The Lion Hunter

The second book in the historical fantasy series is called The Empty Kingdom. Wein's other books, The Sunbird, The Winter Palace and A Coalition of Lions all feature the same characters from ancient Arthurian Britain and Ethiopia (Aksum) and Yemen (Himyar). This is the first in a series about twelve-year-old Telemakos, a noble of ancient Ethiopia. His father is Medraut, a physician and wise man. Telemakos has recovered from his recent exploit (The Sunbird), and is overjoyed to hear of the birth of his sister. His father comes to tell him while Telemakos is playing with the pet lions of Emperor Gebre Meskal, and when he runs to his father the lions sense "prey" and attack him. It is a terrible mistake, and it leaves him changed for life. His injury and recuperation are so horrible that his parents despair of losing him, and they neglect the new baby--but Telemakos becomes close to little Athena, as he names her. They become inseparable. But dark times lay ahead--his aunt Goewin, the ambassador from Britain, and advisor to the Emperor, has been receiving death threats, as has the whole household. His parents discuss sending him away, and his life changes completely. The settings, characters, and adventure are all dazzling. This is a series to pursue. Note: Publisher said for middle reader, age 10 & up, however some of the violence would lead me to recommend this to an older child. Armchair Interviews says: Read her other book, A Coalition of Lions--a young adult read.

I am a tough reader. My critical antennae are so twitchy that it's hard for me to be completely immersed in a book--I'm easily distracted by clunky writing, or obvious plot machinations, or by characters that seem unreal. This book, though--wow. I read it straight through and loved every word. The bond between Telemakos and his baby sister Athena is so beautifully developed. I loved that, even as a baby, Athena is a force to be reckoned with. I loved Telemakos's courage and gentleness and intelligence. The recovery of Telemakos from injury and terrible memories is well handled as the story moves into new adventures and intrigues without forgetting about those old pains. The writing itself is fluid and clear, great storytelling. This book makes me want to go read everything Elizabeith Wein has written. It's one of my favorite books of the year so far.