What do you think?
Rate this book
King of Beasts
An action-packed hunt across South Africa full of international espionage, twin swaps and prison escapes, by Australia's master of adventure.
Former mercenary Sonja Kurtz's daughter Emma is captured by Russian forces in Ukraine, while working to save priceless antiquities from the ravages of war.
Emma's captor, Major Vassily Orlov, who served time in a South African prison for poaching and murder, is planning a return to Africa - for pleasure and for unfinished business - with Emma in tow.
Sonja's mission seems to hunt Orlov and rescue Emma.
But first, Sonja must reconcile with the estranged daughter who tried to kill Emma's twin sister, Fiona.
Former mercenary Sonja Kurtz's daughter Emma is captured by Russian forces in Ukraine, while working to save priceless antiquities from the ravages of war.
Emma's captor, Major Vassily Orlov, who served time in a South African prison for poaching and murder, is planning a return to Africa - for pleasure and for unfinished business - with Emma in tow.
Sonja's mission seems to hunt Orlov and rescue Emma.
But first, Sonja must reconcile with the estranged daughter who tried to kill Emma's twin sister, Fiona.
462 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 28, 2026
About the author
Tony Park
44 books312 followersTony Park was born in 1964 and grew up in the western suburbs of Sydney. He has worked as a newspaper reporter in Australia and England, a government press secretary, a public relations consultant, and a freelance writer.
He served 34 years in the Australian Army Reserve, including six months in Afghanistan in 2002.
Tony and his wife, Nicola, split their time between Australia and Africa, where they own a house on the edge of of the Kruger National Park.
His 18th African novel, Last Survivor, went to number 1 in South Africa. His 19th novel, Blood Trail, will be released worldwide on August 1, 2021.
Praise for Tony Park
“Wilbur Smith...fans will not be disappointed to have found a spiritual heir,” The Times, London
“Tony Park is Australia’s premier adventure writer.” Canberra Weekly
“One of our best and most consistent thriller writers.” Sydney Morning Herald
“Since Wilbur Smith in his heyday, no one has written as well about southern Africa than Tony Park.” Crime Review (UK)
The Delta: “Break-neck in pace, with narrow escapes from death on every page, its charm is infectious.” Daily Mail, UK
“Tony Park exudes a love and deep knowledge of southern Africa in every line and character he creates in his books.” The Citizen, South Africa.
Far Horizon “Watch your back, Wilbur,” Qantas, The Australian Way
Zambezi: “a compulsive page turner” Sydney Morning Herald.
African Sky: “Rootin’ tootin reading” Sun-Herald
Safari: “He just gets better and better” Sun-Herald
Silent Predator: “Memorably exciting” Sydney Morning Herald
The Prey: “Another ripping yarn based on realistic scenarios,” Daily Telegraph
An Empty Coast: “Another winner which will keep you turning pages.” Crime Review UK
Red Earth: “One helluva fine thriller.” Booklist (US)
The Cull: “A fascinating insight into a life and death struggle.” Daily Telegraph
Captive: “A compelling and fascinating read.” Sunday Tribune
Scent of Fear: “A first-rate thriller.” Canberra Weekly
Ghosts of the Past: “A fabulous tale of betrayal, greed, intrigue and love.” Drum Magazine, South Africa
Last Survivor: “Sure-footed plotting and regular gunfire makes this one of Park’s best books. Recommended.” Canberra Weekly.
He served 34 years in the Australian Army Reserve, including six months in Afghanistan in 2002.
Tony and his wife, Nicola, split their time between Australia and Africa, where they own a house on the edge of of the Kruger National Park.
His 18th African novel, Last Survivor, went to number 1 in South Africa. His 19th novel, Blood Trail, will be released worldwide on August 1, 2021.
