Rating: 
Summary: a few good details
Review: this book had me bored to tears. i literally threw this book down a few times wondering when things were going to culminate? everything is tediously described three times by three different characters. three generations of a royal family are seen through three women of this royal house; the old queen, the middle aged heir and the young princess. in that it's pretty standard but instead of moving this story, which at its heart is wonderful, every scene is retold through each character's eyes with barely any variance. this story of a kingdom threatened by an invading emperor who lusts for conquest sounded pretty interesting to me. his son, who the reader finds quickly is really loving and wishes for peace, is in this kingdom to help conqueror it. the three main characters, through who the story is told, are the queen, the heir and the young princess. the queen is aging and must pass on the throne but cannot when they are all forced to flee into hiding by the invaders. this summary is brief but the story is closely connected with the characters and i don't want to hand out to many teasers. at the begginning of the book i was intrigued by the idea of this mystical kingdom with hidden secrets and mysterious rituals but by the third chapter i was wondering when something was going to happen to already. "tiger burning bright" hints that angels may play a very important role but then abruptly ignores the subject leaving the reader wondering why the lengthy description if they play no real role? chapter after chapter is devoted to what every character is thinking, feeling, wearing and what they plan to do but never actually do. build up is all well and go and i am a never ending fan of suspense, holding it as critical part of a story but between three authors one would think that all this suspense was leading somewhere. the long awaited ending was something i wouldn't call overly original, reading instead like some trashy romance novel. i knew who would end up with who by the fifth chapter and kept wondering when it would happen already. though many like the story line and i found i liked certain scenes or detail/ideas in the book overall i found it a dissappointing if not completely tiresome read.
Rating: 
Summary: excellent and then some
Review: This is a truely amazing book no matter where your taste lies. It is interesting, descriptive (without becoming boring), and has the ability to compell readers to read this beautifully wrought novel. Though it is told mainly through feminine views, it is not a story which the only reason the hero is not male is because the author likes the novelty of female heroines and thus gives the heroine infinite powers. Instead it is a story which contain both the upsides and downsides of human personality. However, since it is a fantasy novel and not a "real-life" story (in which someone gets cancer and the parents are divorced), something unusual has to happen to seperate it from the afforementioned category. The result is one of the best books I have ever read.
Rating:
Summary: excellent and then some
Review: This is an excellent book! I was hooked from the first chapter. The characters take on a life of their own and you can't wait to find out what happens next. Highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: Couldn't put it down!
Review: This is an excellent book! I was hooked from the first chapter. The characters take on a life of their own and you can't wait to find out what happens next. Highly recommended!
Rating: 
Summary: This book commits the greatest crime of all: boredom.
Review: Two chapters in, nothing has happened yet. Six chapters in, still nothing. The characters go on and on and on about what they're going to do and what they're feeling and what they're wearing. If their feelings were more than one-dimensional, that at least would be interesting. Of all three of these women writers, not one can write a story about war. Or running a country. The way they set things up is beyond unrealistic. The reader will only suspend disbelief if they know as little about gov't as these authors do. Why does everyone do EVERYTHING in secret? They are RULERS. They have RESPONSIBILITIES. They act like immature children who can run around doing anything they want, just because they're women born of a special "breed". We need good, strong stories about complex female characters, including women rulers. This story is nothing but typical fantasy fare.
Rating: 
Summary: This book has been a thrill to read.
Review: When I began to read the book, I was utterely confused. I didn't understand what was happening or anything. That's probably the only reason why I gave it an eight. But the story line is great. These three women are so tough but so gentle, I felt as if a part of me was left with each of the characters by the time I had finished the book. But if you are a person who enjoys to see women for their face, you MUST read this book!
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