This was a fantastic story that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. I just love books like this one that tell a wonderful story from history. Whether it's true or not is irrelivant it feels true and that's what counts. The characters were great and I easily became engrossed in the story. I was emotionally invested in their story and found myself willing them on. This book was brilliantly translated into English keeping it sense of atmosphere. Which is sometimes lost. I couldn't even tell it was a translation showing pinch's talent. The story-line was exciting and thrilling that made me read it all in one sitting. I loved how the Story covered the civil War in Greece. It was extra exciting where they were taking and unexpected events happened. I loved how wise the priest was. It was certainly a very gripping story that will take you on a fantastic journey through Greece. The story contained plenty of culture making you feel like your learning history at the same time. This book is fantastic for all the family. I definitely recommend reading this book if you love historical stories set around Greece. 

So much praise goes out to the author and publishing team for bringing us such a fantastic story.

The above review has already been placed on goodreads, waterstones, Google books, Barnes&noble, kobo, amazon UK where found and my blog https://ladyreading365.wixsite.com/website/post/out-of-the-lion-s-maw-by-witold-makowiecki-tom-pinch-independent-author-4-stars either under my name or ladyreading365

Thank you for Netgalley, the publisher and Tom Pinch for providing me with this copy. My thoughts are my own.

Before I requested this book I never heard about Witold Makowiecki and his classic. And I am grateful found this well written and exciting story. The plot is self full of adventures and totally gripped my attention since early pages with so many unpredictable twists. The narration is heavy with details but I read it slowly and found out all of it still easy to follow. I love all main characters depth, their differences and synergy to solve problems. The English translation is smooth and easy to enjoyable to read.
This book is easy screaming 5 stars for me.

This was a moment of self realisation. For one, I never thought my knowledge of ancient civilisations was. . . ah . . . poor. I waded through different Mediterranean nations along with our protagonists with no idea of their present identities. When it comes to the Gods, the footnotes helped a lot. And here I am, awfully glad that I chanced upon this wonderful Polish work because of a random search in NetGalley recommendations.
Since the blurb above doesn't give much on the story, let me enlighten you. Nehurabhed is a Medean high priest and envoy of the King and he is being held captive in Carthage. He escapes with the help of a Greek sailor, Kalias. Before fleeing Carthage they both save a boy who was sold to slavery. Melicles was captured by the pirates and had tried to escape from his plight many times. Finally Gods had answered his prayers. Nehurabhed finds in him an ally and helper and so the adventures of the duo begin.
The combination of a wise, old man and a young, naive boy makes this story really a marvel. Nehurabhed's strange ways of finding solutions to each crisis make for many humorous and surprising twists while sixteen-year-old Melicles has a penchant for helping others. The journey opens new worlds to him and we, the readers, share his wonder and joy.
There is no doubt that this is a timeless classic for both young and the old. Thanks to Tom Pinch we finally have an English translation. Highly recommended!

This was the discovery of a book set in the Ancient World, a book that I think it's a classic. I loved this story and I travelled in time with the characters.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

‘Only one thing was shameful in a storyteller, and that was when he was boring, unable to frighten or delight his audience.’



An exciting, new translation of Witold Makowiecki’s classic series, Out of the Lion’s Maw is a children’s adventure story centered in the ancient Mediterranean, but will greatly appeal to all ages who have an inner curiosity and zeal for exploration. The prose is simple but elegant, and craftily translated from Polish; while reading, I didn’t get the sense that I was reading a translation. The narrative also immerses you in ancient Greece—unlike many modern historical fiction books, this one doesn’t convey any ‘modern’ biases, so you truly feel like you are embedded in ancient culture. Makowiecki’s knowledge of classical history and society is quite commendable. The plot follows a fairly standard hero’s trajectory, but it does contain plenty of surprises and ‘twists’ that will keep you wondering what might happen next.


This volume of the series focuses on Nehurabhed and Melicles, though the story gradually shifts its focus from the former to the latter. I did find that a bit confusing initially, but Melices’s character grew on me. His earnest nature and desire to right wrongs, driven by his own experience as a slave, were well-captured on page. Side characters, such as Kalias, were also fun and dynamic. I also found it surprising that Makowiecki’s narrative explicitly centers those in the fringes of Greek society—a foreign priest, a hero’s mother (who is given entirely due credit for his reputation and success), slaves, and people with disabilities. Nowadays such a book might be vehemently criticized for ‘pandering to the woke crowd’, but here it feels earnest and respectful—not to mention it stays within the realistic norms of the time period. I do wish that Nehurabhed’s character got a little more screen time, as he sort of retreats into the shadows in the second half; but I understand that this is likely to focus on Melices’s growing maturity and development.

As a storyteller, Makowiecki does a great job of delighting his audience and keeping them entertained. I was well immersed in the world of the book, and though the characters took time to grew on me, I was ultimately invested in their stories. The ebook edition is rendered beautifully with Greek vase-style art and modern fonts—even some of the big publishers don’t put as much effort into their ebooks. There were a few typographical errors and mistaken words, and the use of footnotes seemed an odd choice (assuming they are not in the original), but my reading experience was still quite enjoyable. I am excited to read the next volume in the series when it is released. Despite the success of recent series like Percy Jackson, there is a dearth of historical fiction set in the ancient Mediterranean in the English language (especially ones that incorporate such a wide expanse of cultures and areas). Not only does this story delight, but it will take you from the shores of Carthage to Egypt and even all the way to Ionia. Glory to Melicles!

This was such an enjoyable read, I had never heard of it before requesting it on here and I am not sure why, but I am so glad that I found it now. Well written with well developed characters and a gripping storyline that was crammed full of action, adventure, unpredictability, twists and daring escapades. It was also a lot funnier than I thought it would be. I really enjoyed it and I can see why it is considered a classic since it was written.