Praise for Tony Park
“Wilbur Smith...fans will not be disappointed to have found a spiritual heir,” The Times, London
“Tony Park is Australia’s premier adventure writer.” Canberra Weekly
“One of our best and most consistent thriller writers.” Sydney Morning Herald
“Since Wilbur Smith in his heyday, no one has written as well about southern Africa than Tony Park.” Crime Review (UK)
The Delta: “Break-neck in pace, with narrow escapes from death on every page, its charm is infectious.” Daily Mail, UK
“Tony Park exudes a love and deep knowledge of southern Africa in every line and character he creates in his books.” The Citizen, South Africa.
Far Horizon “Watch your back, Wilbur,” Qantas, The Australian Way
Zambezi: “a compulsive page turner” Sydney Morning Herald.
African Sky: “Rootin’ tootin reading” Sun-Herald
Safari: “He just gets better and better” Sun-Herald
Silent Predator: “Memorably exciting” Sydney Morning Herald
The Prey: “Another ripping yarn based on realistic scenarios,” Daily Telegraph
An Empty Coast: “Another winner which will keep you turning pages.” Crime Review UK
Red Earth: “One helluva fine thriller.” Booklist (US)
The Cull: “A fascinating insight into a life and death struggle.” Daily Telegraph
Captive: “A compelling and fascinating read.” Sunday Tribune
Scent of Fear: “A first-rate thriller.” Canberra Weekly
Ghosts of the Past: “A fabulous tale of betrayal, greed, intrigue and love.” Drum Magazine, South Africa
Last Survivor: “Sure-footed plotting and regular gunfire makes this one of Park’s best books. Recommended.” Canberra Weekly.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 27, 2026
Big thanks to Pan Macmillan for sending us a copy to read and review.
Dominance, conflict and survival are key components of most groupings whether they be terrorists, armed forces or animals in the wild.
An intense, emotional and fast paced plot embodies international skirmishes in an environment where nature is both beautiful and cruel.
A Russian terrorist Orlov, returns to South Africa to claim a white male lion in a sanctioned hunt.
Criminal intentions act simultaneously in this trip.
He wants people dead as well as the lion.
Sonia lives in the national park and knows the rumbles of the African landscape well.
Her background is a mercenary and she has daughters working in similar and dangerous environments.
Orlov has captured one of her daughters and brings her to use as a pawn in his plan.
The role of Hunter and hunted plays out like cat and mouse as skilled gunmen, drones and technology explode from the pages.
The outcast white lion uses his surrounds as his chess board.
Hunger and wisdom motivates his moves.
A fast paced read that will have you on the edge of your seat.
Cleverly written and entwines human dynamics and relationships.
It highlights we have some bad humans and that we could learn from the animal world.
Dominance, conflict and survival are key components of most groupings whether they be terrorists, armed forces or animals in the wild.
An intense, emotional and fast paced plot embodies international skirmishes in an environment where nature is both beautiful and cruel.
A Russian terrorist Orlov, returns to South Africa to claim a white male lion in a sanctioned hunt.
Criminal intentions act simultaneously in this trip.
He wants people dead as well as the lion.
Sonia lives in the national park and knows the rumbles of the African landscape well.
Her background is a mercenary and she has daughters working in similar and dangerous environments.
Orlov has captured one of her daughters and brings her to use as a pawn in his plan.
The role of Hunter and hunted plays out like cat and mouse as skilled gunmen, drones and technology explode from the pages.
The outcast white lion uses his surrounds as his chess board.
Hunger and wisdom motivates his moves.
A fast paced read that will have you on the edge of your seat.
Cleverly written and entwines human dynamics and relationships.
It highlights we have some bad humans and that we could learn from the animal world.
July 28, 2026
Disclaimer: Tony Park is my son; that being said, however, Tony has come up with an absolute belter in King of Beasts.
As in some of Tony’s previous books the prologue is from the point of view of an animal, in this case Nhena, a rare white lion. Nhena is coming to the end of his days, he is old and battle-scarred, and eligible to be hunted legally if he strays on to a Reserve whose owners have offered a licence to kill to prospective trophy hunters. Sonja Kurtz is back, this time trying, with limited success, to curb her wilder instincts while assisting her partner, Hudson Brand, in the running of the adjoining Reserve; Sonja’s daughters, Emma And Fiona, are in trouble in Ukraine; Mike Williams is in South Africa attempting to rebuild his business after the Covid devastation, and Sarah Thatcher is working for the BBC out of England.
