Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

"Lion's Legacy" is a vibrant and enjoyable addition to the YA adventure genre, blending the thrill and intrigue of classics like Indiana Jones, Tomb Raider, and National Treasure with a fresh, queer perspective. This novel not only offers an exhilarating journey but also fills a much-needed gap in queer representation in the young adult adventure genre.
The protagonist, Tennessee, is a standout character, embodying a profound sense of self-awareness and integrity. Despite his maturity, Tennessee's complex relationship with his father poignantly highlights his youth and the growing pains of a 17-year-old grappling with emotions. Which I liked a lot,
As the first in a series (as far as I know), "Lion's Legacy" boldly addresses queer erasure in history, emphasizing the necessity of acknowledging and celebrating queer identities. This theme, while integral, does at times slow the narrative's momentum - which was a bit sad.
However, this groundwork might be essential for setting the stage for a promising sequel.
Beyond its thematic richness, the book is a treasure trove of adventure, brimming with heart and an unapologetic celebration of gayness and sex-positivity. It weaves history, pride, and queerness into its fabric, sprinkled with a touch of magic, making "Lion's Legacy" a must-read for fans of adventures and queer books.

How I needed this book as a kid! A delicious romance blended with a rollicking adventure. If I'd known I could have been a teen Indiana Jones recovering queer history I'd have had a very different life path.

I requested this for consideration for Book Riot's All the Books podcast for its release date. After sampling several books out this week, I decided to go with a different book for my review.

This was a HOOT. I loved this book. Give me a whole series of Ten being a young, queer, Indiana Jones and uncovering lost queer history.

Is there a needed suspension of disbelief with all of this? Sure. But if we allow it for Doctor Jones, we can for sure allow it for Tennessee Russo and his dad, two archaeologists with a hit television show about their excursions. There’s also a great discussion in here about where these discovered artifacts should end up.

I had a great time with Lion’s Legacy. It made me want to learn more about this history that has of course been lost to time and people who didn’t deem it important enough to keep.

I can’t wait for what’s next in this series.

4.5 stars rounded up

Incredibly fun adventure story with a queer twist.

The story follows the life of Ari, a young gay man who feels a profound connection to his deceased grandfather, Leo. As Ari delves into his family's past, he discovers a hidden legacy that not only challenges his understanding of his own identity but also sheds light on the struggles and triumphs of the LGBTQ+ community throughout history.

This was a fun, Indiana Jones style romp, with a lot of thoughtfulness and consideration given to the ethics and issues of archeology, and especially archeology as entertainment.

I was preparing myself for difficulty in dealing with Teenagers Acting Like Teenagers issue that can aruse when an old like me reads YA. But actually the teenagers and their reactions were incredibly well done here, acting realistically and sympathetically at the same time. The adults however drove me to distraction with their poor behaviour and questionable decisions. Tennessee was far, far more sympathetic to his father than I was, as I simply wanted to yeet him into the sun, even when he was being comparatively well-behaved.

Additionally I wanted to add exactly how much I loved the way that the book treated Tennessee's romantic relationships, and the space it allowed for healthy relationships that didn't rely on teenagers forming intense monogamous soulmate for life bonds, but was open to a variety of very close romantic, platonic and sexual bonds. It was truly lovely to read.

I enjoyed this a lot, and would definitely recommend it to both YA and adult readers.

I loved this queer treasure hunt across Greece. The pace was quick and packed with thoughtful ideas about how we remember historical events and the power of museums. Questions about ownership and whose stories get told are central to the theme. Tennessee is a little erratic and his emotions are all over the place, but that’s because he is dealing with a lot. His quest to learn about queer history leads him to make connections with family and new friends. Overall, it was a compelling story. Not sure how long the father/film saga will last but I look forward to the next book.

Lion's Legacy has perfect selling points: it's basically gay Indiana Jones. More than that, Tennessee Russo and his father are going to go on a hunt for a relic belonging to the Sacred Band of Thebes, who were elite Theban troop of warriors that consisted of pairs of male lovers. I certainly love a premise like that, particularly since Ancient Greek history is one of my passions. And there certainly isn't enough of YA books that has to do with the history and its fields.

The story is about a queer empowerment and Rosen does that really well. It is about showing people that queer people have always been there through showcasing queer history. The main characters are also all about empowerment, which is great. It's also a fast paced adventure of hunting precious historical artefacts. On that, this book hits the mark.

