Lyse is fine as a character; in my opinion the major problem with her implementation was that she didn't get enough focus in a storyline that was supposed to be about her growing as a leader for the Ala Mhigan Resistance. After the crushing defeat at Rhalgr's Reach she goes off with us to Othard, and it's not until she and Hien have a little heart to heart in the Dawn Throne's jail that Lyse starts to develop as a character. By then the vast majority of the story's over - it's just the Nadaam, assault on Doma Castle, and the relatively brief offense to Ala Mhigo. (We get to Othard at Lv61. We don't leave until Lv67. The time spent in the Far East isn't proportionate to the time spent in Gyr Abania.) It felt like that little chitchat just galvanized her into being someone completely different... to me, at any rate.

Anyway, I worry about building up one person as a symbol of hope. Bad idea.

Story was OK.