Vasilly Orlov, another character from the past, has been released from prison in South Africa and has various scores to settle.
The story centres on drones, their amazing capabilities and deadly as well as benevolent uses; that is, on top of questions into the moral and ethical justifications behind trophy hunting; industrial espionage; a kidnap; a vendetta, and a rekindled romance or two. The South African bush, as ever in Tony’s books, is so real you could touch it, smell it, breathe it in and lose yourself in it (if you are that way inclined). The final chapters hurtle along in a heart-stopping race towards the finish. Well done, Tony!
As in some of Tony’s previous books the prologue is from the point of view of an animal, in this case Nhena, a rare white lion. Nhena is coming to the end of his days, he is old and battle-scarred, and eligible to be hunted legally if he strays on to a Reserve whose owners have offered a licence to kill to prospective trophy hunters. Sonja Kurtz is back, this time trying, with limited success, to curb her wilder instincts while assisting her partner, Hudson Brand, in the running of the adjoining Reserve; Sonja’s daughters, Emma And Fiona, are in trouble in Ukraine; Mike Williams is in South Africa attempting to rebuild his business after the Covid devastation, and Sarah Thatcher is working for the BBC out of England.
Vasilly Orlov, another character from the past, has been released from prison in South Africa and has various scores to settle.
The story centres on drones, their amazing capabilities and deadly as well as benevolent uses; that is, on top of questions into the moral and ethical justifications behind trophy hunting; industrial espionage; a kidnap; a vendetta, and a rekindled romance or two. The South African bush, as ever in Tony’s books, is so real you could touch it, smell it, breathe it in and lose yourself in it (if you are that way inclined). The final chapters hurtle along in a heart-stopping race towards the finish. Well done, Tony!
August 24, 2026
I’ve been reading Tony Park for a long time, and King of Beasts is Park doing what he does best, but on a particularly broad canvas. It starts in war-torn Ukraine before sweeping back to Africa, bringing together soldiers, spies, mercenaries, hunters, old enemies and some wonderfully complicated characters whose loyalties are rarely quite as straightforward as they first appear.
As always with Park, the locations are superb. He has an ability to put you somewhere without stopping the story to describe it, whether it is the cold brutality of the fighting in Ukraine or the heat, dust and wild country of southern Africa. The landscape is never simply scenery. It shapes the people and the story, and there is a genuine sense throughout the novel that Park knows this part of the world intimately.
The plotting is equally assured. There is a lot going on here, with several apparently separate threads gradually drawing together, and Park handles the complexity without losing the pace. Just when you think you have worked out where the story is going, something shifts and the picture changes again. Some familiar characters return, which will be particularly satisfying for long-time readers, but you certainly don’t need to know the earlier books to enjoy this one.
What I particularly liked were the characters. Park has never been much interested in spotless heroes and pantomime villains, and King of Beasts is full of people carrying histories, grudges, divided loyalties and occasionally questionable motives. Even the people you think you understand have a habit of surprising you. The dialogue is punchy and natural, and there is that familiar Park mixture of violence, tension and dry humour that keeps the book moving even when the story becomes quite dark.
And it does move. The action sequences are excellent, but they never overwhelm the story. Beneath the gunfire, espionage and pursuit there are questions about family, loyalty, revenge and the things people will do when someone they love is threatened. There is also a strong conservation thread running through the novel which feels integral to the story rather than bolted onto it, and gives the title rather more meaning than might initially be apparent.
The last stretch is terrific. The various strands begin coming together, the pace lifts again and Park keeps a few cards very firmly hidden. I thought I had things reasonably well worked out by then. I hadn’t. There is a final twist in the tale that I certainly didn’t see coming, and which sent me back mentally through some of what I had read before.
