Slaves of the Mastery facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | William Nicholson |
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| Cover artist | Mark Edwards |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Series | Wind on Fire trilogy |
| Genre | Children's Fantasy novel |
| Publisher | Egmont Press |
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Publication date
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5 January 2005 |
| Pages | 352 pp |
| ISBN | 0-641-77780-9 |
| Preceded by | The Wind Singer |
| Followed by | Firesong |
Slaves of the Mastery is the second book in the exciting Wind On Fire trilogy. It was written by William Nicholson. This book continues the adventures of the twins Kestrel and Bowman. The story picks up five years after the end of the first book, The Wind Singer. It was first released in 2001.
Contents
The Story of Slaves of the Mastery
Aramanth's New Freedom
The city of Aramanth has changed a lot since the first book. Its old walls are gone, and some parts of the city are empty. The strict system of exams that once ruled Aramanth is no more. Everyone now seems calm and friendly. This change happened because an evil power called the Morah had left the city.
However, this new freedom also made Aramanth weak. News of its weakness reached a faraway land known as the Mastery. The Mastery sent a large army of a thousand soldiers. A young leader named Marius Semeon Ortiz commanded this army. Their mission was to attack Aramanth and take everyone as slaves.
The Attack and Kestrel's Vow
The army from the Mastery attacked Aramanth. Many people from the city were killed during the attack. Even more were captured and taken as slaves. Only Kestrel Hath managed to survive the attack. She was determined to get revenge on the unknown Mastery. Kestrel also vowed to get revenge on Ortiz himself. She began to follow the army's trail back to the Mastery.
Life in the Mastery
The people of Aramanth, called the Manth, were brought to the Mastery. This country was beautiful, but it was built entirely by slave labor. The new slaves were branded and given jobs. Some of the Manth people even started to enjoy their work. They soon learned that almost everyone in the Mastery was a slave. Only the Master, who ruled the land, was truly free.
Hanno Hath, Kestrel's father, became a librarian. His son, Bowman, decided to become a night watchman. Bowman hoped to hear his sister Kestrel approaching.
Kestrel's Journey and New Friend
Meanwhile, Kestrel fainted from being so tired on her journey. A beautiful woman named Sirharasi, also known as Sisi, rescued her. Sisi was a Johdila from Gang. Kestrel was one of the few people who had seen Sisi without her veil. Because of this, Kestrel became Sisi's servant and friend.
Kestrel learned that Sisi was also traveling to the Mastery. Sisi was going there to marry Ortiz, the very man who attacked Aramanth. Kestrel decided to try and use the powerful army of Gang, called the Johjan Guards. She hoped to use them to overthrow the Mastery. Kestrel convinced Zohon, the proud leader of the Guards, that Sisi loved him. She told him Sisi would give him a special sign to show her love.
Bowman's New Powers
One night, while on watch, Bowman met an old, one-eyed hermit called "Dogface." Dogface told Bowman that he had great powers. These powers belonged to the Singer people. Bowman's mother, Ira Hath, was a descendant of an ancient prophet named Ira Manth. This meant Bowman was special.
Bowman tested his new powers. He spoke with a cow and moved a stick without touching it. Later, Dogface left a cat named Mist with Bowman. Mist wanted to learn how to fly. Bowman's powers were new and not yet strong enough to teach Mist to fly.
Mumpo the Fighter
Another Manth slave named Mumpo joined the Manaxa. The Manaxa was a special fight in the Mastery. Two fighters would try to stab each other with spiked armor. The fight ended when one person died or was forced out of the arena. Competing in the Manaxa was a great honor. Mumpo showed amazing talent in these fights. At the wedding, he even defeated the current champion, who was expected to win.
Chaos at the Wedding
At the wedding, things got very complicated. Sisi fell in love with Bowman, not Ortiz. Ortiz fell in love with Kestrel, not Sisi. This caused a lot of trouble. Zohon believed he was saving Sisi from the Mastery. He started a battle against Ortiz and his soldiers.
However, all the people of the Mastery were controlled by the Master's will. They attacked Zohon's army and greatly outnumbered them. Mumpo began looking for Kestrel in the chaos to save her. He fought and killed anyone he met, whether they were from the Mastery or the Johjan Guards.
The Master's Defeat
Bowman used his mind powers to fight the Master in a mind duel. Kestrel and Ortiz then entered the room. Bowman was distracted for a moment. The Master used this chance and ordered Ortiz to kill Kestrel. Even though Ortiz loved Kestrel, he could not fight the Master's command. He obeyed.
Just as the sword was inches from Kestrel's heart, Bowman killed the Master. Ortiz was then freed from the Master's control. Mumpo entered the room and saw Ortiz with his arms around Kestrel. Mumpo misunderstood what he saw. He hit Ortiz's head and broke his neck.
With the Master's power gone, his army broke apart. They began to destroy the city in a wild frenzy. Zohon took control of the situation.
The Journey Continues
Finally, everyone was free to leave. Ira Hath, Bowman and Kestrel's mother, said they must find their true homeland. She explained that "the wind is rising." Many of the Manth people chose to stay behind and build new lives. But a small group decided to trust Ira's prophecy. They set out to find the homeland, joined by Sisi and her servant, Lunki.
