Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
36th out of 214 books
—
382 voters
Lion's Blood (Lion's Blood #1)
In the year 1863, a primitive village is raided, the men killed, and the women and children captured. The survivors find themselves chained in the dark, filthy hold of a ship crossing the ocean to the New World, where they are sold into slavery. The powerful master of a vast Southern plantation purchases the 11-year-old Irish lad Aidan O'Dere. Yes, you read that right--in...more
Hardcover, 480 pages
Published
February 13th 2002
by Mysterious Press
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
819)
What an incredible novel. What an incredible premise! This book takes place in 1863 North America -- only it is not the USA. In the world 0f Lion's Blood, the two African nations of Egypt and Abyssinia (Ethiopia) are the world powers, and Islam is the religion of the cultured and powerful. Europe is a dark, tribal place used as a source of slaves for New World plantations, and Christianity is a misguided religion of the backwards and simple. White slavers never killed Native Americans, the Spani...more
Lion's Blood is perhaps the best book about slavery and race in America I have read, told in an alternate world where Europe is the failed continent and Africa is dominant. That Steven's Barnes is an African American makes the scenes of the "middle passage" all the more powerful.
In the very brief overview of the slave trade I was taught as school, one fact was always mentioned. African slaves were captured and sold to whites by Africans. Somehow this made the slave trade not just the European's...more
In the very brief overview of the slave trade I was taught as school, one fact was always mentioned. African slaves were captured and sold to whites by Africans. Somehow this made the slave trade not just the European's...more
Consider this for a moment: what if the crusades never happened, and the Muslim world of ancient history triumphed over the west, establishing a dominant civilization that lasted into the nineteenth century, and this Muslim world was then the one to discover the New World and settle there?
Such is the setting for Steven Barnes’ Lion’s Blood, where Islam controls the New World, where, like real history, slavery is a way of life; except the roles have been reversed: white people are now slaves, whi...more
Such is the setting for Steven Barnes’ Lion’s Blood, where Islam controls the New World, where, like real history, slavery is a way of life; except the roles have been reversed: white people are now slaves, whi...more
A well written and occasionally thought provoking alternate history. In "Lion's Blood," Alexander the Great did not die in his 30's, but rather went on to found a dynasty passed down to his two African sons. Egypt remained the center of civilization, and it was Africans who colonized the new world, bringing Islam as the dominant religion - and Europeans as slaves. The protagonist, Aidan, is kidnapped by slavers from his home in Ireland when not quite a teenager, and eventually becomes companion...more
What if America had been colonialized by people of African descent? What if the Mayan Empire would have flourished? What if Europeans were enslaved by the Africans? What if Islam was the dominant religion of the world’s superpowers? All of these possibilities are realities in Steven Barnes’ epic classic, Lion’s Blood. The author took a lot of time to build this alternate reality in which African Americans of Muslim decent rule America and the enemy are the Aztecs. This artificial world which hou...more
i was fascinated with barnes' premise - what if north africa defeated the romans and became the conquering empire of europe and the new world, becoming plantation lords and slave owners? crafting a story of african/arab superiority - the new world is muslim, the language is arabic and irish & german infidels are bonded in chattel slavery. within this world is a story of a patriarch, his family and their customs. barnes has excellently researched ancient spirituality (sufism), combat/warfare...more
Lion's Blood has been a top favourite since 2002. I look forward to reading it for a third or sixth time and coming away with something new. It's a beautiful, but sometimes painful, story that's wonderfully written. It's the only book I've ever ordered in advance, and it was more than worth the 6 month wait.
Lion's Blood is a fascinating alternate history in which Islamic Africa is in power and Caucasians, mainly the Irish, are enslaved. After being sold, Aidan becomes unlikely friends with Kai,...more
Lion's Blood is a fascinating alternate history in which Islamic Africa is in power and Caucasians, mainly the Irish, are enslaved. After being sold, Aidan becomes unlikely friends with Kai,...more
I just couldn’t put this book down. A North America colonized by Africans not Europeans! A society where Africans are the masters and Europeans the slaves! Where Africa is the developed world and Islam is the leading religion! A well written and powerful tale of slavery set in an alternative history. A great read.
A great alt-history focused on obligations and fate. Slavery is a constant metaphor, not just in the traditional sense of master and worker, but one's relationship to family, honor and religion. All of the characters want freedom, but find no such luxury. Individuals are trapped by both their own choices, and those imposed upon them by others with power, however benevolent (Allah) or otherwise (Shaka Zulu). The characters of Adian and Kai are used as a great contrast. At the start of the book on...more
I enjoyed both "Lion's Blood" and "Zulu Heart." They reminded me of "Gone with the Wind" in that the story is full of vivid, soapy details, to the point of tedium at times, but the plot, setting, and characters are consistent and true to themselves. Sometimes I rolled my eyes at the thesaurus-enriched vocabulary, but at heart, Barnes' duo is a fascinating, worthwhile, chewy read. This is classified as science fiction, but it reads like historical fiction. The only twist is that in Barnes' world,...more
Nov 19, 2008
Monique
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Everyone
Recommended to Monique by:
Janet
I don't know what to say about this book. There were just so many good things about it. I don't have one negative to say. I
The character were well done. I cared about what happened to all the main characters, even if I did not like their role in the story. I wanted to know what happened to them. The two main characters Aiden (the white slave) and Kai (the black master) were very believable for the time period that the story took place in. Barnes developed the characters (all of them) nicely and...more
The character were well done. I cared about what happened to all the main characters, even if I did not like their role in the story. I wanted to know what happened to them. The two main characters Aiden (the white slave) and Kai (the black master) were very believable for the time period that the story took place in. Barnes developed the characters (all of them) nicely and...more
Nov 19, 2009
Eileen Conner
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommended to Eileen by:
eileenconner@sbcglobal.net
A interesting look at the early days of the United states, but in a world where the Romans lost at Carthage. Bilistan, what is the United states is ruled by the Zulus in the South, the Vikings in the north, the Aztec nation is still powerful over Mexico. We follow Aiden, a Irish lad captured by the Vikings and sold in slavery to the Zulus. A interesting look of how things differ with the Muslims being the dominant religion in the country and yet how some see slaves as worthy of freedom.