Big, fast, and immensely entertaining, King of Beasts is Tony Park in very fine form. For existing readers there is the added pleasure of encountering some old friends and unfinished business, while for anyone coming to him for the first time, it is a very good demonstration of why he has built such a loyal readership. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
As always with Park, the locations are superb. He has an ability to put you somewhere without stopping the story to describe it, whether it is the cold brutality of the fighting in Ukraine or the heat, dust and wild country of southern Africa. The landscape is never simply scenery. It shapes the people and the story, and there is a genuine sense throughout the novel that Park knows this part of the world intimately.
The plotting is equally assured. There is a lot going on here, with several apparently separate threads gradually drawing together, and Park handles the complexity without losing the pace. Just when you think you have worked out where the story is going, something shifts and the picture changes again. Some familiar characters return, which will be particularly satisfying for long-time readers, but you certainly don’t need to know the earlier books to enjoy this one.
What I particularly liked were the characters. Park has never been much interested in spotless heroes and pantomime villains, and King of Beasts is full of people carrying histories, grudges, divided loyalties and occasionally questionable motives. Even the people you think you understand have a habit of surprising you. The dialogue is punchy and natural, and there is that familiar Park mixture of violence, tension and dry humour that keeps the book moving even when the story becomes quite dark.
And it does move. The action sequences are excellent, but they never overwhelm the story. Beneath the gunfire, espionage and pursuit there are questions about family, loyalty, revenge and the things people will do when someone they love is threatened. There is also a strong conservation thread running through the novel which feels integral to the story rather than bolted onto it, and gives the title rather more meaning than might initially be apparent.
The last stretch is terrific. The various strands begin coming together, the pace lifts again and Park keeps a few cards very firmly hidden. I thought I had things reasonably well worked out by then. I hadn’t. There is a final twist in the tale that I certainly didn’t see coming, and which sent me back mentally through some of what I had read before.
Big, fast, and immensely entertaining, King of Beasts is Tony Park in very fine form. For existing readers there is the added pleasure of encountering some old friends and unfinished business, while for anyone coming to him for the first time, it is a very good demonstration of why he has built such a loyal readership. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
August 7, 2026
This was a fantastic read; my favourite from Tony Park so far!
It's got everything you want: action, intrigue, gangsters and spies, murder and mayhem, family drama, very bad Russians, white lions, and some very advanced, kick-ass drones!
This is one of those books that reads like a movie!
Get it and read it; you won't be sorry!
It's got everything you want: action, intrigue, gangsters and spies, murder and mayhem, family drama, very bad Russians, white lions, and some very advanced, kick-ass drones!
This is one of those books that reads like a movie!
Get it and read it; you won't be sorry!
August 19, 2026
King of Beasts is the sixth book in the Sonja Kurtz series featuring an ex-solider and now mercenary. It can definitely be read as a stand alone. Major Vassily Orlov has recently been released from prison for poaching and murder and has a vendetta against those that put him in jail. He captures Sonja’s daughter Emma and she’s forced to work with him on his mission to track down a white lion and destroy the drone operation. But first she must solve a murder and reconcile with Emma’s twin Fiona who tried to kill Jet.
Set in South Africa and the Ukraine, Tony brings these places to life. Filled with action, intrigue and not one but three amazing kick arse female main characters. I couldn’t put the book down as I watched all the events unfold. I enjoyed the way Tony incorporated conversation, mother- daughter dynamics with international espionage. An intense and fast paced novel perfect for those who like Matthew Reilly or Clive Cussler. My first by Tony and I’m keen to go back to the beginning of the series.
Set in South Africa and the Ukraine, Tony brings these places to life. Filled with action, intrigue and not one but three amazing kick arse female main characters. I couldn’t put the book down as I watched all the events unfold. I enjoyed the way Tony incorporated conversation, mother- daughter dynamics with international espionage. An intense and fast paced novel perfect for those who like Matthew Reilly or Clive Cussler. My first by Tony and I’m keen to go back to the beginning of the series.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews