Clara’s Verdict
Robert Muchamore’s CHERUB series has always known what it is doing – high-octane spy fiction with teenage protagonists that never condescends to its audience – and Brigands M.C., the eleventh instalment, demonstrates the formula at its most structurally inventive. The decision to unfurl Dante Scott’s backstory in parallel with the main mission gives this book a formal ambition that distinguishes it from its predecessors. Simon Scardifield, who has narrated the series with distinction, is on typically strong form. A very good entry in a reliable series.
About the audiobook
Dante Scott still wakes from nightmares about the night his family was murdered by a biker gang. Given the chance to join CHERUB – the covert organisation that trains child agents because adults never suspect children of espionage – he seizes it, and finds himself sent on a mission to infiltrate the Brigands Motorcycle Club alongside the familiar figures of James and Lauren Adams. For Dante, this is not just an assignment. It is a personal reckoning.
Muchamore uses the dual timeline structure to considerable effect: we learn about Dante’s life before CHERUB and how he came to be recruited at the same moment that James and Lauren were beginning their careers, while also following the present-day infiltration mission. The structural complexity pays off, giving the novel an emotional depth – and a particular ferocity when Dante’s motives collide with his professional obligations – that straight procedural mission narratives rarely achieve.
The motorcycle club setting adds texture and authenticity. Muchamore researched the biker subculture carefully, and it shows in the specificity of the world he creates. At seven hours and twenty-three minutes, the audiobook has room to breathe without overstaying its welcome.
The narration
Simon Scardifield has been the voice of CHERUB for years, and his familiarity with the material is evident. He handles the ensemble cast with confidence, keeping James, Lauren, Dante, and the supporting characters distinct without resorting to exaggerated differentiation. His reading has a driven, propulsive quality that matches Muchamore’s plotting. Published by Hodder Children’s Books in 2015, this remains one of the best-produced entries in the audio series.
What readers say
The book holds a rating of 4.7 from listeners, and the reviews are enthusiastic. Angus B called it “definitely one of the best of the series,” specifically praising the structural decision to revisit events from a new angle. Tracey Meredith appreciated the motorcycle focus, noting that while it could get “confusing at times, as the book progressed everything began to make sense.” Nick praised the series as a whole for being “very well written” with “lots of action in each book” and characters who become genuinely familiar over time.
Who should listen?
This is best enjoyed by listeners who have already made their way through the earlier CHERUB books, as the emotional resonance of Dante’s backstory is heightened by familiarity with James and Lauren’s history. However, Muchamore provides enough context that it functions as a standalone for determined newcomers. Ideal for teenagers with a taste for action and moral complexity – and for adults who have been following the series from the beginning. Fans of Anthony Horowitz’s Alex Rider books will find much to enjoy in the CHERUB universe.
