A Matter of Profit [Library Binding]

Hilari Bell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 21, 2001

The long antennae -- five feet long? six? and covered with what looked like very short fur -- swept forward, quivering in the air over Ahvren's head. It took all his self-control to keep from stepping back. Then the antennae lifted away, without touching him, much to his relief. They remained cocked forward, but relaxed oscillating slowly.

Strangers in a bizarre land -- that's what Ahvren's people, the Vivitare, are. They are the conquerors, the rulers now, of the T'Chin confederacy. But Ahvren is no longer sure what that means. After spending two years fighting a brutal war on another planet, here -- where not a single shot was fired -- victory doesn't seem quite so...victorious.

Ahvren welcomes the peace, but he doesn't fully trust it. How could all these people surrender so easily? Are they all cowards? Not likely. And his mistrust is not unwarranted: Rumors abound of a plot to assassinate the Vivitare emperor.

But Ahvren's disdain for war is even greater than his mistrust of peace. The last thing he wants is to rejoin the emperor's fleet and conquer the next planet. So he strikes a bargain with his father. If he can uncover the plot to assassinate the emperor, Ahvren can choose his own path. It's a challenge that will take more wits than strength, and Ahvren's not sure he's up for it. But it's also the most important test he's ever faced and his success is vital. For not only does the emperor's life depend on it, so does Ahvren's.

In intricate detail, Hilari Bell weaves a tale of danger and suspense that will captivate readers and draw them into this wholly imaginative world.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up-The Vivitare are warriors-at least, the men are. Women have little power. Ahvren, 18, is a decent fighter, but dreads the thought of heading off to conquer another planet, while his foster sister, Sabri, who would actually make a brilliant warrior, dreads the thought of marrying the emperor's heir, who is weak and abusive. Ahvren and his father make a wager. If Ahvren can figure out who is behind the plot to assassinate the emperor, he will have a year to figure out what he wants to do with his life. He will also, he thinks, be able to convince the emperor to stop the wedding. It doesn't seem that difficult-obviously members of the conquered T'Chin Confederation are behind the plot. But there is something strange about this group. All but one of its 40 planets simply surrendered to the Vivitare. They are cowardsDor are they? And what is the real difference between an informagoth (one who sells information) and a bibliogoth (one who figures out what information is needed, where to get it, and how to organize it)? As Ahvren learns more about the various species who make up the T'Chin Confederation, he also learns more about himself and his own people. This is well-written, thought-provoking, and exciting science fiction. It's got cool weapons and weird aliens, but it's also got some meat to it. Fans of "Star Trek" will find it just to their taste.
Mara Alpert, Los Angeles Public Library
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Gr. 6-10. From the author of Songs of Power (2000) comes a dynamic combination of sf, thriller, and mystery that will draw readers in from the start. The T'Chin Empire, a confederation of 40 planets, each inhabited by a different sentient species, has surrendered to invading Vivitare forces without a fight, allowing Emperor Lessar to set up his court on T'Chin. Ahvren, the son of Saiden, who serves the emperor, plans to tell his father he no longer wants to be a warrior. When he arrives on T'Chin to confront his father, he learns there's a rumor that rebels are plotting to kill the emperor. Saiden offers Ahvren a deal: if Ahvren can find the rebels or prove they don't exist, Ahvren will be given a year to find another career. In so doing, Avhren also hopes to save his sister from being forced to marry the emperor's despicable son. So begins a tense, dangerous foray into another culture, with Ahvren enlisting help from the best scholar in the city, a member of the one intelligent race indigenous to the planet. By the end Ahvren learns a great deal about himself and about the larger picture of the T'Chins. Bell shows a strong ability to build a distinctive world and create convincing alien life forms and cultures, making this one of the best youth sf tales to come along in many years. Sally Estes
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Library Binding: 288 pages
• Publisher: HarperTeen (August 21, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060295147
• ISBN-13: 978-0060295141
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,054,160 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Me the writer--a loose, not-really-biography of Hilari Bell.

