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Lion of God #1
Lion of God: Episode I
"The Jewish people do not forgive. . .we do not forget."
It is the year 2000, and with the new millennium has come the fresh promise of peace in the Middle East.
But when a pair of IDF reservists are brutally lynched in the West Bank town of Ramallah--the graphic imagery of their final moments broadcast around the Western world. . .all hopes of peace are shattered.
As Israel mourns her dead and America attempts to salvage the peace process, the Mossad is tasked with finding and bringing to justice those responsible for the butchery, activating a Kidon team led by a young assassin known only as Ariel. . .
The "Lion of God."
But as the hunt narrows, it quickly becomes apparent that nothing is as it seems. And vengeance is not the only agenda in play. . .
It is the year 2000, and with the new millennium has come the fresh promise of peace in the Middle East.
But when a pair of IDF reservists are brutally lynched in the West Bank town of Ramallah--the graphic imagery of their final moments broadcast around the Western world. . .all hopes of peace are shattered.
As Israel mourns her dead and America attempts to salvage the peace process, the Mossad is tasked with finding and bringing to justice those responsible for the butchery, activating a Kidon team led by a young assassin known only as Ariel. . .
The "Lion of God."
But as the hunt narrows, it quickly becomes apparent that nothing is as it seems. And vengeance is not the only agenda in play. . .
91 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 26, 2015
158 people are currently reading
40 people want to read
About the author
Stephen England
35 books161 followersStephen England is the author of the bestselling Shadow Warriors thrillers, including Amazon's #1 Bestselling Political Thriller, Pandora's Grave, and its long-awaited sequel, Day of Reckoning--a novel hailed as "the perfect spy thriller for our time--chaotic, cynical, with only a few good men keeping the barbarians from the gate."
Drawing upon nearly a decade of research into the nature of Islam, the Middle East, espionage and counterterrorism operations, England's work has drawn praise for breathing new life into the genre with the hard-edged, unsparing realism of his portrayal of the war on terror, the people who wage it, and the moral and psychological costs exacted of those who take the war to the enemy where he lives. "Soldiers without uniforms. Fighting a war without end. Shadow warriors. . ."
The short stories NIGHTSHADE and TALISMAN round out the Shadow Warriors series, and England's work also includes the stand-alone historical adventure novel, Sword of Neamha.
Drawing upon nearly a decade of research into the nature of Islam, the Middle East, espionage and counterterrorism operations, England's work has drawn praise for breathing new life into the genre with the hard-edged, unsparing realism of his portrayal of the war on terror, the people who wage it, and the moral and psychological costs exacted of those who take the war to the enemy where he lives. "Soldiers without uniforms. Fighting a war without end. Shadow warriors. . ."
The short stories NIGHTSHADE and TALISMAN round out the Shadow Warriors series, and England's work also includes the stand-alone historical adventure novel, Sword of Neamha.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
September 26, 2015
Brad Thor calls it "faction," a blend of fact and fiction. While he does it looking to extrapolate from current events what the next headline will be, I believe it also applies to historical fiction. Attempting to weave a tale into the tapestry of a notable event is a difficult task, one that requires high creativity and due diligence in research.
When Stephen England signed on for the the Kindle Worlds circle for Russell Blake's bestselling JET series, he also took on an additional task: do all the above, while maintaining the heart of the source material.
What did England do? He went one better: all of that, plus weaving in his own SHADOW WARRIORS series.
JET takes place in 2000, set to the tune of negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis, arbitrated by DCI George Tenet. In rapid succession, two Israeli reservists are brutally murdered by incensed Palestinian mobs and the USS Cole is struck by al-Qaeda terrorists. It is learned that a contemporary of Yasser Arafat is responsible for arranging to have the reservists murdered. In typical Israeli fashion, the Israeli government turns to a kidon team leader and Sayeret Duvdevan veteran code-named Ariel, or "lion of God."
What follows is one part modern historical thriller and one part classic spy game as the eponymous protagonist and his kidon unit travel to France to exact revenge on behalf of the Jewish state. It's clear that England has done his research into the affairs of that day, proven with a simple fact check, and that he manages to pack that much action, intrigue, and characterization into such a small package is a testament to his consummate skill.
Fans of the genre--and of both JET and SHADOW WARRIORS--will be pleased. I know I am. I am eagerly looking forward to the second and third episodes.
When Stephen England signed on for the the Kindle Worlds circle for Russell Blake's bestselling JET series, he also took on an additional task: do all the above, while maintaining the heart of the source material.
What did England do? He went one better: all of that, plus weaving in his own SHADOW WARRIORS series.
JET takes place in 2000, set to the tune of negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis, arbitrated by DCI George Tenet. In rapid succession, two Israeli reservists are brutally murdered by incensed Palestinian mobs and the USS Cole is struck by al-Qaeda terrorists. It is learned that a contemporary of Yasser Arafat is responsible for arranging to have the reservists murdered. In typical Israeli fashion, the Israeli government turns to a kidon team leader and Sayeret Duvdevan veteran code-named Ariel, or "lion of God."
What follows is one part modern historical thriller and one part classic spy game as the eponymous protagonist and his kidon unit travel to France to exact revenge on behalf of the Jewish state. It's clear that England has done his research into the affairs of that day, proven with a simple fact check, and that he manages to pack that much action, intrigue, and characterization into such a small package is a testament to his consummate skill.
Fans of the genre--and of both JET and SHADOW WARRIORS--will be pleased. I know I am. I am eagerly looking forward to the second and third episodes.
