The Lion Hunter (The Mark of Solomon, 1) - Hardcover

Wein, Elizabeth

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0670061638 ISBN 13: 9780670061631

Publisher: Viking Juvenile, 2007

Synopsis

It is the sixth century in Aksum, Africa. Young Telemakos?King Arthur?s half-Ethiopian grandson?is still recovering from his ordeal as a government spy in the far desert, trying to learn who was breaking the Emperor?s plague quarantine. Before he is fully himself again, tragedy and menace strike, and he finds himself sent, with his baby sister, Athena, to live with Abreha, the ruler of Himyar?a longtime enemy of the Aksumites, now perhaps a friend. His aunt Goewin, Arthur?s daughter, warns him that Abreha is a man to be wary of, someone to watch carefully. Telemakos promises he will be mindful?but he does not realize that Goewin?s warnings are not enough to protect him.

The Sunbird (?Intense, absorbing, and luminously written,? Kirkus Reviews, starred review) was the first book about Telemakos. The Lion Hunter continues his story, to be quickly followed by The Empty Kingdom?a two-book sequence called The Mark of Solomon.

About this title

About the Author

Elizabeth E. Wein lives in Perth, Scotland.

Reviews

Starred Review. Grade 7 Up—This lyrical and complex tale of adventure and betrayal set in sixth-century Africa continues the story of 12-year-old Telemakos, who is recovering from the mental and physical abuse he suffered as a government spy in The Sunbird (Viking, 2004). His troubles are nowhere near done—he's attacked by one of the emperor's pet lions and loses an arm. His cover may have been blown as well. He and his baby sister are sent to live with Abreha, ruler of Himyar—once the enemy of the Aksumites, now possibly an ally, but definitely not to be completely trusted, as the young prince soon learns. Much of this story is based on events in The Sunbird and earlier stories in the saga, and names, places, and relationships are sometimes difficult to understand. That said, the writing is powerful and the characters are strong and memorable. Telemakos is a fascinating character: intelligent, loving, deeply scarred, and yet almost extraordinarily brave. There's a fairly graphic description of a crucifixion midway through. This is a challenging story complete with a cliff-hanger ending. Readers who make the effort (and start with the earlier book) will be richly rewarded.—Mara Alpert, Los Angeles Public Library
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This first title in a proposed series, the Mark of Solomon, draws on Wein's Arthurian-Aksamite cycle, which concluded with The Sunbird (2004). In the kingdom of Aksum (ancient Ethiopia), young Telemakos is severely wounded while playing with the emperor's pet lions, just as his mother gives birth to a girl, Athena. In the grief that follows, Telemakos' parents neglect the infant, and it's Telemakos who comforts Athena as his body heals. After threats against his aristocratic family escalate, Telemakos is sent to a neighboring kingdom for safekeeping, and his parents, understanding their children's unbreakable bond, send Athena, too. Telemakos feels blissfully accepted in his new community, but he gradually realizes that this sense of belonging is shockingly unfounded. Readers, even those familiar with the Arthurian-Aksamite cycle, may struggle to connect the large cast and the complex political intrigues, revealed in oblique references. The richly imagined details create a fascinating ancient world, though, and readers will respond to sharp-minded Telemakos as he searches for love, loyalty, and truth in a treacherous world of false appearances. A substantial author's note concludes. Engberg, Gillian

Edition details

• Publisher: Viking Juvenile
• Publication date: 2007
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0670061638
• ISBN 13: 9780670061631
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 208