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Farro and Sulfur #1
Farro
Khensa, a girl from the slums, is one of the last of a dying breed. Farro blood courses through her veins and for it she has suffered countless atrocities. Orphaned, kidnapped, imprisoned, and tortured, she endures without knowing if it shall ever end. For eleven months she endures…Enter Bomani, her unintentional savior. Sent by his father to assassinate the high priest, he finds her, bloody, starved, and naked upon the floor. She is feral and half-crazed and yet still he takes her away. He introduces her to a whole new world – his own.Together they navigate their way around a fragile society of kings, vendettas, and magic. Their story crosses deserts and mountains. It begins with fire and ends with water.
356 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 8, 2011
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131 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
November 28, 2011
3.5 stars, really.
The book has an immersive writing style which makes it very easy to fall into it and just want more, more, more. The first scene in particular just draws you right in, with no boring exposition or life-story. Instead, you're right there with Khensa in the burning temple, confused, ignorant, angry and struggling to survive. Khensa's backstory instead comes in little pieces, here and there throughout the story, without resorting to flashback or infodump.
Being self-published, it falls down in a few key areas - proof-reading and cover design are immediately noticable. I also think it could have benefitted from some rigorous professional editing. There were some scenes I felt were unbelievably or awkwardly expressed, and my suspension of disbelief began to fray a bit with the amount of times the characters were involved in life or death situations. Sometimes it seemed as though the only way the author could keep up the tension was to have the characters fight or nearly die, though there were a few extremely emotionally poignant scenes that make me think this is one flaw the author will quickly conquer.
The basic premise is that Khensa, the narrator, is inadvertently rescued from a year of torture and scientific/magic experimentation by Bomani - a Crown Prince who seems to be the black sheep of the family. There's no immediate calm in sight: Bomani and Khensa strike a deal, despite mutual dislike, to help solve each other's problems. Except things begin to go wrong.
I'm hesitant to use the phrase strong female character, but the protagonist is certainly no wimp. Nor does she spend her time whining about how terrible things have happened to her and begging to be rescued. If anything, she seems too feisty at times, hitting out when watching and learning would be a wiser solution.
The other characters are all well-developed, antagonists, love-interest and allies alike. There is nice character development and I particularly like that Khensa is shown to get her impressions of people wrong occassionaly. On the love-interest, I didn't love him at first, but there are a few key scenes in the novel which changed my mind and had me rooting for him. Its subplot is definitely romantic, not sexual, for those of you that like clean romance, and it manages to tug on the heartstrings all the same.
All-in-all, this was a book I couldn't put down, and a definite recommendation to anyone that's looking for an enjoyable light-fantasy/romance. Given it's a debut novel, it makes me look forward to Arreana's future books.
The book has an immersive writing style which makes it very easy to fall into it and just want more, more, more. The first scene in particular just draws you right in, with no boring exposition or life-story. Instead, you're right there with Khensa in the burning temple, confused, ignorant, angry and struggling to survive. Khensa's backstory instead comes in little pieces, here and there throughout the story, without resorting to flashback or infodump.
Being self-published, it falls down in a few key areas - proof-reading and cover design are immediately noticable. I also think it could have benefitted from some rigorous professional editing. There were some scenes I felt were unbelievably or awkwardly expressed, and my suspension of disbelief began to fray a bit with the amount of times the characters were involved in life or death situations. Sometimes it seemed as though the only way the author could keep up the tension was to have the characters fight or nearly die, though there were a few extremely emotionally poignant scenes that make me think this is one flaw the author will quickly conquer.
The basic premise is that Khensa, the narrator, is inadvertently rescued from a year of torture and scientific/magic experimentation by Bomani - a Crown Prince who seems to be the black sheep of the family. There's no immediate calm in sight: Bomani and Khensa strike a deal, despite mutual dislike, to help solve each other's problems. Except things begin to go wrong.
I'm hesitant to use the phrase strong female character, but the protagonist is certainly no wimp. Nor does she spend her time whining about how terrible things have happened to her and begging to be rescued. If anything, she seems too feisty at times, hitting out when watching and learning would be a wiser solution.
The other characters are all well-developed, antagonists, love-interest and allies alike. There is nice character development and I particularly like that Khensa is shown to get her impressions of people wrong occassionaly. On the love-interest, I didn't love him at first, but there are a few key scenes in the novel which changed my mind and had me rooting for him. Its subplot is definitely romantic, not sexual, for those of you that like clean romance, and it manages to tug on the heartstrings all the same.
All-in-all, this was a book I couldn't put down, and a definite recommendation to anyone that's looking for an enjoyable light-fantasy/romance. Given it's a debut novel, it makes me look forward to Arreana's future books.
June 26, 2011
Less than a page into this book I knew that I was in for a treat. How did I know so early on? Right off the bat it was clear that author Arreana had a way with words quite unlike that I have ever read before. What this obvious talent lead to was an impeccably created world that was so easy for the reader to fall into. I find that with books of this nature (historical fiction/ paranormal) that the writing can be very heavy or unnecessarily convoluted but I didn't find that at all with this book.
