Daughter of the Lion

Is a good story in many ways if a bit cliche in quite a few other ways. Take your standard princess betrothed at birth to a prince, but she'd rather be a warrior than a wife. You know the routine.

Even with that fault, I enjoyed this story. Keely fights the restrictions she is expected to live with as a princess and future queen of a friendly neighbor kingdom. She is defiant and trains as a warrior any way she can.

However, some of her defiances come more from fear of motherhood. She proclaims quite loudly that she does not understand why any woman would risk bearing a child, especially in a high-risk pregnancy.

Her defiance is at odds with her knowledge that she is a vital link in the prophecy of the Firstborn, which is central to the entire series and to her family. She knows she must do her part, yet truly would rather do almost anything else.

She meets her betrotheds’ illegitimate brother, Rory, and finds herself attracted to him. It's still in many ways cliche - rebellious daughter falling for the wrong man who might be trouble, but he has a good heart. He steals the young horse she was returning home for her brother, after all, even as he lets her go.

Keely hates seeing women pregnant, and when her half-sister admits her pregnancy, she encourages her to abort it. Same for when her brother's wife is pregnant after barely surviving her previous pregnancy. She simply cannot understand why a woman would risk it.

However, a time comes when she must deal with an unwanted pregnancy, after being captured by Strahan and having her will taken from her. After some months, she escapes but is carrying his child.

Daughter of the Lion is a generally good story but could have been a little more original in its concepts. It is well done despite that fault.