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The Lion of Cairo
On the banks of the ageless Nile, from a palace of gold and lapis lazuli, the young Caliph rules as a figurehead over a crumbling empire. Cairo is awash in deception. In the shadow of the Gray Mosque, generals and emirs jockey for position under the scheming eyes of the powerful grand vizier. Egypt bleeds and the scent draws her enemies in like sharks. Yet, the Caliph has an unexpected ally—the Old Man of the Mountain who holds the power of life and death over the warring factions of the Moslem world, and he sends his greatest weapon into Egypt. He sends a single man. An Assassin. The one they call the Emir of the Knife.... Like the works of Robert E. Howard and Chabon’s Gentlemen of the Road, Oden masterfully blends history and adventure to create a rollicking tale of intrigue and thunderous battle set against the true jewel of the Arabian Nights, medieval Cairo.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
23 people are currently reading
728 people want to read
About the author
Scott Oden
28 books389 followersScott Oden is a liar. He is a forger and a thief; a scoundrel and a spreader of gossip . . . which is all just a fancy way of saying Scott Oden is a writer. He is perhaps best known for his ability to mimic Robert E. Howard's style of prose -- though he does a passably good A.A. Milne, as well. His books have received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist, earned him recognition as an Amazon Editor's Pick, and garnered a Gemmell Award nomination. Or so he says. Who can believe him, really? For all we know, he's just a triumvirate of raccoons with a trench coat and access to Chat GPT.
His notable works include Men of Bronze, Memnon, The Lion of Cairo, and the Grimnir Saga. His less notable works include Claude Moreau's Garden: dozens of cozy short stories about a magical village of mice living in a Provencal garden at the turn of the last century, and long, incendiary posts on Discord about why Cimmerians and Picts should never "get together".
The author lives in rural North Alabama, where he sometimes talks to trees and tries to befriend all the neighborhood dogs. The neighborhood cats can piss right off . . .
His notable works include Men of Bronze, Memnon, The Lion of Cairo, and the Grimnir Saga. His less notable works include Claude Moreau's Garden: dozens of cozy short stories about a magical village of mice living in a Provencal garden at the turn of the last century, and long, incendiary posts on Discord about why Cimmerians and Picts should never "get together".
The author lives in rural North Alabama, where he sometimes talks to trees and tries to befriend all the neighborhood dogs. The neighborhood cats can piss right off . . .
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
March 3, 2015
Ive rated it a three..... BUT its not really a three.... its more a ONE & a FOUR..... WTF Am I on...
Its like this
Very much an adventure style of story & enjoyable it is too for the most part. Maybe a little over wordy & descriptive in places & not in a historical fiction way neither as it has more of the dramatic flair about it. As to the historical fiction side? Truth be, it could have been almost any era as I didn’t really feel transported back to medieval Cairo & immersed fully. Yes there was mention of the leading protagonists of the times but that was all...... Can this be viewed as a read for lovers of fantasy & swords & adventure.... most definitively! As we have a necromancer & magic swords too. A little like Prince of Persia – Sands of Time. Talking of which did the wiiiimen annoy you in that film with their swirling of mantles, batting of eyelashes & huffing n stamping their tiny feet when not getting ones way.....
And heres where the score of one is attributed as all the female characters think they’re Sheena of the Jungle or even Xena, Warrior princess & are invincible, totally implausible are some of their plot threads & had to skip-read parts about Yasmina which became quite ludicrous as her character evolved, I mean a 15 year old scrawny Egyptian slave waif taking on fully grown men...... and winning too!
The hero of the story though, one Emir of the Knife is a solid read & many will like the adventures, battles & politics.
Told you mixed jury & the multiple endings became a chore towards the end, couldn’t wait to finish, which is a shame as much was good.
Its like this
Very much an adventure style of story & enjoyable it is too for the most part. Maybe a little over wordy & descriptive in places & not in a historical fiction way neither as it has more of the dramatic flair about it. As to the historical fiction side? Truth be, it could have been almost any era as I didn’t really feel transported back to medieval Cairo & immersed fully. Yes there was mention of the leading protagonists of the times but that was all...... Can this be viewed as a read for lovers of fantasy & swords & adventure.... most definitively! As we have a necromancer & magic swords too. A little like Prince of Persia – Sands of Time. Talking of which did the wiiiimen annoy you in that film with their swirling of mantles, batting of eyelashes & huffing n stamping their tiny feet when not getting ones way.....
And heres where the score of one is attributed as all the female characters think they’re Sheena of the Jungle or even Xena, Warrior princess & are invincible, totally implausible are some of their plot threads & had to skip-read parts about Yasmina which became quite ludicrous as her character evolved, I mean a 15 year old scrawny Egyptian slave waif taking on fully grown men...... and winning too!
The hero of the story though, one Emir of the Knife is a solid read & many will like the adventures, battles & politics.
Told you mixed jury & the multiple endings became a chore towards the end, couldn’t wait to finish, which is a shame as much was good.
September 13, 2010
Now, this is one of those books where I really wish Goodreads had half stars.
For me The Lion of Cairo wasn't quite a 3 star, and yet I am not comfortable with making it a 4 star. Choosing from the two, in the end I decided it deserved 4 more than the 3, because the story itself was really enjoyable and zipped along without a single boring bit.
A lot of people wouldn't have the problems with this book that I did. So, don't base your decision to get this book on my review alone.
And those problems were purely in some of the writing. Some of the writing, to me, was really scratchy, whereas, some was perfectly fine and some was really good. It was inconsistent.
Sadly for me, there was too much scratchy and that's what caused me the star rating drama. If there was a two rating system, I would give this book 3 stars for writing skill and 5 stars for story. My logic? Giving it 4 stars is the average of the two. :-)
Okay, characters. There are a few interesting characters in this book. Assad, the Emir of the Knife, was of great interest until he hooked up with the King of Thieves and the courtesan, then he became a non event for me. Oden, the author, really didn't hit too hard with this character, this Assassin, and I can't figure out why. I know he has the ability to write in a great Assassin character because while he missed with Assad, he hit perfectly with The Heretic. I am a fan of a good heartless Assassin, so I loved the Heretic character.
The whole 'hate magic' in the salawar blade thing, (Assad's blade) was a miss too and didn't really gel with the story. And there is a necromancer also. Made me wonder whether this is supposed to be Historical Fiction or a Fantasy Fiction.
There are enough good characters in this book to keep you interested I am sure, and you, as a different reader with different tastes, may entirely disagree with my comments on Assad or other.
