The Black God’s War: A Novella Introducing a new Epic Fantasy

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

read book

The Black God’s War: A Novella Introducing a new Epic Fantasy

by Moses Siregar III (Goodreads Author)

3.53 of 5 stars 3.53 · rating details · 139 ratings · 46 reviews

Against the backdrop of epic warfare and the powers of ten mysterious gods, Lucia struggles to understand The Black One.

Her father-king wants war.

Her messianic brother wants peace.

The black god wants his due.

She suffers all the consequences.

King Vieri is losing his war against the lands of Pawelon. Feeling abandoned by his god, he forces his son Caio, the kingdom's holy sa...more

Kindle Edition, 85 pages

Published

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

The Emerald Storm by Michael J. Sullivan

Kindleboards Authors

132nd out of 134 books — 86 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 409)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Sep 17, 2011 Stephen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebooks, 2006-2010, novellas, fantasy, fantasy-gods, war-sff

Take NOTICE Goodreaders...there is much TALENT here…

Moses Siregar III has written an excellent beginning to what appears to be a very promising debut novel of the same name. In a setting reminiscent of an ancientGreek epicwhere amoral, capricious gods walk the land with their worshippers (and occasionally step on them), two city-states have been locked in a bloody war for a decade...

...The Black God, Lord Danato, is well pleased, but not satisfied.

Rezzia is the religious-minded, polytheistic god...more

31 likes · like · see review

Aug 11, 2010 Moses Siregar III rated it 5 of 5 stars · (Review from the author)

I will say this. I loved it so much I had to write it.

7 likes · like · see review

Jun 03, 2011 MsBDiamondDiva1 rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book really is amazing, but I feel like the author is going to go overboard with the full version. The full version is going to be 85 chapters!!! Really!!! How much of war and love can we take. Please think about this....maybe splitting the book up would work better....just saying.

3 likes · like · see review

Sep 20, 2011 Bonnie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: anthologies-and-short-stories, fantasy, historical-fiction, owned-ebook

Intriguing introduction to the full length novel by the same name. I would definitely be interested in continuing, the author's writing was quite vivid and kept you enthralled in this different world. Definitely worth trying!

3 likes · like · see review

Jul 07, 2011 Megan rated it 4 of 5 stars

I've read quite a few Indie published books, and to be perfectly honest, most of them are not worth my time. Moses Siregar's The Black God's War: A Novella was a pleasant exception! This novella consists of 15 chapters and is used to introduce Siregar's upcoming novel of the same name. I gobbled it up during two very busy afternoons, and it left me wanting more. I eagerly await the August 1st release date!

The Black God's War is set in a country called Rezzia, a polytheistic nation. The opening s...more I've read quite a few Indie published books, and to be perfectly honest, most of them are not worth my time. Moses Siregar's The Black God's War: A Novella was a pleasant exception! This novella consists of 15 chapters and is used to introduce Siregar's upcoming novel of the same name. I gobbled it up during two very busy afternoons, and it left me wanting more. I eagerly await the August 1st release date!

The Black God's War is set in a country called Rezzia, a polytheistic nation. The opening scene is heartbreaking and sets the pace for the rest of the book. The novella focuses on two main characters, Lucia and Caio. They are the sole offspring of the king of Rezzia, and I became emotionally invested in them. Lucia is burdened with visions of the Black God, who first appears to her at her mother's death. Caio is born the Haissem, a prophesied messiah, and is Lucia's younger brother. Rezzia is at war with neighboring country Pawelon, a country that seems to be more about science and magic than religion. This war has been going on for 10 years. Lucia leads the armies, and Caio is called as the Dux Spiritus, the leader of this religious war. Towards the climax of the novella, Lucia and Caio meet up with the armies to make what is hoped to be the final strike against Pawelon.

