Official Review: The Lion Roared FREEDOM

Mercelle · Post by **Mercelle** » 17 May 2018, 10:27

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Lion Roared FREEDOM" by Andrê Black.]

3 out of 4 stars

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In his book The Lion Roared ‘FREEDOM’ André R. Black delves into pertinent issues plaguing society and toys with the idealist view of whether unconditional love is the silver bullet that will save humanity from imminent self-destruction. The author presents this point of view in a captivating work where science fiction meets philosophy and erotica.

The story revolves around four main characters; Gábor, his wife Helena, their son Leo and their good friend Ivan. Gábor and Helena found each other and as their interaction with each other grew, a steamy love affair brewed culminating in the birth of Leo. The happy couple’s blissful bubble burst when their bundle of joy began to develop an unknown condition which caused excessive hair to grow all over his body and his physical appearance to morph into that of a cat.

These changes negatively affected Leo’s parents and when one doctor suggested that they take Leo to see a veterinarian, it dawned on them that they had a huge problem on their hands. They arrived at an amicable decision which led them to abandon their family and friends and hastily relocate from Hungary to Canada to shield their son from the harsh realities of the world. With their marriage on the rocks, Helena and Gábor’s love life dwindled, but they had to save face for the sake of their son. Along the way, more compromises were necessary but who knew that amidst the turmoil, a silver lining would emerge for this young family.

As I flipped through the pages, the author’s riveting writing style and the unique premise of the story kept me hooked and yearning for more. The book’s deep philosophical nature kept me reflecting on my own life, and I ended up picking a few principles that I intend to apply to my own life. Although this is a work of fiction, it canvases various topics such as religion, human interaction, world peace and sexuality.

The characters themselves are relatable, and it was a wonderful experience to be a bystander throughout their trials and tribulations. Their strong opinions inspired me; their moral dilemmas had me involved in their decision-making processes, their breakthroughs had me rejoicing with them, and their low points had me urging them to stay strong.

As much as I liked the story, the downside is that it lacks an antagonist and in instances where I was looking forward to getting more immersed in the characters lives, raunchy sex scenes popped up and almost watered down the reading experience. A significant reduction in these scenes would allow room for more significant material to enrich the story, thus eliminating the massive cliffhanger at the end. Although this makes sense because The Lion Roared ‘FREEDOM’ is the first in a series of ten books and the cliffhanger seems to be the building block for the next book, I still feel that there’s room for improvement.

My verdict then is that the pros far outweigh the cons, which include the multiple typos I spotted throughout the book. The remedy for this would be a round of editing. I will, therefore, award this book a rating of 3 out of 4 stars and recommend it to any open-minded adult.

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The Lion Roared FREEDOM
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kdstrack · Post by **kdstrack** » 20 May 2018, 06:02

Sounds like a very interesting story. I don't think I would like the sexual scenes interrupting but still seems like an intriguing read. Thanks.

NL Hartje · Post by **NL Hartje** » 20 May 2018, 10:48

Mercy Bolo wrote: ↑17 May 2018, 10:27 The author presents this point of view in a captivating work where science fiction meets philosophy and erotica.

The author had me here ^^

The happy couple’s blissful bubble burst when their bundle of joy began to develop an unknown condition which caused excessive hair to grow all over his body and his physical appearance to morph into that of a cat.

The author lost me here^^

After reading the rest of your review though, it seems the author puts thoughtful insight into the realities of relational struggles. I suppose the marriage of the serious personal struggles with the often fantastic sci-fi throws me off.

Thanks for this revealing review!

gen_g · Post by **gen_g** » 20 May 2018, 11:03

Thanks for the review, and the premise does seem really interesting!

Post by **kandscreeley** » 20 May 2018, 18:18

Very interesting. It does sound like there are deep issues explored in the book. But yet, it sounds quite entertaining. Thanks for the introduction to this.

Kat Berg · Post by **Kat Berg** » 20 May 2018, 19:55

NL Hartje wrote: ↑20 May 2018, 10:48
Mercy Bolo wrote: ↑17 May 2018, 10:27 The author presents this point of view in a captivating work where science fiction meets philosophy and erotica.
The author had me here ^^

The happy couple’s blissful bubble burst when their bundle of joy began to develop an unknown condition which caused excessive hair to grow all over his body and his physical appearance to morph into that of a cat.
The author lost me here^^

After reading the rest of your review though, it seems the author puts thoughtful insight into the realities of relational struggles. I suppose the marriage of the serious personal struggles with the often fantastic sci-fi throws me off.

Thanks for this revealing review!

NL Hartje, you nailed it!

I had to skip back to look at the genre because I was like, "Wait. What kind of book is this?" I am not a fan of erotica and that would be a point of hesitation for me. It is a great review, however.

Mercelle · Post by **Mercelle** » 20 May 2018, 22:46

Thank you for your feedback. I was hooked the moment I read the introduction, but I was so confused because it sounded nothing like science fiction.

crediblereading2 · Post by **crediblereading2** » 21 May 2018, 10:09

I love how Mercy has delineated this very fascinating story. It has such a wonderful premise which pulls at the heartstrings. Excellent review.

Jackie Holycross · Post by **Jackie Holycross** » 21 May 2018, 15:21

It's an interesting premise, but I'm not a fan of erotica. Thanks for the review.

Plfern · Post by **Plfern** » 21 May 2018, 17:43

The book,The Lion Roared FREEDOM by Andre Black, really sounds different and interesting. I like cliffhangers, because then I look forward to the next book coming out. However, NL Hartje, when you got to the part of the raunchy sex scenes, I decided it wasn't worth the read. Thank you for your informative review.

agboola adenike · Post by **agboola adenike** » 23 May 2018, 06:06

the talk on Leo's body turning hairy like that of a cat could make the reader feel for the love turning sour for the two couple and would definitely catch the readers attention to read to the ending of the misery but the raunchy sex scenes can definitely let the reader get pissed off

smartboy · Post by **smartboy** » 23 May 2018, 12:43

Thanks for the review but the premise do not sound reali intresting, but de part of leo body becoming hairy as that of a cat would realy catch a readers attention.

stacie k · Post by **stacie k** » 24 May 2018, 17:21

Science fiction, philosophy, and erotica? This seems like an odd combination. I'll have to pass due to the "raunchy sex scenes." Thanks for your informative review!