I wonder how I would have felt about The Lion of Cairo if I had not already been an admirer of Scott Oden's other books. And therefore I came to the book with certain expectations.
He became one of my authors to watch after I read Men of Bronze and Memnon. The skill of his writing was there in these books and so the whole way through The Lion of Cairo I was wondering whether it was Oden even writing the book, or whether something has happened in his life to change the way he writes. The first two books compared to this one are like chalk and cheese. Is it supposed to be Young Adult? No matter whether it is meant to be YA, I really wish Oden wouldn't use the word 'slits' one hundred million times in reference to eyes. Argh. It was repetitive.
I was also wondering throughout this book if the writing problems are because he rushed too fast in writing it. Did he have a deadline to meet? Did he just not get the chance to be critical of his own writing because it was being rushed to print? Oden can do much better than this as far as writing goes. I swear.
Now, I see that I have said more negative than good here and that was not my intention. The story is terrific and I kept wanting to go back to this book to see what would happen next.
It is supposed to be the first in a trilogy I think and I can say without doubt that I will be buying the next one, despite my issues with the writing. The story is just so addictive and I want to be loyal to a good solid author (give him a chance to redeem himself).
Even though I have said some fairly negative things here, I would still recommend this book to a Young Adult reader who will love the adventure, or an adult reader who doesn't take writing so seriously.
For me The Lion of Cairo wasn't quite a 3 star, and yet I am not comfortable with making it a 4 star. Choosing from the two, in the end I decided it deserved 4 more than the 3, because the story itself was really enjoyable and zipped along without a single boring bit.
A lot of people wouldn't have the problems with this book that I did. So, don't base your decision to get this book on my review alone.
And those problems were purely in some of the writing. Some of the writing, to me, was really scratchy, whereas, some was perfectly fine and some was really good. It was inconsistent.
Sadly for me, there was too much scratchy and that's what caused me the star rating drama. If there was a two rating system, I would give this book 3 stars for writing skill and 5 stars for story. My logic? Giving it 4 stars is the average of the two. :-)
Okay, characters. There are a few interesting characters in this book. Assad, the Emir of the Knife, was of great interest until he hooked up with the King of Thieves and the courtesan, then he became a non event for me. Oden, the author, really didn't hit too hard with this character, this Assassin, and I can't figure out why. I know he has the ability to write in a great Assassin character because while he missed with Assad, he hit perfectly with The Heretic. I am a fan of a good heartless Assassin, so I loved the Heretic character.
The whole 'hate magic' in the salawar blade thing, (Assad's blade) was a miss too and didn't really gel with the story. And there is a necromancer also. Made me wonder whether this is supposed to be Historical Fiction or a Fantasy Fiction.
There are enough good characters in this book to keep you interested I am sure, and you, as a different reader with different tastes, may entirely disagree with my comments on Assad or other.
I wonder how I would have felt about The Lion of Cairo if I had not already been an admirer of Scott Oden's other books. And therefore I came to the book with certain expectations.
He became one of my authors to watch after I read Men of Bronze and Memnon. The skill of his writing was there in these books and so the whole way through The Lion of Cairo I was wondering whether it was Oden even writing the book, or whether something has happened in his life to change the way he writes. The first two books compared to this one are like chalk and cheese. Is it supposed to be Young Adult? No matter whether it is meant to be YA, I really wish Oden wouldn't use the word 'slits' one hundred million times in reference to eyes. Argh. It was repetitive.
I was also wondering throughout this book if the writing problems are because he rushed too fast in writing it. Did he have a deadline to meet? Did he just not get the chance to be critical of his own writing because it was being rushed to print? Oden can do much better than this as far as writing goes. I swear.
Now, I see that I have said more negative than good here and that was not my intention. The story is terrific and I kept wanting to go back to this book to see what would happen next.
It is supposed to be the first in a trilogy I think and I can say without doubt that I will be buying the next one, despite my issues with the writing. The story is just so addictive and I want to be loyal to a good solid author (give him a chance to redeem himself).
Even though I have said some fairly negative things here, I would still recommend this book to a Young Adult reader who will love the adventure, or an adult reader who doesn't take writing so seriously.
February 20, 2014
I have to be honest I was a bit puzzled going into The Lion of Cairo. This book is classified as historical fiction, and while I try to ignore titles I was still unsure what I was in for. Would this novel be based strictly on historical fact? Would there be fantastical elements to it? In the end I was glad to find that a few fantastical elements are sprinkled throughout the story, but it never strays far from its historical foundation.
Emir of the Knife, a notorious assassin is tasked with protecting a Caliph who is surrounded by enemies on all fronts. He makes his way to the fabled city of Cairo and uses every resource he has to get close to the Caliph. The Caliph is held up by puppet strings by his ruthless and power hungry Vizier. His Vizier plans to poison the Caliph and supplant himself on the throne. One of the concubines happens to hear of this plot and attempts to stop it from happening. Unknown to all, the Vizier forges an alliance with Amalric the King of Jerusalem against The Sultan of Damascus who is headed towards the city of Cairo.
Within the city of Cairo we also get to meet another sect of assassins led by a necromancer. His right hand man is known as The Heretic, and for me he was one of the standouts of the novel. This villain stole the show for me and the final showdown between The Emir of the Knife and the Heretic was worthy of any summer blockbuster. We get several of these epic climaxes, each one topping the last.
While I doubt it was Scott Oden’s intention to give us a “Prince of Persia” sort of story, I can’t help but compare it to the video game franchise. Really though, is that such a bad thing? For the younger crowd out there the comparison must be made. This book reads like you’re playing Assassins Creed in a desert setting. This was more Robert E. Howard and less history textbook, so keep that in mind if you’re interested in reading this one.
Reading this book inspired the history buff in me to look up some of the history surrounding Scott Oden’s tale. I was interested in the siege of Ascalon, what a salawar looked like, etc. If you’re a fan of medieval history then you will be glad of heart to find these little historical “shout-out’s” littered throughout the story. If there was a minor complaint then I would say it comes in the form of pacing, and this is more of a preference, some might find the pacing to be perfect. The story really has the feel of an action movie, and because of this I didn’t have enough time to catch my breath and really bond with some of the characters.
As much as I love the pseudo medieval England that is so prominent in the genre of Fantasy I also enjoy reading about Middle Eastern settings, and if you do too then you will find a lot to like about The Lion of Cairo. Assassins spying on rooftops, creepy Eunuchs, hidden passageways, awesome swordfights, political backstabbing, I mean honestly what’s not to like?
