Includes bibliographical references.

"Two French explorers arrive in Court to charm two ships from the English King. The rest, as they say, is history ... Or perhaps not. Set in the libertine era of Restoration England, The Players embarks on a voyage of discovery with compelling characters, a magical plot, and stunning imagery. A tale of beginnings and of invention, this remarkable novel takes on the 17th century with a contemporary sensibility. Here, the ability to perform -- in Court, on stage, in private quarters, and in the brutal cold of James Bay -- might save your life ... and Lilly Cole must play along with the best of them. Sly, provocative, and ingeniously funny, Sweatman's prose explores the deep well of human motivation, how instinct trumps reason when survival is in question"