Father of Lions has a good premise and striking cover art, but the book itself was not as successful as I had hoped. I was interested in reading this by the strength of the synopsis, finding it compelling. I did not like the writing style, however, as it does not adequately convey the emotions and feelings. I would pass this book up if I saw it on the shelves, but would be willing to read the rest it in order to find out more about the Mosul Zoo.