Siregar's writing lyrical and in many ways is reminiscent of Brandon Sanderson's. Although we become only briefly acquainted with the characters, they jump off the pages. (I swear I fell a little in love with Caio's bodyguard and friend, Ilario.) I cannot choose my favorite character because Lucia and Caio are both written so well. I love Lucia's strength, and my heart breaks over her inner turmoil involving the Black God. Caio is such a good person, and while his faults are not apparent, he is still an interesting character, a character that made me cheer him on and have the desire to protect him. Even the minor characters from Pawelon made me want to know more.

In the end, I just don't know that I can wait until August to buy the complete novel. I was emotionally invested in the story from the first chapter right until the very end. I feel that Moses Siregar will have a promising career!(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Jan 19, 2011 Bryan Schmidt rated it 4 of 5 stars

Two sons, one an embarrassment, the other prophesied to rule the world. Two armies, facing each other for nine years of war. A tortured princess. A bodyguard torn between duty and love. Moses Siregar III's "The Black God's War" novella has all the right ingredients and his prose lives up to the challenge--an exciting new epic fantasy is soon to arrive.

It's taken me far too long to read this tale, and I am reading an older draft, but I'm so glad I waited until I had the focus to properly apprecia...more Two sons, one an embarrassment, the other prophesied to rule the world. Two armies, facing each other for nine years of war. A tortured princess. A bodyguard torn between duty and love. Moses Siregar III's "The Black God's War" novella has all the right ingredients and his prose lives up to the challenge--an exciting new epic fantasy is soon to arrive.

It's taken me far too long to read this tale, and I am reading an older draft, but I'm so glad I waited until I had the focus to properly appreciate it. It's been a while since a novella so captured me that I read it almost straight through--70 pages in the first sitting. But Siregar's novella, 15 chapters culled from 85 of his upcoming novel, just has that effect on you. His characters are as passionate as his descriptive prose. The pacing is perfect. There are a few spots where editing might tighten things up, but as I said, this is an older draft and I know he's been polishing a lot since then.

"The Black God's War" is the tale of two countries at war on a distant planet. The sons of their two leaders each take their role in battle. One, Caio, is the legendary Haissem, born to rule the world. The religious ceremony handing him his father's power takes place and the army awaits his arrival and their imminent victory. The other, Rao, hardly knows his father and is mocked by his men. Meanwhile, Caio's sister Lucia is leading the army as they await him. Each side calls on their gods and each expects to win.

The novella has elements of mythology reflective of Siregar's years spent studying religions and philosophies. It has a Greek or Roman feel to it at times, yet it remains clearly in the epic fantasy mold, despite being set on a distant planet.

Siregar handles the battle scenes well, using dialogue richly to both build his characters and his world. And the novella introduces many of his major characters well, wetting the reader's appetite and leaving him wanting more.

I'm anxious to know the rest of the story and you will be, too. This is a novella epic fantasy fans don't want to miss. Avaialble as an ebook right now through Kindle and other sites. The novel should follow in Spring 2011. Siregar is an exciting new talent to look forward to.

For what it's worth...(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Aug 24, 2011 Shawn Davis rated it 4 of 5 stars

Lucia is excited that her mother has delivered a brother. And not just any baby boy, but a Haissem, with the power to rescue the world and spread the light of the gods. To Lucia's horror, the wonderful day is horribly twisted when she sees The Black God, Lord Danato by her mother in the birthing pool.

The death of the Queen was only the first time Lucia was witness to the appearance of Lord Danato.

Years later, when the siblings have grown, their nation of Rezzia is at war with Pawelon. Lucia is...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 21, 2011 Rex Jameson rated it 4 of 5 stars

I read the novella in a single sitting today, and I wanted to write about my experience while it was still fresh.

First, the positives. The character building is fantastic. Caio and Lucia steal the show, but there is enough substance with other minor characters that I am definitely looking forward to picking up the full novel. The underlying religious themes and blind political devotion experienced by both sides was well done and will certainly be fleshed out even more in the 85 chapters of the n...more

1 like · like · see review

Jul 03, 2011 Ron rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Black God’s War is a novella, a teaser for another, full length work that should be coming out this summer. For now, we will only follow part of the full character cast, and there will be resolution to only one story arc.

And it works.

I know I will be reading and reviewing the full thing as soon as possible. Mr. Siregar does an excellent storytelling job in this debut, unfolding pages and pages of a tale spun with a degree of elegance I did not fully expect.

The Black God’s War is a great e...more The Black God’s War is a novella, a teaser for another, full length work that should be coming out this summer. For now, we will only follow part of the full character cast, and there will be resolution to only one story arc.

And it works.

I know I will be reading and reviewing the full thing as soon as possible. Mr. Siregar does an excellent storytelling job in this debut, unfolding pages and pages of a tale spun with a degree of elegance I did not fully expect.

The Black God’s War is a great example of how there are extremely talented indies out there.

Plot wise, the story is alluring. The back-cover blurb serves as a good introduction to the heroine and to the conflict she’ll have to navigate, but still I was utterly surprised by the depth given to both world and characters in only this short introduction.

Surrounding the war and the messianic brother and the endless war, the author touches on some extremely interesting topics such as fanatism, war, duty versus inclination, self versus expectation... And Moses Siregar does that in roughly 15 chapters out of the 85 that should be included in his full novel!

Sometimes I am bothered when authors try to bite more than they can chew on critic writing, or on writing to reflect, but not this time: the prose and style were very good. Mr. Siregar is telling us a tale, and what we learn from it is our own business: it reminds me a bit of Dune in that sense, even if the two books are completely different. He shows us a world, with its own peoples and conflicts and beliefs, and lets us take it from there on our own as he focuses on action and characters.

Characters. Another strong point of this novella. We are introduced to four main ones, Caio and Lucia, siblings, messiah and accosted by the Black God respectively, and Idalio, faithful general and love interest for Lucia. They are all rich and consistent, well developed in the limited space the 27K words of the novella offered. They have potential, and I can’t wait to see where they go from the turning point where the Black God’s War leaves off.

The above mentioned are only the human characters. There’s more, as the title may imply: there are the gods. They walk among their chosen and affect the world through miracles and, sometimes, despicable acts. They remind me a little of Greek and Roman mythology, and the titles and sometimes the flow of the story helps to reinforce this feeling.

And yet, there is not a single info-dump on the whole piece. We see what we need to see, we pick up on what’s happening, and we will be filling the missing pieces as we go. The writing helps to immerse the reader, and it is simply a pleasure to follow along the epic.

Do I have complains? Not very many: there were two typos that escaped the editing process (not jarring; truly minor stuff). There was a prophecy that I’d expect to be very important which could have packed more strength. And there was one turning-point battle scene where I got a bit lost. That’s all. Everything else was smooth as silk and kept me turning pages into the wee hours of the night.

My judgement? An amazing read in its own right. All fantasy lovers should check it out!
(less)

1 like · like · see review

Jul 07, 2011 Gef rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-books

This was a free novella I snagged through the Amazon Kindle Store. It's epic fantasy, which is not a genre I have found much enjoyment in over the years despite my efforts. Siregar's method of promotion intrigued me, though: promote the epic novel, which is due for release in August, by offering fifteen of the early chapters for free that provide their own storyline and give a clear sense of what to expect from the longer work.

While the novel is bound to include a multitude of characters, the no...more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 16, 2011 Grace Krispy rated it 4 of 5 stars

A day of wondrous glory, a day of devastating despair. A long-awaited, holy child is born and minutes later his mother dies. Lucia, his 10-year-old sister, is the only one who can see Lord Danato, the god who takes their mother's life. Nothing in Lucia's own life will never be the same again. Haunted by regular visitations from Lord Danato, and living in the shadow of her holy brother, Lucia must find her place in the world. 19 years later, Lucia's father, King Vieri is leading the Rezzia people...more A day of wondrous glory, a day of devastating despair. A long-awaited, holy child is born and minutes later his mother dies. Lucia, his 10-year-old sister, is the only one who can see Lord Danato, the god who takes their mother's life. Nothing in Lucia's own life will never be the same again. Haunted by regular visitations from Lord Danato, and living in the shadow of her holy brother, Lucia must find her place in the world. 19 years later, Lucia's father, King Vieri is leading the Rezzia people in war against the Pawelon people. Caio and Lucia have very important roles to play in the future of the Rezzia people, and they wonder if the cause is worth the death toll that will certainly follow.

