“Fion’s Daughter”

Fion’s Children are the warrior priestesses of Kegin.  Their society is matriarchal and wise in the ways of healing and ceremonial magic.  When Fion’s Children are decimated by their enemies, the Lengar, Ro Ti, King of Magden, struggles to right past wrongs by bringing peace to his world.

Deliya is the last of Fion’s Daughters, a ruler without a people or kingdom.  She was spirited away in order to save her from the Lengar.  From the first, Ro Ti and Deliya can’t say no to one another.  Although it goes against the laws of her lost people, they come together to forge a powerful bond of eternal love.  If it is the will of Fion, the Goddess of Love, they will persevere and find their fate.

I was swept away by Deliya’s and Ro Ti’s story from the start.  It’s where I was first introduced the Keen, a humanoid magical race on planet Kegin who are similar to us but different.  Brenna Lyons is inventive and descriptive in explaining their sexual physiology.  Magic and mysticism is a daily part of their lives, and sexual congress and reproduction is as much a part of their lives and society as war.  Deliya and Ro effectively drew me into the thick of it all, and kept me fixated.  It’s the battle of the sexes done raw Keen style.  Down to the wire, “Fion’s Daughter” is powerful in aspects of characterization and plot every step of the way.

“Dishonored”

Juvia failed her challenge night with the man she loved.  Mother Leianna, Queen of Fion’s Children, declared she was the first priestess to be defeated by a male in centuries.  No Daughter of Fion must ever cry out when she is first initiated into the rites of love. Juvia’s failure cost her everything; she is dishonored, shunned by everyone and unable to enjoy companionship, love or children.  It doesn’t matter that she is one of their fiercest fighters.  She’s given crumbs by her peers until the Lengar defeat and capture her in battle. 

Jurel, Prince of the Lengar, is captivated by Juvia’s passion until he is willing to do anything and everything to keep her.  He will never let her go and uses everything in his power to own and enslave her.  What he soon discovers is that Juvia has found her place with him and the Lengar.  She has never been freer or happier until now.

What I liked most about “Dishonored” is how the author shows you that not everything about Fion’s Children’s matriarchal society was perfect.  Like any society that grows complacent, insight is lost.  It showed how the long standing tradition of challenge damaged Juvia because the end results lacked compassion and could have used some fine tuning.  As a result, Juvia found her niche with Jurel who was a vicious brute but his passion and love for her redefined and recreated him.  As despicable as he was with all the horrific acts he committed, I was forced to see him in a different light when Juvia became his woman.  The view of the Lengar was definitely one-sided until I got to this point and the skill in which Ms. Lyons flips the script is absolutely brilliant.

“A Slave’s Life”

Voria was taken by the Lengar as a slave before she could begin her training as a warrior priestess.  For nine years, she has lived in General Juleron’s home after confronting him on the battlefield as a child.  As a slave, she has suffered through hardship, malice, petty jealousy and abuse without complaint, surviving on a day to day basis.  Her entire life changes when Juleron rescues Voria from one of his own.  What is to be her fate now that her Master has taken a decided interest in her?

It was fascinating to discover what happened to the few Fion survivors, children too young to partake in the war with the Lengar.  As always, war devastates these young lives, and I admired and respected Voria for having the strength to go on.  Her life is ugly, a degrading and dehumanizing plunge from where she was.  When Juleron intercedes and claims her, it’s rewarding to see her find happiness.  There is a continuing thread of dark irony and somber message in all of these stories, and “A Slave’s Life” and “Dishonored” both stand front and center under the spotlight in proving that HEA is perspective.

“Schente Night”

Riella is the daughter of Ro Ti and his dead queen, Deliya, which means she carries the impressive legacy of her Fion and Magden heritage.  Riella and her cousin Benir are constantly involved in countless misadventures, trying her father’s patience.  It doesn’t help that Benir is accused of plotting to usurp her place (by the real culprits) as Ro Ti’s heir.  So when he is imprisoned for treason, Riella dresses up as a guard to aid his escape only to get caught by one of her father’s high ranking men, General Tolerin.  What follows is a night of passionate discoveries ending in results that they can’t escape.  Lurking in the shadows are those who covet everything that belongs to Ro Ti, especially his daughter and heir, Riella.

“Schente Night” delves farther into Keen sexuality and reintroduces the custom where sterilized Keen women called schente are kept in a harem for royal or noble men.  The males (schaen) are made available for Riella when she comes of age.  This keeps the royals/nobles from producing offspring with the ‘wrong’ person.  Tolerin mistakes Riella for one of Ro Ti’s schente and in order to conceal her identity (while satiating her desire for him) she goes along with it.  I couldn’t wait to see if this pair would come out smelling like a rose since Tol isn’t a sterile male and Keen women release their eggs during mutually passionate mating. Riella is cunning enough to keep Tol out of hot water but when the truth comes to the forefront, the General is beyond furious.  The story unfolds as they consummate their love-lust for one another over and over while negotiating their marriage contract for three days, all in the midst of Magden court intrigue.  It’s a wonderful finale in the annals of Keen history, and I’m more than pleased to say that everyone is once again included in their own HEA.