Stephanie Harrington always expected to be a forest ranger on her homeworld of Meyerdahl . . . until her parents relocated to the frontier planet of Sphinx in the far distant Star Kingdom of Manticore. It should have been the perfect new home --- a virgin wilderness full of new species of every sort, just waiting to be discovered. But Sphinx is a far more dangerous place than ultra-civilized Meyerdahl, and Stephanie's explorations come to a sudden halt when her parents lay down the law: no trips into the bush without adult supervision!<P> <P>            Yet Stephanie is a young woman determined to make discoveries, and the biggest one of all awaits her: an intelligent alien species.<P> <P>            The forest-dwelling treecats are small, cute, smart, and have a pronounced taste for celery. And they are also very, <I>very</i> deadly when they or their friends are threatened . . . as Stephanie discovers when she comes face-to-face with Sphinx's most lethal predator after a hang-gliding accident. <P> <P>            But her discoveries are only beginning, for the treecats are also telepathic and able to bond with certain humans, and Stephanie's find --- and her first-of-its kind bond with the treecat Climbs Quickly --- land both of them in a fresh torrent of danger. Galactic-sized wealth is at stake, and Stephanie and the treecats are squarely in the path of highly-placed enemies determined to make sure the planet Sphinx remains entirely in human hands, even if that means the extermination of another thinking species.<P> <P>            Unfortunately for those enemies, the treecats have saved Stephanie Harrington's life. She owes them . . . and Stephanie is a young woman who stands by her friends.<P> <P>            Which means things are about to get very <I>interesting</i> on Sphinx.<P><B>About </B><I><B>A Beautiful Friendship: <P></B></I>“It's rare to find teen science fiction that strays beyond popular dystopian fare. The environmental messages, human-animal friendship, humor, action, and inventive technology will make this series starter an easy hit. . . .”—<i >Booklist<P></i><P><b>About David Weber and the Honor Harrington series:</b><P>“. . .everything you could want in a heroine….excellent…plenty of action.”—<I>Science Fiction Age</i><P>“Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant!”—Anne McCaffrey<P>“Compelling combat combined with engaging characters for a great space opera adventure.”—<I>Locus</i><P>“Weber combines realistic, engaging characters with intelligent technological projection. . .Fans of this venerable space opera will rejoice. . .”—<I>Publishers Weekly</i>