The Tiger's Prey

Courtney publication order #16

by With Tom Harper Wilbur Smith

The New York Times bestselling author of Desert God and Pharaoh adds another chapter to his popular historical saga featuring the seafaring Tom Courtney, the hero of Monsoon and Blue Horizon, with this magnificent swashbuckling saga set in the eighteenth century and packed with action, romance, and rousing adventure

Tom Courtney, one of four sons of master mariner Sir Hal Courtney, once again sets sail on a treacherous journey that will take him across the vast reaches of the ocean and pit him against dangerous enemies in exotic destinations. But just as the winds propel his sails, passion drives his heart. Turning his ship towards the unknown, Tom Courtney will ultimately find his destiny—and lay the future for the Courtney family.

Wilbur Smith, the world’s greatest storyteller, once again recreates all the drama, uncertainty, and courage of a bygone era in this thrilling saga of the sea.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Adventure, Africa, Thriller, Historical, Action

432 pages, Paperback

First published September 7, 2017

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wilbur Smith brings Tom Harper along with him to create the latest in the Courtney saga, returning to the high seas of the 18th century. Tom Courtney is the son of the master seafarer, Sir Hal Courtney. The entire Courtney clan are well known for having control of the seas and have planted many deep roots, especially along the African continent. Tom is rumoured to have turned on members of his family to save his own honour and is rumoured dead. This is the narrative that young Francis Courtney holds close to his heart. When the last remnants of his family are killed, young Francis goes in search of Tom, hoping to discover if he truly has been killed. If not, he will undertake to complete the task and ensure his own father did not die in vain. Francis discovers Tom is alive and well, though has been keeping a low profile in South Africa. Francis lets his bluster get the better of him and Tom is prepared to turn the tables on this young Courtney. Instead, they agree to work together and set sail for the East Indies, sure to find adventure during the journey. What follows is a collection of storms on the high seas and interactions with other swashbucklers as Tom and his crew seek assistance when they arrive on shore. With Francis at his side, Tom engages the locals in more adventure than any man could handle… any man but a Courtney. Limping through to the end, the reader will be lucky to keep their bearings in this addition to what might be the weakest of the three sagas, that of the seas. Many pardons to readers of the review, as I will be the first to admit, my summary of the story is poor, hampered by not being able to connect with the piece, as discussed below.

I have long had an issue when an author passes away or ‘retires’ and another takes over the reins of a series. Many a collection of books have gone down the drain when the original creator no longer has control of their master work. Wilbur Smith’s turning the Courtney series over to others has been a recipe for disaster and yet books continue to be published. Having devoured all of Smith’s past Courtney saga novels (attributed solely to him) and loving them, this was yet another let down for me. One must be careful where to point fingers. It might be Harper trying to slide into the massive literary footprint or the fact that I am not a fan of the ‘Courtneys on the seas’ branch, but this book grabbed me as effectively as marble tossed on a Velcro wall. There was obviously some character development and action peppered throughout, but I just could not find myself grasping onto what was going on. It may also have been that the story was not adequately divided into chapters, choosing instead to be a single blob of writing that continued to flow from page to page (or for us audio listeners, minute to minute). I felt myself lost and without any form of help as I tried to push through this book. The sole redeeming beacon ended up being that the book ended and I could move on to something else. Alas, I feel that my reading the saga may finally have come to an end. I have little interest in continuing if Wilbur Smith feels that he must allow others to trifle with his work. Surely, he has lost that burning desire to create high-caliber work and only seeks the royalties for something that has his name plastered to the cover.

I remain in awe that Harper is a well-respected published author of numerous books of a similar genre and yet this drivel came from his pen.

Oh, Messrs. Smith and Harper, how you have disappointed Courtney series fans with this. I hope many readers will not use this book as a benchmark for the entire series, which has had moments of brilliance.

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[Shariful Sadaf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another adventure I had trouble putting down! Typical for Wilbur Smith. There is only one animal tiger, but at least 5 human tigers in this story. I hope this is not the last we hear of the Courtney family now that Tom thinks it is time to buy a home.

