with this entry (#3) the shared worlds series of Merovingen Nights anthologies (which actually begins where C.J. Cherryh's Alliance-Union novel Angel With a Sword ends) hits its stride. though the writers are still credited separately, for the first time it feels more like a novel than a collection of stories. the overall setting is interesting because the genres overlap: this is a fantasy world nested inside the sf underpinnings of Cherryh's original creation. the inhabitants are perilously perched on a planet their ancestors clung to after their original settlement was destroyed by an alien race who meant to eradicate all their technology. current generations are either waiting for rescue from the absent earth-origin culture they belong to that seeded these stars, or conversely for the alien race to return to finish the job. this has led to an extreme stratification of society, a reluctant suppressing of the tech knowledge that remains, a politics of enclaves based on corruption and spying, and some interesting different religious sects with very different ideas on how they can best survive. all the characters (centered around engaging heroine Altair Jones, who just won't quit) are worth getting to know, and so is the resulting society and damaged ecosystem. there are a number of new and intriguing characters added here, and the momentum builds nicely out of well-developed plotlines. ( )

This is the third of the shared world anthologies following the initial Angel With A Sword, featuring stories by: Lynn Abbey, Nancy Asire, C. J. Cherryh, Leslie Fish, Mercedes Lackey, Chris Morris, Janet Morris and Roberta Rogow.

For some inexplicable reason, Amazon lists this as a Mercedes Lackey book. It's Cherryh's world, so it's her book, as far as I'm concerned. ( )