The Chase

Lionboy Trilogy #2

by Zizou Corder

Charlie and his lion friends have made it safely to Venice, but it turns out that their journey has only just begun. King Boris's palace was meant to be a haven, but it's starting to feel more like a prison. When word arrives from the cat grapevine that his parents are not being held in Italy after all, Charlie knows he must take fast action. Luckily a new ally has come on the scene—and just in the nick of time: Rafi is in hot pursuit.

This second book in the Lionboy trilogy is even more action-packed than the first, offering clever escapes, shipwreck, a prehistoric beast named Primo who will prove himself a great hero, and surprises that will shock and delight. It's an exhilarating, suspenseful whirlwind of a story, and readers will be clamoring for more.

Genres: Fantasy, Adventure, Young Adult, Fiction, Childrens, Animals, Middle Grade

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Zizou Corder is Louisa Young and Isabel Adomakoh Young, whose names are too long to fit on the front of a book.

Louisa is a grown-up and has written five grown-up books; Isabel is a kid and has written mostly schoolwork.

The original Zizou is Isabel's lizard, only he spells it Zizu. They Have written five books together: the highly acclaimed Lionboy trilogy, Lee Raven Boy Thief and Halo.

They live in London. Only one goes to school.

Reviews

[Angy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pues la verdad es que ha pasado mucho tiempo desde que había leido la primera parte y ya solo recordaba que iba sobre un niño que leía la mente de los leones. Pero conforme fui leyendo el libro me iba acordando de toda la historia. Como pensé cuando estaba leyendo la primera parte es un libro que me parece demasiado infantil para estar en una colección juvenil justo a libros como la princesa prometida o terramar. Creo que a los niños les podría gustar mucho ya que tiene una historia "currada" para un niño claro. En esta historia se demuestra que siempre que se quiere se pueden hacer cosas. También refuerza el sentido de la amistad, aunque creo que para mi no del todo ya que el niño lo da todo por los leones, pero estos hacen mas bien poco por él. La verdad no se como va a seguir la historia en la tercera parte ya que en esta se ha resulto todo pero aun así espero encontrarme en breves con tiempo para terminar por fin la trilogia. Este libro lo he leido ya que es el mas antiguo que tenia en mi estantería y lo tenia puesto en un reto por el mismo motivo. No le doy muchos puntos ya que ha sido mas muy pesado de leer aunque la historia me ha parecido muy interesante para un niño.
Tras leer el tercer libro he cambiado la puntuación y le he subido a 3 estrellas.(22/mayo/2016)

[Rylan Barker · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS BOOK IS THE BEST BOOK EVERRRRRRRRRRR. Ok, so, apologies for that start, but it is true. I thoroughly enjoyed that book. I read the first one and that alone left me thirsting for more. Charlie is a good character, though i sometimes feel irritated by him. The lions, especially Elsina, I lOVED! They were so likeable! I really want to get hold of Lionboy: The Truth now. Ok, i know short review but, concluding questions. How many stars? Unfortunately on Goodreads you cannot, but if i could, i would give it 40, 952 stars. Would i recommend it? Yes, I flippin' would! I've recommended it to my book club, and I know the leader of it has the book, but i also know, that she has not begun to read it, which i am very ashamed of 👀.....

[Juxhin Deliu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meglio del primo capitolo, grazie all'approfondimento degli elementi distopici, l'azione più avviata e le ambientazioni, seppur mantenga sempre una certa superficialità tipica del filone e talvolta tutti risulti un po' troppo lambiccato.

[࣪ ִֶָ ✮. Agota ࣪ ִֶָ ✮. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book. 101% recomend

[L Y N N · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another enjoyable installment of this series. Really anxious to finish this trilogy now to see what else happens to these characters! And how prescient the mention of Ukraine as I read this. My jaw dropped. Simply coincidence, but almost unbelievable nonetheless...

[Finn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The journey started in book one continues and brings Charlie and the lions from Paris to Venice and down to Africa.

We also learn more about what makes Sergei "special" and what Charlie's parents were kidnapped for. We get to see the inside of the corporation, and Rafi continues to be a nitwit.

Excited to see what the third and final part has to bring.

[Benedict · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've had this book on my shelf since 2005 and, 12 years later, have finally gotten round to reading it.

Lionboy: The Chase is the second novel in the lionboy trilogy. Charlie Ashanti is a cat speaker (he can speak to cats) who, in the previous story, escaped from a circus with six lions. This story picks up there, with Charlie and the lions on the run, being pursued by the circus lion tamer Maccamo, trying to get the lions home while looking for Charlie's kidnapped parents.

It's a good story but for me it falls a bit flat. At times it's not really believable (cat-talking notwithstanding). I did like that the main character is a POC, and it's a good book for children, very open.

