#9: When the Lion Feeds

Wilbur Smith's When the Lion Feeds, the first in a series and set in Africa, begins the saga of twin Sean Courtney and the Courtney family.

'Something always dies when the lion feeds and yet there is meat for those that follow him.' The lion is Sean, hero of this tremendous drama of the men who took possession of South Africa in the last quarter of the nineteenth century. (Wilbur Smith Website)

Smith's writing style contains enough detail to inform the reader about this interesting setting and capture the interest of the audience without overpowering the senses, thus, resulting in a very pleasant read about a continent that I have much to learn.

He creates characters in the same manner, offering details that places the reader right into the psyche of the character.  I liked them.  I mourned them. 

One feature that I appreciated was Smith's use of foreshadowing.  The hook that kept me reading.  The results:  sometimes pleasant, sometimes not.

Interestingly, my high school principal (from 25 years ago!) recommended this novel...during a Facebook book discussion of The Poisonwood Bible, in what, I thought, was an interesting blend of the past, present, and future.
As the discussion progressed, I reviewed this novel online and then immediately purchased the novel online.  And, yes, I will now purchase the next novel in the series, The Sound of Thunder.


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Interested in reading an excerpt of this novel?  Go here.

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