A Matter of Profit by Hilari BellAfter a successful tour of duty, Ahvren Vivitar returns to T'Chin, cursed with a compulsion to tell the truth, no matter how painful. He finds his foster sister, betrothed against her will, making a futile escape attempt on the day of his return. Two months later, a week from his sister's wedding day, Ahvren discusses with his father his reluctance to return to war. He makes a wager with his father: if he can find the root of the rumors circulating about a planned attempt on the emperor's life, Ahvren will be allowed to remain on T'chin for a year, planning his own life. To find information about whoever might plot against the emperor, Ahvren begins to meet with a bibliogoth. The bibliogoth challenges and advises Ahvren as he searches for his life and honor. Although Ahvren quickly comes to trust the bibliogoth, the scholar's advice proves futile again and again, until the assassin's identity becomes painfully clear.
The bibliogoth(he is never referred to by name, because his name is a scent) leads Ahvren on a philosophical journey. He challenges Ahvren to understand the pacifism of the T'Chin. The setting of this book depends on the truth of the bibliogoth's philosophy, but human history makes the T'Chin philosophy unlikely to work with humans. The philosophy is one I and most humans would find pleasing, despite its impracticality. You probably will not figure out the scholar's philosophy before it is revealed at the end of the book, but you may figure out the assassin's identity.
Question: Honor is of great import to the Vivitars. What is honor?
Happy reading.