However, there are several things that made the reading experience frustrating for me. There is a lot of conversation about queer history and repatriation of historical artefacts and about who a history belongs to. For me, all that conversation is painful to read because the book is clearly written by someone, who has not studied history and who isn't familiar what the historical field does nowadays. There is a lot of hypocrisy concerning repatriation and stealing and selling artefacts. This hypocrisy is actually a reason why I failed to like Tennessee as a main character because he spends the entire story being mad at his father for smuggling and selling artefacts and then he goes and does the same. While I appreciate the author for trying to celebrate queer history, as a trained historian it is frustrating to read about something that has a lot of glaring mistakes concerning the history field. I do think that most people are able to enjoy this as a adventure romp that it is.

Overall, I love the idea behind the book. It is a good adventure romp that has a lot of queer empowerment. Unfortunately for me, it could not be fully enjoyable because of the lack of accuracy about the history field.

"Queer history is notable in how it’s constantly erased… How many times have we seen historians declare two people of the same sex to be ‘just friends’ or that a man was really just ‘a woman who masqueraded as a man’? Our history is taken from us, and then we emerge into life, queer, and feeling as though we have no history to bind us. Because history is what makes a people. And make no mistake—queer people, the queer community, we are a people."

OKAY Y'ALL. YOU NEED TO READ THIS BOOK!!

Let me sum it up for you:
🏹 Gay adventurous teen on a mission to find rings that were once worn by a (real!!) army of gay spartan warriors (Sacred Band of Thebes, look them up it's so cool)
🏹 Gay MM romance
🏹 Indiana Jones-esque vibes
🏹 Puzzles, traps, and magical threats in lost temples
🏹 Cool archaeology info
🏹 Thought-provoking conversations around ethics of archaeology - who do these 'found' pieces really belong to?
🏹 Primarily contemporary, with very slight magical elements thrown in!

I really hope this convinces you to read this book, because it was incredible. The conversations around who history "belongs" to, and how to spread history that's being constantly erased (ie queer history) were really eye-opening, especially considering how well done it was for a YA novel.

🏳️‍🌈Queer rep: gay MCs (MM), queer side characters, supportive parents

I loved that this was a queer adventure novel, which I haven't (personally) seen.

However, it's exhausting to read a book where so many issues are due to miscommunication and nothing else.

I do think that a lot of people will love this and I am excited to suggest it to patrons.

I almost wish the pacing of this was a bit slower. Don't get me wrong, it was fast-paced and kept me pretty engaged, but I think that sometimes the quickness of it made me feel like details or key information were glossed over/rushed through. I loved the topic/plot, though. A young, queer MC uncovering queer history Indiana Jones/adventure style? Absolutely sign me up. I really enjoyed it, overall, but I do wish we got a bit more time to stew in the world and the characters an the plot. But if this is the beginning of a longer series then I think the amount of information will end up being okay. Since I don't have the second, though, I am left wanting more from this *shakes fist at sky* give me the next one!

It's queer Indiana Jones... what's not to love?

Beyond that, this book brought up the very real question of who history belongs to. We're living in a thrilling time of information and intentional reflection on the past, but who gets to claim the past? Do historical artifacts belong where they're found, who they're found by, or the original owners as close as we can find them?

Along with asking some serious questions around history, this was a great adventure full of all the humor and romance and friendship that Rosen is known for and that made it all the better. I loved this!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really fun, quick read that almost felt a little too quick at times. The pacing was maybe a little off, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I mean, a young, queer Indiana Jones type figure uncovering queer history? Amazing. I also kind of got Miss Fisher vibes from this? Which is absolutely a good thing. I love reading about queer history, but sometimes you don’t want to read it in a history book- you want some adventure! And this book did just that, and I look forward to reading more installments in this series. I can’t wait to see what history the author digs into next!

When I read the reference to the Sacred Band of Thebes I knew I had to read it as it was the first time i read a reference to this troop composed by couple of male lovers in a novel.
I wasn't sure what to expect but i had more than I bargained as got romance, action, adventure, coming of age, and a riveting plot.
It's highly recommended because it's an excellent book and the author an excellent storyteller.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

LION'S LEGACY by L.C. Rosen is a fun Indiana Jones-esque romp with a big queer twist. The story is adventurous, suspenseful, and exciting. It makes for a brisk read, though it does require a lot of visualization as the characters traverse ancient, life-threatening obstacle courses. More interestingly, the narrative hits on deeper themes and explores complicated relationships. Tennesee's relationship with his father is particularly fraught and provides some interesting and tense moments, particularly as contrasted with the innate understanding Tennessee finds with other queer individuals. The book also explores queer history and how it gets told, often watered down and hetero-washed. It touches on the complexities of who gets to take ownership of historical artifacts in general as well. Rosen is an auto-read author for me, because he always calls the heteronormative lens into question through his depictions of queer relationships and culture.

