This took me longer to read than I expected, because I love Bond—both the movie version, and the literary version, which is the focus of this collection.

I will say this started out strong with an interesting and enigmatic opening story, followed by the best story of the collection as the second, by Robert J. Wiersema. I won't blow it, but I will say that, with his story, Wiersma effectively rewrote the entire reason for Bond's service in one neat little story.

After that, I found the book settled into a reasonably predictable rhythm of Bond stories, occasionally feeling like they broke from canon a little too often, or at least contradicted themselves from story to story (Bond is set financially for retirement / Bond doesn't have enough money, Bond easily recalls the women he's been with / Bond sees all women the same, etc.). For the most part, however, the stories were well-written, and engaging.

The second standout came toward the end of the book with Ian Rogers' story where he posits a bleak future for Bond. Again, really took a chance here, much like Wiersema, but it paid off.

Overall, if you love Bond, you'll definitely find some fun stuff in here. ( )

An interesting collection, many of the stories show Fleming's bond against modern views of race, gender and colonialism. Some of the stories work better than others. Overall worth seeking out. ( )

Haiku summary:
In nineteen stories,
From Eton to Jamaica,
James Bond forever. ( )