The novel ends on a cliffhanger and if book 2 was already out, I’d have ordered it weeks ago. So what category does this fall into when all is said and done? Is it historical, fantasy, fiction? My answer is that it’s a fun entertaining read that fans of all genres should enjoy.
Emir of the Knife, a notorious assassin is tasked with protecting a Caliph who is surrounded by enemies on all fronts. He makes his way to the fabled city of Cairo and uses every resource he has to get close to the Caliph. The Caliph is held up by puppet strings by his ruthless and power hungry Vizier. His Vizier plans to poison the Caliph and supplant himself on the throne. One of the concubines happens to hear of this plot and attempts to stop it from happening. Unknown to all, the Vizier forges an alliance with Amalric the King of Jerusalem against The Sultan of Damascus who is headed towards the city of Cairo.
Within the city of Cairo we also get to meet another sect of assassins led by a necromancer. His right hand man is known as The Heretic, and for me he was one of the standouts of the novel. This villain stole the show for me and the final showdown between The Emir of the Knife and the Heretic was worthy of any summer blockbuster. We get several of these epic climaxes, each one topping the last.
While I doubt it was Scott Oden’s intention to give us a “Prince of Persia” sort of story, I can’t help but compare it to the video game franchise. Really though, is that such a bad thing? For the younger crowd out there the comparison must be made. This book reads like you’re playing Assassins Creed in a desert setting. This was more Robert E. Howard and less history textbook, so keep that in mind if you’re interested in reading this one.
Reading this book inspired the history buff in me to look up some of the history surrounding Scott Oden’s tale. I was interested in the siege of Ascalon, what a salawar looked like, etc. If you’re a fan of medieval history then you will be glad of heart to find these little historical “shout-out’s” littered throughout the story. If there was a minor complaint then I would say it comes in the form of pacing, and this is more of a preference, some might find the pacing to be perfect. The story really has the feel of an action movie, and because of this I didn’t have enough time to catch my breath and really bond with some of the characters.
As much as I love the pseudo medieval England that is so prominent in the genre of Fantasy I also enjoy reading about Middle Eastern settings, and if you do too then you will find a lot to like about The Lion of Cairo. Assassins spying on rooftops, creepy Eunuchs, hidden passageways, awesome swordfights, political backstabbing, I mean honestly what’s not to like?
The novel ends on a cliffhanger and if book 2 was already out, I’d have ordered it weeks ago. So what category does this fall into when all is said and done? Is it historical, fantasy, fiction? My answer is that it’s a fun entertaining read that fans of all genres should enjoy.
December 22, 2021
**Should Read as 4.5 Stars!**
Read this book in 2011, and its a standalone book about the Caliph Rashid al-Hasan in Cairo, Egypt.
Set in the year AD 1167, and during the time of the Crusades, in Cairo there's a young Caliph an his rule will be tested to the limit.
Within the shadow of the Gray Mosque, there are Generals and Emirs jockeying for position under the scheming Grand Vizier of Egypt.
While factions are fighting each other in dark alleys and crowded souks, this will send in enemies from abroad like the Kurd, Shirkuh, a man serving the Sultan of Damascus and Amalric, and a Christian King of Jerusalem who's greed is insatiable and who's Knights ar lusting for battle.
High in the mountains in a distant land there lives a man with enormous power of life and death, and he will use his power to restore order in the Muslim world by sending an assassin to help the Caliph of Egypt.
This assassin who's called; the Emir of the Knife, will bring order to the Muslim world and bring death and destruction to all its enemies, within and without, and so to keep the young Caliph safely on his throne.
What is to follow is an intriguing and very exciting tale about ancient Egypt during the Crusades and its internal struggles, and all this is brought to us by the author in a most remarkable and very satisfying manner.
Very much recommended, for this is a wonderful tale set in Egypt in the 12th Century, and that's why I like to call this thrilling adventure: "An Excellent Lion Of Cairo"!
Read this book in 2011, and its a standalone book about the Caliph Rashid al-Hasan in Cairo, Egypt.
Set in the year AD 1167, and during the time of the Crusades, in Cairo there's a young Caliph an his rule will be tested to the limit.
Within the shadow of the Gray Mosque, there are Generals and Emirs jockeying for position under the scheming Grand Vizier of Egypt.
While factions are fighting each other in dark alleys and crowded souks, this will send in enemies from abroad like the Kurd, Shirkuh, a man serving the Sultan of Damascus and Amalric, and a Christian King of Jerusalem who's greed is insatiable and who's Knights ar lusting for battle.
High in the mountains in a distant land there lives a man with enormous power of life and death, and he will use his power to restore order in the Muslim world by sending an assassin to help the Caliph of Egypt.
This assassin who's called; the Emir of the Knife, will bring order to the Muslim world and bring death and destruction to all its enemies, within and without, and so to keep the young Caliph safely on his throne.
What is to follow is an intriguing and very exciting tale about ancient Egypt during the Crusades and its internal struggles, and all this is brought to us by the author in a most remarkable and very satisfying manner.
Very much recommended, for this is a wonderful tale set in Egypt in the 12th Century, and that's why I like to call this thrilling adventure: "An Excellent Lion Of Cairo"!
May 6, 2018
My second foray into Scott Oden's brand of historical fiction was another enjoyable one. Oden's writing style immerses the reader into his chosen setting with ease, resurrecting a time and place covered by the dust of centuries.
What's not to like about a tale depicting an assassin in Cairo during the height of the Crusades? Oden even added a nice touch of something unexpected that I don't want to spoil for anyone. There was alot going on in this book but everything blended together nicely.
My only concern is that I'm not sure if more books are forthcoming for this series ... but like Egypt itself, my patience for the next volume will endure.
Solid 4 stars!
Get your copy here: https://amzn.to/2HRWM0d
What's not to like about a tale depicting an assassin in Cairo during the height of the Crusades? Oden even added a nice touch of something unexpected that I don't want to spoil for anyone. There was alot going on in this book but everything blended together nicely.
My only concern is that I'm not sure if more books are forthcoming for this series ... but like Egypt itself, my patience for the next volume will endure.
Solid 4 stars!
Get your copy here: https://amzn.to/2HRWM0d
December 3, 2011
This is one of my new favorites, a category that includes "Frankenstein," "Gone with the Wind," "Dracula," "The Hour of the Dragon," and "Lord of the Rings." This novel had the right strokes of adventure, history, and magic. As an homage to REH, the novel also works. I hope there is a sequel in the works, not only because of the strings left untended at the end, but because I want to read more adventures of Assad.
Do yourself a favor, if you are reading this review... read this novel. It takes a lot to impress me, and this novel impressed me. His writing was evocative, and drew me into the culture and world of Cairo at that time.