This is classic Wilbur Smith adventure on the high seas with the Courtney men involved in aligning themselves for common battles, and of course the outcast Courtney being involved in trying to kill the rest of the Courtneys. There are many adversaries, many damsels in distress, animals that add interest in different ways, cultures that must be learned and overcome, and battles galore. The tales of the Courtneys have lasted through 16 novels now, and continue to intrigue the reader. One becomes a part of the generational book-opera as the Courtneys are very compelling to continue to follow. A hearty 448 page novel to lose yourself in for a few days, at least! Good reading!

[El lector de l'antifaç · Rating 4 out of 5]

“La presa del tigre“ es un libro escrito por Wilbur Smith y publicado en 2017. Una vez más, el autor narra las aventuras y vicisitudes de los distintos miembros de la familia Courtney en las tierras y mares de África y la India.

Wilbur Smith (1933-2021) fue un prolífico y aclamado escritor de novelas de aventuras sudafricano. Sus obras se agrupan mayormente en cuatro sagas, Courtney, Ballantyne, egipcia y Hector Cross. También escribió otras novelas fuera de estas cuatro sagas.

Cuarta entrega de la serie Courtney, nuevas aventuras de distintos miembros de la familia Courtney, en este caso, junto a los ya conocidos Tom, Guy y Dorian, protagonistas de “El juramento”, se van a sumar Francis, hijo de William y Cristopher, hijo de Guy.

La acción transcurre hacia los años 1710 primero en África y después en la India y nuevamente podemos disfrutar de aventuras repletas de emociones, acción, amores y todos los elementos habituales en las novelas del gran maestro del género como es Wilbur Smith.

[Steven Walle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wilbur Smith has done it again. This was a riveting novel of danger and excitement.
Enjoy and Be Blessed.

[Colleen Earle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew next to nothing about this book when I received it from a giveaway here on goodreads.
In my typical fashion I started at the end of a well established series and I have zero regrets.
Problems that face some books when you read them this way were not found here. I feel well connected to all the characters and don’t feel like I’ve missed anything for not having read any of the other books but I really want to now.
I love the characters and their development throughout the novel
I found that the style that the book used was really good, though it wouldn’t work in most others. It recounts events from several different perspectives but does not make them sour or boring.
I am a little in love.

[Horror Bookworm Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wilbur Smith maintains his Historical Fiction crown with a flawless novel that gives No Quarter. Despite pirate infested oceans from corners of the globe, two brothers encounter a secretive past that catches up to the present, and changes their future forever. A young boy is determined to prove his worth to an ancient family Order, only to be encompassed by multiple adversaries. These tactful character driven storylines transform into vessels of pure cannon fire adventure. Within the pages of this rousing exploration, comes a classic themed high sea experience only Wilbur Smith can produce.

[Ian · Rating 2 out of 5]

A good read but too many coincidences.

[Nicolás Briozzo · Rating 4 out of 5]

"La presa del tigre" es, hasta el momento, la última novela de la saga de la familia Courtney publicada en español.
Sin embargo, cronológicamente, transcurre en el siglo XVIII y nos retrotrae a pocos años después de los sucesos narrados en "El Monzón" y "El juramento", para mi gusto, dos de los mejores libros de Wilbur Smith.
Los fans memoriosos recordarán que los protagonistas de aquellas novelas son principalmente los hijos de Hal: Billy, Tom, Dorian y Guy Courtney. Sin caer en spoilers de aquellos libros ni de este, se puede decir que Tom vuelve a ser el principal personaje de esta nueva aventura, y los lazos familiares se verán puestos a prueba una vez más con la aparición de nuevos integrantes.
Con la destreza que Wilbur maneja tan bien, y el marcado timing para la aventura, nos paseará desde las costas africanas hasta el subcontinente indio, siempre fiel a su estilo detallado y la concordancia histórica.
Seguramente haya pasado el cenit de la producción literaria de este autor, pero sigo disfrutando de estos libros como el primer día y, particularmente con este, volví a sentir vivos unos personajes de los que leí hace ya mucho tiempo y a los que recordaba con mucho afecto. Los fanáticos no serán decepcionados.

