These books are set in the decadent Empire of Bharaghlaf, and deal with the vicious Court intrigues surrounding the Scholar King Khethyran, and what happens when a close-knit band of Slum dwellers are unexpectedly drawn into the power games and plotting of the nobles. Ferret (a thief) and her friends show a surprising aptitude for intrigue and a formidable gift for enlisting unlikely allies, as they set out to beat the nobles at their own ruthless game.