Do yourself a favor, if you are reading this review... read this novel. It takes a lot to impress me, and this novel impressed me. His writing was evocative, and drew me into the culture and world of Cairo at that time.
April 3, 2021
To be honest, not a great read. The characters were very one-dimensional, with little in terms of personality to relate to. The story was quite slow and unfortunately complicated; rather than complex.
November 22, 2019
https://delivreenlivres.blogspot.com/...
Le jeune Calife du Caire, Rachid al-Hasan, se retrouve impuissant, plus ou moins prisonnier de son palace. Son propre vizir joue contre lui en prétextant être de son coté tout en essayant de le renverser pour prendre sa place. Les partisans d'Alamut, la redoutée al-Hashishiyya (les Assassins) envoient un de leurs hommes, le très célèbre et redouté Émir du couteau, Assad, pour tenter une approche auprès du Calife et réconcilier les deux peuples.
Et celui ci arrive juste à temps, le vizir a fait alliance avec les templiers tenant Jérusalem, dans le dos du calife, pour soit disant les défendre d'une armée l'invasion venant de Damas, qui va bientôt arriver. L'armée des Francs approche donc aussi de la ville et celle ci sera bientôt assiégée des deux cotés ...
Seul l'intelligence d'une jeune femme du Harem du Calife, témoin des agissement du vizir, sauve la partie. Assad aura bientôt fort à faire si il veut sauver non seulement le Calife pour son maître, mais aussi la ville entière. Seulement il n'est pas seul sur le coup, les frères ennemis d'al-Hashishiyya vont tout faire pour lui barrer la route et empêcher l'influence des siens de prendre place au Caire ...
Si tout peut sembler assez clair quand on lit ce résumé, ce n'était pas vraiment le même constat dans le livre. On se retrouve avec une intrigue qui se joue entre six différentes factions, dans une ville qui croule sous les intrigues : alliés, trahisons, complots, assassinats, innocents prit dans l'affaire ... Complexe au premier abord pour rentrer dedans.
Dans l'ensemble je dirais que c'était une bonne lecture, pleine d'action. On est vraiment sur un livre d'aventure/complots qui a un bon rythme. Pas le temps de s'ennuyer, il se passe toujours quelque chose d'important à tout moment.
Après ce n'est pas le roman le plus profond de la terre. Les personnages sont très nombreux pour un oneshot, du coup on n'a pas trop le temps de les approfondir. Tout est dans l'intrigue et l'action, plus que dans les personnages. Je pense que pour un livre d'action/aventure fait pour être divertissant, il joue bien son rôle, mais il aurait peut être pu être plus développé.
Je classerais ce livre en fantastique. En plus de l'épée maudite d'Assad il y a de la nécromancie avérée même si ça reste très mystérieux (certains autres personnage n'y croient pas vraiment). Au final on est peut-être moins dans le fantastique que la momie par exemple mais c'est assez proche.
Finalement le seul reproche que j'ai a faire au roman est la fin. Il y a deux solutions, soit l'auteur comptait faire une suite et ne l'a jamais fait, soit il a "oublié" (?) une partie, parce qu'il reste pas mal de questions sans réponses et de sous intrigues secondaires non résolues une fois le livre refermé. Certes la partie attaque de la ville et la mission de Assad auprès du Calife sont terminée, et c'est le principal, mais c'est dommage pour le reste.
Et bizarrement après y avoir repensé, ce sont les intrigues concernant les personnages féminins qui ne sont pas close. Il n'y a que deux femmes dans l'intrigue à la fin du roman et sur aucune des deux on a de final.
Une des deux sous intrigues aurait pu se résoudre en quelques lignes, du coup c'est bizarre qu'elle s'arrête comme ça. Par contre pour l'autre ça aurait été un tout autre problème vu que ça concerne un ennemi qu'ils n'ont ont laissé s’échapper pour s'occuper de problèmes plus pressants et qui du coup reste libre à la fin et a la ferme intention de se venger. A moins de faire une vrai suite je ne vois pas comment on aurait pu régler ce problème en quelques lignes (quoi que ...).
C'est un peu bête parce que du coup je sors avec un avis un peu plus négatif que durant la très grande majorité du livre que j'ai beaucoup apprécié.
Au final une lecture très sympa, malgré une fin un peu trop en suspend pour moi.
16/20
Le jeune Calife du Caire, Rachid al-Hasan, se retrouve impuissant, plus ou moins prisonnier de son palace. Son propre vizir joue contre lui en prétextant être de son coté tout en essayant de le renverser pour prendre sa place. Les partisans d'Alamut, la redoutée al-Hashishiyya (les Assassins) envoient un de leurs hommes, le très célèbre et redouté Émir du couteau, Assad, pour tenter une approche auprès du Calife et réconcilier les deux peuples.
Et celui ci arrive juste à temps, le vizir a fait alliance avec les templiers tenant Jérusalem, dans le dos du calife, pour soit disant les défendre d'une armée l'invasion venant de Damas, qui va bientôt arriver. L'armée des Francs approche donc aussi de la ville et celle ci sera bientôt assiégée des deux cotés ...
Seul l'intelligence d'une jeune femme du Harem du Calife, témoin des agissement du vizir, sauve la partie. Assad aura bientôt fort à faire si il veut sauver non seulement le Calife pour son maître, mais aussi la ville entière. Seulement il n'est pas seul sur le coup, les frères ennemis d'al-Hashishiyya vont tout faire pour lui barrer la route et empêcher l'influence des siens de prendre place au Caire ...
Si tout peut sembler assez clair quand on lit ce résumé, ce n'était pas vraiment le même constat dans le livre. On se retrouve avec une intrigue qui se joue entre six différentes factions, dans une ville qui croule sous les intrigues : alliés, trahisons, complots, assassinats, innocents prit dans l'affaire ... Complexe au premier abord pour rentrer dedans.
Dans l'ensemble je dirais que c'était une bonne lecture, pleine d'action. On est vraiment sur un livre d'aventure/complots qui a un bon rythme. Pas le temps de s'ennuyer, il se passe toujours quelque chose d'important à tout moment.
Après ce n'est pas le roman le plus profond de la terre. Les personnages sont très nombreux pour un oneshot, du coup on n'a pas trop le temps de les approfondir. Tout est dans l'intrigue et l'action, plus que dans les personnages. Je pense que pour un livre d'action/aventure fait pour être divertissant, il joue bien son rôle, mais il aurait peut être pu être plus développé.
