Monday, March 12, 2018

Blog Tour/Review: In Spite of Lions by Scarlette Pike



In Spite of Lions, by Scarlette Pike
2017, 242p, Clean Historical Fiction
My Rating=4 Stars
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the author, which did not affect my review in any way



How does a young lady of means escape her high society fate? By booking passage on the first ship to Africa and promptly tossing her petticoats overboard! Now Anna's trading London's luxuries and restrictions for the wild unknown. Of course, shedding her old life would be much easier without the disapproving looks of a handsome sea captain and the demons in her past haunting her from worlds away.

I liked how this book started out. There's some mystery to Anna and why she's on a ship headed to an unknown destination. She's running from something but we don't yet know what. Towards the end of her voyage, she learns that she's headed to Africa and a very different way of life than what she's used to. I liked that it wasn't obvious where this story would go.

I loved the characters in this book! Anna met some interesting ones in Africa who I enjoyed getting to know. Captain Dunna was mysterious. She didn't have a high opinion of him and I was interested to hear his story. There were a few chapters that told the story from his POV, which also helped to get to know him better. There's some romance, but it is a small part of the story.

I enjoyed this book! It started out strong to me and then slowed some while she was adjusting to life in Africa. There came a point when it picked up again and I couldn't put it down until I finished it. Just to learn that there is definitely more story to be told. I'm looking forward to reading the next book!



Scarlette Pike grew to lackluster maturity on the banks of the Virgin River in Southern Utah. After her fair share of wandering she realized that historical fiction had always been in her suitcase. Following a desperate prayer and a simple idea, she began to write a historical fiction novel. She was drawn to African explorers David and Mary Livingstone and David's one and only convert: Chief Sechele. The mix of Victorian etiquette and African survival inspired her and she wrote "In Spite of Lions" in a tiny, tiny apartment in central freezing Utah. She plans on writing the sequel in a real grownup house with better heat.

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