A Business of Ferrets, a fantasy done in the style of the Thieves' World series. For those who remember and love the magic, intrigue, and honor among friends of that series: In the decadent Empire of Bharaghlaf, the Scholar King Khethyran sits uneasily on the throne while in the Slums of his capital city an apprentice thief, Ferret, and her four young friends eke out a hand-to-mouth existence. When the beggar Owl disappears, Ferret and the others set out to learn his fate. Sold as a slave to the powerful House Ghytteve, Owl is destined to be the bait at the center of a complicated grab for power. But Owl, whose gifts as a Seer are just beginning to emerge, is far more than the helpless pawn he seems. As Ferret and her friends come closer to the truth, they too are inexorably drawn into the vicious intrigues of the Council Houses. From the enigmatic longshoreman, Sharkbait, to the Emperor's foreign witch, the friends enlist a formidable and varied band of allies-and set out to beat the scheming nobles at their own, ruthless game.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"...the magic [is] interesting, the street scenes and urchins' network are vivid and realistic..." -- Talebones
"A fun, fast-paced romp full of delightfully distinctive characters." -- Locus, April 2000
"From the slum kids to the King, Hilgartner creates heroes both great and small that drew me into her tale."— -- Lois McMaster Bujold
"A fun, fast-paced romp full of delightfully distinctive characters." -- Locus, April 2000
"From the slum kids to the King, Hilgartner creates heroes both great and small that drew me into her tale."— -- Lois McMaster Bujold
About the Author
Beth Hilgartner has published five previous books: three fantasies, a historical fiction novel, and a picture book. [query for Stephe - do you want titles, etc.?] She is an Episcopal priest, an award-winning author, a musician, a flower farmer, an equestrian, a maker of historical instruments (recorders), and chronically short of sleep. She lives in Orford, NH - no, not OXford - with her husband and their four seriously pampered cats.
I think that's everything I owe you, but let me know if I've forgotten anything.
The titles of my previous works are:
Great Gorilla Grins (the picture book)
A Necklace of Fallen Stars
A Murder for her Majesty (winner of the Golden Pen Award 1987 - Mystery category
and a Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies)
Colors in the Dreamweaver's Loom
The Feast of the Trickster
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The ultimate culmination of three great books,
This review is from: A Business of Ferrets (Paperback)
With "A Business of Ferrets" Beth Hilgartner has created a tale (or the beginning of an epic if she continues the series) that is a riveting cat and mouse chase of good vs. evil and weak vs. strong. An Empire in turmoil, a Emperor good and honorable in a time of need, and a world devoid of honor. It will take the lowest members of society to sacrifice all and stand against the power hungry and selfish. Good shall reign once more, the strong shall fall by the weak, and Children shall lead them."A Business of Ferrets" is the ultimate culmination of Mrs. Hilgartner's previous books. The deep friendship and character development from "A Murder for Her Majesty" is present and magnified. The chess like maneuvering of corrupt political/religious leaders from books like "Colors in a Dreamweavers Loom" & "A Murder for Her Majesty" is organized into an addictive and unpredictable plot here in "A Business of Ferrets". Finally the rich psychological questioning of self-being, purpose & relationships that was found in "Feast of The Trickster" is more relevant and better used in the latest book. "A Business of Ferrets" is a high watermark for Mrs. Hilgartner and a must read for anyone who loves a great character driven story. My only complaint is to Meisha Merlin & the lack of a hardback copy!
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
More, please!,
By
This review is from: A Business of Ferrets (Paperback)
A great book! Strong fantasy, with wonderful characters - people you would have loved to know as a kid, and even more as an adult. Lots of action and intrigue, with enough depth and reality to kepp you glued to the pages. Strongly reccommended!
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A page turner,
By "tea73" (New York) - See all my reviews
This review is from: A Business of Ferrets (Paperback)
I read this book in one sitting, mesmerized by the great story and the great characters. The plotting was superb; there were enough twists and turns to keep me surprised, but at the same time everything seemed thoroughly believable. I loved the multiple levels of the plot(s), just who is pulling the puppet strings and how much autonomy do the puppets have? The minor characters were as interesting as the major ones and the villains were engaging too. My only quibble was that it took me a while to get used to the names of the people at court - all those k's and h's and y's!
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