A lot of the times I find that the female lead doesn't make all that much of an impact upon me because I find her to be much less developed than her male counterpart (males who are almost, in a sense, hyper-developed, seriously, we can recount the way that their hair falls over their eyes, or the coloured flecks in their eyes) in order to allow the female reader to easily occupy her place in the story, but Khensa wasn't underdeveloped in the slightest. She is by far one of the strongest female characters I have ever read of before- seriously what she endured in her life, it was unfathomable (physically, mentally, and emotionally). While at the time Khensa may not have always made the wisest decisions she always did so with the best intentions at heart. Though at first I loathed Bomani (thinking that he was an asshat- literally kicking a girl when she is down- not cool!), he really did start to grow on me over time and in my opinion he did show many redeeming qualities (and dare I say it? I am quite excited to see if a romance between him and Khensa comes into existence).
This was not the type of book where only the male and female lead shines, while all of the other characters take a back seat to them. Each and every character was so dynamic and multi-faceted. Everyone was given the opportunity to shine and whether they stepped up to the plate of whether they took the cowardly route, well that just shows the essence of their being.
All in all this is one of the best books I have ever read of this genre- Fans of authors such as Tamora Pierce and Christopher Paolini will gobble this book up in no time and desperately crave the next book in the series! Arreana is an extremely talented author and one to keep our eyes on and I truly cannot wait to see what she has in store for us next!
A lot of the times I find that the female lead doesn't make all that much of an impact upon me because I find her to be much less developed than her male counterpart (males who are almost, in a sense, hyper-developed, seriously, we can recount the way that their hair falls over their eyes, or the coloured flecks in their eyes) in order to allow the female reader to easily occupy her place in the story, but Khensa wasn't underdeveloped in the slightest. She is by far one of the strongest female characters I have ever read of before- seriously what she endured in her life, it was unfathomable (physically, mentally, and emotionally). While at the time Khensa may not have always made the wisest decisions she always did so with the best intentions at heart. Though at first I loathed Bomani (thinking that he was an asshat- literally kicking a girl when she is down- not cool!), he really did start to grow on me over time and in my opinion he did show many redeeming qualities (and dare I say it? I am quite excited to see if a romance between him and Khensa comes into existence).
This was not the type of book where only the male and female lead shines, while all of the other characters take a back seat to them. Each and every character was so dynamic and multi-faceted. Everyone was given the opportunity to shine and whether they stepped up to the plate of whether they took the cowardly route, well that just shows the essence of their being.
All in all this is one of the best books I have ever read of this genre- Fans of authors such as Tamora Pierce and Christopher Paolini will gobble this book up in no time and desperately crave the next book in the series! Arreana is an extremely talented author and one to keep our eyes on and I truly cannot wait to see what she has in store for us next!
March 19, 2013
Publication Date : May 8, 2011
Khensa, a girl from the slums, is one of the last of a dying breed. Farro blood courses through her veins and for it she has suffered countless atrocities. Orphaned, kidnapped, imprisoned, and tortured, she endures without knowing if it shall ever end. For eleven months she endures…
Enter Bomani, her unintentional savior. Sent by his father to assassinate the high priest, he finds her, bloody, starved, and naked upon the floor. She is feral and half-crazed and yet still he takes her away. He introduces her to a whole new world – his own.
Together they navigate their way around a fragile society of kings, vendettas, and magic. Their story crosses deserts and mountains. It begins with fire and ends with water.
I had no expectation for this book once I started reading it since I do not read blurbs, the opening scene is depicted as vile and inhuman and therefore Khensa's survival is all the more miraculous and impressive.
As the story progresses, it becomes clear that Khensa has little or no idea who or what she is, her powers grows stronger by the hour and with it her ability to charm and enchant, but the love she evokes, the devotion, the friendships are they real or are they result of her enchantment...
It is a little boy that loves her unequivocally that grabbed my attention, her attention and devotion to this child was, for me the highlight of the story.
The author has a knack for implementing accents within her story to give it more flesh and to add depth; one such an example is the way in which people communicate in the part of town where Khensa grew up. The whistling is a nice touch and lends some more credibility to a fantastical story.
I do feel that the story was at times dragged out too much and the tension between the main protagonists played up a wee bit too much but overall it was a nice read and one I am sure most lovers of the YA paranormal genre will love.
Khensa, a girl from the slums, is one of the last of a dying breed. Farro blood courses through her veins and for it she has suffered countless atrocities. Orphaned, kidnapped, imprisoned, and tortured, she endures without knowing if it shall ever end. For eleven months she endures…
Enter Bomani, her unintentional savior. Sent by his father to assassinate the high priest, he finds her, bloody, starved, and naked upon the floor. She is feral and half-crazed and yet still he takes her away. He introduces her to a whole new world – his own.
Together they navigate their way around a fragile society of kings, vendettas, and magic. Their story crosses deserts and mountains. It begins with fire and ends with water.
