The Tiger's Prey: A Novel of Adventure

by Wilbur Smith, Tom Harper Narrated by Mike Grady

Overview

The New York Times bestselling author of Desert God and Pharaoh adds another chapter to his popular historical saga featuring the seafaring Tom Courtney, the hero of Monsoon and Blue Horizon, with this magnificent swashbuckling saga set in the eighteenth century and packed with action, violence, romance, and rousing adventure.

Tom Courtney, one of four sons of master mariner Sir Hal Courtney, once again sets sail on a treacherous journey that will take him across the vast reaches of the ocean and pit him against dangerous enemies in exotic destinations. But just as the winds propel his sails, passion drives his heart. Turning his ship towards the unknown, Tom Courtney will ultimately find his destiny-and lay the future for the Courtney family.

Wilbur Smith, the world's greatest storyteller, once again recreates all the drama, uncertainty, and courage of a bygone era in this thrilling saga of the sea.

Editorial Reviews

The Times (London)

Wilbur Smith is one of those benchmarks against whom others are compared.

Nelson DeMille

Wilbur Smith is one of the legendary storytellers of our time.

Library Journal

10/01/2017
Smith's long-running "Courtney" series continues with Tom Courtney, the son of famed Sir Hal Courtney and hero of Monsoon and Blue Horizon, setting off on another swashbuckling historical adventure that moves from the shores of 18th-century India to Africa. When Tom loses an elegant family heirloom, known as the Neptune sword, he battles through fort sieges, pirate attacks, and even fighting his own family to regain the possession of this treasure. While Tom heads the story, other series cast members play significant roles in the twisted and sometimes dark plot, reminding us that a family legacy doesn't run in a straight line but twists from one place to another. VERDICT This harrowing and exciting epic tale of revenge, betrayal, and hope will thrill Smith's many fans and adventure fiction readers. [See Prepub Alert, 4/10/17.]—Ron Samul, New London, CT

Kirkus Reviews

2017-08-08
Turning the time machine back to the 17th century, Smith (War Cry, 2017, etc.) shifts the Courtney family saga to Tom Courtney's battles with the British East India Company. Tom is persona non grata in England, suspected of murdering his brother Black Billy, but he's done well in exile. Currently he's trading along the East African coast. It's perilous, though. Tom must avoid the East India Company, which enforces its monopoly with its own military. There are also dread pirates. In fact, a recent confrontation cost Tom his ship. Now he's retreated to Cape Town to outfit a new ship, Kestrel. With his brother Dorian and their wives aboard, the Kestrel's fleet enough to slip into the East India Company's rich territory. All goes well until a monsoon tosses Tom's crew into the clutches of a vicious jungle queen. This time he loses Neptune, a sword presented to an ancestor by Sir Francis Drake. Along the way, Tom has discovered two long-lost nephews, one of whom goes rogue while the other joins Tom. Characters other than never-say-die Tom are realistic; but some interesting characters are introduced and immediately disappear. Skimming the surface rather than probing its depth, the story is all sails, swordplay, and sinister betrayal. Descriptions are spare yet proficient: ashore it's mostly monsoon, beastly heat, or cutthroat sultans atop war elephants while aboard ship, sailor-speak livens up the thoroughly cinematic battle scenes. There's some PG-rated sex, while the fight scenes include multiple dismemberments and a cringe-inspiring method of execution that will become the stuff of nightmares. A cyclone of nonstop action-adventure with enough swordplay and bodice-ripping to recall the Errol Flynn swashbuckler pirate movies of old.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940173527127
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	10/17/2017
Series:	Courtney Family Novels
Edition description:	Unabridged

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