Customer Reviews

Lion hound

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Jim Kjelgaard's books are filled with excitement and a healthy appreciation for a rugged way of life in the great outdoors, and while Lion Hound may not be his best effort, it has all of the trademarks that make this a book well worth reading. The clean prose brings us into the story with an immediacy that many more literary authors fail to achieve.

The main characters are the old, wise mountaineer Jake Kane, the young and good-hearted Johnny Torrington, and Buck, the titular Lion Hound who is raised to be of use to his human companions.

As in many Kjelgaard books, we get a vicarious thrill from watching Buck progress from puppyhood to his prime, against a backdrop of beautiful wilderness and sometimes-harsh conditions.

The three friends are plagued by a mountain lion, a formidable predator made all the more dangerous by a stint in captivity.

The plot is filled with action-packed conflicts, and interesting details about life in the outdoors. There are some life lessons in here that should be appreciated by any parent, but the book never preaches. It's simply a good, solid act of storytelling that is reminiscent of Louis Lamour for its simplicity and ability to captivate.

I recommend all of the Kjelgaard books, and that certainly includes this one. I would start with another selection (Snow Dog, Wild Trek, and Big Red are some of my favorites), but there are no losers in this series. Enjoy!