The Devil and His Boy by Anthony Horowitz

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Not every young reader wants a 400-page epic — sometimes the win is a book short enough to finish and exciting enough to want to. The Devil and His Boy by Anthony Horowitz is exactly that: a lean Elizabethan adventure that drops a penniless boy into the intrigue and danger of Tudor London and doesn't let up.

This review is for parents, teachers, and young readers looking for a fast, engaging historical adventure — especially reluctant readers who need momentum to stay hooked.

Our take

Horowitz is a master of pace, and it shows here. The chapters are short, the danger is real without being grim, and the hero is the kind of scrappy underdog kids root for. The Tudor setting does real work too — you get the grime and theatre of Elizabethan London without it ever reading like a history lesson.

The honest caveat is scope. This is slimmer and lighter than the Alex Rider books, so a reader hungry for a big, layered story may finish it wanting more. For its target age, that brevity is a feature, not a flaw.

What to know before you buy

Great for reluctant readers. The length and pace are the selling points — it's finishable.
Standalone, not a series. No prior reading required; it doesn't connect to Alex Rider.
Read-aloud friendly. Short chapters make it easy to share a chapter a night.

More of a cozy-story household? See our I'm Still Here: A Cat's Purpose Forever review.

A short, fast-moving Elizabethan adventure that hooks reluctant middle-grade readers.

Our rating: 4 / 5

What we liked

Short and pacey — a strong pick for reluctant readers who stall on longer books
Vivid Tudor London setting brings history to life without feeling like homework
Classic Horowitz plotting: mystery, danger, and a likable underdog hero

Worth noting

Lighter and slimmer than his Alex Rider novels, so older fans may want more depth
A few period details need context for the youngest readers

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Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about the topic.

It's aimed at middle-grade readers, roughly ages 9 to 12. The short length and quick pace also make it a good fit for reluctant readers or younger fans moving up from early chapter books.

No. It's a standalone historical adventure, separate from Horowitz's Alex Rider spy novels. If your reader loved Alex Rider, this is a lighter, shorter change of pace set in Elizabethan England.

It has adventure-style peril and Tudor-era danger, but it stays within middle-grade bounds. Parents of very sensitive readers may want to skim it first, as with any adventure story.

Yes. The short chapters and brisk plot make it a solid family read-aloud, and the historical setting opens up easy conversations about Tudor London.