"Lady of Knives" by Chad Banks

[Lester Curtis]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned this story yet. I really liked it a lot. Action, characters, dialog, setting -- everything was put together seamlessly. Very good stuff, and I look forward to reading more by this author.

[Lester Curtis]

I found another of his stories, here:

http://reflectionsedge.com/index.php/20 ... he-shaper/

Very different from this one, but every bit as well-written.

[Robert_Moriyama]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned this story yet.

...The consistency and complexity of the social structures within the packs of street urchins was especially well done. It's not an easy thing to accomplish, and this was first rate. The two packs we get a glimpse into have a vibrant realness which I've never seen done better, ever.

The reader can see the evolution of how the pack leaders maintain their positions through a complex system of rewards and punishment, and how freakin' smart you have to be to actually lead groups like these...

Bill Wolfe

Brad Weeks's "Way of Shadows" features a guild system of child thieves, "wetboys" (assassins with magical abilities), and other trades that sounds similar. (The book has two sequels, but the guilds or clans are less prominently featured in the later books.)

RM