“Seven Signs of the Lion,” by Michael M. Naydan. London: Glagoslav Publications, 2016. 344 pp. ISBN: 978-1-911414-17-9 (paperback), $27.
The novel “Seven Signs of the Lion” is a magical journey to the city of Lviv. A mix of magical realism, travelogue, adventure novel and love story, it is a fragmented work about a mysterious and mythical place.
On his journey to self-realization, the hero of the novel, Nicholas Bilanchuk, encounters many unique and enigmatic characters who help him on his quest to find the seven signs of the lion in the multicultural and medieval “city of lions,” Lviv.
Part cultural history, the novel deals with the legends and myths surrounding the city and its environs.
The author, Michael M. Naydan is a Woskob Family Professor of Slavic Languages and Literature at Pennsylvania State University and a translator of many literary works from Ukrainian to English.