch older.

GRADE

My Grade: B

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