King Kheng is dead — likely murdered — and rival sons Neneh and Haikachi are vying for the throne. But it’s their half-brother, Sakhan, who shows he has the heart to lead the Lion tribe. Exiled with his ailing and falsely disrespected mother, Sakhan survives enemy capture, slays the fabled and feared Cirrian wolf, and becomes a leader in his own right.
Palle E.K. Oswald’s HALF A LION is the story of clashing tribes in ancient Africa. Oswald’s fantasy world includes some unique elements — like war elephants and wildebeest riders — combined with traditional heroic tropes. The author has a great knack for crafting compelling action sequences. Military clashes and tactical attacks comprise a good portion of this novel. Sharpened steel flashes and nocked arrows fly as the jungle tribes battle for supremacy, while the lush setting and exotic beasts give HALF A LION a unique footprint in the sword and sorcery genre. The novel is at its best when tribal code butts up against personal honor and warriors face moral conflict, themes first pondered by the ancient Greek playwrights, but Oswald’s characters could use a touch more humanity. HALF A LION offers plenty of violence, but none of the sex that is so frequently a staple of the genre. Also, the story has a big cast that can be difficult to keep track of which presumably the author will flesh out in future volumes.
It’s hard not to compare modern fantasy novels to George R.R. Martin’s popular A Song of Ice And Fire series. Indeed, Oswald tips its literary cap to A Game Of Thrones on several occasions, including a sacred ancestral sword, mysterious White Wanderers, and a war chant called “A Song Of Blood and Feathers.” But Oswald’s literary roots stretch back further and burrow deeper, paying homage to the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert E. Howard, and even Homer’s The Illiad. Sakhan is a heroic combination of Tarzan and Conan, a mighty warrior undone by betrayal. While the setting is never named as Africa, the prevalence of lions, giraffe, and wildebeest make the Dark Continent a looming presence in this novel.
Palle E.K. Oswald’s HALF A LION is a rollicking, violent, battle-filled sword-and-sorcery epic “jungle fantasy” featuring a murdered king, jealous heirs clashing over the throne, and an exiled half-blood prince who must prove himself the true heir.
~Rob Errera for IndieReader