A Business of Ferrets

A plucky young apprentice thief, a slave boy with eyes full of visions, a young street artist named Mouse-how can this motley group of slum-children hope to win against the scheming and politics of the nobility and save the Scholar King? With the help of some rather unusual allies, some divine intervention, and a whole lot of luck and courage! Ms. Hilgartner deftly weaves the lives of her vivid and delightful cast into a tale of high adventure. When a plot to kill the scholar king is uncovered by a plucky young thief named Ferret, she and her young friends soon find themselves unwittingly embroiled in a dangerous world of court politics, with enemies and suspicion at every turn. Each character has their part to play; their move to make in the intricate game that means their very survival. The author maintains a brisk pace, keeping the action moving and all of her characters vivid in the reader's minds. This is a pleasant, if not completely original, romp through an adventure fantasy and perfect for YA readers who enjoy a good story. Those looking for something breathtakingly new may find the plot and story elements all too familiar. Street thieves, beggar children and kings in danger are all fairly traditional elements, but they in no way make for a dull story, as Ms. Hilgartner does an exceptional job whisking us up into her world and her characters' adventure.Perhaps my main complaint with the book was that the central villain of the book was a little overdone, so that the result was more of a caricature than I think the author was aiming for. The villainy and cruelty is so over the top in a story where most of the characters have more complex motivations that I wished for a little more subtlety. The author's technique of maintaining a large cast of characters and jumping from character to character has its drawbacks in that the story never gives readers enough time or text to touch on the inner lives and emotions of cast. The reader is ever kept at one remove, and the emotional impact of the events is not as powerful as it otherwise could be. One last concern was the dizzying number of names to keep track of; most of them containing the letters y, z, or h in some combination and making it hard to remember who was who at times.Ms. Hilgartner's writing has only improved with time, and this book is one of her best to date. She is a fine storyteller with a real sense of pacing and energy as well as a skill of weaving her plot threads together into a satisfying whole. While epic fantasy fans may find A BUSINESS OF FERRETS a bit lightweight, it is an excellent, engaging tale and will likely appeal to those readers who enjoy Tamora Pierce and Mercedes Lackey. Don't miss the next book in this series; A PARLIAMENT OF OWLS.Happy Reading! ^_^ shanshad

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!

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!

What a wonderful imagination Beth Hilgartner has! . I was totally immersed in the world she has created. Her characters are super; the plot kept me on the edge of my chair. What a good read! When will the next one be out, Beth?

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!