Shadow of the Lions

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How long must we pay for the crimes of our youth It has been almost ten years since Matthias graduated from the elite Blackburne School, where his roommate and best friend, Fritz, fled into the woods, never to be heard from again, in the middle of their senior year Fritz vanished just after an argument over Matthias s breaking of the school s honor code, and Matthias has long been haunted by the idea that his betrayal led to his friend s disappearance.Years later, after hitting the fast lane in New York as a successful novelist then falling twice as hard Matthias is stuck, a failure as a writer, a boyfriend, a person When he is offered the opportunity to return to Blackburne as an English teacher, he sees it as a chance to put his life back together But once on campus, Matthias gets swiftly drawn into the past, and is driven to find out what happened to Fritz He partners with a curmudgeonly local retired cop and tries to solve the case, dealing with campus politics, the shocking death of a student, Fritz s complicated and powerful Washington, D.C., family, and his own place in the privileged world of Blackburne.In the spirit of film noir, what follows is a tale full of unexpected turns Shadow of the Lions is a gripping literary thriller, but also a moving coming of age story that is as much about the mystery as it is about the redemption of a broken friendship and a lost soul. New Download [ Shadow of the Lions ] by [ Christopher Swann ] – kino-fada.fr Dramatic and suspenseful, set in the elite world of a prestigious boy s private school When Matthias is first brought to the school as a young teen, he feels abandoned by his parents Through the next four years he will become acclimated, make a very good friend, and be accepted into college In his last year, after a confession and argument his friend disappears Ten years later, after a stalled writing career, broken relationship, he returns to the school as a temporary teacher He vows to fi Dramatic and suspenseful, set in the elite world of a prestigious boy s private school When Matthias is first brought to the school as a young teen, he feels abandoned by his parents Through the next four years he will become acclimated, make a very good friend, and be accepted into college In his last year, after a confession and argument his friend disappears Ten years later, after a stalled writing career, broken relationship, he returns to the school as a temporary teacher He vows to find...The two lions crouched on top of their pedestals, frozen in preparation to leap One was snarling, its stone teeth menacing in the late afternoon shadows, while the other stared out with disdain at the broad sweep of empty soybean fields that lay just across the state highway, a disdain made all thepointed because the lion was missing its left eye The missing eye was their only flaw A well respected all boys preparatory school, where young men are trained for their promising futuresThe two lions crouched on top of their pedestals, frozen in preparation to leap One was snarling, its stone teeth menacing in the late afternoon shadows, while the other stared out with disdain at the broad sweep of empty soybean fields that lay just across the state highway, a disdain made all thepointed because the lion was missing its left eye The missing eye was their only flaw A well respected all boys preparatory school, where young men are trained for their promising futures in a setting that brings to mind Dead Poets Society, among these fine young men are two who become good friends over these four years, Matthias and Fritz Soon it will be time for college, and then their lives beyond as men, aware of the promise the future holds providing they remember all they ve been taught Fritz disappears one evening, shortly after words came between him an...You know when you try to do too many things at once and end up somewhat unfocused This is that book for me Is this a mystery A tale of adolescence A story of salvation A crazy caper Yes to all of the above.For every yang in this book I found a corresponding yin The story was quite good, but a little heavily plotted and the twists became increasingly improbable and just a smidge melodramatic It was also a literary entry in the mystery genre, yet suffered from a bit of overwriting that was You know when you try to do too many things at once and end up somewhat unfocused This is that book for me Is this a mystery A tale of adolescence A story of salvation A crazy caper Yes to all of the above.For every yang in this book I found a corresponding yin The story was quite good, but a little heavily plotted and the twists became increasingly improbable and just a smidge melodramatic It was also a literary entry in the mystery genre, yet suffered from a bit of overwriting that was sometimes distracting rather than illustrative And while the main protagonist s issues and failings marked his character, we had only fleeting looks into the other characters with very little to understand or contemplate about the young man whose disappearance was at the center of the mystery.The overall reading experience, however, was quite enjoyable After a slow moving start the story does take off and explores the intensity of those early friendships, how they imprint on us and affect...I probably bumped this book up a half a star because I have a few personal reasons that I loved it so much First, the author based much of the description of the boarding school in this