Alex is not a normal 14 year-old boy, but even for a teenage spy, ending up in an alternate universe is a bit extreme. In this different universe, John Rider never staged a hostage exchange, and Ash died while retrieving George Adair from SCORPIA's clutches. As a result, Alex Rider grew up in France with his parents, never knowing anything about MI6 or spies. Will the arrival of a hardened, bitter version of Alex change John, Alex and Helen's live irrevocably? How will Ian deal with the strange set of twins? And can this different world be the chance for Alex to finally have a break?