Dec 18, 2011
Elisa Berry
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
alt. fiction, american lit. fans
Recommended to Elisa by:
Octavia E. Butler
I found this book heartbreaking, brilliant, devastating. True American literature. Barnes' style is character driven making it highly readable, his world is well researched and instead of simply writing a new reality his tale consistently evokes our own world, which caused me to ponder the unfortunate resultants of power and our legacy of terror in creating this New World. There is also much to gain for our own time; the conquerors of America (Bilalistan here) being North African Muslims. With m...more
I loved this book and this series without reservations. It was the first, and perhaps best, example that I've seen of alternative history fiction which has Africa and Asia taking the front seat in a American setting. That said - past Zulu Heart it feels like Mr. Barnes abandoned this series with no explanation. It's very upsetting because the books are so good!
One of the most unique novels, let alone alternate history books, I've ever red in my life. A look into what the world is like if Rome was conquered thus letting the Arab world and Africa develop and turning Europe into a backwater. Thus when North America is colonized, the Egyptians, the Arabs and the Zulus split the territory.
Brilliant imagining of an alternate history. I loved the humanity of the characters and the nuance of their various perspectives. Very difficult subject matter, though; my mid-grade rating of the book is purely because, as well-written as the book is, I personally prefer my reading to be more "fun."
Alternative history of what if Africans had been the ones to colonize the US and had enslaved Europeans. Sometimes, to get a really good look at something you have to turn it inside out and that is exactly what Steven Barnes did in the brilliant piece of fiction.
I thought this was an interesting take on "what if" whites had been slaves and blacks in complete charge. I enjoyed and can admit it may not for everybody. I've never read another book like it before.
An inventive counterfactual. Barnes turns history upside down and in this alternate scenario the masters of America are Abyssinians, Egyptians and Zulu and their slave class are tribal Irish, Franks and Gauls. With all of the role reversals it's astonishing how more poignant are the struggles of the slaves...that is, when it's "your people." Perhaps surprisingly, Barnes doesn't let up on the master class. His principals are generally honorable but don't hesitate to use brute power to crush and d...more
WOW!! One of my favorite books ever!! Such an interesting concept and storyline. Paints a completely different view of slavery.
This is by my wonderful husband, Steven Barnes. A must-read alternate history!
An amazing book. Very thought-provoking alternate history novel.
Interesting alternate history novel. The issues of race and class are explored in an interesting way - occasionally problematic, but ultimately enlightening.
I'm about halfway through this one. Waiting for the Civil War.
One of the best series I've read in awhile. Great story line, great writing. It makes you wonder what if blacks were the superior race, how would the world be different today
A very good alternative history and how slavery affects everybody in a society.
Makes you think this book does
If anyone at Antioch wonders why my paperwork was almost late and I seemed occaisionally unprepared, it was because after every day's required activities, I just to read more.
Great book--the kind that has a landmine every page but Barnes pulled it off.
Tananarive spoke of their courtship and marriage, as well as his career, and In'shalla (the original title until 9/11 changed the marketing), he'll have some serious success.
Great book--the kind that has a landmine every page but Barnes pulled it off.
Tananarive spoke of their courtship and marriage, as well as his career, and In'shalla (the original title until 9/11 changed the marketing), he'll have some serious success.
1 like · like · see review
view 1 comment
This is why I generally don't read sci-fi. Even though it's an interesting concept for a novel, the writing is unsatisfying. If I cared more, I'd type in a passage from this, then a few from James Joyce, Salman Rushdie, Flannery O'Connor... with so much good writing in the world, why read this stuff?
PS: They need a "I stopped reading this" tag. :-)
PS: They need a "I stopped reading this" tag. :-)
I am not a fan of long "epic novels" and generally have no interest in alternative history, but Lion' Blood did keep my attention. I felt it was thoughtful, interesting, and enjoyable.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What's The Name o...: blacks rule the world/whites are the slaves [s] | 5 | 38 | Feb 17, 2013 06:43pm |
Steven Barnes (born March 1, 1952, Los Angeles, California) is an African American science fiction writer, lecturer, creative consultant, and human performance technician.
He has written several episodes of The Outer Limits and Baywatch. He has also written the episode "Brief Candle" for Stargate SG-1 and the Andromeda episode "The Sum of its Parts". Barnes's first published piece of fiction, the 1...more
More about Steven Barnes...
He has written several episodes of The Outer Limits and Baywatch. He has also written the episode "Brief Candle" for Stargate SG-1 and the Andromeda episode "The Sum of its Parts". Barnes's first published piece of fiction, the 1...more
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