Je classerais ce livre en fantastique. En plus de l'épée maudite d'Assad il y a de la nécromancie avérée même si ça reste très mystérieux (certains autres personnage n'y croient pas vraiment). Au final on est peut-être moins dans le fantastique que la momie par exemple mais c'est assez proche.
Finalement le seul reproche que j'ai a faire au roman est la fin. Il y a deux solutions, soit l'auteur comptait faire une suite et ne l'a jamais fait, soit il a "oublié" (?) une partie, parce qu'il reste pas mal de questions sans réponses et de sous intrigues secondaires non résolues une fois le livre refermé. Certes la partie attaque de la ville et la mission de Assad auprès du Calife sont terminée, et c'est le principal, mais c'est dommage pour le reste.
Et bizarrement après y avoir repensé, ce sont les intrigues concernant les personnages féminins qui ne sont pas close. Il n'y a que deux femmes dans l'intrigue à la fin du roman et sur aucune des deux on a de final.
Une des deux sous intrigues aurait pu se résoudre en quelques lignes, du coup c'est bizarre qu'elle s'arrête comme ça. Par contre pour l'autre ça aurait été un tout autre problème vu que ça concerne un ennemi qu'ils n'ont ont laissé s’échapper pour s'occuper de problèmes plus pressants et qui du coup reste libre à la fin et a la ferme intention de se venger. A moins de faire une vrai suite je ne vois pas comment on aurait pu régler ce problème en quelques lignes (quoi que ...).
C'est un peu bête parce que du coup je sors avec un avis un peu plus négatif que durant la très grande majorité du livre que j'ai beaucoup apprécié.
Au final une lecture très sympa, malgré une fin un peu trop en suspend pour moi.
16/20
April 26, 2011
On the banks of the ageless Nile, from a palace of gold and lapis lazuli, the young Caliph Rashid al-Hasan rules as a figurehead over a crumbling empire. Cairo is awash in deception. In the shadow of the Gray Mosque, generals and emirs jockey for position under the scheming eyes of the power grand vizier. In the crowded souks and narrow alleys, warring factions employ murder and terror to silence their opponents. Egypt bleeds. And the scent draws her enemies in like sharks: the swaggering Kurd Shirkuh, who serves the pious Sultan of Damascus and Almaric, the Christian king of Jerusalem, whose greed is insatiable and whose knights are hungry for battle.
And yet all is not lost. There is an old man who lives on a remote mountainside in a distant land. He holds the power of life and death over the warring factions of the Muslim world – and decides to come to the Caliph’s aid. He sends his greatest weapon into Egypt. He sends a single man. An Assassin. The one they call the Emir of the Knife…
The strength of the book is, perhaps best demonstrated by how many “rules” Oden breaks within the first two pages and yet, you won’t be able to put the book down. The novel starts with the much-villain-ized prologue. If you're a writer, you might have heard about that rule on not starting a novel in the middle of a fight because the reader won’t know who to cheer for? Yup, he breaks that rule, too. And by the end of that four page fight scene, I couldn’t have cared less how many rules Mr. Oden broke as long as one intriguing tool – the knife – was explained.
Mr. Oden did not disappoint me in that or any other aspect of the book. In fact, he managed to surprise me.
Oden killed off a few characters I had come to like and did not expect to die. However, their deaths have meaning and power. Assad, the Assassin or Emir of the Knife, is probably considered an antihero in that he rejects every core value of the normal human except for loyalty to his master. He is not particularly likeable, but he is compelling. When he entered a scene, I could not put the book down until he disappeared again and because of that, I felt like I liked him by the end of the book. Would I like to meet him in an alley? No. Way. But as a character, I still can’t wait for his return.
Lion of Cairo is an amazing tapestry of faith, betrayal, loss and just a little bit of love. If you enjoy books centered around warfare and political intrigue, run, don’t walk to the bookstore and buy this one.
And yet all is not lost. There is an old man who lives on a remote mountainside in a distant land. He holds the power of life and death over the warring factions of the Muslim world – and decides to come to the Caliph’s aid. He sends his greatest weapon into Egypt. He sends a single man. An Assassin. The one they call the Emir of the Knife…
The strength of the book is, perhaps best demonstrated by how many “rules” Oden breaks within the first two pages and yet, you won’t be able to put the book down. The novel starts with the much-villain-ized prologue. If you're a writer, you might have heard about that rule on not starting a novel in the middle of a fight because the reader won’t know who to cheer for? Yup, he breaks that rule, too. And by the end of that four page fight scene, I couldn’t have cared less how many rules Mr. Oden broke as long as one intriguing tool – the knife – was explained.
Mr. Oden did not disappoint me in that or any other aspect of the book. In fact, he managed to surprise me.
Oden killed off a few characters I had come to like and did not expect to die. However, their deaths have meaning and power. Assad, the Assassin or Emir of the Knife, is probably considered an antihero in that he rejects every core value of the normal human except for loyalty to his master. He is not particularly likeable, but he is compelling. When he entered a scene, I could not put the book down until he disappeared again and because of that, I felt like I liked him by the end of the book. Would I like to meet him in an alley? No. Way. But as a character, I still can’t wait for his return.
Lion of Cairo is an amazing tapestry of faith, betrayal, loss and just a little bit of love. If you enjoy books centered around warfare and political intrigue, run, don’t walk to the bookstore and buy this one.
January 11, 2015
Well, I finished "The Lion of Cairo" last night and join 2 of my friends in rating this book 5 stars. What a great page turner. I love historical fiction and Scott Oden does a masterful job of creating suspense and integrating real historical characters with his own fictional ones in this story that takes place in Egypt during the Crusades just prior to Shirkuh and then his nephew Saladin from ruling Egypt. The main protagonist is an assassin named Assad, who serves the Al Hashishiyya who make their base on a mountain near the Caspian Sea. He is known as the "Emir of the Knife" as he wields a deadly Afghan Knife AKA a salawar which we find appears to have some supernatural powers possibly containing a Djinn. His mission is to make an alliance with the reigning Caliph of Egypt and to protect him from his enemies who we find include the current Vizier of Egypt who keeps the young Caliph in a drugged stupor, Amalric, King of Jerusalem (he was the brother of Baldwin III and father of the Leper King Baldwin IV), a Frank who is allies with the hated Templars. Another prominent enemy is Shirkuh, a Kurdish General who serves Nur-Al-Din, who was the Sultan of Damascus and Syria. Shirkuh was also the uncle of Saladin who is also in the story. Saladin of course, became the Sultan of Damascus and Egypt and was the Ruler who won back Jerusalem from the Franks.
