Books
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The Leopard's Daughter(includes the novella Aftershock)
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A warrior must prove herself against almost impossible odds
In an ancient Africa of verdant Sahara plains, warrior woman Jeneba Karamoke has grown up scorned by her people because her father was a leopard man. When she rescues a party of fellow warriors from cannibalistic monster half-men, she hopes it will finally win acceptance for her. But no; in order to prove she isn't lying about the vanished hero Tomo Silla's part in their capture by the half men she must make Tomo face the tribe. Can she find him, and then survive more monsters, foreign tribes, and a curse laid on a fabled city to bring him back alive?
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Aftershock, a brand new novella with a truly alien flavor!
What can I say except Wow! Lee Killough's The Leopard's Daughter is a fast-paced original fantasy with teeth and claws. You can smell the heat of the veldt and hear the roar of the pride of lions on the Serengeti. One cracking good read.
— Laura J. Underwood, author of Chronicles of the Last War
Imagine the Sahara when its grass plains had just begun to give way to desert. Imagine a Sahara where danger lurks in every shadow, where magic can turn a man into a monster or hide a city for generations. Then experience that Sahara of the imagination through the eyes of Jeneba, The Leopard's Daughter, as she awakens to the power of her father's spirit and embarks upon a journey no other warrior of the Dasa could survive.
— Lynn Abbey
Lee Killough's The Leopard's Daughter hooked me on the first page. This is an incredible African fantasy that feels neither contrived nor shoe-horned into the standard fantasy tropes. Killough has created an enchanting story filled with characters I soon won't forget. Wow! What a book!
— M. H. Bonham, award-winning author of 18 books including Prophecy of Swords and A Dog's Wisdom
On the Sahara Plains, in spite of being the niece of their King Mseluku Karamoke, her Dasa of the Imbu tribe always held Jeneba Karamoke in contempt because her sire is a shapeshifting leopard man. Still Jeneba is a loyal strong warrior woman and would die for the Dasa, especially her family. However her prayers to become accepted through brave deeds fail, even when she rescues her warrior peers including her uncle from monstrous half-human cannibals, because everyone blames her for their original plight instead of the man who failed the tribe, Tomo Silla. Ironically Tomo's action, including his disappearance, has turned him into a martyred hero instead of a betraying deserter.
Outraged and disappointed, Jeneba decides she must find Tomo and force him to speak the truth to the Dasa. She begins her personal mission, but instead she finds she must lead losers on a quest to save the people of the missing city of Yagana that abruptly vanished; failure means the end of life as she knows it on the Sahara plains.
The Leopard's Daughter is a terrific refreshing fantasy based on the African mythos. The location and the various fantastic species make for a vastly different quest that readers will appreciate. Jeneba is a wonderful protagonist who must save the world she knows when all she wants is to prove herself worthy to her people. Her companions are delightful as there are not heroic Tolkien heroes, but instead include Tomo and a half-man who should be her enemy. A solid short science fiction murder mystery "Afterburn" is included though it is seemingly out of place with the prime tale as a bonus that showcases the vast talent of Lee Killough.
— Harriet Clausner, courtesy of ParaNormal Romance (PNR) Reviews