A novella by Moses Siregar III, the story opens with a scene that pulls you in at once. I was immediately sympathetic to Lucia and very curious about Lord Danato. We are given just enough context to pique our interest and help us understand the people of this time, but we are still left wanting more. This novella consists of 15 of the early chapters of a planned 85 chapter novel (to be released in May 2011), and it's an intriguing taste of what is to come. The characterization in this story is fitting to the length, but I was curious to know more about the main characters. Some characters we get to know a bit better while we are only given a taste of others. The full book promises a more in-depth exploration of some of the characters, particularly the Pawelon people (to whom we are only given a brief introduction). Gaining more perspective on where the Pawelons stand will really help to round out the story and draw us further in.

Well-paced and fluid, the writing style is engaging and descriptive. I really got a feel for the time period and the surroundings. There is more to the story than it seems; I noted religious undertones that brought to mind stories of a biblical nature. I hope the actual novel capitalizes on this as one of its themes without being preachy or blatant. I'm excited to know more about the journey of the Pawelons, as well as hopefully get more backstory on Lucia and what it was like for her and Caio to grow up a part of this legend.

I felt the ending wasn't really satisfying by itself; it left me feeling let down. As a stand-alone novel, I wanted more. As a "teaser" to a full-length novel, it works to prepare you for the rest of the story. Knowing that there will be a book that will take this same story and push it further, while giving me more backstory on the Pawelon people, I'm excited to read more!

@MotherLode blog(less)

1 like · like · see review

Oct 09, 2010 Arthur Levine rated it 5 of 5 stars

You will want to read more after finishing this wonderful, well-crafted novella. The Black God’s War by Moses Siregar, a brilliant new author, is a treasure chest for those of us looking for new and exciting epic fantasy fiction. This is a spiritual trip painted in gloriously descriptive terms of good and black gods, fascinating characters, and a panorama of mystical places. I found myself wanting to get to the next page before finishing the one I was on to see what was going to happen next to t...more

1 like · like · see review

Nov 16, 2010 Stacey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook, indie, fantasy-epic

Great story concept, with opposing forces being driven by incompatible ideologies. I really enjoyed the descriptions of battle, the references to their gods, and the different perspectives of the same events. The "romance" portion of the dialogue seemed more like a rough draft though, and I found that jarring, especially being in the midst of other writing that flowed well. It was almost like two different manuscripts were spliced together.

I also found the backwards words a little strange: "Hai...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 11, 2010 Michael Ramm rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, fiction

Excellent introduction and I am very excited to read the ENTIRE epic! It is a riveting story of a family at war. The father is the King of the land, his daughter, Lucia, is leading the troops, and his son, Caio, is the savior of the land. All the while the kids are regularly visited by the gods that they worship, including Lord Danato, the Black God, who first visit was to escort her mother to the afterlife right after the birth of her brother.

I cannot wait to see what Moses has in store for th...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 10, 2011 John rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wow. I can't believe this is Moses' first published fiction. What a great read. A political thriller of two opposing royal houses engaged in a holy war powered by magic. The technology level is at the sword and shield level. But both sides posses different magical skills that come into play in the conflict. What's not to like? It simply whets my appetite for the rest of this story. Can't wait to read the novel when it's published. Kudos, Moses, keep 'em coming.

1 like · like · see review

Jan 11, 2013 Wendell Adams rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, e-books

While I only gave this book a 3 star rating, I want to be clear that I enjoyed it. As is pretty evident by my ratings, I am stingy about giving 4-5 star ratings, so a 3 star rating is not a statement that a book is to be avoided. On the contrary, I would encourage people to read The Black God's War. Rezzia and her pantheon of gods are interesting; Lucia and her haunting by the Rezzia God of the Underworld is compelling even if it flounders toward the end; and the conflict between two cultures p...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jul 11, 2011 Nathalia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

FANTASTIC read, I honestly can't wait to read the entire series. I usually don't like books that use religion as its main theme but wow, this book keeps you reading with the use of great characterization and amazing world building. The only reason this book took me longer than a week to read was simply because life kept getting in the way.

