Iris Mwanza takes on the controversial topic of gay rights and the stigmatism towards AIDS in Africa in her debut novel, The Lions' Den. She did a wonderful job writing this unique novel and you don't have to be part of the LGBTQ+ community to enjoy it. Iris goes beyond sexual orientation and focuses on equality. The characters are intriguing and relatable. This novel will leave you feeling empowered, determined, and educated on equality. You might even shed a tear and laugh a little as well.

Grace is a newly graduated corporate attorney. Her 1st case is the pro bono representation of a gay man, "Bessy". Bessy has been wrongly imprisoned, denied his rights to visitors, and abused at the hands of law enforcement. His charges, violating Section 155 of Penal Code: Carnal Knowledge Against the Order of Nature. Grace is determined to free Bessy no matter the consequences. Her resilience is empowering as she fights corrupt law enforcement and the homophobic believes of her community. Find out what happens to Bessy and get a glimpse into Grace's past to see how she became the resilient woman she is.

There is use of African dialect with no definition for some of the words. That is my only negative comment on this novel. It was wonderful to read a new and unique storyline of The Lions' Den.

A special thank you to Iris Mwana for writing this wonderful novel and tackling difficult topics.

Thank you #goodreadsgiveaway, HaperCollins, and GraydonHouseBooks for giving away this novel.fiction goodreads-giveaway1 Dima523 12

The story is set in the early 90s, in the last days of Zambia's dictatorship. Our protagonist Grace is a newly qualified lawyer, who comes from a poor rural background, and trying to make sense of urban life, prejudices, politics, and social norms around her. The driving force behind the story is the arrest of an underage boy in a club for sleeping with another man, a serious crime during that time in Zambia. Grace takes on his case, and unravels the secret life of homosexuals in Zambia, the prejudices that haunt it and put it in danger, and the horrifying social stigma attached to AIDS.

The best thing about the book is its pacing and writing style. It was difficult to put down, and I did find myself lost track of time as I followed Grace's exploits. The story's vibrancy and constant energy make it come alive and stand out among a plethora of other books I read recently. The author is clearly a talented storyteller, and an engaging narrator.

That being said, I struggle to say what else I really d about the book. The main thing I disd was the overall style. It felt a pitch for a movie script, rather than a book narrating the realities in Africa. If I compare this book to a few recent ones I read (e.g., We Were Girls Once, The Road to the Country, Allow Me to Introduce Myself, Avenues by Train, No One Dies Yet), this book almost reads it was written by someone with little intimacy with Africa. I am not implying anything about the author's familiarity with the subject matter - all I'm saying is that this book seems to not portray that familiarity.

The second thing I disd is the need to almost forcefully link the story to the broader political context and upheaval in the country. It felt forced, and seemed to have come at the expense of a more nuanced understanding of Grace's state of mind. Grace's portrayal felt pale and shallow - there was a sort of super-hero vibe in her depiction (see previous paragraph) vs the reality of what such a life can do to a person. This made the book feel emotionally sterile and simplistic.

Finally, the book was almost trying to be too many things - a political thriller, a personal drama, a depiction of homosexuality and AIDS in Africa, the story of contemporary Zambia, and even (!) some magical realism sprinkled around. It's the author really wanted to write a good book by copying a lot from others, vs trying to just tell a compelling and emotive story.

Frankly - this is a miss for me. It was a good experience, but it could easily have been a film I watched.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of this book in return for an honest review. Farah G1,117 25

Grace Zulu may be a young lawyer without much experience, but she has more than enough moxie to make up for it. Which is why she decides to take on the case of a young sex worker accused of acting against the laws of nature.

Since sexual identity is one of the most taboo subjects in Africa, including Zambia, Grace puts herself in the crosshairs of traditionalists by taking on this case. And when her terrified client goes missing, Grace knows she's in the fight of her life.

This fast-paced legal thriller tackles issues of corruption, prejudice and hypocrisy head on, painting a vivid picture of Zambia in the 1990s. Worth reading.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review Ashton31

For the moment I opened this books' pages I could tell that this was going to be a good read. I haven't read many stories set in Africa and the ones I have were all historical fiction. So the idea of a legal thriller set in Zambia during the 90s was really interesting to me.

Each character in this novel was extremely well thought-out and added so much to the plot. I could honestly read an entire series based off the supporting characters as well as the MC, Grace. The topics of gay rights, religion, and corruption in governmental figures was brought up in an unique and interesting way and I learned quite a lot about said topics.

Overall I thought this was a phenomenal book and I can't wait I read more from this author!arc Courtney (acourtofbooks_)119 10

This book was a mix between historical fiction, legal thriller, and a drama. So much happened in this book that sometimes it was a bit much to keep up with. Mwanza brings up the topics of gay rights, religion, and corruption in government in a unique way. Her story really hits your feelings and makes you empathize with the characters.

One of the biggest complaints I had about the book was the use of African dialect with no explanation of meanings. Because of this I was confused with situations and words that I had no background knowledge for. In turn though I did learn a lot about Zambian culture. Teresa35 1 follower

After Wilbess (Bessie) is arrested, Grace a novice lawyer is assigned to the case has to fight corruption and injustice to uncover the truth.

This book was so good. I haven’t read many books set in Zambia so this was an enlightening read. It was interesting to note how similar African countries are because the same issues plague West African countries. The pacing was perfect and kept me spellbound.

Definitely recommended
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