Most of the book contains court intrigue and a stealth battle between Assad and another covert group of assassins who serve the "Old Man of the Mountain" a splinter group of Assad's own Master. They are led by a mysterious Necromancer (hence more of the Supernatural Horror) and is served by a Frank turned Muslim fanatic called "The Heretic" and his group of Fedayeen.
All in all the yarn is well put together. It doesn't hurt that Scott Oden is a big fan of Robert E Howard and Harold Lamb who also had many of their own historical fiction published in the pulps in the 1920s and 1930s.
The only problem is that this is the start of a Trilogy and no further books in the series have been published yet.
Most of the book contains court intrigue and a stealth battle between Assad and another covert group of assassins who serve the "Old Man of the Mountain" a splinter group of Assad's own Master. They are led by a mysterious Necromancer (hence more of the Supernatural Horror) and is served by a Frank turned Muslim fanatic called "The Heretic" and his group of Fedayeen.
All in all the yarn is well put together. It doesn't hurt that Scott Oden is a big fan of Robert E Howard and Harold Lamb who also had many of their own historical fiction published in the pulps in the 1920s and 1930s.
The only problem is that this is the start of a Trilogy and no further books in the series have been published yet.
July 28, 2010
This book blends masterfully history and adventure to create an exciting,vivid story. I didnt expect the writing,the story full of intrigue,the characters to be of such high quality. Normally a book with many characters can be annoying because you want the hero's POV mostly but in this book i cared for every characters personal story.
A story set in Medevil Cario,Arabic world is so original,so well used by the writer. Because usually this time in history is from The Crusaders point of view.
I had read Men of Bronze by Oden but this book his writing vastly improved and the book was well above my expectations that was for good read. Like Pressfield blurb says this book truly puts Oden in the front rank of historical fiction. Its not praise from a popular author to sell another.
A story set in Medevil Cario,Arabic world is so original,so well used by the writer. Because usually this time in history is from The Crusaders point of view.
I had read Men of Bronze by Oden but this book his writing vastly improved and the book was well above my expectations that was for good read. Like Pressfield blurb says this book truly puts Oden in the front rank of historical fiction. Its not praise from a popular author to sell another.
March 22, 2015
Incredibly muscular writing reminiscent of Robert E. Howard. The descriptions are luxurious and bring the reader into the world of old Cairo. I can only imagine the amount of detailed research that went into this book and Oden is able to masterfully bring the world to the page.
He also has written some of the best fight scenes around. No long drawn out battles, but blades drawn and swung and people injured or killed.
The plot moves along quickly and the entirety of the novel works as one piece and even though as a reader I can see that he has positioned this book as the first in a series, the story itself is complete.
My only complaint is that I would have liked to see more character development and arcs, especially with Assad, the main character.
He also has written some of the best fight scenes around. No long drawn out battles, but blades drawn and swung and people injured or killed.
The plot moves along quickly and the entirety of the novel works as one piece and even though as a reader I can see that he has positioned this book as the first in a series, the story itself is complete.
My only complaint is that I would have liked to see more character development and arcs, especially with Assad, the main character.
December 14, 2016
4GR* (Very good. I loved it.) - My actual rating is 8,5 out of 10.
August 23, 2025
This book is equal parts good and bad. However, the inclusion of a particularly awful scene that didn't need to be in the story really pushed this book's rating lower for me.
To start, this book is listed as a fantasy but that is a bit misleading. The story and setting is a sort of mix of historical fiction, idealized Cairo and implacable characters. If you are looking for stereotypical fantasy aspects such as sorcerers, magical items and strange spells, well that makes up maybe ten-percent of this book. So what the reader is really left with is more of a fantasized setting sprinkled very sparingly with magical elements.
I mention this first because I feel that the setting really is the best thing about this book. The writing and descriptions used to bring to life the various neighborhoods of Cairo, the outfits people wear and how people live in this city is well done. The writing style evokes a sense of classic sword and sorcery. The writing works everywhere except for the characters themselves. I found all of them fairly flat and uninteresting. The action and intrigue really drives the story and reader forward.
I also found it challenging to care about the main character given that he is a cold hearted killer and shows no real emotions. I just expected more character development from the main character and instead found myself moving forward to see a how solid the conclusion would be. I found the ending to be somewhat open and anti-climatic. I prefer stories that bring more closure.
To start, this book is listed as a fantasy but that is a bit misleading. The story and setting is a sort of mix of historical fiction, idealized Cairo and implacable characters. If you are looking for stereotypical fantasy aspects such as sorcerers, magical items and strange spells, well that makes up maybe ten-percent of this book. So what the reader is really left with is more of a fantasized setting sprinkled very sparingly with magical elements.
I mention this first because I feel that the setting really is the best thing about this book. The writing and descriptions used to bring to life the various neighborhoods of Cairo, the outfits people wear and how people live in this city is well done. The writing style evokes a sense of classic sword and sorcery. The writing works everywhere except for the characters themselves. I found all of them fairly flat and uninteresting. The action and intrigue really drives the story and reader forward.
I also found it challenging to care about the main character given that he is a cold hearted killer and shows no real emotions. I just expected more character development from the main character and instead found myself moving forward to see a how solid the conclusion would be. I found the ending to be somewhat open and anti-climatic. I prefer stories that bring more closure.
March 21, 2013
Attracted first by the front cover, not for me the bare-chested men that grace many a cover, preferring a bit of mystery I love the dark smouldering eyes of this character presumably Assad, aka Emir of the Knife.
Set in Egypt, albeit, as the author acknowledges, an Egypt more of fable and legend than actual history, full of eunuchs, concubines, courtesans and secret passages and described as a cross between The Arabian Nights and a Hollywood blockbuster, I should have loved The Lion Of Cairo and yet I didn't.
A truly strange read, beautifully written and yet totally at odds with itself in that it was at once original and yet totally cliched, with descriptions nothing short of poetic (The eunuch stopped; ebony beads ticked together as he ran them through his manicured fingers, a sound like thoughts falling into place) and yet, at the same time, so corny, so kitsch ("Aye. He ... He offered us a whore's weight in silver if we knew anything, but we told 'em to bugger off, mistress." - pg 159) as to be laughable.
Perhaps too much Hollywood blockbuster and not enough Arabian Nights for my liking. The numerous fight scenes whilst generally pretty graphic did at times verge on the comical in that Assad (aka the Assassin) was often to be found taking on (and killing) several armed foes at once without breaking into so much as a sweat making me think this perfect material for one of those corny tv series that are so bad as to be good.