A lot of writers will tell you that they've been writers from the time they were children--well, I'm not one of those people. I was always a reader. There's nothing better than falling into the world of a book and just living there till the story's over...and even then, it stays in your head and heart. At least, the best ones do. But writing came a lot later, in school assignments--which I enjoyed, but still, assignments. Homework no less.

I started writing seriously when I first got out of library school. I'd been reading picture books preparing to do storytimes, and I thought, "Picture books. They're short. They're for little kids. How hard could it be?" Several years and dozens of unsold--and unsalable--picture books later I'd found out how hard they could be! Picture books are harder to write (a good one, anyway) than anything except poetry. And they're harder to sell than anything but poetry, too.

One of the things I've learned about writing over the years is to never say never, because whenever I've said "I will never write XYZ" within a few years I end up writing it. Some true examples: I could never write a novel. I could never write a young adult novel. I could never write science fiction. I could never write an adult novel. I could never make those books a romance. (OK, so I haven't actually made them into a romance, but a lot more romantic elements are creeping into my writing.) I should probably say, I could never write a best seller, just to see what would happen... Hmm. I could never write a best seller!

OK, Murphy's Law being what it is, that probably won't work. If for no other reason than that, primarily, I write for me. This is something I probably shouldn't admit, but I don't really care that much about my audience. (Sorry, audience.) I write the books I want to read. I tell the stories that I want to tell. And I write to make the story the best it can be...because the story is what I care about it. I love it when other people care about my stories too, but that's not my primary motivation. Which is the other reason "I could never write a best seller."

(I know it probably won't work--but it doesn't hurt to try, now does it?)

--Hilari

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A parallel world to Star Wars, November 2, 2004

By 

ellen close (Pomfret, Vermont) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Matter of Profit (Mass Market Paperback)

Remember the space bar in Star Wars, with all manner of weird creatures, strange musical instruments, odd languages, and yet all of them able to communicate with each other? That is an easy way to visualize the setting of this book. The basic plot is that a brother tries to uncover a conspiracy against the Emperor in time to save his sister from being forced to marry the emperor's cruel son. Embellish that with a myriad of subplots, and embroider it with bizarre life forms, and you have an idea of Bell's story. The leaders of the Confederacy are human, but they are far outnumbered by a vast variety of other beings. With tensions between these various societies, values and cultures, the larger design of immigration and cultural assimilation is woven into the book. I found these issues to fit awkwardly, or heavy-handedly, into the tale, but otherwise found it a fun quick-paced story. Consider Bell's other book Goblin Wood, which I preferred to this one.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars What price surrender?, December 20, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: A Matter of Profit (Library Binding)

Ahvren's people, the Vivitare, are strangers in a bizarre land. Without one shot fired, they have become the rulers & although Ahvren welcomed the peace, he doesn't quite trust it. How could a people surrender so easily?

For all of Ahvren's young life, he's been a warrior & now he's in a battle of wits & not sure he's up to it!

I was impressed by this her first effort in science fiction - in some ways, & not bad ways, A Matter of Profit took me back to the days of pulp sci-fi & I once again was a young man off on an Adventure! The humor is keen & the intrigue murky. The bad characters are very bad & the protagonist, though a bit muddled at times, is clean of heart & sticks unerringly to his task.

Hilari Bell grabs you, puts you in the story, takes you away & keeps you there!

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Matter of the Imagia Nation, March 11, 2002

By 

Charlie Fleming (Aurora,CO (three miles from the library that Hilari works at)) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Matter of Profit (Hardcover)

Hilari Bell's A Matter of Profit is one of the most original reads ever. Hilari has a unique ability to capture a reader from the outset of her books, and never free that reader until the tale is told. A Matter of Profit is no exception of this ability of hers. This book deals on a multi-themed scale. Its main themes are spellbinding. It deals with inequality of women roles, how to deal with an alien culture, and the age-old question of what is more important, money or knowledge. Hilari has the ability to create a new universe from scratch, discover new races, develop a dazzling don't-want-to-put-down book, and intertwine many morals all into one story. Hilari's A Matter of Profit is an amazing book as are her other books, Navahor and Songs of Power. These amazing stories come from an amazing source, Hilari Bell's Imagia Nation. Everyone should visit that wonderful country at least once, so pick up one of her books, and read it now.