C.G.Hattons Thieves world series I came across at a sfi fair in Stockton and the title jumped out at me. The first of a four book series its starts out with the wonder premise of the shadowy thieves guild, operating in a human galaxy divided by the two power blocks of Earth, heart of the old empire, and Winter the frost bound world of cold hearted corporate separatists. With the between a no mans land, of semi independent planets which a cold war is fought over.
The thieves guild plays both sides of the line, under the direction of 'The Man' a shadow within a shadow. While the bulk of the action is around Zach Hilyer a guild operative who's last assignment went badly wrong, there is a wonderful prelude to each chapter which offers a window into the wider universe as the Man talks to NG the head of operations. C.G. uses this to great effect, giving out hints like bread crumbs of the wider plot of her universe. Ominous at times they draw you in, until your reading each chapter with anticipation not only for what is happening in the main characters POV but what is happening beyond and what the next slither of a clue will be from the Man.
The main action is well paced and involving. Reminiscent of Iain M Banks in how it moves along, letting the world take you in without explaining every detail as some hard sfi has been known to bog itself down in. Yet remaining coherent and well constructed through out. You get a great sense of the universe in which Hil lives and it revolving not around him but happening in the back ground. Characters come into the story and then depart but your left with the scene they are still in the universe doing things off screen. When they reappear in the later books you find out they definitely have been up to things and not sat idle waiting for the heroes to need them.
There is a great depth to the thieves guild universe that grows with the series but is there right at the start with hints in the shadows of the Mans conference table and walk on characters. You know there is more going on behind the scenes. Which feels like a whole universe the way good sfi should. While the main plot moves along with a fast and frantic pace that pulls you along and makes the books hard to put down. ( )