Ferrasium

The Windflowers Trilogy #1

by Wendy Scott

Murder, mystery, and magic in a land reminiscent of ancient Egypt.
For centuries, guided by the Destiny's Oracle, the Bera-Bera tribe have guarded the secret of the windflowers and kept alive the memory of the banished Cat Goddesses. The High Priest Seraphis covets Pharaoh's throne and his minions scour the desert sands, seeking two ancient artefacts of unrivalled power. If the Raia priesthood acquire the Golden Scarab and the Pyramidion first, then the land of Keymett will be plunged into a regime of terror and persecution, condemning the goddesses into exile forever. The race is on, but how can a small band of pygmies, a tomb robber, and a magically untrained girl on the run from the Ferrasium’s killing arena compete against the might of the Priesthood?
First reader review - "I read a lot of fantasy! I'm rating this new author up there with one of my other favourites Juliet Marillier. I love the fast pace, it has you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. I couldn't put it down (sorry family). Can't wait for book 2!!!"
NB: Contains adult themes.

290 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 8, 2011

Reviews

[Yvette Calleiro · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to give this book 3.5 stars, but that isn't an option. Because the names are unfamiliar names to me, it took me a while to remember who was who. There are many subplots in this book, and normally that doesn't bother me because I know that they will all collide at some point, but the unfamiliar names kept throwing me off.

That being said, it's a GREAT story. It's set in the Egyptian times but it was more of a futuristic/past blend. At least, that's how I read it. The priests have obliterated the honoring of goddesses and women. They also collect any women who have "other" skills and force them to fight to the death gladiator-style. One girl, Kalli, escapes with the help of a group who believe that she will help rid their people of the priests' control.

For most of this book, Kalli has no idea who or what she is. In fact, she is downright clueless. Lol! She has to endure one horrible event to only be thrown into another one and another. She has silent helpers along the way, but for the most part, she feels alone and confused.

The subplots are rich in intrigue and torment. Everyone is betraying everyone else, and there is no sense of it ending any time soon. The brutality that some of characters dish out (and that other characters have to endure) is very strong (and sometimes difficult to imagine), and I am looking forward to seeing the multiple antagonists getting their comeuppance.

So, even though this book took me a bit to get all of the names straight in my head, I got hooked and now want to find out what will happen to Kalli in book two. :-)

[D.L. Finn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was set in ancient Egypt, but it reminded me of ancient Rome, too. A young girl Kalli was taken from her family for a test all girls go through once they reach puberty. Her life changed in horrible ways from that point. It was a cruel and brutal world she found herself a part of that forced strength from her. While I bonded and rooted for Kalli, there were other storylines giving a complete picture of her situation. After an animal was killed in the beginning, I almost put the story down. I didn’t though because it already invested me in it. My first thought was that person who did that needed to pay for that cruelty. I felt a lot of emotions reading this, which speaks well for Ms. Scott’s ability to tap into that. This is a full story that dives deeply into the dark side of humanity with betrayal, greed, power, slavery, and privilege. I will be reading the next installment to see what happens to Kalli next.

[Jane Firebaugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ferrasium is a very suspenseful fantasy, with marvelous characters, some of whom I loved and some who were purely evil...and there was one who was caught in the middle. Ferrasium contains elements of Egyptian mythology, changed to fit the world in which it takes place, and there is a bit of Roman history incorporated into it as well. The only thing that bothered me, was that animals were harmed, otherwise it was great. This book kept me reading way later than I wanted to be up, because I couldn't stop until I finished. I can't wait for book 2. I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Melissa Swafford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very exciting read with lots of twists and turns. You have to pay attention to the many characters to follow the storyline, but it is interesting trying to figure out who is betraying who as the storyline progresses. Cannot wait for the next book. I was provided a free copy of this book for an honest review.

[Edward · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Ferrasium is the first book of he Windflowers Trilogy by Wendy Scott. The second book in the series is planned to be released in early 2013. The story is that of a young girl named Kalli. She is imprisoned and forced into gladiatorial games because of her potential to use magical abilities by a corrupt powerful priesthood. The story follows her captivity and escape amid the swirl of political and personal intrigue in a setting reminiscent of ancient Egypt.

The story is told primarily from the viewpoint of Kalli herself, but we also see into the minds and motives of at least another dozen players whose lives and destinies intersect in the story. Some do not survive to the end of this first novel. In lesser hands the multiple points of view might become muddled as the reader loses track of who is speaking and what they are doing, but these characters each have a distinct voice and viewpoint that is maintained throughout. The author keeps the complexities of the adventure moving forward as the lives of these characters interweave to form the story.

Ferrasium kept be entertained throughout, and I will definitely get the next volume in the series when it is published.

[Linda Harley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a really difficult time engaging with this book. It took me almost 4 weeks to read this single book, simply because it did not engage my attention. There were too many characters to wrap my mind around, and there was no clear heroin/hero, although I suppose Kalli came closed. This story jumped around so much, that often it took me several pages of reading before I would recall who the character was and their back story, to appreciate what was happening to them. I feel that the story would have been a lot stronger if the author had decided to write only from 2 or 3 point of views, as opposed to multiples. I think I counted somewhere between 8 or 10 different point of views, with no clear indication when things switch or why it was important to see what they were doing. I supposed, it is all intended to come together over the next books in the series, but honestly this book was not captivating on its own so I doubt I’ll read the others. Because of this barrier it was difficult for me to fully appreciate and relate to what Kalli was going through. As for family friendliness I rate this a 1 out of 5, and it is not appropriate for younger children, since there is too much violence.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Books set in ancient times intrigue me, whether or not actual historical events take place. I'm not up on the names of the Pharaohs of Egypt or all the history, so I'll take it that these are fictitious, more like a parallel universe. There are enough details in the book to let you know it occurs in ancient times.

There are a lot of characters, and the story is told from many of their perspectives. A few times, I felt a bit lost because of that, but the author did a good job of including information about who the person was so that confusion was quickly cleared. And the writing is clear, with many colorful descriptions that bring the world and characters she created to life.

The story itself was quite enjoyable. Kalli escapes the arena and sets off on a mission (even though she doesn't know that right away). All the other mini-stories come together around her mission. I was sad and happy at the same time that the entire story wasn't complete in one novel. You'll have to read two more to finish Kalli's story, but it will be worth it.

[Denise Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Id like to give the book 3 1/2 stars. Well written with only minor editing drama. I hated the whole "downer" theme. I cannot honestly tell you that there is any one hero in the book. Malevolence strangles my desire to give the author 5 stars because she refused to write in any form of joy. The story is solid , And I understand there are two more stories in the series. My worry in buying book number two would be do I have to read through another book of dashed hopes and then read a whole book of glory or is the whole series dank and dark? i'd like a little bit of happiness in every story I read. Otherwise why bother reading if it's only going to depress me?

[Wendy Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

First reader commented -
"I'm half way through Ferrasium. In trouble with the family, forgot to feed the chooks, didn't cook tea and I'm running late for work! Can't put it down!" AM

"I read a lot of fantasy! I'm rating this new author up there with one of my other favourites Juliet Marillier. I love the fast pace, it has you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. I couldn't put it down (sorry family). Can't wait for book 2!!!" AM