I wished before i read this that i knew that there's a part before this because i would've better understand this story but i will read the first part and the next part to this book as well i really enjoyed this story is different to what im used to. ( )

Definitely, you will like this book if you love [a:Megan Whalen Turner|22542|Megan Whalen Turner|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1241223424p2/22542.jpg]'s Queen's Thief series.

Telemakos! You are such a wonderful character -- I love you!!

In fact, I love this book so much I hardly know what to say....

I will say that I was perplexed by one review I read by a fellow Sounisian, comparing Telemakos with Attolia. (I'm sorry -- I don't remember whose review that was...). But the person said that reading this book was a bit like reading QoA from Attolia's point of view. So, so, so.....

I definitely agree that elements of Attolia, and characters who resemble her, appear in these books. The closest Attolia equivalent for me, though, is not Telemakos at all -- it's Goewin -- even to her coloring, and the color of her dress. Although a strong argument could also be made for Goewin as Eddis, with her maps and her devoted and brilliant young spy. But there are no exact equivalents here, which is all to the good. Elizabeth Wein and [a:Megan Whalen Turner|22542|Megan Whalen Turner|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1241223424p2/22542.jpg] are two very brilliant authors, each of whom tells her own unique and gripping tale.(BTW, I always thought [b:The Queen of Attolia|40158|The Queen of Attolia (The Queen's Thief, #2)|Megan Whalen Turner|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1293505506s/40158.jpg|1124161] was from Attolia's point of view. Which is part of its brilliance. You get to see the gradual development of her character by seeing through her eyes. But I digress ...)

I will say that these books are dark. Poor Telemakos encounters incredible evil, and endures dreadful things. But the story is great, nonetheless, and the characters! Even people who appear quite briefly are vivid and seem to have hidden depth. And I adore Athena -- and Sofya, too!

I will also say that I almost downgraded this book to a 4 -- or even a 3 -- because it is the worst cliffhanger ever. (To give you an idea, it's as bad as the end of [b:The Two Towers|15241|The Two Towers (The Lord of the Rings, #2)|J.R.R. Tolkien|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1298415523s/15241.jpg|2963845]). But I couldn't in the end. It's just too good a book.
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A different kind of Arthurian fantasy, set in Aksum rather than Camelot and involving a biracial heir of Camelot.

Elizabeth Wein's The Lion Hunter continues the story of Telemakos and his role in the intrigues and plots of the Aksumite kingdom. Though this story is part one of a new cycle, the Mark of Solomon, it follows hard on the heels of Wein's previous books (especially The Sunbird) and should be read as number four in the overall series.

A great deal happens in this story, with far-reaching implications for the characters. Telemakos is thrilled when he learns that his mother Turunesh and his father Medraut are expecting another child. But their joy is soon mixed with grief; on the day of his sister's birth, Telemakos is attacked by the emperor's pet lion Solomon and sacrifices his arm to save his life. Medraut, who is something of a physician, tries to save it but eventually they have to take off Telemakos's arm at the shoulder. In the meanwhile, the baby is nearly neglected and Medraut can't stand the sight of her, because it was Telemakos's excitement at the news of her birth that made him careless with Solomon.

Yet Telemakos loves his sister from the first and calls her Athena. As he recovers, they become inseparable, and he takes to carrying her around in a sling on the side of his missing arm. In several places he calls her his right hand for the little services she learns to perform to help him, and he doesn't rue the exchange of his arm for his sister.

But the aftermath of the last story, of Telemakos's dangerous stint as a spy breaking up the smuggling ring in the salt mines of Afar, isn't tied off yet. Someone is sending death threats to Telemakos's grandfather Kidane, and the message is clear: the emperor's Sunbird is the target. It is unclear whether or not the enemy knows that Telemakos was the Sunbird, but his parents are worried enough to send him and Athena away to the neighboring kingdom of Himyar, ruled by the najashi Abreha Anbessa ("the lion"). But they may have just sent Telemakos to the most dangerous place in Africa for the Sunbird; Abreha is not what he seems.

You ought to be warned that this story ends on something of a cliffhanger, and you'll want to pick up the next book, The Empty Kingdom, right away. Wein's effortless, graceful prose, rounded characters, complex relationships, and fascinating historical setting make this series a delight, and The Lion Hunter is no exception. Excellent. ( )

My main advice regarding this book is that although it is the first of a series, it comes very fast on the heels of another series (that I haven't read), and so I was really confused for pretty much the whole thing. The book was interesting enough, but I felt adrift the whole time since I didn't really know what was going on. Telemakos is a good character, but I strongly suggest reading the first series before you attempt it. ( )