Cute maiden, mature (should be mother) crone defend the city against evil mage, emperor, general. But too many built in gimmicks. Of course the emperor’s son is a super sweetie who is estranged at exactly the moment our girls really need him and in spite of not being prepared for the invasion they are, wait, really prepared of a clever resistance. ( )

For fantasy (which as I said is not my favourite) this was very good. The magic was reserved for the most extreme circumstances and the rest of the time people relied upon intelligence and strength.

The city kingdom of Merina is about to be invaded by the Emperor Bartholemew. Merina is ruled by the House of the Tiger which is now comprised of three women: Adele, the Dowager Queen, Lydana, the ruling Queen and Shelyra, the heir to the throne. Adele is also a priestess in the Temple of the Heart and she would prefer to retire to the cloisters in the Temple but affairs of state require her attendance on occasion. The threat of the Emperor is one such affair. The three women decide that the city will surrender to the Emperor to avoid bloodshed. They each have an identity they can assume that will enable them to stay in the city after the surrender.

The Emperor Bartholomew has three subordinates and a son, Leopold, who actually control the army. The most dangerous of his subordinates is the mage Apolon. He uses black magic and necromancy to control a group of black-garbed men who patrol the city. The general, Cathal, is a sadist who presides over a group of mercenaries who are disappointed that they have not had the opportunity to sack the city. The chancellor, Adelphus, is motivated by greed and seeks to get whatever riches he can from the city. Prince Leopold, on the other hand, is honourable and adored by his men. He is sent to Merina to make it ready for the Emperor's entrance but finds his opportunity frustrated by the mage's black coats and the general's mercenaries. He suspects that Apolon's interest in Princess Shelyra and Queen Lydana is not for their value as hostages and he is determined the mage will not be able to find them. However, he makes the mistake of complaining to his father about Apolon's men and his father demotes him and sends him to the Summer Palace across the river from the city. Meanwhile, Lydana and Shelyra are going about the city in their disguises. The more they discover about the mage and the general the more they regret their decision to surrender. Adele stays within the Temple but is kept apprised of all the news and she also feels they may have made a mistake in surrendering. She is most aware of the danger Apolon represents and she believes he will make an attempt on the temple to get the Heart which is the repository of great power from the Goddess.

Each of the women, aided by many friends and Prince Leopold, contribute to the final battle that overthrows the Emperor's forces. It's an exciting conclusion to a well-written book. ( )

The story centers on the rulers of the trade city of Merina: the dowager queen, the ruling queen and the princess. Merina has no military, so when it is attacked the three women must go into hiding to work to save their city and themselves. Since I enjoyed Black Trillium, and this had a similar premise, I decided to try this novel from Bradley and Norton; this time with Mercedes Lackey - whose Valdemar Saga is one of my all-time favorite fantasy series. This wasn't quite as seamless. It was often apparent that each authors took one of the three women as their story-teller. It wasn't exactly disjointed, but it did mean that the novel took quite a while to get going. The characters were very one-dimensional to start with. However, once the plot got going, I really enjoyed the book. The characters grew on me, and the story evolved. Not the best historical fantasy I have read, but still worthwhile. ( )

I love this book. I read it long ago from the library and I kept having to go check it back out. I finally broke down and found my own copy. The day I got it I was SO excited. I love the characters and the plot is one which draws you in and keeps you moving along excitedly. ( )

Three of the female powerhouses of fantasy writing combine forces to write the stories of three generations of powerful women in a royal family of a city that seems to be a fantasy derivative of Venice. As the royal women go into hiding to protect their line and ultimately their city from the overthrow of a covetous empire builder and his nefarious magician who covets the holy relics of this magical city, the writers introduce us to the unexpected personas each woman has already established, unbeknownst to her family. Told in turns from each woman's perspective, Lackey, Zimmer-Bradley and Norton take readers out of the palance into the camps of gypsies, the hidden ways of spies, the peace of the cloister, the waterfront warrens of sailors and river rats and the dingy dens of criminals - for in each unlikely place, these powerful and dynamic women have allies and friends ready to defend them and their beloved city through the final battle between shadow and light. ( )