Good for children, a bit too basic for me though.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The adventure continues...in Venice and in Morocco. Charlie and the lions meet some fun new characters, inadvertently dabble in politics a bit, and survive a Mediterranean sea voyage. The ending here is also more satisfactory, though I still immediately picked up the third: Lionboy: The Truth and kept on reading.

[Eduardo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been trying to get this book for ages, but the library doesn’t have it in physical or digital form (every time I try to get it from the library, it gives me the first book). Amazon doesn’t have a Kindle edition available right now. So when Amazon sent me an email saying I can get a free audiobook, I got this book.

Man, I missed this series.

It’s called ‘The Chase’ but most of the book is about Charlie and the lions hiding out in Venice. Which is cool! Even in a weird dystopian world, I am happy to spend time in Venice. And they ARE fond of lions there. The Plot is cool and fun and pushes the characters to think on their feet while working on trying to get the lions home to Africa.

Also, we have Charlie’s parents escaping from the evil corporation reeducation camp, which is quite exciting. They don’t have all the information to find out where Charlie is right away, but they’re thankfully quite intelligent enough to not be useless in their storyline.

I am a bit… confused about the depiction of Venice’s society in this novel? It’s run by a Doge, and all of the people are superstitious and believe in the Lion of Saint Mark as an angelic entity that exists? And brings blessings when it appears? Yeah, having Mabel Stark was a bit of an odd thing considering she’s an actual person from the 20th century, but aside from that it’s in the future, ish. But Venice is a separate city-state? What the heck does that mean for the rest of Italy? I guess the Corder just wanted to do Venice this way so I guess it’s okay.

It’s also interesting to me that this, a kids’ novel written in the 2000’s, deals with pollution, but it does so talking about how the air is so polluted that asthma is incredibly common, and Venice is sinking even faster into the ocean. It’s not a climate change thing, but it’s still pretty dire. There are other issues that are mentioned but not explicitly explained–there’s an Empire, but where it is? Never explained (TV Tropes thinks it’s the US.) Some countries have been wiped off the map–including the Ukraine, which is a little hard to read in a book right now? And of course, a lot of people hate cats because of allergies and asthma.

TV Tropes also describes the story a bit as Dickensian in how everything connects together. I didn’t think it was quite that crazy until a previously-unknown relative appears.

And I like that this entry in the story is the second book in the trilogy, but it’s not just treading water. There is an actual major Plot thread that is tied up here, and our heroes feel like they can go home! But as our narrator informs us, something big is coming, and we shall see how that story goes (hopefully I can track down a copy this time).

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this second book, Charlie and his lion friends are on the run from a nasty lion trainer, and Charlie's parents are desperate to escape from the clutches of the evil Corporacy.

I loved the action and adventure in this one, and the way that Charlie begins to trust his own instincts more and more. We find out more about the mystery of WHY Charlie's parents were kidnapped in the first place, and we get to see Charlie growing up, getting stronger, and taking control of his situation.
The lions are such wonderful characters, and they get some more development in this book, along with a few other smaller cats. It's beautiful to see how magnificent they are,

I love how exotic all of the settings are in these books; Paris, Venice, Morocco, and Gibraltar are all described with such vividness that you can feel the heat of the African coastal winds, or the damp climbing the walls in a chilly Venetian hallway.

The story had me cheering for Charlie, and hating the loathsome villains. There are so many emotional ups and downs in this book, and I was fully invested in each character's plotline. The plot really surprised me several times too! So many great twists and turns and wild circumstances!

Can't wait to finish this trilogy! Loving it!

[Anton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Things I appreciate in this novel
-The diversity (especially considering it was written in the early 2000's)
-The messages (including: racial discrimination, pollution, animal abuse, and gender equality among other things)
-Charlie Ashanti (his character development is lovely to read about)
-SERGEI (he's my favorite, which I remember from my first time reading this book)
-The lions (lions are YES)
-The three-dimensional antagonists

Criticisms:
-The pacing
-The lack in change of setting (as in they stay in one place for a long time throughout this book and the first one)
-The missed opportunity to explore more of Venice as a setting (I've been to Venice, and it is so beautiful and interesting)

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the adventures that Charlie goes on, and how they continue on from the first book. The lions are amazing, and so is that "bald bottomed cat."
Charlie ends up meeting a king, travelling through a storm in some crazy boat, and even more.
Like the first book, I do think this trilogy is written more for a younger audience, but it kept me very entertained and I laughed quite a bit.
You will fall in love with the different characters-especially all the cats-and will, like me, probably think that the unrealistic idea of being able to talk to cats becomes more believable as you read/listen.

Content:
-Rude name calling
-Mentions of lions wanting to eat people
-Use of sleeping drugs in drinks and water towards lions and two characters

Ages 10+

[Maialovesbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Lionboy the Chase just as much as I loved Lionboy!

