FERTS

FERTS #1

by Grace Hudson

The war is over. Resources are scarce. The population is dwindling in the Forkstream Territories.

Pinnacle Officer Wilcox has created FERTS amidst the chaos, a facility designed to protect the female population from raiding hordes.

Beth 259201, a newly-demoted Epsilon Internee, suspects that there is something more that lurks beneath the carefully constructed order of the facility.

She has a gift, one that could brand her a defective. A novice fighter, she must use her intellect to survive. Her own life, and the lives of many more may be at risk. Will she succumb to the plans in store for her or will she conceal her secret long enough to discover her own path?

FERTS is a post-apocalyptic dystopian thriller. Reader discretion is advised.

Genres: Dystopia, Science Fiction, Apocalyptic, Post Apocalyptic, Fantasy

303 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 26, 2015

About the author

Grace lives by the beach in Australia, land of sun, surf and drop bears!

She spends a lot of time in her writing cave but can be tempted to come out to check social media from time to time.

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Reviews

[A.L. Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Placed in a dank reality based on the imaginings of a maniacal scientist, FERTS is a facility where “women” are trained to be exactly what men in this post-apocalyptic world want them to be. Or at least how one man in particular thinks they should all be.
No longer even referred to as women, they are relegated down to just numbers as identifiers, and used as often as the male officers wish. All hidden behind the agenda of their “training” to be the ideal woman, and grace the men of the villages with children.
A chilling story told mainly by one woman whose identification numbers her as 201. Being of excellent intelligence, she begins to question everything around her. And then begins to unravel it.
The author does a great job developing the main character, and her actions are consistent with her personality. Her growth throughout the story is easy to follow. The ranking systems used in the facility were well explained and easy to follow.
There are a few things that are hard to imagine being readily available in this kind of world, where resources are bare. That and the break late in the story that switches to another character kinda threw me for a loop, and are the only reasons this is a 4 star review and not a 5.
Take a dive into this alternate reality. It’s a fun read that really makes you think!

[Ed Ryder · Rating 4 out of 5]

FERTS is a dystopian future story based in a compound controlled by a man called Wilcox, where women are raised and conditioned as property for the male populous outside. Each girl is assigned a category based on physical attributes; the beautiful train in seduction techniques and hope to be bought by the local townsfolk and bear their children, the strong provide entertainment through fights and the others perform manual labour within the compound. None of them want to be in Zeta Circuit, which is the lowest class of all.
The main character, Beth 201, doesn't quite fit in to any category and does not want to conform. After some triggering events (which I won’t spoil here) she begins to rebel against her surroundings and regime. As we learn more about her character and past it becomes more obvious why, and her realisation and reactions are well realised. The past of the controller is also explored, and gives good insight to his motivations and actions. I'm a fan of proper fleshed-out antagonists so this ticked all the boxes for me in that regard.
The book deals with issues such as the obsession with looks, ownership of and violence against women, and rape (there is a strong theme of that throughout the book). If anyone says yes because they don't have a choice, then it's not really yes.

A few comments. After an exciting opening chapter, the second one is a huge non-POV info-dump which came as a bit of a shock. I would have preferred the information on how the compound works to be given more naturally through the text. The character of Titan (a newly transferred guard) would have been a good way to have done this. Similarly, two other characters are introduced around chapter 36 (the chapters are very short) and have adventures in one block rather than their scenes being spread out throughout the book which would have allowed the various plot threads to meet up more gradually. On a couple of occasions, I also found it a bit confusing on which character was speaking due to the formatting.
This book seems to be the first in a series, and I hope that the sequels will explain more of the central mechanic of how Beth 201 can be aware of events outside her experience, as in this book it comes across as a bit of a convenient plot device.

Still, the above are minor issues and don't detract from the story as a whole. I read the entire book in less than a weekend so it must have gripped me! I look forward to reading the next one.
Rating: 4/5

[Tonya · Rating 5 out of 5]

This dystopian novel really resonates, especially while watching The Handmaid's Tale on Hulu. The life of a woman in FERTS is not worth much at all, and it shows how one scientist is able to take control of a population by "saving" the women from horrible fates. With the #metoo movement spreading across the internet, this novel appears to be written in response to both The Handmaid's Tale's surging popularity and the #metoo movement. However, the book was first published in 2015...

This book was well written and I felt like the message is strong... Many themes resonate withhin this book. For example, the loss of identity for women. FERTS shows how the need to repopulate the earth can be a driving force amidst turmoil and post war attempts at recovery. I also felt that this novel shows how easy it is to give up power. The character development is gradual with a slow, developing plot that sets the book up to have another come along and continue the story if the author chooses to do so. There are characters that stand out to me: Tristan, a guard who does not seem to fit in with the others, 201 which is a condensed version of her ID # Beth259201 for her intuition and intelligence... and the girls Rif and Cal.

201 starts a journey and learns to patiently pay the game as a Fighter then changes her mind and goes for being a Vessel. The

There were a couple of areas where the writing was not as clear- point of view was a little hard to follow at times when it switched over, and I was not sure how 201 developed such supernatural type of gifts...so maybe a bit more elaboration or direction there would be good.

Triggers: Rape, abuse, dehumanization of women

[Chessy The Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

After the wars, Pinnacle Officer Wilcox establishes FERTS, Fertility Emigration Resource Training Supply, to maintain control over women, whom he believes are the source of all of man’s conflicts. Beth 259201 has been demoted to Epsilon, the fighting circuit, because her muscle mass is too high to be a Vassal. At FERTS it is the desire of all women to become Vassals in hopes of being sold to a Vendee and producing a Sire. But, not 201. She can think for herself and is not subject to the brainwashing instituted by Wilcox in order to be sold in the outlying townships.

Hudson’s first novel, FERTS, is a post-apocalyptic dystopian thriller. She does an excellent job of world building and it is easy for the reader to visualize. Both the protagonist, 201, and the antagonist, Wilcox, are well developed characters. All of the chapters are rather short as is the book as a whole. I did not find any typographical or grammatical errors.

However, the structure of the book could have been better. The second chapter overwhelms with information that would have been better interspersed throughout the entire book. The background story, particularly chapters 33 through 41, were just dropped into the middle of the book. I found this to be confusing. These chapters would have made the story flow much better if they had been alternated with the current day story.

I will be interested to see how the story plays out should Hudson write a sequel. She has great potential.

[Andy Peloquin · Rating 4 out of 5]

While it took me a chapter or two to get into the book, by page 30 I was fascinated. I found myself curious to find out more about these "Beths" (each with their own unique number) and the horrible "breeding world" in which they lived. I LOVED the way the girls were ranked according to the various factors (attractiveness, musculature, personality, etc.). It was a fascinating look at what would happen if modern society broke down "being a woman" into numbers and formulas.
The story overall was pretty good, though I found myself enjoying the first 2/3 more than the last part. The climax was good (satisfying ending), but there was quite a bit that felt dangerously close to Deus Ex Machina.

SPOILER: DO NOT READ IF YOU HATE SPOILERS!! The character develops a sort of telepathy or precognition, but I didn't catch the explanation of how or why. Unique powers like that need explanation or a reason why. END SPOILERS

A lot of details were also left vague, unclear, or unexplained. While the initial world-building was excellent, too many questions were left unanswered. Not the least of which was what made the main Beth so different from all the other Beths around her.
But, all in all, a good book, and one I'd highly recommend to any dystopian fans!

[Wendi Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this post-apocalyptic world, one man has created a world of subservient slaves- all women bred and trained to serve men, either in a sexual sense or for sport- to compensate for his own failed attempt to gain the respect and love of the one woman he wanted. The scenes are all-written, descriptive and I felt drawn into this world from the very beginning. Our heroine, Beth 259201, doesn't fit the mold and through a second sight type of sense, she dreams of a word outside, of two girls who escaped her fate and made a life where they live in freedom.
This is a story of bravery, determination and hope. I think it's brilliant. I recommend this to anyone who likes post-apocalyptic stories- you won't be disappointed. I really hope Ms. Hudson writes a sequel!! Job well done.

[Mary Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ms. Hudson has written an exceptional character driven novel set in a realistic dystopian world. The characters and subtle plot twists had me turning page after page. This is excellent reading, very well-written & suspenseful. I’m anxious to see if the story continues! 4.6/5🌟

[Victoria A. Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

Took me back to my days of being a radical feminist. Good coming of age book for young women. Victoria

[Ruth Collier · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent story and an interesting enough premise (quite 'handmaid's tale' but it also has a bit of a 'hunger games' feel).
The narration is a bit too blunt at times, and some of the dialogue is similarly on-the-nose, but other bits are genuinely original and disturbing. Some of the set up feels a bit unfeasible at first, it works more once we get some background on 'how things became the way they are' but it could have done with a little more in this area.
Some plot points didn't seem very well explained (while others were spelled out too clearly) and the main character is both exceptionally talented and annoyingly clueless at times, but overall the story is interesting and fast paced enough to keep you reading.
I know this has probably come off as a harsh review, but i do feel there's a good story here and I'm interested to read the sequels, i just think it has a lot of potential to be improved.

[Kellie Steele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hooked from the start

FERTS had me hooked from the start. I simply could not put it down, but I and became very obsessed with 201's predicament. I would recommend this post apocalyptic story to anyone who enjoys the genre. I have

Bought the next one, and I'm going to to start reading straight away.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book

Why is it that every time there is an apocalypse, women get the shaft. At least for a while. Loved the story. The characters were amazing.

[Cori Dyson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ms. Hudson graciously provided me a copy of the book free in exchange for an honest review. Her book is available free to download for free now through Kindle Select program.

This is a remarkable novel, but made even more remarkable by the fact this is Grace Hudson's first novel. I am very impressed with her debut novel and I am eagerly awaiting the next book in the series. Oh, yes, this will be a series folks and be glad, because you are in the very capable hands of Grace Hudson. I must admit, I am partial to science fiction and character driven novels, so my review may be biased on the fact that she wrote an excellent character driven novel with powerful and compelling characters.

The basic premise of the book is a post apocalyptic future where one man creates FERTS (Fertility Emigration Resource Training Supply) to basically control the supply of women to the surrounding communities of men. The man who created this is Pinnacle Officer Wilcox. His is the perfect antagonist or villain for this novel and that makes Beth 259201, or simply 201, the perfect protagonist. They are different sides of the same coin and are not that much different when you get down to the nitty gritty, but they complement each other well in the book. Ms. Hudson does not disappoint and she gives us nearly as much details on Wilcox as she does 201. The reader gets to understand the motivations for each character completely and it makes the action that much more compelling.

Since her novel is more character driven, there is not a plot twist in every chapter. Her twists are slower to develop and more subtle. I am a fan of this type of novel and prefer it to the clunk-you-over-the-head-with-action style novels. If you love great characters and love subtle plot twists, then you are going to love this novel.

There is some sexual content, but it is not the focus of the novel by no means, and in my opinion, she puts the minimal amount in the novel with the least amount of detail possible to 1) convey the point, 2) increase the tension and convey the emotions. I don't think the novel would be the same without the few scenes, so I consider them necessary, I do appreciate how she minimized them in the novel and left a lot to the reader's imagination, but still enough to provoke emotion and feeling in the reader. I would not recommend this novel for anyone under the age of 13 or under the age of 18 without parental consent.

While the story is written in limited alternating third person POV, she does not head bob and she limits it to three characters. Each POV switch is noted by a chapter change or other mechanism to alert the reader of a POV change. You are in excellent hands as you progress through the story and she is cognizant and careful of the readers experience.

The only complaint, if you call it that, is that chapter 1 maybe should have been a prologue. It just doesn't seem to fit at the beginning. I was a little confused how chapter 1 connected with chapter 2; however, when you are nearing the end of the book, there is this Aha moment where you say, "I see said the blind man to the deaf mouse." Then you know and you understand why she wrote chapter 1 and made it chapter 1, so trust the very capable hands of Grace Hudson and she will not fail you.

I am reviewing the characters in the novel more in depth on my blog, All Things Character It Is at www.coridyson.com, that blog post is due to be posted Sept 14th. I also include an interview with the Author as well.

[Paul (Life In The Slow Lane) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not a book about human gaseous emissions after all.

A series of wars, using conventional weapons, has decimated the world’s population, and the residue of humanity slowly reforms pockets of society again. In this world, one very disturbed individual blames all our woes on women. Somehow, he develops a high tech facility where women are kept captive and processed/trained to be nothing more than sex slaves...and slaves in general (his answer to lasting peace!). These females seem not only resigned to their fate – but accept it eagerly. Not is all as it seems.

These days, writers combine multiple stories into their books by relating them in alternating chapters producing a staccato story line. In Game of Thrones, George R.R. Martin juggles far too many threads swapping from one to the next in an annoying and confusing entanglement. J R R Tolkien was much better at it and seemed to blend his individual stories together logically and seamlessly as in Lord of the Rings. In FERTS, our author has intertwined two or three stories. Thankfully she gives us a generous helping of each, before swapping to the next scene. For a slow reader like me, it makes the book flow better – God bless you for that Grace Hudson.

In post-apocalyptical narratives, I like the opening of the book to at least hint at what’s happened to our poor world before getting into the guts of the story. Not so with FERTS. To me at least, the chronology of FERTS seemed wrong somehow. The opening 20% of the book seems to come from the middle of the story – and the middle 30% seems to be the beginning (where we find out what happened to the world). I found it quite confusing. If you intend on reading FERTS, I would suggest reading Chapter 32 to 41 first. To me – it seems to gel better that way.
There are quite a few plot holes and loose ends. FERTS is a high tech sterile detention facility with complex radio controlled implants in all the female occupants that kill them if they try to wander too far from the facility. In a world where most of humanity and its cities have been destroyed, how does Wilcox achieve the marvellous feat? Where do these implants come from? Who inserts them? I found many others but you can still enjoy the story if you just forget about the discrepancies.

The genre seemed to be inconsistent, swapping from Adults Only with some hard-to-read rape scenes, to Children’s Fiction with the description of young Raf and Cal’s early journey.

Look – these are only little nitpicks and, after all, this is our author’s maiden novel. It sure is better than anything I could come up with, and I applaud her for that. I think this is an author to watch.

[Granny Swithins · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another dystopian lock-up-the-women-and-use-them-for-breeding/rape type tale. Seems to be a lot of them around, none of them a patch on The Handmaids Tale. FERTS didn't particularly grip me, I found the way that the main character somehow dreams/intuits all of the knowledge to be unconvincing - it would have been far better to have just split the narration between several characters. I'm getting a bit jaded by this kind of story - where are the books in which it's the men getting locked up and brutalised? Some part of me worries that authors are normalising a society in which women are stripped of their rights and brutalised - the subject matter needs much more careful handling to avoid women's subjugation being merely entertainment.

[Catherine Herzog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! I don't generally read dystopia novels, but this one's plot line intrigued me, and so I decided to try it out. It was a very good read. Beth259201 (just 201 for most of the story) was an intelligent woman stuck in a horrible situation. The story is set where women are raised and taken to be slaves of men's base needs, whether sexual or fighting. Women are taught that the whole reason for their existence is to let a man do whatever he wants to her. Her whole schooling is to be pretty and seductive, if she is not good at that, then she is trained to be a fighter, and if she is not good at that she becomes the work horse for the society. That is a woman's existence. No complaining, no dignity, no love.

The society is the brain child of Pinnacle Officer Wilcox who is a deranged 'scientist' and misfit to normal society. He developed FERTS to ease his conscious of the horrible things he did in the past.

201 has instincts that tell her there is something wrong, and intelligence to realize she had better keep quiet. As the story goes on, she understands more and more. She has only one allie, and strange dreams to give her some guidance. She knows she has to do something about this, that she just cannot live this way. She 'sees' what she is to do, and it is an amazing thrilling journey as you walk with her through the bad and the triumphant!

I am very glad I read FERTS. It was well written and completely thought out story that kept me going until the last word!

Thank you, Grace Hudson, for an awesome story. My hope, with how it ended, is that there is a sequel! I would love to see what happens next.

[Sheryl Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

FERTS is a wonderfully complex and rich novel by Grace Hudson. Initially a bit confusing, all the questions are answered as you read on. FERTS is set in a post-apocalyptic world, with the facility where most of the action occurs run by a misogynistic psychopath. This is where the main character, Beth259201, resides. As you read you learn that all the women in the facility are called Beth### and later on in the book you learn why.
201, as she is called, is a woman of high intelligence and begins to question why they are all living in the facility, and to question the different levels within the facility. Each woman is given an attractiveness and fertility rating which dictates which level she is sent to. 201 is in the Epsilon level which is the fighting level.
As the story progresses 201 begins to have prescient dreams, or maybe she is astral travelling? These dreams serve to give her, and the reader, a detailed picture of the facility, and of a rebel group who are determined to set free the women within. During this period several things happen that cause 201 to become an internal rebel. Some of the scenes are quite confronting, but are handled with skill by Grace. I feel that all of the scenes are necessary, since it would take a lot to jolt 201 from a lifetime of conditioning.
FERTS comes to a satisfactory close, although I did feel that the ending came too soon. However I have read that there is to be a sequel, and I am looking forward to reading this. This is the first novel by Grace Hudson, and it is an original and fascinating read, well worth the time.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story plot develops well as this pocket of organised, but sick, dystopian society continues to rule over and abuse women. Led by a Psycopath who was jilted in the past who now views women as little more than dirt. The characters are developed and the story moves along, slowly at times, but that does little to rob the book of a star.

The development of the main character's psychic abilities is incongruous at times; firstly described as nightmares later to become defined as visions of past and present events. I thought it a bit rough or awkward in its transition from one to the other at several points and there were some editing errors so it lost a star as a result.

A constant thread throughout the story was the misogyny & terrible abuse by most of the men in the story towards women who they had power over them. It surely reminded this reader, a retired cop, of the disgusting outright violence and misogyny towards women in our own society. I am also reminded that there are men who show respect and equality to women and do not tolerate the abuse of women. The story jarred certain terrible memories of screams and scenes of violence for this reader who saw enough of this during his time of service.

For me, the end represented the goal of most women in that position, and that is freedom ! A very good read.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ferts is an interesting glimpse at the future that shows a lot of its influences which isn't a bad thing at all. You get small glimpses of 1984 and the Handmaid's Tale which are classics in this genre so it makes sense when you set to write a book like this. The problem here is I had a hard time following the plot at times and had to go back and reread parts because I couldn't figure out what was going on. It's still an interesting beginning to the series and once I figured out what was going on, I enjoyed the book and liked the ideas Hudson has presented. This is a bleak world and she captures that extremely well and presents things from the perspective of 201.

While the book is interesting, I just had a hard time following along because she crams quite a bit into a book that's almost 200 pages. It'll be interesting to see how the story evolves going forward, and what happens to 201. Hudson has tapped into the bleakness into her world, and we can even understand how 201 feels. Her story is one that you become engrossed in, but there were still those moments where I couldn't figure out what was going on. There's a lot left to discover and I think as the series progresses, things will become clearer. For fans of this type of fiction it's a nice entrant that shows us what could exist for us at all. It's a book with a message and a warning.

[Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have the impression that Grace Hudson was trying to write a more overtly post-apocalyptic take on The Handmaids Tale, but FERTS doesn't come anywhere close to achieving this. A large part of the problem, for me, is that Hudson is too explicit about her world building, to the point that narrative frequently grinds to a halt so that the author can inflict yet another gratuitous infodump on the poor reader.

Not only is this incessant infodumping jarring, but it also has the unfortunate effect of highlighting the extent to which the world, as depicted, doesn't quite hang together. As a result, I was spending far too much time noticing the inconsistencies and not buying in to any of it.

This isn't helped by the extent to which the plot jumps from character to character. For much of the story, there is no real sense of where things are going, or which characters are going to prove to be important. The result is that it becomes increasingly difficult to connect with, or care about, with any of the characters which badly reduces the impact the book is trying to achieve.

And when the plot finally does start to kick in, we have a wholly unjustified superpower that very nearly led me to abandon the book there and then.

Ultimately, FERTS tries to be too many things and juggle too many threads and ends up falling flat in the process.

[Michael Mardel · Rating 5 out of 5]

FERTS by Hudson revolves around the sole supply of female Vassals for the town's male Resident Citizens - Fertility Emigration Resource and Training Supply. All Vassals are aged 16 to 26 and none are older. The most aesthetically pleasing were assigned to the Beta circuit - they had an Attractiveness rating of 8.5 and above and a Fertility score of 9.6, Vassals were returned to FERTS should they become pregnant. The Omega circuit contained those 7.9 and Epsilon Vassals had a Fertility rating of 8.5 but were not aesthetically pleasing. These were the fighters, where the main protagonist, 201, resided. She had a gift that was not valued or known though she did learn about it from a friendly Officer. Would it help her survive a fight? Next down was Kappa and last was Zeta. There is another strand to the story where we meet Raf and Cal at a very young age who have escaped from being captured. They and their group help liberate the FERTS females and 201 performs her tasks after witnessing, via a dream, of their being liberated. An enjoyable read with well-thought out characters - one really feels for 201.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

A futuristic dystopian thriller where females are taken from the surrounding townships and trained to be Vassals and 'farmed' out to the male townspeople for their pleasure. The other group that did not make it as Vassals are trained as fighters to take part in the monthly games where their life may be forfeit. Beth 201 - all the girls at FERTS (Fertility Emigration Resource and Training Supply) are named Beth ### starts out as training to be a Vassal however she just doesn't have her heart in it. So she's removed from that and begins to train as a fighter which she seems lucky enough to excel at. However, during this she begins to have strange dreams of two young girls, Raf and Cal who are two young girls that have evaded capture and are intent are freeing all the women from FERTS. In her dreams Beth 201 is somehow a part of the planning to do this and carries out her missions in the freeing of the women. Ms. Hudson has written a very realistic world in this story and the characters are very well written. I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes to read this genre.

[Susan Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't generally read dystopian novels but the premise of Grace Hudson's FERTS I found intriguing, so took a chance. I'm glad I did. The world Hudson creates is quite believable and is a dark world indeed. In one area of a post apocalyptic world, one brilliant but deranged scientist has created his own version of utopia in which women no longer exist as women, but as slaves to the most basic and perhaps base functions to serve men. None exist past a certain age but are "expired." All are assigned numbers, yet all are "Beth."

But on the outside of this territory, there is hope and there are fighters who are looking for the women who seem to have disappeared. Inside the compound is one female who possesses an uncanny ability to see beyond her confinement, Beth 201. Who knows intuitively everything she is being trained for is wrong. I was completely caught up in the story and regretted coming to the end of this first installment, and I look forward to reading more. Hudson writes well and the story flows. I'll be intrigued to learn "what happens next" in this gripping story.

[Rose Channing · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is excellent, high quality dystopian. It's powerful, thought provoking, and very well-written. Once it hooks you, you're sucked in for good. It's dark (maybe too dark for some, so be warned) and suspenseful, and keeps you turning pages.

I feel like this would be the perfect book to read and discuss in a college classroom. I enjoyed pondering questions along the way, like: How did this happen? Could this happen in the real world? What would it take for people to behave this way? Would the women really accept the life FERTS gave them, and strive to become successful in it? What set 201 apart from the others, and how many actually felt the way she did?

If you like dark, dystopian books, this should go to the top of your reading list. If not, I'd still recommend it if you like thought-provoking reads. I will certainly be reading the next books in the series, as this one definitely earned five stars.

[Julie Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a disturbing yet compelling read and reminded me of The Handmaid's Tale because of its emphasis on exploiting women...who in this case, are not even thought of as such.

It's a dystopian future where the female gender is used and abused purely for men and their desires. 'Prisoners', are known by numbers, and this story focussed mainly on 201, who seems to be different - intriguingly so.

Themes such as power, control, image and rape, alongside insanity and cruelty, may intensify anger - hence my use of the word disturbing. However, what is even more alarming are the familiar themes in today's world.

Overall, it was a well-written tale with intriguing characters and a good plot...where it ends, I am not sure. I do think the information about the 'world' could have been spread out more, though it was mind-spinning all the same. I shudder when I think of some less enlightened countries in regard to women.

Highly recommended but beware of your blood pressure.

[Lilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first started reading this book, I was to be honest, a bit unsure. There was a lot of information being drilled into the reader, and it was very hard to take in. But once you get past the first 20% the story starts to take off. It is fairly well written, I would maybe recommend another editorial read through, as a few times there was either missing or extra words. This did not detract too much from the story.
The pace was fairly slow going to begin, but quickly picked up pace towards the end until you are literally running off the last page! There were a couple of fairly confronting scenes within the book, of a sexual nature, so if you are uncomfortable with the idea of abuse, either physical or sexual, then consider yourself forewarned. These scenes however have been handled with a subtle tact.

[Tabitha Ormiston-Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of all the dysfunctional worlds in all the dystopic SF I have read, I think the world portrayed in FERTS is the most sheerly unpleasant. A world in which every female is conditioned into a kind of repulsive air hostess, it is like a cross between John Norman's Gor and Stepford.

It isn't often that I say this, in fact I don't think I have ever said this about a novel before, but I would have liked to see this one longer. It's a good read, very good, but I'd have liked to see more time spent on the gradual development of the progatonist's emerging personality. She is an engaging character, and her emergence as a thinking woman who takes back her power is the crucial element of the plot, and I'd have liked to see it dealt with in more detail.

Nevertheless, a great read by a talented writer.

[Big Book Theory · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this story. I love dystopian stories and in this one a mad scientist is in love with a fellow scientist named Beth who does not love him in return so his evil plan is to create a place where woman will be kept captive, whilst men can live freely. The beginning was a little slow as the author introduced us to this new world and described the different circuits, but then when we meet Beth259201 the pace is brilliant. Together with 201 we lose the closest thing we have to a friend in a very descriptive battle scene which ends violently. I enjoyed the dream walking scenes and loved the way it all came together in the end. I truly hope Titan and 201 meet up again! My favourite parts of this story was the parts with Rafaella and Caltha, which I am sure we will read more about in The Rogue Thread

[Lydia Larue · Rating 4 out of 5]

With its action-oriented first chapter, FERTS starts off soundly and promising. At once, I am drawn into how the Officer introduced will develop.

Unfortunately, the pace the first chapter was moving at was killed by the large blocks of exposition in Chapter 2. The information that was gained could have been broken up by showing the readers rather than telling in later chapters or even in the first.

The characters are memorable. I did like how Beth 259212 grew, as well as 201.

I liked the imagery that CH 47 conveyed. It returned to that quick pace of the first chapter and grabbed my attention.

Overall, this novel captured my attention. I would recommend it to anyone who likes the Dystopian genre.

[Gian Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
Ferts in an exciting thriller, that hooks you up all the way through the read. But with deep and raw themes, it may not be for faint-hearted, reader aware.
The style is simple and clear, with well-detailed descriptions that will throw you into the story and this post-apocalyptic world where the characters act.
You will easily find yourself sympathizing with 201, and her battle for survival.
I did enjoy it and I spent some good couple of hours reading it.
It definitely worth a read

[K.A. Duggan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an interesting post apocalyptic novel. I'm a huge fan of these types of novel and am blown away that this is the authors first book. The imagination she must have, to come up with a story such as this... well, let's just say I want to steal her thoughts.
I thoroughly enjoyed it!
The author eased me into this with great descriptions so I could easily envisage the facility and then she picked up the pace until I cursed the end of the book! How could you leave me hanging like that?
I'm praying there is a second book as I have to know more!