Alex Rider is a fourteen-year-old spy for Britain’s intelligence agency, MI6, in this thirteen-book young adult series. In the first novel, Stormbreaker, published in 2001, Alex Rider investigates the suspicious death of his uncle and guardian.
While investigating, Alex is sucked into the elusive Special Operations Division and blackmailed into working for England. Each book tells of a heart-racing operation as Alex goes on dangerous expeditions and missions worldwide!
The Alex Rider adventure series continues to be a monumental success, with thirteen novels, a collection of short stories, and an Amazon Original series.
About Anthony Horowitz
Anthony Horowitz is an English writer for books and television shows. He has published over fifty books in his career and is known for several major series. His bestselling megahit series, the Alex Rider books, put him on the map for young adult and Children’s literature.
Born in England in 1955, Anthony Horowitz knew he wanted to be a writer by age eight. His first book, published in 1978, is titled Enter Frederick K Bower.
His books are mysteries, thrillers, and adventures; many are bestsellers.
20 Best Young Adult Books Like The Alex Rider Series
The Chosen by Taran Matharu
Cade is wrongfully convicted and sent on a plane with other teen criminals, only to realize they’ve been transported to a different world.
Soon a dangerous game of survival kickstarts, and Cade must use his wits, resources, and skills to find a way back home.
In this battle royale novel, Taran Matharu writes an intelligent and likable main character reminiscent of Alex Rider.
You can get the first book in the Contender trilogy here!
You Don’t Know My Name by Kristen Orlando
With parents in the most high-powered and influential agency on the planet, Reagan grows up training in combat, spy networking, and the business of secret identities.
But after seventeen years of lies and keeping secrets, Reagan longs for a rudimentary life. The closer she gets to eighteen, the more choices she faces until she finally decides: work with the Black Angels or go down a different path.
You Don’t Know My Name by Kristen Orlando is the first book in a plot-twisting trilogy. You can get it here!
Renegades by Marissa Meyer
Villains versus heroes. Good versus evil. Renegades versus Anarchists.
The sides seem simple enough, but lines become blurred when Nova, an Anarchist villain, goes undercover to work with the Renegades: famous superheroes protecting and running Gatlon city.
Hidden identities, superpowers, and two battling sides, Renegades is the first book in a trilogy by mega bestseller Marissa Meyer, author of The Lunar Chronicles.
The Danger Zonetrilogy kickstarts in this first book about Max Gordon, who is attacked by an assassin at his boarding school in England and must follow a string of clues to find his missing father. Along the way, he discovers an even bigger threat to the world.
High stakes and full of action, this first book in The Danger Zone trilogy will satisfy and excite adventure readers.
Fifteen-year-old twins Rich and Jade go on a rescue mission to find their kidnapped father and become entangled in a more extensive international scheme in the first book of the Rich and Jade series.
Fans of Alex Rider will enjoy this multi-book series for similarities in ever-changing action plots and heist-y scenarios.
This award-winning science fiction book about teen bounty hunter Emika Chen going undercover in a virtual reality game is action-packed with a staggering cast of great characters and one-of-a-kind.
Filled with secrets, dangerous missions, and a cyberpunk aesthetic, Warcross is fantastic for fans of Alex Rider looking for their next great read.
A kid with intense martial arts skills, Jason Steed travels to Britain on a rescue mission for a special ops team and, in the process, must save the entire world from nuclear war.
Fledgling jumpstarts the eight-book series full of espionage and action!
Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong
Historical espionage in Shanghai meets conspiracies in this fast-paced young adult novel by Chloe Gong.
Rosalind has a secret involving her hidden identity, Fortune, that’s become a legend on the streets of Shanghai. When she is partnered with Orion Hong and poses as his bride, the pair uncover a string of political secrets and fall in love in the process.
Amongst the intrigue and spy work in Foul Lady Fortune, Gong creates a thrilling read from start to finish.
You can get the historical action-packed fantasy book here!
Boy Nobody: I Am the Weapon by Allen Zadoff
Ben doesn’t know his real name or his past. What he does know is this: he’s an assassin going undercover to kill the mayor of New York.
But he doesn’t expect the mayor’s daughter or the questions about the people who hired him.
