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47 of 48 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful; the hard to find first of a "loose" series, April 5, 2000
This review is from: The Lion's Daughter (Paperback)
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.
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30 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
a MUST for fans of Chase, or of smart, passionate historicals in general, February 12, 2006
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.
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12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fun, not great, January 21, 2006
This is a reissue - orginally published 1992. I did not care for it as much as Loretta Chase's later books: the plot was overly complex; the hero, more of a nere-do-well than appealing; the heroine, overly impulsive and thoughtless. However, there were interesting twists and turns,more wit than many other historicals, an engaging 12 year old boy, plus tragedy and mystery spanning a couple decades. One can also learn a bit of Albanian. Esme Brentmor is a young lady, daughter of a disowned noble (kicknamed the Red Lion by his adopted countrymen). She was born and raised in Albania circa early 1800's, a country full of intrigue and fatal political infighting, not to mention harems.Varian St. George, Lord Edenmont is an impoverish lord, living off his wits, who ends up entangled in Albanian plots, Esme's young cousin, Percival, and the search for a missing chess piece that is linked to illegal weapons trade.Everyone ends up back in England, revisiting the past, with a dramatic finale that ties up all the loose ends. As for Esme and Varian: 'opposites attract'; during the course of events, Varian matures, and Esme learns some self governance. By the end, the reader feels more confident that they will live happily ever after.
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