The Fems were slaves of the men in the Holdfast. When Alldera escaped her slavery, she led a band of rebels to build a world where women rule. In Book One of the Holdfast Chronicles, Walk to the End of the World, Aldera the Messenger, along with all other women, is a slave. In Book Two, Motherlines, Aldera the Runner lives in two worlds, both consisting entirely of women. Now In Book Three, The Furies, Aldera the Conqueror leads an army back over the mountains, hoping to end the tyranny and free the salves she left behind.