[Andy Wormald · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Courtney novels have to be one of my favourite series, Tom Harper has totally captured the feel and essence of the series, fast flowing pacey adventure following the exploits of Francis and Christopher Courtney a great link to the series

[Rod · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wilbur Smith has been a favorite of mine for as long as I can remember.
Starting with "When The Loins Feed"first published in 1963
I read it in 1972 and have read every book he has written
The Tiger's Prey our author delivers another fast paced adventure

[Wilde Sky · Rating 2 out of 5]

A tale of merchants, pirates and adventure.

I found this book a bit disappointing – the characters / writing / dialogue / plot were all a bit clunky.

[Niranjan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Set in the eighteenth century, this novel is based on the adventures of four Courtneys, a fictional family of English mariners. The author Wilbur Smith who is a South African of English descent, has portrayed his knowledge of the British East India Company and it's trade routes between India, South Africa and England with good detail and has set this story in these three countries. The imagery words used in this story makes it very easy and enjoyable for the reader to imagine the scenery and setting in each country during the course of this novel.

However, as for the story itself, from the start to finish it feels more like a script for an action film rather than a novel. It is just a repeated cycle of: good guy provokes bad guys --> good guy's wife/girlfriend gets kidnapped/hurt by bad guys --> good guy defeats bad guys --> romance between good guy and wife/girlfriend --> go to a new location. Add a bit of family drama between the main Courtney characters at various intervals and this cycle just never seems to end.

The title The Tiger's Prey also does not suit the storyline and looks to have been kept that way just to entice people to pick this book.

[John Becker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A classic Wilbur Smith adventure novel. An exciting story, part of the Courtney family series. Though I read three of these books out of chronological order, the family lines and relationships are well explained in each as if stand-alone novels. There were many unpredictable twists and turns in the story with family betrayals making it a real page turner. There were battles aplenty on the seas and on the land from South Africa to India, with a liberal amount of graphic violence and even some graphic sex. Suspenseful throughout and with a satisfying ending. My only criticism was for a lack of maps and a Courtney Family tree (which I had to obtain online).

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

A classic 'boy's own' adventure with a little bit of adult entertainment thrown in. This episode takes us back to the early days of the Courtney dynasty (where all Wilbur Smith's best books are found in my opinion) and takes place mainly on the Indian sub-continent.
Full of excitement and cliff hanging, I found it thoroughly riveting.

[Deepak Rao · Rating 3 out of 5]

A simplistic story progressing quite like a bollywood script.A good time pass but not to my liking.

[Lorraine Sulick-Morecraft · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not anywhere near Wilbur Smith’s writing. Tedious at best.

[Manuela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gli ultimi, deludenti romanzi mi avevano lasciato una strisciante nostalgia del Wilbur Smith degli anni d'oro, e quasi mi avevano fatto sperare che non pubblicasse più nulla, se dovevano essere storie non all'altezza. La saga Courteney, però, aveva (ed ha ancora) bisogno di colmare delle lacune di decenni, per poter essere portata a compimento, e quindi, quando ho letto che stava lavorando su un romanzo della sua saga più celebre, ho sperato che fosse tornato lui. E le speranze, per fortuna, non sono state disattese. Dopo anni e libri inutili, con questo romanzo, Wilbur (coadiuvato finalmente da un ghost writer vicino alle sue corde) è tornato agli antichi splendori, tra peripezie, tradimenti, odi, amori, vendette, nemesi inaspettate e destini ineluttabili, il tutto condito con il suo stile inconfondibile. I Courteney sono tornati, e alla grande!

