The Lion's Daughter

Loretta Chase has such a way with words. Another great book from a great storyteller.

While all the Loretta Chase books I've read have been great, this earlier book was substantially different from her others and is now my favorite. Yes, it was a romance and I loved the character development of both Esme and Varian as the book progressed. They didn't change overnight, and even at the end, Esme's hot temper was part of who she was as a person. There was no bolt-of-lightning romance, but love snuck up on them in spite of themselves. Yet, the book was also a relatively complex adventure story full of political and personal intrigue. It had a large cast of supporting characters, all with various hidden agendas, who were sometimes difficult to keep straight. While I was initially disappointed in this extended focus, I soon discovered that the broader scope created a fantastic book!!! I recommended my husband read the book as it was so good (and he's NEVER before read a romance). He loved it too. So ... if you're looking for light romance, just pass on this one. If you prefer a engaging historical full of adventure, intrigue, humor, and romance as well, pick this one up. It's a definite keeper!!!

Loretta Chase is probably my favorite romance author, and this book really stands out from her others. It's less slick, but more heartfelt; maybe because she's writing about Albania, and I gather that Chase has some Albanian ancestry. Of course, some of the things that one expects from Chase are here in force: strong women, for example. There are lots of them, and the heroine in particular is a fierce little thing. Excellent research, for another. This isn't a book full of vague guesses and stereotypes; there's a real feel for the contemporary landscape of Albania and Italy, both geographical and cultural. Excellent dialogue, for a third. It positively sparkles. The story is of the "reforming a rake" variety. Edenmont, a dissolute wastrel, stumbles by accident into the role of a hero and then doesn't quite know how to walk away from it. He's used to being lazy, pampered, and ultimately unhappy. In "The Lion's Daughter," he finds himself concerned over the welfare of a young boy, obsessed with a beautiful girl of terrifyingly indeterminate age, and in a rough, dangerous country he doesn't know much about. For all that, it's the best thing that's happened to him in years. Esme, the heroine, is used to leading a wild, wandering life. She's used to danger and fending for herself, but she's also innocent and pretty lost in the battle of the sexes. She has no idea of her own appeal, and hadn't learned any kind of caution or restraint. Esme is an amazingly well-drawn, rich character; alternately practical and wild, matter of fact and fantastic. Their relationship is "tempestuous" - they fight a lot, but I don't think either of them ever comes out entirely on top. There's a lot of passion, a lot of sparking, a lot of making up, and also a lot of love between the two. This makes for a really fun and sexy read. The narrative is very well worked out - it is fast-paced, smart, and really stunningly intricate. Chase writes beautifully as always and has managed to write a romance here that's fun to read but also has more depth of feeling and character than most romances. Definitely one of her best.

Loretta Chase is probably my favorite romance author, and this book really stands out from her others. It's less slick, but more heartfelt; maybe because she's writing about Armenia, and I gather that Chase has some Armenian ancestry. Of course, some of the things that one expects from Chase are here in force: strong women, for example. There are lots of them, and the heroine in particular is a fierce little thing. Excellent research, for another. This isn't a book full of vague guesses and stereotypes; there's a real feel for the contemporary landscape of Armenia and Italy, both geographical and cultural. Excellent dialogue, for a third. It positively sparkles. The story is of the "reforming a rake" variety. Edenmont, a dissolute wastrel, stumbles by accident into the role of a hero and then doesn't quite know how to walk away from it. He's used to being lazy, pampered, and ultimately unhappy. In "The Lion's Daughter," he finds himself concerned over the welfare of a young boy, obsessed with a beautiful girl of terrifyingly indeterminate age, and in a rough, dangerous country he doesn't know much about. For all that, it's the best thing that's happened to him in years. Esme, the heroine, is used to leading a wild, wandering life. She's used to danger and fending for herself, but she's also innocent and pretty lost in the battle of the sexes. She has no idea of her own appeal, and hadn't learned any kind of caution or restraint. Esme is an amazingly well-drawn, rich character; alternately practical and wild, matter of fact and fantastic. Their relationship is "tempestuous" - they fight a lot, but I don't think either of them ever comes out entirely on top. There's a lot of passion, a lot of sparking, a lot of making up, and also a lot of love between the two. This makes for a really fun and sexy read. The narrative is very well worked out - it is fast-paced, smart, and really stunningly intricate. Chase writes beautifully as always and has managed to write a romance here that's fun to read but also has more depth of feeling and character than most romances. Definitely one of her best.

In the Lion's Daughter, Esme Brentmor is the heroine, the daughter of Jason, an English nobleman in self-imposed exile with a beneficiary link to the British government. Esme is a rather different heroine; she was raised in Albania, and this has made her independent with more of an Eastern idealogy. Through some events that I won't spoil, she has to leave to avenge her father's death, and she is accompanied by Varian St. George, Lord Edenmount. This book began oddly for me; I didn't like the hero, Varian, very much, because he seemed too much of a parasite (he's broke, and lives as a house guest in the homes of social climbers who like association with his title); also, he seemed to be a pushover. The heroine, likewise, was too much of what you'd politely call "feisty;" she was abrasive, reckless, and arrogant. But into the book, Esme softens and is toned down, letting her be vulnerable without making it unbelievable, and Varian, despite his fashionable, foppish exterior, is honorable, with integrity and a worthiness for love. Oh yes, they deserved each other, and that is not meant with an ugly tone. And in The Lion's Daughter, we are introduced with one of my favorite villains in the world: Ismal, who is plotting an overthrow of Ali Pasha, the current leader of Albania, and he is simply delicious. Following The Lion's Daughter is Lord of Scoundrels, which is every bit as imaginative, and probably my favorite among all; Captives of the Night, which is suppose to be set a few years after Lord of Scoundrels, and The Last Hellion, which is the latest one but set during the time of Lord of Scoundrels.