Pursue the Source

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About Us

At Ferus Books we write to creatively foster curiosity. Our characters can’t just accept their cultures’ truths, they need to pursue the source to discover ‘The Truth’.

Ferus’ gifts is a young adult, lightly allegorical, steampunk/fantasy trilogy that follows three teens and their found family as they deal with unfulfilled expectations in themselves, their mentors and Ferus. It does this with a backdrop of clockwork tek, weirwolves and magic swords.

A young Warrior has to fulfill a prophecy as Ferus’ champion to push the weir threat from the valley. Nobles, sold into indenture, fight fate to find security and significance without the benefit of title or wealth. Former weirwolves try to prove they’ve received Ferus’ healing and find a way to rescue their loved ones.

Will any of them succeed in pushing back the darkness and making their faith their own?

Start your exploration with Argentum’s Song, the winner of the Braun book award for new fiction by a Canadian Christian author.

Argentum's Song

Argent, an apprentice Warrior, pursues Ferus’ lordship and access to the ‘magic’ swords of his mentors. Martha and Franklin, sold into indenture, face threats they always believed were weirtales. When their paths collide they discover that Ferus’ gift of Argentum is different than anyone expected.

Argentum’s Song won the 2021 Braun Book award for new Canadian Christian fiction. It includes twenty-eight hand-drawn illustrations, a world building glossary and discussion questions based on grade 7 to 9 Language Arts curriculum.

Maelstrom's Prize

Maelstrom’s Prize picks up as our heroes join Kehinde in the intrigue and politics of the clockwork powered city of Phoentown. With friends braving the Maelstrom and Simon fighting the freeze, Argent must decide between joining the Rangers or setting off to pursue fulfilling an impossible vow.

The manuscript is now complete and we are only waiting on a few more interior illustrations before launching. Thanks to all those who purchased Argentum’s Song or gave to the crowdfunding to make Maelstrom’s Prize a reality!

Finalizing illustrations and formatting. Book Launch

August 12th, 2026.

Pheonix's Fall

Three claims to the title of Phoenix converge. A city under siege, a teen with supernatural powers, and an airship the likes of which has never been seen.

Three mentors clash for disciples with blade, tek and word.

Three groups race for a cure. Some search because failure is not an option, others because it’s not an option they can live with, and one because of the chaining of a heart.

The conclusion of the

Ferus’ Gifts trilogy,
Phoenix’s Fall is well

under way and is

expected to be released
Winter 2027.

Russell Smith

I have always had a love for literature though this is my first time publishing novels. In high school, my guidance counsellor convinced me to study engineering and education, reminding me that many of my favourite authors (Richard Adams, Jack London, Farley Mowat) had a lot of life experience before writing the works I loved. So I plugged away at creating the world of Ferus’s Gifts while I had the priviledge to work with Youth With A Mission overseas with clean water issues (where I met my incredible wife), and in northern Ontario with a community centre on an Anishnaabek community. I currently live in southern Ontario with my wife and son where I provide debriefing and other care to third culture kids and cross cultural workers and am finally taking the time to see this dream of publishing my novels become a reality.