I had no expectation for this book once I started reading it since I do not read blurbs, the opening scene is depicted as vile and inhuman and therefore Khensa's survival is all the more miraculous and impressive.
As the story progresses, it becomes clear that Khensa has little or no idea who or what she is, her powers grows stronger by the hour and with it her ability to charm and enchant, but the love she evokes, the devotion, the friendships are they real or are they result of her enchantment...
It is a little boy that loves her unequivocally that grabbed my attention, her attention and devotion to this child was, for me the highlight of the story.
The author has a knack for implementing accents within her story to give it more flesh and to add depth; one such an example is the way in which people communicate in the part of town where Khensa grew up. The whistling is a nice touch and lends some more credibility to a fantastical story.
I do feel that the story was at times dragged out too much and the tension between the main protagonists played up a wee bit too much but overall it was a nice read and one I am sure most lovers of the YA paranormal genre will love.
March 10, 2018
3 stars. OK. Finished but won't read any sequels.
April 10, 2012
Farro was a fresh and adventurous tale about honor, magic and friendship. When Khensa learns what it means to be Farro her live changes. She goes and lives with Lateef who teaches her the ways of the Farro. But things quickly become more complicated and Khensa finds herself not just fighting for her safety, but for everyone's safety around her!
This novel has great character development and a whole host of interesting and diverse characters. The world around Khensa was flawlessly developed and easy to read. Khensa comes from a place called Junktown and it sounds so amazing! So rich in color and life, as well as a sense of family. I wouldn't mind seeing a place like this!
There is also a part in the book where they hunt kraken, which was so exciting and well described. The novel was fast paced and action packed!
This book will stay with you long after you have read the last page.
What I Liked:
* Strong characters
* Interesting mythology
* Twists and turns in the plot
* Great character interactions
What I Didn't Like:
* A lot happens at once and the characters don't seem to be able to catch a break.
This novel has great character development and a whole host of interesting and diverse characters. The world around Khensa was flawlessly developed and easy to read. Khensa comes from a place called Junktown and it sounds so amazing! So rich in color and life, as well as a sense of family. I wouldn't mind seeing a place like this!
There is also a part in the book where they hunt kraken, which was so exciting and well described. The novel was fast paced and action packed!
This book will stay with you long after you have read the last page.
What I Liked:
* Strong characters
* Interesting mythology
* Twists and turns in the plot
* Great character interactions
What I Didn't Like:
* A lot happens at once and the characters don't seem to be able to catch a break.
August 26, 2018
This novel is absolutely great. I had no expectations going in because I do not tend to have high hopes for books I get for free on amazon (it was on sale for a short time). I picked it to read at random and I could not be happier. Khensa is a strong female protagonist who has lived a harsh life in which her mother was murdered and she was taken prisoner and abused for a length of time. She makes many mistakes along the story but she also learns from them. The author did a great job in the development of the characters of the story. Please read this book I promise you will not be dissapointed
December 31, 2011
I really liked this story. there are a number of proof reading errors that should be corrected but it was 99 cents on my kindle and such a pleasant surprise I stayed up all night to finish it.
the characters are great. I cared what happened to them and I thought the story was fairly original. It was predictable but still highly entertaining. i would recommend this to other readers of fantasy and will be looking forward to new books from this author.
the characters are great. I cared what happened to them and I thought the story was fairly original. It was predictable but still highly entertaining. i would recommend this to other readers of fantasy and will be looking forward to new books from this author.
May 6, 2013
An epic starting book, the plot just DOESN'T let up! I couldn't put this book down; I was completely entranced by Khensa. Sure, there were some parts during which I totally hated her guts because she was too wrapped up in herself, but at least she gains some common sense at the end!
(for more info about my reactions to this book, please see my review of the sequel Sulfur)
(for more info about my reactions to this book, please see my review of the sequel Sulfur)
November 3, 2011
A good story spoiled by the number of proofreading issues. I understand this book is self-published which makes an error-free manuscript most difficult to accomplish. I wish the author well and to keep trying to produce more professional looking manuscripts.
June 10, 2013
I actually really liked this book but the flow is my reason for 3 stars. Great story line, characters and setting. Liked the uniqueness but there were lots of splotches of too much info in areas that wasn't needed and not enough in others.
October 1, 2014
Absolutely loved this book and I can't wait to start the next book in the series. Im not sure how many books there are but I know there's at least one more. Very worth the read. Strong female lead character, lots of adventure, a little mystery... great read!
August 15, 2011
Very enjoyable!!! Farro was a nice change from the usual fantasy books I read. I can't wait to read "Sulfur" the sequel. Hopefully, I won't be kept waiting to long!!!
May 2, 2012
I loved it. It was a quick, fun read. I'm really excited to see how the story ends.
January 1, 2013
I freaking loved this book! It was full of action and unique.
February 23, 2012
I really liked this book, great story and characters :D can't wait to read the next one!
August 6, 2013
I really enjoyed this book and the mix of the characters.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews