The thrilling adventure of The Heart of the Lion continues in The Lion Unleashed, Book 2 of this intense historical fiction series. With her son, King Richard the Lionheart, a prisoner of Germany's King Henry, Queen Eleanor struggles to raise the steep ransom he demands. Henry holds all the leverage, and he's forcing his stranglehold on the English crown. Deliver or Richard dies. Princess Joanna needs to keep Prince John off the throne, while staving off an expansion-hungry King Philip of France. Her only solution is to rescue her brother. But can one woman defy incredible odds to lead a small band of valiant knights to free her king? The Lion Unleashed chronicles Joanna's perilous quest to infiltrate Henry's domain, locate their imprisoned king then flawlessly execute a daring rescue. The forces opposing them, at times, are insurmountable. Secrecy is paramount--bravery and courage tantamount to success. Prince John will stop at nothing to uncover Joanna's intent so he might destroy her before she can foil his play for the crown. Joanna and her men pledge their lives for their cause. But must it come to that to free their king? True courage arises not from the heart but from the very soul. Joanna and her men must reach deep inside if they are to succeed in their quest. Tense and action-packed, The Lion Unleashed shifts the Plantagenet battle from the verdant English countryside to the dark forests and impregnable castles on the continent.