LitPick Review
The Lioness in Winter is a fantasy adventure novel written by June LeBlanc that follows a young woman named Arcadia. Arcadia Tremain is a princess who was raised in secret after her family was overthrown. As she grew older, she became consumed with a desire to exact revenge on those who had destroyed her family and reclaim her kingdom. Along the way, she met Archduke Merek de Winter, the leader of a rival kingdom who has issues of his own to face. Being a battle leader, he has spent most of his time directing and enforcing order, and while he appears ruthless, he is haunted by some mistakes he has made in the past. When Arcadia crosses Merek’s path, their relationship gets complicated by a lack of trust, duty that calls, and an attraction that draws them closer. Later, Arcadia discovers that her adventure is linked to a long-foretold prophecy about a leader who will rise to either save or destroy the kingdom. In light of this, Arcadia must confront some political treachery and enemies who pose a threat to her while also increasing her power. Merek also must navigate his past and decide if he will trust Arcadia and give love a chance.
Opinion:
One of the core themes in The Lioness of Winter is focused on identity and power. Arcadia's identity does not just refer to a woman who is trying to survive, but it lies in the fact that she is a princess, the sole heir to the overthrown kingdom. That identity alone gave her power, which was clearly useless because she was kept hidden. The relationship between identity and power shows that recognition alone is the determining factor of the power she wields. Without acknowledgement from others, Arcadia's power was of no use. Meanwhile, Merek possessed immense power, but he struggled to understand who he really was and what defined him because it had all been overtaken by power.
There was a relationship between what the characters are expected to do and what they really want for themselves. Duty, as portrayed in the book, shows Arcadia's aim to claim her rights as the heir to her kingdom, and she was focused on achieving this regardless of the sacrifice or danger it posed. Merek, in turn, has to fulfill his duty as a leader who works for the people to maintain law and order. Desire was reflected in Merek and Arcadia's relationship, but because their positions and situations made it forbidden, the two had to deny their growing feelings for each other and focus on the task at hand. As the story continues, their love progresses despite all bounds. It was slow, painful, and restrained, shaped by fear because they could not bear to admit their relationship.
The book, being slow-paced, is not one to be read in a rush; the author took her time to craft a realm where kingdoms, history, and power struggles reside. She revealed the fantasy world in bits through conversations, history, and even characters' backstories. This means that readers are expected to pay attention to each detail of the story and follow along to enjoy it.
This is the first book of the series, and while I look forward to reading more in the future, I would recommend this epic fantasy adventure novel to adult fantasy romance readers who actually prefer reading slow-burn stories since they will love this one. Book clubs with adult readers who love mature themes can find topics for discussion, such as the themes mentioned already.
