On her father's deathbed, Countess Meliara swears that she will protect her people from the greed of the king. To her, this means running off to fight... but her people are weak and poorly prepared. Instead, she must substitute cunning and alliance in lieu of physical conflict. But the king's court, full of scheming and machinations, is no place for such an inexperienced girl. Her intentions are good-- but will she survive?

Though Meliara falls into a few cliches, and the pacing was a little off, this book was able to explore territory not often found in the fantasy novel, where the little band of rebels is able to bring down the army. Rather, it is what takes place off the battlefield which helps determine the outcome of the war... and Meliara's involvement in those aspects of the story is just as interesting and exciting as any war story.

This collection of fifteen short stories is an excellent book for someone to read when they want the puzzle and intrigue of a mystery, but don't have the time for a novel.

Even though Agatha Christie is famous for her murder mysteries, there are no murders in this particular compilation. There are, however, a whole lot of people in interesting circumstances who have strange things happen to them... and a whole lot of people who are more than what they seem to be. Can you make sense of the eccentricities before the main character catches on to what's going on? Or do you just want to enjoy the ride? Either way, Agatha Christie's mysteries are an enjoyable flashback to the socially volatile time after the first World War in Britain, as class structures are toppling and the '20's are roaring.