Copyright: Petty Witter @ Pen and Paper.
Set in Egypt, albeit, as the author acknowledges, an Egypt more of fable and legend than actual history, full of eunuchs, concubines, courtesans and secret passages and described as a cross between The Arabian Nights and a Hollywood blockbuster, I should have loved The Lion Of Cairo and yet I didn't.
A truly strange read, beautifully written and yet totally at odds with itself in that it was at once original and yet totally cliched, with descriptions nothing short of poetic (The eunuch stopped; ebony beads ticked together as he ran them through his manicured fingers, a sound like thoughts falling into place) and yet, at the same time, so corny, so kitsch ("Aye. He ... He offered us a whore's weight in silver if we knew anything, but we told 'em to bugger off, mistress." - pg 159) as to be laughable.
Perhaps too much Hollywood blockbuster and not enough Arabian Nights for my liking. The numerous fight scenes whilst generally pretty graphic did at times verge on the comical in that Assad (aka the Assassin) was often to be found taking on (and killing) several armed foes at once without breaking into so much as a sweat making me think this perfect material for one of those corny tv series that are so bad as to be good.
Copyright: Petty Witter @ Pen and Paper.
September 17, 2014
Cairo, on the banks of the Nile, is a city seething with intrigue from the vizier lusting for the Caliph’s position to armies on the way to capture the city, including crusaders from Jerusalem. Into this hotbed steps, the Emir of the Knife, commissioned to aid the Caliph with his sword of almost mystic power. An assassin, he represents some distant but almost mythical power.
Oden’s book sketches life at that time and echoes with the sounds of assassination and battle. While the plot is strong, the pace is slowed considerably by Oden’s penchant to enter into long, long descriptions of everything from dress, to the glory of the palace, the streets, and on and on. While this shows amazing historical research and the depth of the writer’s comprehension of the period, it becomes tedious.
Oden’s book sketches life at that time and echoes with the sounds of assassination and battle. While the plot is strong, the pace is slowed considerably by Oden’s penchant to enter into long, long descriptions of everything from dress, to the glory of the palace, the streets, and on and on. While this shows amazing historical research and the depth of the writer’s comprehension of the period, it becomes tedious.
October 29, 2011
A great read. Ancient Cairo comes alive and the Emir of the Knife is an impressive character.
February 9, 2025
The Lion of Cairo by Scott Oden is a historical fantasy novel set in Egypt in the 13th century, specifically in Cairo. If you have ever played an Assassins Creed game, this book has a very similar feel, as the protagonist is a member of the historical Order of Assassins. The main plot details him trying to confirm the caliphs power in a Cairo full of plotting and intrigue. Overall, I found the book very good.
The plot revolves around Assad, known as the “ Emir of the knife”, the most lethal assassin in the order, and his assignment in protecting the young caliph of Cairo and assuring a alliance between the two entities. He has to deal with many foes, among them being rival assassins from Masyaf, forces from Jerusalem, and the caliphs own vizier. The story flowed well, and I felt that it was not to predictable. Plot actions generally made sense, apart from a few scenes, but all books will have sequences like that. The story has a solid plot.
There is a wide range of characters in this book. You have the assassins, the caliph, the knights from Jerusalem, and all types of other groups. They all feel different, driven by separate motives and leaders. The most dynamic character is definitely the caliph, as he goes from a sitting duck to a powerful leader of his nation. The most static is probably Assad, as he changes his tactics or approach to his job. I liked the characters in this book, as they were all interesting, although not necessarily memorable.
The setting is my favorite part, as it is set in the crusader era. This dynamic plays out with the Kingdom of Jerusalem coming to attack Cairo, as well as Damascus wanting to replace the caliph. The setting is well written, with Cairo being described in detail, from the streets and gates to the people and vendors. The only thing he could have added would have been including more places in Egypt or Cairo, as by the end all places have been used before.
The story is Historical fantasy because it includes use of items that could be considered mystical, such as Assad s sword, and the Masyaf mentor’s ability. These powers did not take over the story too much, so I was okay with it for the most part. Even if you don’t like fantasy you should be able to enjoy this book.
This is a good book all things considered. It may not necessarily be considered a classic, but overall it is a very good book. I would definitely recommend.
The plot revolves around Assad, known as the “ Emir of the knife”, the most lethal assassin in the order, and his assignment in protecting the young caliph of Cairo and assuring a alliance between the two entities. He has to deal with many foes, among them being rival assassins from Masyaf, forces from Jerusalem, and the caliphs own vizier. The story flowed well, and I felt that it was not to predictable. Plot actions generally made sense, apart from a few scenes, but all books will have sequences like that. The story has a solid plot.
There is a wide range of characters in this book. You have the assassins, the caliph, the knights from Jerusalem, and all types of other groups. They all feel different, driven by separate motives and leaders. The most dynamic character is definitely the caliph, as he goes from a sitting duck to a powerful leader of his nation. The most static is probably Assad, as he changes his tactics or approach to his job. I liked the characters in this book, as they were all interesting, although not necessarily memorable.
The setting is my favorite part, as it is set in the crusader era. This dynamic plays out with the Kingdom of Jerusalem coming to attack Cairo, as well as Damascus wanting to replace the caliph. The setting is well written, with Cairo being described in detail, from the streets and gates to the people and vendors. The only thing he could have added would have been including more places in Egypt or Cairo, as by the end all places have been used before.
The story is Historical fantasy because it includes use of items that could be considered mystical, such as Assad s sword, and the Masyaf mentor’s ability. These powers did not take over the story too much, so I was okay with it for the most part. Even if you don’t like fantasy you should be able to enjoy this book.
This is a good book all things considered. It may not necessarily be considered a classic, but overall it is a very good book. I would definitely recommend.
September 12, 2019
"The Lion of Cairo" was fine: worth reading but not great.
The best aspect is the setting. You really feel like you are dropped into 12th century Cairo, from the gutters to the palace to the mosques to the squares to ancient Egyptian ruins, all aspects of the city are explored.
The action is also good: as expected in a story about an assassin there is plenty of violence, but it's (usually) not too gory and its not repetitious either: some stealth killings, some duels, some bigger battles.
The little fantastical elements like Assad's blade and the necromancer's arts are interesting but not well explained.
The characters are, for the most part, a problem. A number of them are interesting enough I suppose, but every character is quite flat, no one grows in characterization, and basically from the first moment we meet someone we are told whether they are good or bad and no one strays from this first impression. I mean, this is a story about palace intrigues and shifting alliances and yet no one--except Yasmina although she does such an idiotic thing I hardly cared what happened to her--ever changes sides or betrays someone else. As several characters are more like caricatures, such as Jalal or the Caliph. Assad, since we are given his backstory, is the most dynamic although only barely so.
