Rating: 
Summary: A real page turner!
Review: Having read several of Barnes' other novels I was excited about this alternative history/ universe novel. It is *not* a satire as some reviewers have called it. Like the good speculative fiction it is, it takes its setting seriously, to tell a fascinating story. One reviewer suggested it will be taught in high school and college classrooms in 20 years. It's not farfetched: I could see my students loving this. If it were shorter, I'd teach it next year. I prefer it to Octavia Butler's sf slave novel Kindred.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant!!!!!!
Review: I also first heard about the book from Heather Alexander about six months before it was released. Normally, I would not read this type of book, but I became intrigued when I heard the basis of the story, and could not wait for it to be released. I, too was pulled into Steven's world and read it every chance I got. Steven Barnes created a very believable world, and created character's that seemed to jump out of the pages, and the story seemed to unfold before me. I also enjoyed how he took some prominent people in history and incorporated them in the book with his own little twists. I highly recommend this book and I also recommend getting the CD that goes along with it (Heather Alexander's INSH'ALLAH). Having the music in the background will help visualize the farm of Dar Kush, you will hear the songs of the Irish slaves as they work in the fields, you'll know why the slaves fear the Gruagach, and see the visions that Aidan has of the New Northwest.
Rating: 
Summary: An Intriuging, Engrossing Read
Review: I came across this book by accident. After reading a review of a similar book, I looked it up on Amazon for more reviews and "Lion's Blood" came up in the list of other books people bought or recommended. I was intrigued enough by the idea that I bought the book and immediatly immersed myself in it. I was not disappointed. Barnes pulls off an amazing task here, creating a believable enough alternate history, populating it with fully developed characers, and making a work that surely required a ton of research look and feel like it didn't. One or two of the characters could use further development, and a couple of plot twists are so obvious that the reader can see them coming. But the few flaws here do not undermind Barnes point in writing the story. To his credit, Barnes does not pretend that slavery wouldn't have been, or would have been less brutal had history switched the position of the people involved.
Rating:
Summary: Awe inspiring Novel
Review: I could not believe the back pages when I read the description of this book. Some daring writer had actually tackled the impossible--posing a "what if" question and fully embellishing it into a novel that transcends "so-called" true history. There was never a moment when the story felt implausible. It smacked of realism to a point where the reader almost felt as if she had been transported into an alternate universe. Barnes illustrated more effectively then any college survey course could have hoped to that the thing that causes history to move in one direction or another is miniscule. Barnes did more than just flip the script. He looked at the psyche of Africans and wrote a work of fiction that challenged and entertained the reader. THis book should be a required reading in history courses. It would make for quite an interesting discourse.
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Summary: A deeper look into the hearts of people we could have been
Review: I have been lucky enough to have had the opportunity to listen to the music of Steven Barnes's words in his own voice. He can reach your heart and hold it; his words can affect the pace of your life's blood in your veins. Lion's Blood is a novel that takes one deep into a contemplation of what it means to be human. On the surface is the story of slavery and freedom in a world far removed from our own, and yet in many ways identical as well. A well researched 'What If?' and a story of life and friendship. I found myself drawn to identify with both of the main characters. The supporting characters, also, are well rounded and thoughtful individuals. There are no Evil people. No Perfect people. There are people. People who make choices and live lives. Beneath this lies an opportunity to examine one's own assumptions, beliefs, and apriorisms. Not for the faint of heart, this book explores religion, culture, and society and takes one along for the ride. It allows, if one is daring enough, for a kind of soul searching to take place. In collaboration with Steven Barnes, Heather Alexander has written the songs of the people of this other world. Her CD, Insh'Allah, contains these songs and more, and to listen to it while reading the book is almost a magical experience. Get the book. Get the CD. You'll be glad you did.
Rating:
Summary: A Most Enjoyable Read
Review: I have been waiting an entire year for a novel that I could get lost in. I've read a number of books in 2002, yet known of them were of the "you gotta read this" genre, Lion's Blood is. This is more than a book or a novel, it is an epic that will play with your mind and your heart. It is a love story, a story of race relations, a war story and a combined fantasy of sorts. I most confess, that being a Black American and having been raised in a society where Whites rule and Blacks are the minority, it took a while for me to formulate a mental picture of the slaves being white and the ones who live in the "big house" being black. That reverse image is so instilled within, that I had a very difficult time with the royalty and masters being black and the servants being white. Steven Barnes has done a wonderful job with this story, the writing is excellent and I would like very much to see it come to life on the big screen. A must read for the serious reader and a book to get totally lost in. I LOVED IT!!!
Rating:
Summary: Captivating
Review: I have not read any of Mr. Barnes other works. I first came to hear about this book from Heather Alexander, who created the music for this book (entitled INSH'ALLAH) I heartily reconmend any person getting this book to get the music.... I pre-ordered the book and cd and the moment i got them i popped the cd (on repeat) in and started reading and couldn't put the book down until i had finished the book.My emotions were all over the place. i would cry, get angry, and laugh..i was pulled into Mr. Barnes world...usually some books are slow and boring in the beginning NOT this one.. i was hooked from the first chapter.... the characters are "real"I can't wait for the next book...
Rating:
Summary: Absorbing and thought provoking!
Review: I heartily recommend Steven Barnes' Lion's Blood and Zulu Heart. These books are an incredibly engaging alternate history where Africa rules the world and a black Islamic sect is the dominant culture in the Americas. I found the characters well-developed, and was able to empathize with them regardless of race, nationality, or gender. I found myself continually challenged to think about how I might choose to act if I found myself in a similar situation. I particularly like to read about characters that grow and change over time, and Barnes did a great job of showing his character's growth in multiple dimensions. It's obvious that Barnes did his homework, using history, customs, economics, music, martial arts, cooking, agriculture, science, religion, and so on, from around the world to inform the plot and the myriad details in it. In my opinion, he did a particularly wonderful job of making barely describable spiritual experiences accessible to the reader and inviting and including the reader into the spiritual experience, regardless of their beliefs. These books go well beyond being "just another alternate history" and weave a tapestry that helps us appreciate the diversity and unity of being human.
One warning, I found myself still reading at 3:00 AM; this book can be dangerous to your sleep. I'm eagerly waiting for the third volume!
Rating:
Summary: Reading Alternate History - and Loving It
Review: I love alternate histories! The fun of trying to second-guess the ripples in society caused by some single world-changing event keeps me reading long into the night.
With Lion's Blood, Mr. Barnes has done an incredible job of creating a world with an authentic feel. In his alternate history, the American continent is colonized by African peoples who import Europeans as slave labor. It is easy to imagine a writer overdoing this situation as a racio-political diatribe, but Mr. Barnes avoids this trap. What he has written is a STORY, containing memorable characters in an exciting, well-reasoned milieu. As an alternate history fan, I had a lot of fun with the way he worked out the basic concept of this world. As a reader, I was entranced by the emotional reality of his various characters.
I'd love to see more of this world!
Rating:
Summary: Hard to put down! Excellent read!
Review: I really enjoyed this book; it was a window into what slaves may have been put through in our history. I had a very hard time putting it down...what would kai do next? What would Adian do next? Would their friendship last? Would they finally realize how important they were to each other? I kept hoping for a fairy tale ending where slavery would be abolished...I hope that the insights that I have gained by reading this will make me a better person.
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