[Kiarup · Rating 4 out of 5]

E' il primo libro che leggo di Wilbur Smith (e Tom Harper, dal momento che immagino che wilbur smith ormai abbia una certa età) e forse iniziare dal 16° libro di una serie non è stata la scelta più saggia, ma mi era stato regalato a Natale e tendo a leggere sempre i libri che mi vengono regalati.
Ebbene, quasi 500 pagine ma sono volate in meno di tre giorni. Pirati, vendette, torture, tempeste, tradimenti, battaglie.. Non c'è un attimo di tregua! So che a casa abbiamo parecchi libri della Saga dei Courtney e a questo punto non escludo, in futuro, di leggerne altri.

[Laura Payne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story! Wilbur Smith is a wonderful storyteller. From the first page to the last, I enjoyed every minute of reading this book! The Courtneys are my favorite of Smith's characters. Can't wait until Smith writes another one to find out what happens next!

[Clynton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vey fast paced with plenty of action and adventure. A little bit overtly gruesome and the sex scenes/ references were pretty explicit.. I feel they could have been written in way that left more to the imagination lol. Overall an enjoyable read!

[Ian Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

An epic page turning adventure

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another swashbuckling tale of the high seas off the coast of Africa/India. The Courtney’s adventures
Continue with constant battles with family and pirates. Smith constantly keeps you guessing and
Seems to always change the plot
My sort of adventure series.

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vintage Wilbur Smith

What a great read, it was difficult to put the book down once you started reading. The storyline will keep you on the edge of your seat!

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wilbur Smith is one of my all time favorites. I eagerly await his newest work and then devour it. The Courtneys are survivors. Always a terrific read: well developed characters, intrigue, life and death suspense, heart-pounding action. Superb.

[Kagiso Kwadi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I became aware of this book about two years back but never bothered to jump in. After ploughing through a couple of tense spy novels I opted for an adventure of the purest form, and who better to give one than the critically acclaimed Mr Smith. I confess that I had never read any of his works before this one, and that I went for this purely because of the 4.1 star rating. As it stands now I am awaiting delivery for War Cry, Monsoon, Assegai and Courtney's War, all which were ordered when I was half-way into TTP. I get what all the fuss is about for Wilbur Smith, the man knows how to tell an adventure story; real characters you fall in love and build connections with, love, war, exotic locations, raw sex, even rawer violence (my God people died gruesome deaths in here),betrayal(s)... Its all in there given to you in perfect doses. That is another thing I loved about this book, the pacing is just right. Its not thrown at you in a dizzying, block-buster/thriller fashion we have come accustomed with the likes of, for instance, the Robert Langdon series(which I love and enjoy), the story unfolds gradually with enough action sequences and political talk balanced out to keep you reading page after page until you finish the book, or more accurately, until the book is finished. There were a couple of mild coincidences that pushed the story forward but not too coincidental to throw me off. The book is not perfect but the conclusion most definitely is, one of the best endings I've come across in a while. I hope there is a sequel to this because I need to know how "Man X" (who lost part of his body at the end), went on with his life having returned to that place.

[Димитър Тодоров · Rating 3 out of 5]

Поредната пиратска книга от многовековната сага за рода Къртни. Действието се развива в началото на XVIII век между Лондон, Кейптаун и Малабарското крайбрежие от Бомбай до Мадрас. Единият близнак е управител на Бомбай за Британската източноиндийска компания. На семейно ниво той е лошият, но на имперско върши добра работа, макар и да спекулира за лична облага и да играе нечисто пиратската карта срещу индийците. Другият близнак Том е добрият и заедно с третия брат, помохамеданченият в плен Дориан, се опитват да захванат собствена търговска дейност, заобикаляйки монопола. Следващото поколение братовчеди във възраст за (първо) женене си търси пътя и мястото в живота, като единият избира светлата страна, а другият – тъмната. Двата ключови джедайски меча са наследственият със сапфирена глава и виещото се на пояс уруми, което се учи в традиционни тамилски бойни школи. Перипетиите минават през пиратски нападения в открито море, ръкопашни засади в градината на компанията (Холандската източноиндийска) в Кейптаун, огнестрелни засади в двора на амбициозна провинциална рани, обсада на малък британски форт в Южна Индия и кулминират с обсада на голяма непревземаема пиратска крепост. Освен тигърът от заглавието, в противостоянията участват и слонове, и мравки. И съвсем по каноните на жанра бойните и морските изкуства, доблестта, несметните богатства, семейната чест и романтиката, вървят заедно с предателството и плетенето на коварни, предимно – женски – интриги в посока на хепи енд, оставящ вратичка за продължение.

[Bruce Redames]

A guy like me, who has never read anything by Wilbur Smith before bought this book 2 days ago because I was feeling bored and have already read 40% of it and can't seem to stop. I think that should tell you all that you need to know about it, it is interesting, full of twist, great characters and binds you in as soon as you begin reading it and not only that I am tempted to go and start reading the entire series from Book #1.

[Ken · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Tigers Prey by Wilbur Smith Action alley story of high sea jinks, the usual Courtneys with dysfunctional families disaster but twist is its set on the sub continent it has shipwrecks, battles, massacres theft trickery big cannons yelling and charges all rolled out in a gripping style, Wilbur is the master GI Joe action man story teller.

[Axie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bel libro. Mi ha riportato al Wilbur Smith di anni fa. Avventure su avventure. Non sono stata ferma un attimo. Voto: 7

[Carl Timms · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 4 in my chronological Courtney series read.

A solid adventure yarn from the master of boys own heroics, Wilbur Smith. This is a sequel to Monsoon and slits in nicely given the twenty odd year gap between the writing of the books. Here the writing is turned over to a Tom Harper of whom his work I am unfamiliar. It's a passable imitation though definitely lacking compared with Smith himself.

This continues the adventures of Captain Tom Courtney as he heads to the coasts of India and gets embroiled in danger after danger, battling pirates on sea and land and essebtially turning into Richard Sharpe at the end running into seige breaches like a total boss.

It's all completely over the top, but its written with such a breathlessness that it stands head and shoulders above the previous co-written book in this series, Golden Lion (see my rather disparaging view of that pile of crap). it helps that Tom is actually quite a likable lead compared to his father Hal who I found to be fairly sufferable. he is , of course , bulletproof stormproof swordproof cannonproof and generally dangerproof like all good heroes should be, though , in this , it does start getting it a little silly in places. Its undeniably exciting though with 2-3 standout set pieces.

I am guessing due to the fact this is set before Blue Horizon., they decide early on to get rid of half of the main known characters including the previously rescued Dorian, keeping the returning cast of this one very slight. Joining the few returning characters are Tom's nephew Francis (very likely the last connection to Dorset and High Weald i suspect we will see) and Tom's bastard child Christopher, a true piece of shit who begins with a teenage lofty aim of making his fortune to marry his sweetheart, then becomes a ninja and then instantly turns into a murdering pillaging piece of scum. It's not what you call deep character development, but it does make for a boo-hiss bad guy of the best kind.

This book moves at one thousand miles an hour. The bits in between the action are just there to move chess pieces around, so there can be more action. Personally , I am ok with this, though it does lack some of the finer historical elements of the earlier, better and more epic smith novels and the constant danger and mayhem becomes a little exhausting after a while. There's also a couple of moments of gruesome torture that if based on fact are genuinely one of the worst things I've ever read happen to a human being. I'm rarely shocked so fair play for turning my stomach Mr Harper! There's a little bit of the Smith style hanky panky but it's written in such a cringe-inducing way, it made me laugh multiple times.

If I had one other complaint, it's that there are far too many coincidental crossings of various characters paths that by the end it started to feel more like a computer game than any attempt at a serious piece of literature. It made India feel like Guernsey for all the recognisible faces Tom would encounter.

So enough of this ghost written Smith on steroids, lets get back to his actual work in book 5, Blue Horizon!