The plot was okay. The story did well at killing off characters at unexpected moments to keep the reader on one's toes, but certain elements that were drawn out--like Jalal's schemes--resolved very abruptly, and the end also seems a little abrupt with only a glimpse at the battle that had been looming the entire story.
A solid, entertaining bit of historical fiction, but nothing too special (except for the setting, it was a really well-described setting).
The best aspect is the setting. You really feel like you are dropped into 12th century Cairo, from the gutters to the palace to the mosques to the squares to ancient Egyptian ruins, all aspects of the city are explored.
The action is also good: as expected in a story about an assassin there is plenty of violence, but it's (usually) not too gory and its not repetitious either: some stealth killings, some duels, some bigger battles.
The little fantastical elements like Assad's blade and the necromancer's arts are interesting but not well explained.
The characters are, for the most part, a problem. A number of them are interesting enough I suppose, but every character is quite flat, no one grows in characterization, and basically from the first moment we meet someone we are told whether they are good or bad and no one strays from this first impression. I mean, this is a story about palace intrigues and shifting alliances and yet no one--except Yasmina although she does such an idiotic thing I hardly cared what happened to her--ever changes sides or betrays someone else. As several characters are more like caricatures, such as Jalal or the Caliph. Assad, since we are given his backstory, is the most dynamic although only barely so.
The plot was okay. The story did well at killing off characters at unexpected moments to keep the reader on one's toes, but certain elements that were drawn out--like Jalal's schemes--resolved very abruptly, and the end also seems a little abrupt with only a glimpse at the battle that had been looming the entire story.
A solid, entertaining bit of historical fiction, but nothing too special (except for the setting, it was a really well-described setting).
January 15, 2022
As an avid Fantasy reader, I am trying to detach my Muslim identity and try to enjoy it as a Fantasy novel but I just couldn’t when the dialogues of the characters are just so unnatural. Oden peppers dialogues with common Muslim phrases like Bismillah or the English equivalents AT THE WRONG places, for the wrong reasons. We just don’t talk like that.
“Peace be upon his name” is not a phrase that we throw around carelessly, it’s reserved for Prophets and not your boss at work. Not to mention the audacity of calling each chapter “Surah” wich is a mistranslation of the word Chapter and reserved only for the Quran to indicate “Message” from God. This is not research, this is religious appropriation.
If it was intended to be critical to Islam (because free speech, amirite?) , Odens lack of understanding of how Muslims talk and treat each other just let getting in the way of me actually finishing the book. And of course I want to finish the book, because I want to see if these positive reviews and the Penguin Classics edition are justified.
But who am I kidding, since when do a Muslim reader’s perspective matter? Even when the whole book is supposed to represent us. The book stars an assassin straight out of “Assasins Ceeed” armed with a Djinn-infested blade, A seductive courtesan at a harem, a scheming Eunuch, and a questionable old man with paedophilic tendencies. And this is just the beginning. This is why I can’t read this book. Just because it has Muslim places and names, doesn’t mean it’s Historical.
This is not Fantasy. This is an Orientalist wet-dream.
“Peace be upon his name” is not a phrase that we throw around carelessly, it’s reserved for Prophets and not your boss at work. Not to mention the audacity of calling each chapter “Surah” wich is a mistranslation of the word Chapter and reserved only for the Quran to indicate “Message” from God. This is not research, this is religious appropriation.
If it was intended to be critical to Islam (because free speech, amirite?) , Odens lack of understanding of how Muslims talk and treat each other just let getting in the way of me actually finishing the book. And of course I want to finish the book, because I want to see if these positive reviews and the Penguin Classics edition are justified.
But who am I kidding, since when do a Muslim reader’s perspective matter? Even when the whole book is supposed to represent us. The book stars an assassin straight out of “Assasins Ceeed” armed with a Djinn-infested blade, A seductive courtesan at a harem, a scheming Eunuch, and a questionable old man with paedophilic tendencies. And this is just the beginning. This is why I can’t read this book. Just because it has Muslim places and names, doesn’t mean it’s Historical.
This is not Fantasy. This is an Orientalist wet-dream.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 27, 2020
This was the first book I've read from Scott Oden. I'm not used to historical fiction and it took a little while to get started, but then I just wanted more.
The book had a great flow and it also helps that the author is a fan of
Robert E. Howard.
I can recommend The Lion of Cairo!
The book had a great flow and it also helps that the author is a fan of
Robert E. Howard. I can recommend The Lion of Cairo!
November 16, 2025
It’s a shame that Oden didn’t explore this setting more even though this book was set up clearly for a sequel. Maybe he will revisit it in the future. The setting is the real star in this book, the characters are fairly bland and the plot basic. It has some pulp vibes and is actually very reminiscent of Assassins Creed so feels familiar if you have played the first game.
November 7, 2016
It was a big excessively gory for my taste, but I kept going back to read more because the plot grabbed me and the characters were good. I was disappointed in the ending though. It felt like the first of a series to me, leaving many questions and loose ends. Not my cup of tea.
June 5, 2017
Dit was een heel ander type boek dan ik normaal lees. Ik moest wennen aan de namen en titels uit het vroegere Midden Oosten.
Het was erg bloederig, er werden veel messen in organen gestoken en er droop veel bloed uit allerlei wonden, daarom ‘maar’ twee sterren.
Het was erg bloederig, er werden veel messen in organen gestoken en er droop veel bloed uit allerlei wonden, daarom ‘maar’ twee sterren.
March 13, 2019
A really well done adventure novel which keeps its promises. Assad is a fascinating hero, sometimes I wish we had seen more of him. The supporting cast of characters is interesting as well. The small dose of supernatural was a plus for me. I hope we will see other adventures of Assad.
December 2, 2020
An old school pulp-like historical adventure with a hint of sorcery. Arabian Nights-esque if the AN were written by Robert E. Howard. No, really, if I don't have you with that, I'm not sure what to say.
February 1, 2021
What an absolute shame that Scott Oden has not written a second book about Assad, the Emir of the Knife. If ever there was a book that was heir to the heroic style tales of Robert E. Howard and Harold Lamb, it is this one. Insha'Allah Oden will come back to the Emir of the Knife someday.
July 8, 2024
Fast moving action. I like Scott's writing and how he never falls into predictable phrases and words. He is one of the few historical fiction writers I know whose battle scenes do not become monotonous.
June 12, 2018
Just didn't like it.
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