July 12, 2016
A Beautifully crafted, bloody tale about Mossad’s finest!
Since this title normally isn’t available outside the US, the author was kind enough to provide me a copy, in exchange for an honest review.
I haven’t read any of the Jet thrillers by Russel Blake, but I have devoured every single one of Stephen England’s Shadow Warriors stories! (If you haven’t read them yet, I highly recommend to start right now, you won’t find anything more thrilling or dark!) So when I learned that this novel ties in with Mr. England’s other stories, reading it became an absolute necessity for me!
And again the author doesn’t disappoint! Delivering a terrific fictional account of the beginning of the second Intifada (Palestinian uprising) on 12th October in 2000. But it wouldn’t be a true England, if he hadn’t woven a story of spies, betrayal and violence around these true events.
While featuring some established characters from the Shadow Warriors Series – Even Nichols makes a brief appearance – the main character is a completely new one.
Meet Mossad operative and Kidon assassin Ariel “The Lion of God”! He is not only very talented at his job, but also has a very troubled past, which I’m thrilled to learn more about in the next two episodes of this Trilogy!
England does it again! Over the course of approximately 90 pages, he unfolds an epic story of bloodshed, vengeance and hidden agendas! Can’t wait for episode 2, which luckily comes out on June 30th!
Since this title normally isn’t available outside the US, the author was kind enough to provide me a copy, in exchange for an honest review.
I haven’t read any of the Jet thrillers by Russel Blake, but I have devoured every single one of Stephen England’s Shadow Warriors stories! (If you haven’t read them yet, I highly recommend to start right now, you won’t find anything more thrilling or dark!) So when I learned that this novel ties in with Mr. England’s other stories, reading it became an absolute necessity for me!
And again the author doesn’t disappoint! Delivering a terrific fictional account of the beginning of the second Intifada (Palestinian uprising) on 12th October in 2000. But it wouldn’t be a true England, if he hadn’t woven a story of spies, betrayal and violence around these true events.
While featuring some established characters from the Shadow Warriors Series – Even Nichols makes a brief appearance – the main character is a completely new one.
Meet Mossad operative and Kidon assassin Ariel “The Lion of God”! He is not only very talented at his job, but also has a very troubled past, which I’m thrilled to learn more about in the next two episodes of this Trilogy!
England does it again! Over the course of approximately 90 pages, he unfolds an epic story of bloodshed, vengeance and hidden agendas! Can’t wait for episode 2, which luckily comes out on June 30th!
November 12, 2015
As is typical of a piece written by Stephen England, this work was poignant, immaculately researched, and riveting. "Lion of God" is a perfectly captured snapshot of a moment of extreme tension in the Middle East, putting the reader at ground level during the Palestinian Intifada of 2000. The author skillfully weaves a tale of stark brutality, international relations balanced on a razor's edge, and cold vengeance delivered with pinpoint precision. England showcases his intimate understanding of spycraft, espionage, and the sordid inner workings of international politics, creating a complex literary world that does justice to the real thing.
August 1, 2015
First of all, I really like Russell Blake's Jet series and Stephen England's stories are always top notch. Someone got the idea to take some characters From the Jet series and have authors write stories that included them and their own characters. Win, win all around and a great idea! You may (or not) be familiar with Stephen's main character, Harry Nichols and indeed, he is in this one as well. Did you ever see any Hitchcock movies and look for the spot where he makes a fleeting appearance? That's about how long Harry sticks around in this book.
This story takes place in October 2000, long before the time frame of England's Shadow Warrior series. It revolves around two real events, a riot in the streets of Ramallah, killing two innocent Israeli reservists and the sinking of the USS Cole. I like reading stories where Mossad is the focal point and this is no exception. The main character is Code Named Ariel, which means Lion Of God. The original plan was for him to lead a team to rescue the reservists, but when they end up brutally killed in Ramallah, Ariel and his team operative Tzipporah, find out who is responsible for ordering the killings.
This is listed as Episode 1, which was a really good idea, because there is only so much you can put in a novella, when you are limited on word count. Well Stephen sure leaves us with a cliff hanger here!
This story takes place in October 2000, long before the time frame of England's Shadow Warrior series. It revolves around two real events, a riot in the streets of Ramallah, killing two innocent Israeli reservists and the sinking of the USS Cole. I like reading stories where Mossad is the focal point and this is no exception. The main character is Code Named Ariel, which means Lion Of God. The original plan was for him to lead a team to rescue the reservists, but when they end up brutally killed in Ramallah, Ariel and his team operative Tzipporah, find out who is responsible for ordering the killings.
This is listed as Episode 1, which was a really good idea, because there is only so much you can put in a novella, when you are limited on word count. Well Stephen sure leaves us with a cliff hanger here!
August 24, 2019
Good readable book. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
December 11, 2017
Disappointment
I was quite hopeful of continuing in the Jet tradition. What I got was a minor history lesson. Almost halfway into the book and absolutely no Jet or any of the action packed world of Israeli special ops. It is extremely boring and in moving.
I read free through Amazon Prime. Had I paid for it I would feel cheated.
I was quite hopeful of continuing in the Jet tradition. What I got was a minor history lesson. Almost halfway into the book and absolutely no Jet or any of the action packed world of Israeli special ops. It is extremely boring and in moving.
I read free through Amazon Prime. Had I paid for it I would feel cheated.
July 27, 2018
facts and fiction fast paced spy-, action-thriller with a glimpse in the Shadow Warriors universe. Finally avalaible for everyone on july 31st i think.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews