Queen Ferris

We enter the story right in the middle of the action. Reiffen has made a choice to return to his evil captors, the Three Wizards, to learn the magic he has been promised. He leaves his friends, Avender and Ferris, without any explanation. We follow all three as they reach young adulthood, watching them try to come to grips with Reiffen’s decision.

Reiffen discovers that the study of magic under the Three involves blood, pain and sacrifice, many times given by unwilling subjects. His friends struggle with the king they see as usurping Reiffen’s rightful throne. To make things worse, the prince is madly in love with Ferris. Prince Brizen quietly and thoroughly pursues her hand in marriage. The storyline bounces back and forth, with Avender and Ferris proclaiming Reiffen’s innocence even as evidence of his traitorous acts accumulate. Events culminate in battle, and Reiffen leads the wizards’ armies against the very throne his friends are attempting to protect. All seems lost; the throne, their friendship, Ferris’ love for Reiffen, all destroyed in Reiffen’s relentless push to possess magic.

This is the second installment in the Stoneways Trilogy, begun by book one Reiffen’s Choice. I haven’t had the pleasure of reading Reiffen’s Choice yet, but I promise you I will. S.C. Butler has deftly woven a tapestry of mythical creatures that gleams in the sun. His dwarves are most definitely of the earth and their grasp of technology only makes them more unique and true. The nokken and the shape shifter, or Oeinnen, are reminiscent of figures from other cultures and add a pungent twist to Butler’s world.

The only thing I didn’t like about this book was the timeline. The next chapter might be the next day, next year, or even two to three years. Time passed in leaps and bounds, leaving me feeling bereft of a connection to the characters. Now, this may serve a purpose. Many are the books who bore their readers with minutiae, inconsequential details of unnecessary storyline. Butler easily avoids this pitfall. I wonder, though, if he was a bit too efficient in this. I like his characters, really. I wanted to spend more time with them, watching and listening to them struggle with their world.

Butler’s craft at creating characters is obvious, as he was able to capture my attention and keep my interest even though I have not read the first book. I would encourage other readers to experience Reiffen’s Choice first, though, if only for the introduction to the characters both good and evil. I enjoyed reading Queen Ferris from beginning to end. Readers young and old will relish this story, although some of the scenes in the wizard’s workroom are painfully explicit in the details. Be on watch for the third book in the series, tentatively named The Magician’s Daughter. Put S. C. Butler on your list of Need to Read!

Other Reviews of works by S. C. Butler

Reiffen's Choice - Jul 30, 2006