book on a school that is dear to my heart Woodberry Forest School My son attended this school with the author, his stepson attended as well, and my grandson is there now I do not know the author, although others in my family clearly do The author writes beautifully and his descriptions of life at the school I probably bumped this book up a half a star because I have a few personal reasons that I loved it so much First, the author ba...Thank you to Algonquin for the advance copy of this title for review all opinions are my own SHADOW OF THE LIONS is a breath of fresh air in the suspense genre it is supremely intelligent and definitely lives up to its description as a literary thriller The prestigious boarding school setting provides a dramatic backdrop for Mathias story, both as he describes his time there as a student and while he is navigating that same world as a failed novelist returning as an English teacher Swann Thank you to Algonquin for the advance copy of this title for review all opinions are my own SHADOW OF THE LIONS is a breath of fresh air in the suspense genre it is supremely intelligent and definitely lives up to its description as a literary thriller The prestigious boarding school setting provides a dramatic backdrop for Mathias story, both as he describes his time there as a student and while he...I listened to the audiobook version but let me tell you I think if I d been reading a physical copy I would have thrown it across the room.I cannot remember a book ever giving me such mental whiplash and I mean that in not a good way At the 50% mark I was CERTAIN this was going to be my first 5 starrer in a dry spell of meh It s totally my wheelhouse boarding school in Virginia, troubled youths, a bit of mystery in the backstory Then the second half of the book the dang wheels just fell off I listened to the audiobook version but let me tell you I think if I d been reading a physical copy I would have thrown it across the room.I cannot remember a book ever giving me such mental whiplash and I mean that in not a good way At the 50% mark I was CERTAIN this was going to be my first 5 starrer in a dry spell of meh It s totally my wheelhouse boarding school in Virginia, troubled youths, a bit of mystery in the backstory Then the second half of the book the dang wheels just fell off I am jus...DNFed at 47% I listened to the audiobook which is well narrated by James Anderson Foster.Every year when the air gets chilly and the leaves start to fall I find myself in the mood for a campus novel This one is set at elite Blackburne, a boys boarding school, with two main timelines, one when the main character is at the school as a student, and one where he comes back a decade later as a teacher It does have an atmospheric setting, but this is mislabeled as a thriller Yes, there is a myster DNFed at 47% I listened to the audiobook which is well narrated by James Anderson Foster.Every year when the air gets chilly and the leaves start to fall I find myself in the mood for a campus novel This one is set at elite Blackburne, a boys boarding school, with two main timelines, one whe...Read my review on p 34 of the August issue of Perimeter North Lifestyle magazine check it out on my blog massive concrete lions have guarded the front entrance to Virginia s Blackburne School forthan a century Respected and revered, they symbolize the school s fiercely held traditions, especially its honor code After Matthias Glass confesses his honor code violation to his best friend, Fritz Davenpor Read my review on p 34 of the August issue of Perimeter North Lifestyle magazine check it out on my blog massive concrete lions have guarded the front entrance to Virginia s Blackburne School forthan a century Respected and revered, they symbolize the school s fiercely held traditions, especially its honor code After Matthias Glass confesses his honor code violation to his best friend, Fritz Davenport, they briefly argue before Fritz runs into the woods and vanishes without a trace.In the decade following Matthias graduation from Blackburne, he attends college, grad school, and writes a successful first novel When he finds himself abandoned by his writing inspiration...Shadow of the Lions by Christopher Swann The lions sit on either side of the gate to Blackburne School, a boarding school with fierce traditions and a fervent belief in its honor code A code that Matthias has violated The prologue has Matthias jogging in place in front of the lions, overcome with guilt and trying to justify his actions The tension from this information already has the reader apprehensive.Matthias is joined shortly by his best friend Fritz they argue and in the heat of ange Shadow of the Lions by Christopher Swann The lions sit on either side of the gate to...Some early reviews and blurbs Swann s deft mastery of language and his sense for academia come through the novel strongly Shadow of the Lions is believable, tense, and rich Blackburne s insular community is the perfect stage for this literary thriller, which earns positive comparisons to Dead Poets Society and The Marriage Plot Witty, fast paced, and satisfying, Shadow of the Lions is a perfect literary thriller for back to school season Foreword Reviews Suspense, mystery and the risks of Some early reviews and blurbs Swann s deft mastery of language and his sense for academia come through the novel strongly Shadow of the Lions is believ...

Shadow of the Lions
  • 14 July 2017
  • Hardcover
  • 368 pages
  • 1616205008
  • Christopher Swann
  • Shadow of the Lions