The second book in the trilogy is about Catspeaker Charlie Ashanti, who rescues a pack of six beautiful lions from a floating circus, and is on the run from the lions' trainer Maccomo, the horrible Corporacy, and annoying Rafi. He is still trying to find his parents, clever scientists who invented a cure for asthma, and who have been caught by the Corporacy.

One of the things I loved about this book was the that main character explores lots of different countries throughout the book. I also loved Charlie's relationship with the lions and his cat friend Sergei.

Just like the first one, I recommend this book to people that like adventure, humour, and cats!

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

HOW CAN YOU END A BOOK LIKE THAT?!?!? I'm sacred for two reasons....

1. This book seris could have definitely just been 2 books, I mean they were so good. I worry that they just wanted to write more and decided to throw in something to make the story go on when it's really finished. He little description on the final book sounds like that's exactly what it is. Let's hope that's not it and the final book is just as good.

2. If it isn't just something to get the book to go on....what is so bad as to say something like that!?!?

Anyway, this book was fantastic! I absolutely love this series right now. His reunion was epic especially with the way he handles meeting Rafi outside the hotel. As I said, it seems finished but we shall see.

[Karen GoatKeeper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlie, his pride of lions and Primo are racing to Venice in search of his parents. His parents are in another French town, prisoners. Sergei, the allegenie cat, is the go between. The Corporacy and Rafi are in hot pursuit. Maccomo is waiting for them.
The tale races along with unexpected twists and turns. There are betrayals. Charlie becomes a hero.
This second in the trilogy is the bridge between the beginning and the ending. It is filled with action. Yet it is only the race to put Charlie and his parents into position to trigger the happenings of the third book.
This second book is enjoyable. It is a fast and easy read. It keeps the reader engaged.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a really long time to finish this book, as I am recently concussed and was unable to read for a long time. Now I am back, and loving this book very much. Corder has beautiful descriptions that make everything seem lush and alive, like the descriptions of Venice and Essaouira. She also puts words together to make them seem futuristic—words like “ticketguy” and “lionmedicine” and “Dogepolice”— but it’s never irritating. My only complaint is that the first fifty pages or so are very slow indeed.

[Sophia Barsuhn · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first two-thirds of this book were pretty rough. A lot of the clever writing of the first book had been dumbed down, and I found myself getting exceptionally bored with everyone but Charlie's story. Major Tib's southern accent made my ears bleed. It felt so over the top as to be unbelievable, like it was only here for little kids to be able to recognize it as a southern accent. The last third of the book picked up a lot, and I enjoyed it. I'm hoping that the last book regains the cleverness and fun of the first book.

[Katie Merkel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a nice continuation to "Lionboy". Something always goes wrong, even when circumstances seem to finally be in the protagonist's favor. Like all good characters, Charlie grows as a result of having to handle his his own problems. My one complaint with the book is that the ending feels final. Things are wrapped up so nicely, that I debated whether or not I was going to read the third book.

[Ralph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Obviously a continuation of The Lionboy. This one really is about the escape and subsequent chase that Charlie and the lions experience. So much happens that it it difficult to picture the circumstances that they have to over come (spoiler alert - they do!). It seems that everything works out by the end of the book, but wait, there is a third book (oh yeah, it is a trilogy) so there must be more to the adventure.

[Elaine Ker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un tome très entrainant, j'ai beaucoup aimé les personnages secondaires comme le roi Boris ou Sergueï. On a en fond une petite révolte contre un tyran, ce qui est toujours plaisant, et comme dans le tome 1, une confrontation entre la poudre aux yeux (ici, la 'magie' de la magnifique Venise) et la réalité (la ville qui s'enfonce et qui est lentement détruite)

L'univers est vraiment original, j'ai beaucoup aimé les canaux aériens du détroit de Gibraltar... il fallait l'inventer !

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite as fluid as the first book, as our young hero gets stuck in a bit of a lull for a long part of this book while sinister plots mature, but still worth reading and worth continuing to the end of the series.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great addition to the trilogy. I loved getting to know all of the characters better, especially Charlie, the lions, and Sergei. I have read this book several times before and I will most definitely read it again in the future.

[Raymond Chen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The 2nd book is not that good and is a little bit boring

[Igor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this book because it's about lions chasing humans.

[Vina Nurziani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sebagai pecinta kucing, aku selalu ingin menjadi Charlie Ashanti ( Ĭ ^ Ĭ )

[Nicole Mosley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as enjoyable as the first but a decent story.

[Lauren White · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think because I was already in love with the Lionboy, this book read even more swiftly and brilliantly than the last. I absolutely raced through it!

[Heidi Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve enjoyed rereading Lionboy and The Chase. The Truth is next. I love that Charlie Ashanti is a catspeaker.

[Seija Helander · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lokakuu

[Gail Ridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome reread