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Title: Lion's Blood by Steven Barnes ISBN: 0-446-61221-9 Publisher: Aspect Pub. Date: February, 2003 Format: Mass Market Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.62 (45 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Richly realized alternate history
Comment: Lion's Blood is an alternate history novel taking place in (what would be) the 1800's in America. Except this is an America colonized by Africans who, after Hannibal's defeat of Rome, went on to become the major economic force in the West instead of Europe. Specifically, the novel is about a young Irish boy, Aidan, and the son of the man who owns him, Kai.
Barnes obviously did a lot of work when he created this world--the history, cultures, even music. It all shows. The world is richly textured and well-realized. And that's just the backdrop. I appreciated the depth in which he thought this all out, and found myself feel proud of the alternate history he conceived for Africans. But I also appreciated that the concept was well thought out and didn't fall into making the argument that if black people ran the world it would somehow be a better, happy place. It's different, of course, but it isn't an un-thought out bash of European culture.
This background adds to an excellently crafted story. We see the world through the eyes of the slaves and the slavers. And each character is well realized and multifaceted. No one ever falls into clichéd categories of 'purely evil' or 'purely good'. The emotional bond between Aidan and Kai holds the story together with ease. At each turn I felt deeply for both of them and identified with their struggles and conflicts. It wasn't hard for me to slip into the world of the story or into the heads of the people who inhabited it.
This is a must read for people who enjoy speculative fiction and alternate history in particular. But I am also going to recommend it to anyone who enjoys fiction dealing with African-American issues, SF fans or not. I think this book could end up being as important as Octavia Butler's Kindred.
If you plan on reading Lion's Blood, I also recommend Heather Alexander's CD Insh'Allah, The Music of "Lion's Blood." The music is beautiful on its own, but in combination with the book it will have deeper meaning.
Rating: 5
Summary: Great Read
Comment: Lions Blood is one of the most original fantasy books that I have ever read. Barnes masterfully creates an alternative history of the New World, in which blacks are the masters and whites are the slaves. The story is wonderful in that it makes the reader really think about what the world would be like today if this was true and it draws many interesting parallels with today's society. The characters are incredibly well drawn and the story is told in great detail. The tremendous detail is wonderful most of the time. It allows the reader to delve as deeply into the story as you like without running out of detail and nuance. However, the detail does get a little tedious at times. This is a great intense book for those who like to really get involved with what they are reading.
Rating: 5
Summary: Awe inspiring Novel
Comment: I could not believe the back pages when I read the description of this book. Some daring writer had actually tackled the impossible--posing a "what if" question and fully embellishing it into a novel that transcends "so-called" true history. There was never a moment when the story felt implausible. It smacked of realism to a point where the reader almost felt as if she had been transported into an alternate universe.
Barnes illustrated more effectively then any college survey course could have hoped to that the thing that causes history to move in one direction or another is miniscule. Barnes did more than just flip the script. He looked at the psyche of Africans and wrote a work of fiction that challenged and entertained the reader. THis book should be a required reading in history courses. It would make for quite an interesting discourse.
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Title: Zulu Heart : A Novel of Slavery and Freedom in an Alternate America by Steven Barnes ISBN: 0446611956 Publisher: Aspect Pub. Date: 01 February, 2004 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: Charisma by Steven Barnes ISBN: 0812568966 Publisher: Tor Books Pub. Date: 01 July, 2003 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: Iron Shadows by Steven Barnes ISBN: 0812548086 Publisher: Tor Books Pub. Date: 01 February, 2000 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: Blood Brothers by Steven Barnes ISBN: 0812548078 Publisher: Tor Books Pub. Date: 01 October, 1997 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: The Good House : A Novel by Tananarive Due ISBN: 0743449002 Publisher: Atria Books Pub. Date: 01 September, 2003 List Price(USD): $25.00 |
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