Shadows of Africa

By: Wayne McCain

Narrated by: Dave Cruse

Length: 5 hrs

Publisher's summary

When a small team of former special operators land in Tanzania to grab a local warlord, it's business as usual. But the situation quickly changes when they learn that a pride of lions has been feeding on the local populace. Unable to walk away leaving the locals to fend for themselves, the seasoned warriors are drawn into a conflict unlike anything they've ever taken part in. As they struggle to understand their new enemy, they're led deeper and deeper into the unforgiving Tanzanian wilderness. Accompanied by a local game ranger, the team risks everything for the same reason they always have: their fellow man.

Stay out of the long grass....

©2017 Patrick Wayne McCain (P)2018 Wayne McCain

wowza!

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

this book was too short for my comfort definitely excellent Story the narrator did it really well job I would like to have been a little bit more involved in the story but overall I definitely would recommend it and I probably would listen to it again.

Beware the Long Grass

Wow was this an action packed story. I was quite hesitant to pick up this book because I am mainly a horror guy but boy am I glad I did. Typically I don't like the man vs animal stories because they are often either boring or so fantastical that it just doesn't seem real. This seemed very real and was more intense than some of the horror stories I listen to. The action is nonstop and definitely a different ride when dealing with lions as the predator, while I know this telling of the story is a work of fiction, I completely would believe that the author was actually there and was just retelling his account.

The story itself was great but the characters really made it what it was. I assume there was some personal experience that allowed the author to capture the camaraderie between a small group of operators. I feel like this was the best portrayal of the kinship these men would have for each other that I've heard in a while. You really get attached to them and feel everything they go through. There were times were I got a little choked up listening to this story. Not something I would have expected from the book's description.

I don't think there could have been a better narrator for this story. His character voices were spot on and really added to the character development and attachment I felt to each of them. He had so many different voices that I didn’t have to hear the names of the individuals talking, I was able to tell by the voice being used.

As a side note it was nice to hear a book from someone who actually knows about guns. I listen to books all the time where the author tries to describe guns or their respective parts and it is clear they know nothing about what they are talking about and their research consisted of just watching bad action movies.

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

A thrilling tale

AS others have suggested I found the speed of the narrator a little off but the story more than made up for it. The terror of the team as they track the pride as well as the victims of the lions is well presented and make you realize the power and strength of the animals.

HELL YES

This book had literally everything I enjoy: a tight, well written cast of characters, completely action packed, real danger, surprise twists, guns handled in the way they really would be handled, and, of course, Jurassic Park references! I believe it's really easy to screw up an animal v. man story by making it totally fantastical and unrealistic. However, Wayne McCain expertly constructs this story that unfolds at a fast pace, keeping the reader enthralled throughout. I really look forward to seeking out more content written by McCain! Dave Cruse was an excellent choice for narrator of this story - he brought the characters to life and catered to the action brilliantly. I would recommend 'Shadows of Africa' to absolutely any readers who enjoy the mystery/thriller/horror/action genres!

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

Great Story!

I received this audio book for free in exchange for my honest review. This is an excellent story. Both the writing and narration are superb.

A Red Dawn

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

I found the narrator read too quickly and too softly (but that's an overall Audible problem I think), but the story is fun with a strong vibe of Jurassic Park, Aliens, and Predator. Velociraptors and Xenomorphs are scary, but when the thing eating you alive is something that actually exists in real life, it can be even scarier.

excellent book.

Great story and great narration, look forward to hearing more from the author. I would definitly recommend.

Man eating lions.

This isn't a book I'd usually pick up but recently I watched a documentary about man eating lions and thoroughly enjoyed it. So on seeing this, I had to give it a try and in all honesty, I'm so glad I did!

Plot wise, it isn't the most action packed read, but it makes up for it in the tenseness and thrilling aspect it has. A team of special ops are sent to Tanzania to grab a local warlord. This guy is the worst of the worst. While there they learn that some man eating lions have been terrorising the local people. Man, women and children alike are being taken, and the team know they can't turn their back on their plight. So they agree to stay and try to put a stop to the lions. But what becomes clear rather quickly is that the team aren't the top predators in the wild and the lions won't go down without a fight.

I loved the team! Their comradeship and loyalty to each other was awesome, but what I really loved about each of them is the fact that they wouldn't let another human suffer and were willing to do whatever was needed to help someone else. They didn't hesitate to go help with the lions, even though they didn't know anything about hunting animals. I admired them!!

Another thing I loved was the way the author kept the feeling of tenseness throughout the story. My heart was in my mouth when the team were working in the long grass, or when they went anywhere!! I kept saying to myself...get out of the long grass!! Some of the scenes with the lions were incredibly visceral and they gave me chills. Lions are predators, so seeing that this was based on true events (the man eating lions of Njombe), it made it all the more terrifying.

In all, this was a quick and thrilling read. Africa is an amazing place, but this book makes me think twice before going on a safari ;) Well written and developed, it's a great read and I recommend it to everyone.

Dave Cruse read this well. He was clear and easy to listen to, had plenty of voices for the different characters and gave a good performance. My only complaint is that I wanted him to portray the atmosphere a little better. His cadences and inflections needed a little more work to truly bring the tense and scary feelings to life.

I was given this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. This in no way affected nor influenced my thoughts.

Shadows of Africa Review

I received this book free for an honest review and honestly I enjoyed it. I loved the way the men in this special task force bonded and depended on one another, while getting the work they loved done. I did chuckle to myself when the narrator read conversations between the men and their wives. I will definitely look for some other works by this author.

A Solid Military Thriller with a Twist

Seal Team Six meets 'The Ghost and the Darkness.' That's about the best way to describe 'Shadows of Africa,' which reads like a standard work of modern military fiction, except with man-eating lions instead of terrorists.

It is an enjoyable book, that actually draws inspiration from a real incident involving a pride of man-eating lions known as the "The Man-Eaters of Njombe," who killed hundreds during the 1940s, before being hunted down. Set in modern times, the story follows a small team of mercenaries who learn of a pride of man-eaters terrorizing local villages and decide to intervene. The story felt a little rushed at times, likely to it being a fairly short book, but it held together overall. Some of the scenes involving the lions victims were pretty intense. McCain does a fine job of conveying the professionalism and teamwork of the mercenaries, while at the same time making it very clear that they are out of their element.

My only real criticisms, apart from length, would be that the environment and setting are neglected. You never really get a sense of the terrain or the people in any meaningful way. The dialogue can be a bit stilted at points, but never enough to derail the story. Also, McCain paints a very flattering picture of the motivations of mercenaries, glossing over some extra-judicial killings and any consideration of financial motivations. It felt a little simplistic and, dare I say, lionizing.

Dave Cruse does a solid job narrating. He speaks clearly, has good tone and inflection, and overall delivers. However, I did find the voices he does for characters to be a bit hit and miss. None of them were bad, but some just felt a bit off.

McCain succeeds in avoiding any major issues, and delivers an interesting, and at points exciting (albeit short) action/thriller.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.