Lion of Babylon

Bunn, Davis. (2011). Lion of Babylon. Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House.

ISBN: 0764209051

Pages: 378

Genre: Christian, suspense/thriller

Annotation: Marc Royce goes to Iraq to rescue a missing friend.

Summary: Marc Royce left the intelligence world behind and has no plans to ever return. When he learns a friend has gone missing he goes back into that world, and to Iraq, to rescue him. His determination to save his friend and innocent lives brings him friends and enemies on various sides of the political and religious divides. As he searches for his friend, he learns his friend’s abduction, and that of others, is closely tied to Iraq’s future. As he and his allies go on the quest they also find a religious movement composed of Muslims and Christians who respect Jesus. If he and his allies succeed then the kidnapped will be free and there will be hope for political and religious peace. Unfortunately, he faces enemies who do not like the idea of an Iraq at peace and will do all they can to stop him.

Evaluation: very good read

The characters are excellently portrayed. Marc Royce’s determination to the right thing and his pain about his past capture the reader. Having characters from all sides (U.S., Iraqi, Iran, Christian and Muslim) shows that people are not good or evil based on group, but on the choices they make. Two characters, Walton and Duboe, are very realistic by being grey: mostly pragmatic but also giving credit and trust where it is due. The storyline works well for the most part. The reader cares if the abductees will be rescued and what is going to happen in Iraq’s future. The only caveats I had were that sometimes clues came too quickly or events flowed too smoothly. A note on the Christian element in the story: it is interwoven into the storyline, but is not, in my opinion anyways, overbearing. The conversations and feelings about faith center on peoples’ feelings about faith versus conversion to Christianity. The pacing is excellent for a suspense/thriller. Events happen fast enough to keep the reader’s attention but no so fast as to be implausible. The pragmatic and under the table aspect of government dealings came across very clearly. Iraq, and Iraqis, are portrayed respectfully: people with a rich past they feel is very connected to the present. A very good read for those who want a suspense/thriller, a look into Iraq and/or intelligence agencies.

What else to read:

Other books byDavis Bunn.

Vigilante by Robert Parrish for suspense/thriller.

The Snake Eaters: An Unlikely Band of Brothers and the Battle for the Soul of Iraq by Owen West for more about the war in Iraq.

Voices from Iraq: A People's History, 2003-2009 by Mark Kukis for different Iraqi perspectives on the war.

Understanding Iraq: The Whole Sweep of Iraqi History, from Genghis Khan's Mongols to the Ottoman Turks to the British Mandate to the American Occupation by William R. Polk for an overall view of Iraq’s history.

Spycraft: The Secret History of the CIA's Spytechs, from Communism to al-Qaeda by Robert Wallace, H. Keith Melton, Henry R. Schlesinger for more about the CIA.