Challenge Corner discussion

She is a telepathic priestess, determined to rise the ranks of her temple. So why do her thoughts keep straying back to the masked commander? Priestess Ferren has devoted her life to her celestial deity, yet she has not been able to ascend the priestess order. But on the eve of a great planetary event, the chance to prove herself arises. She must accept the opportunity or succumb to a life of shame in the eyes of her temple. The potentially deadly mission comes with several complications when she crosses paths with a commander from a rival planet. Ferren must conceal her loyalty to the temple from her new travel companion and his questionable crew. But the longer she is in proximity to the mysterious commander, the more intrigued she becomes with his forbidden nature. As the threat of a common enemy closes in, Ferren finds solace in the commander. While working together in a hope of saving their people, they forge a profound connection that tethers them in unexpected ways. Ferren must decide if she can go back to the stoic existence she once led, when he has shown her a taste of the life she deserves.


Author's The Viridian Priestess is a slow burn, but spicy romance. It ends on a slight cliffhanger with a HFN. Please check CW's.

Chapter 1-7
(view spoiler)[why do I still feel lost? Like they have to bring the stones together but not everyone is on board? Ferren is from a fanatical planet, but not everyone is fanatical and the other planets don’t like them because of their religion, but they all are believe in the goddess? I’m reading at work so maybe all the interruptions haven’t helped. Also, WTH Mary’s dead? (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 1-7
(view spoiler)[why do I still feel lost? Like they have to bring the stones together but not everyone is on board? Ferren is from a fanatical planet, but not everyone is fanatical and the other planets don’t like them because of their religion, but they all are believe in the goddess? I’m reading at work so maybe all the interruptions haven’t helped. Also, WTH (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 8-15
(view spoiler)[ok, it’s picking up for me. So now she’s distrusted because of her religion and they thought she was a spy. Not sure why that would be their first thought. The Frithian planet is brutal. Poor August. I feel like there is something deeper going on than what we’ve seen so far. So the Frithians seem especially violent (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 16-23
(view spoiler)[well that’s been action packed. I still have more questions than answers. Will we ever learn 99 real name? Why is Ferren different than the other priestesses? Is the green fog an ascended power? Are the priestesses of her home world corrupt in some way? Why would the Albright say that about the old god when she prayed next? Why wouldn’t they let Ferren participate in the rites? Was it just them being hateful? (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 24-37
(view spoiler)[ I don’t like Selena or Rouke at all, Calliape was nice though, what was the message she was trying to convey to Ferren about looking up? So many questions. I’m sure that some of the Priestesses back home are corrupt. Crixa seems that way (hide spoiler)]

Hayley wrote: "Chapter 1-7
[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ I don’t think I fully understand the situation with the stones either. It seems like Crixa kind of ordered the commander to bring their planet’s stone to Ferren’s planet but I don’t think she has that authority. I think she’s going to end up being the villain and the fanatical planet’s plan with the stones is going to be evil in some way.

Definitely wasn’t expecting Mary’s death.
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Chapters 1 - 10

(view spoiler)[ I don't like Ferren. She's not thinking for herself and instead just blindly following what the other priestess' tell her. I'm curious to see if anything about First Mother and what Ferren believes is true.

Crixa created the wards for the stone on their planet so maybe the white light that exploded out of Ferren is the magic that is used for the wards. I want to find out more about the magic - all the priestess' have a different kind of magic, but how do they learn it and is there a universal power that they all have? Also, does anyone other than the priestess have magic (for example people from the other planets)?
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Ela (Mouse333) wrote: "Chapters 1 - 10

I don't like Ferren. She's not thinking for herself and instead just blindly following what the other priestess' tell her. I'm curious to see if anything about First Mother and wh..."

(view spoiler)[Right, like why are they the chosen when all the planets follow First Mother in some form or fashion (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 38 - end
(view spoiler)[Definitely picked up the pace in the last part of the book. So, Crixa was the villian as guessed, evil would be the word for her. Makes you wonder if they reason Leema stayed/went away was because Crixa lied to her as well. Like it would be better for Ferren if Leema left? I hate the manipulation. I now have more questons than i started with about the stones and how Cosima is corrupted. Like the First Mother's touch is stifled by the temple and the lack of access to nature? What if it turns out that they are connected to the Son in some way?I kind of want to continue the series now, but i see that the third book is not out yet and the blurb for the second says it ends on a slight cliffhanger. (hide spoiler)]

Hayley wrote: "Chapter 8-15
[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ It seems like both of the other planets know that Cosimo isn’t to be trusted.

I agree but I’m still curious to see more about the creatures because they sounded very interesting. I wonder what the creature that has the stones looks like or if it has powers.
(hide spoiler)]

Chapters 11 - 20

(view spoiler)[ While I’m not completely bored, I’m not that invested either. Even though the story has moved along, nothing has been revealed - Selene leaving Cosima and her insisting that she’s not the same as Ferren; the commander’s real mission/motivations; Ferren’s power and the Albright’s words at the end; the secrets the Priestesses are hiding.
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Chapter 28 - (view spoiler)[ What did I miss? Ferren is talking about the nightmares she had and the screams she hears, 99 asks about the green orbs, which Ferren says she doesn’t know. 99 says that he saw her in the field with them and the argument turns into Ferren being mad about 99 still not believing her and thinking that she’s a liar and wondering if he’s going to put her in cuffs again. But isn’t it a fact that she just lied about the green orbs? She’s mad at 99 for accusing her of lying but isn’t that what she just did? I feel like I missed something to make Ferren’s reaction make sense.
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Chapters 21 - 30

(view spoiler)[ I don’t think the relationships are developed very well. Ferren speaks briefly to August a few times and then it’s like they’re great friends with a deep relationship. The same thing happened with Calliape - a few vague conversations and then the deep sorrow that Ferren is leaving. I don’t understand Ferren’s relationship with 99 either. Also, they haven’t even talked about the fact that they live on two different planets.

I’m wondering if there was a different reason for Ferren’s sister to leave and the reason told to Ferren was just to manipulate her.

Still nothing has been explained or talked about. Not even Selene and her leaving Cosima, which doesn’t seem like it’s going to be talked about anymore.
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Hayley wrote: "Chapter 24-37
[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ I agree with all of that and I don’t really understand what’s supposed to happen now with the stones - is it just a ceremony? Is First Mother going to show up?

Are the priestesses corrupt by First Son (seems unlikely) or just power hungry?
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Hayley wrote: "Chapter 38 - end
[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ I was wondering that too - I feel like Leema was sent away and possibly also manipulated into thinking that Ferren doesn't want to see her.

I have a lot of questions too, but I don't think I'm going to continue the series because nothing seemed developed in this book (Cosima and the priestesses, the other planets' view of them, Ferren's relationship with the other characters, 99's character, the magic/world), at least for me.

Also, I knew that this book would have a slight cliffhanger too but I assumed it would just be for the plot since it says that it ends on a HFN, but I don't agree with that at all.
(hide spoiler)]

Ela (Mouse333) wrote: "Hayley wrote: "Chapter 38 - end
[spoilers removed]"

I was wondering that too - I feel like Leema was sent away and possibly also manipulated into thinking that Ferren doesn't want to see her.

I..."

(view spoiler)[ The more i think about this book the more it pisses me off. So much was just left hanging out there and i was left confused multiple times. Like things just felt like bits and pieces had been chopped out of the story and then the author forgot to change the bits she left in. (hide spoiler)]