If you love treasure hunting, Lion's Legacy is a must read. I grew up on adventure movies, puzzles with deadly consequences, and ticking clocks. And Lion's Legacy was perfect. It has that current of adventure and intrigue, blend of myth and history. But what I love even more is that Lion's Legacy celebrates queer history. The ways it is erased and the legacy is ignored. So Lion's Legacy illustrates the importance of showing the presence. The history. The past.

To know that when we find the words to convey our identity, we are a part of a line, of a shared history which cannot be buried. And Lion's Legacy is deeply committed to honoring the importance of queer history. Of not letting the homophobia and the ways in which the world wants to say they were 'roommates'.

Think Indiana Jones or national treasure but with queer history! That's what you get with this book. You get treasure hunting, clues, and traps but all revolving around queer history. I loved this book so much. LC Rosen not only knows how to create loveable characters but also amazing storylines. Everything about this was amazing!
I love that with this book, and the rest of the books to come in the series, he is able to bring forgotten queer history to the forefront. LC Rosen is taking what historians and people are trying to erase from history, queer culture, and bringing it back into the light. This story may be fictionalized but the main aspect of the Sacred Band of Thebes was a real queer army that no one talks about. So I love what LC Rosen is trying to do with this series and I can't wait to read and learn more.
Please check it out!

Content warning: homophobia, toxic relationship, abandonment

Thank you to netgalley and LC Rosen for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Exciting, fun, and packed with adventure, I loved following Ten's journey from start to finish (and I'm eagerly awaiting book 2)! There are so many things I enjoyed:
1) The focus on queer history. I love that Ten's dad, for all his faults, has always embraced Ten being queer and made sure that he's aware of queer history and its importance. I feel inspired to go out and learn more!
2) Vulnerability!! Ten doesn't bottle up his feelings - he cries, he talks about his feelings, and he lets those around him be vulnerable as well.
3) The Romance. Look, I adore HEA love stories but I do wish we had more stories like Ten and Leo's - a relationship that's casual, temporary, and ends with everyone being friends. This is one of my favorite things about L.C. Rosen's YA books.
4) The Fantastical. Like with Indiana Jones, you get supernatural elements, ancient traps and machines, puzzles, and mysteries. There are lots of pulse-pounding scenes that will have you at the edge of your seat!
5) Queer community. I think, in the end, this book revolves around Ten feeling a part of the queer community that spans the globe and all the generations that have come before. He breaks free of the Good Upstanding Queers group at school, makes new friends, meets Leo, and learns even more about the Sacred Band of Thebes. And he uses what he's learned along the way to solve his most tricky dilemma - what to do with the rings.

Tennessee Russo, the 17-year-old son of a famous archaeologist and TV celebrity, plus former star of his father's show was dumped. His boyfriend cheated on him with a mutual friend and wants to be with that friend. And Tennessee is supposed to be cool about it! So the timing is just right to go away when his father proposes they search for the Rings of the Sacred Band of Thebes. It is a potentially important part of queer history — an enticing offer for an adventure in Greece — but will his father do the right thing this time?

The book starts by jumping right in the middle of the action, giving us a taste of how adventurous this is going to be and the tone of the strenuous father-son relationship. With generous helpings of sass and humor, the 1st person POV brings you lovingly into Tennessee's world, a clearly compassionate, not a pushover, clever individual with a great sense of right from wrong. I like how honest and personal this narrative is, how in tune with the thoughts and emotions it's expressing.

The descriptions are colorful and enthusiastic. I liked the searching of temples and ruins, the solving puzzles and so forth. The narrative is relatively fast-paced and there are a lot of interesting events happening. The unfurling of the plot is adequate, though some parts are half-baked in my opinion, needed some more work. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the story. Loved the protagonist's 'options' lists and the formatting of the texts.

Being a Greek I was excited to read this but there are more than a few Greek missteps, from small things like tiropitakia are cheese pies so not egg-filled, till Leo not knowing the 300 movie was about Spartan not Thebans! "Greece not a great place to be a Jew" was also a very unfortunate and not accurate comment. Also there was a bit of repetitiveness in the protagonist's thoughts and it sometimes feels like the author wants to sort of pound certain points into our skulls.

The book puts a spotlight on the topic of history and preserving it — all of it. Family dynamics and their frequent difficulties are explored. There is also emphasis on succeeding in being true to yourself. This is the teenage queer Indiana Jones tale you didn't know you needed.