Boy Nobody: I Am the Weapon is the first book in the Unknown Assassin trilogy. It follows Ben as he navigates a world of questions, schemes, and danger.
Jennifer Lynn Barnes is the bestselling author of the viral Inheritance Games series. But before she wrote that BookTok-famous trilogy, she wrote The Naturals.
In The Naturals, the FBI sends Cassie and a group of teens to solve cases and crimes. Together, they combine their unique skill sets to stop a new killer before it’s too late.
I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You (Gallagher Girls series) by Ally Carter
In the first book in the six-book series, Cammie Morgan is a sophomore at Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women. She’s taught martial arts, chemical warfare, and how to hack and code. There are many things she’s learning as a spy, but how to be an average teenager is not on the list.
Whereas Alex Rider is a staple for action-filled adventure books for tween and teen boys, the Gallagher Girls series is the same for tween and teen girls, though all ages, genders, and readers across the globe enjoy both series.
You can get I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill Youhere!
City Spies by James Ponti
In this award-winning book series for a younger audience, a hacker is recruited along with other teens from around the world to become members of MI6.
Through the action and journeys the characters experience, there’s also a level of deep interiority for the characters that make City Spies that much more enjoyable.
Six of Crows follows a group of misfits and outcasts who work together to save their world.
The world-building in this series is one of a kind, and the array of characters with different skill sets akin to spy work will delight readers of Alex Rider.
This hit duology is a Netflix original series combined with the author’s other bestselling series, Shadow and Bone.
At an elite boarding school where students learn weaponry and other unusual subjects, November must play detective when a fellow student is found murdered.
On a journey for the truth, November encounters various characters and situations that will leave readers’ hearts pounding.
Ali Cross fights to prove his father’s (Alex Cross) innocence in this adventurous middle-grade detective story.
Ali Cross serves action, thrills, and mystery in the series’ first book. You can get it here!
I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys
I Must Betray You follows Cristian Florescu, a blackmailed Romanian teenager who becomes an informer for the secret police of Romania in 1989.
In an isolated country run by a dictator, Cristian uses his new position as an informer to uncover secrets of the regime and expose the truth about what’s happening in his country while watching his back on who will betray him next.
I Must Betray You is young adult historical fiction and a more serious book. Still, its suspense likens it to Alex Rider, and fans of the ever-changing plot will find this read compelling and authentic.
You can get I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys here!
Final Thoughts
Secret agents, spy gadgets, and thrilling escapades await in these 20 books likened to the Alex Rider adventures series.
A teenage boy who saves the world repeatedly, Alex Rider is an exciting series for teens, tweens, and anyone looking for a heart-pounding adventure read.
These similar books will lead you down daring quests, heart-pounding missions, and action-packed stunts!
FAQs
How many Alex Rider books are there?
There are currently thirteen novels, with Horowitz sharing plans to publish Nightshade Revenge, the fourteenth Alex Rider book soon.
How many seasons of Alex Rider are there?
There are currently two seasons of the Alex Rider tv series with sixteen episodes total. The show is renewed for a new season.
In what order should I read Alex Rider books?
The reading order for the Alex Rider series is as follows: Stormbreaker (2000) Point Blanc (2001) Skeleton Key (2002) Eagle Strike (2003) Scorpia (2004) Ark Angel (2005) Snakehead (2007) Crocodile Tears (2009) Scorpia Rising (2011) Russian Roulette (2013) Never Say Die (2017) Nightshade (2020) Secret Weapon: a Short Story Collection (2019) Nightshade Revenge (2023)
Is Alex Rider suitable for kids?
The series follows a 14-year-old boy, and the book series is suitable for grades 5+ and ages 10+, according to Publishers Weekly.
Hi! I'm Taylor, and I've always loved getting lost in a good book. Book stores and libraries are my happy spaces, and reading is my favorite form of escape from the pressures of everyday life. When I'm not reading, I'm writing my own novels, working on blog posts, and freelancing while blasting Taylor Swift's music. I have a degree in English—Creative Writing from the University of North Carolina at Asheville, where I studied under amazing writers, including New York Times best-selling author Wiley Cash. I've worked at my local library in the Children's and Teen departments and love sharing all things literary as a community! Happy reading! PS: Find me on Instagram @taylor_brazzill