1 like · like · see review

Jul 29, 2012 C.F. II rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to C.F. by: The Author

Shelves: epic-fantasy

Good character development and intrigue. It's a real sprawler. Knowing there is more to this is very cool indeed, and I'm looking forward to checking out more of the saga. THE BLACK GOD'S WAR has the distinction of being the only fantasy that I've read in over 20 years...I was very pleased.

Nice work, Moses!

1 like · like · see review

Mar 04, 2011 James Coleman rated it 5 of 5 stars

Awesome. This was just a teaser, though. Waiting for the whole book this spring!

1 like · like · see review

May 11, 2012 Lisa Bonney rated it 4 of 5 stars

Really enjoyed this book, can't wait to get the second one :-)

1 like · like · see review

Apr 12, 2013 Tianna rated it 5 of 5 stars

I just finished this book in four days. It took over my life and everything I thought about. Novels like this are one in a million and I recommend this with the highest esteem. If you are seeking a predictable plot and happy-go-lucky characters, look elsewhere. Well rounded individuals are abound and all of them change throughout the course of the story. The plot is mesmerizing and unpredictable. There are not many books that have kept me guessing throughout the entirety of the novel, but this o...more

like · see review

Aug 17, 2012 Ruth rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: dnf

I really tried with this book and perhaps that was the problem. I kept reading then giving up and then trying again so the read was disjointed to start with. I found that the dialogue was strained and much of it constrained as the author seemed to build the world, gods, myths, powers, magic etc by this means. There was so much of this that I really could not get a handle on it plus with all these wonderful powers it is hard to believe that anyone could beat this particular nation at all. There a...more

like · see review

Apr 11, 2012 Melinda Le Baron rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: epic-fantasy

This was a good book. The story was original, the pacing and the plot were good and it didn't rehash any of the tired fantasy tropes. The only downside to the story is that in many places the characterization seems to be wafer-thin, almost stereotypical. We have a king who is a war monger at all costs, an evil general who will kill when his power is threatened, a spiritual prince who believes in peace - even the Gods get short shrift. Even the Black God of the title isn't fully explained until t...more

like · see review

Sep 30, 2011 T. Edmund rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As I sit down to write this review I struggle to find the words to say. But maybe that is the review. Siregar creates a strong world with dynamic (if not slightly plain) characters and an epic war plotline that touches the Gods themselves.

However at the end of the day I just didn't feel any of it. In some ways the novel was too well-rounded. We were introduced to all the main characters on both sides of the conflict (which will bring me to anyother criticism soon) we were even allowed snippets o...more

like · see review

Sep 25, 2011 Noor Jahangir rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

This is an interesting book. I bought it because David Farland recommended it in one of his Daily Kicks. I started reading it initially but couldn't get into, then left for about half a year. Then a few days ago, I picked it up and started reading it again and was pleasantly surprised. Its like a blend of the Illiad, Egyptian mythology and Dune. It was the likeness to Dune though that kept me reading. The story revolves around a brother and sister blessed with gifts by the Gods. They have a stra...more

like · see review

Nov 04, 2010 Richard Jackson rated it 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed reading The Black God’s War: A Novella Introducing a new Epic Fantasy. I was fascinated by the setting and the characters. Here the gods take an active role in matters, they interact with the world and work on behalf of the Rezzians. In contrast, the Pawelons rely on their sages who employ magic. Both sides are well thought out and distinct. You get a feel for each culture even though the novella focuses more on the Rezzians. Moses avoids labeling one side as “evil”. Both sides in the...more

like · see review

Aug 29, 2010 Monique Martin rated it 4 of 5 stars

This taster novella gives you a few bites of what's sure to be a meaty epic. Siregar obviously has a strong gift for story telling and paints an almost dreamlike world in The Black God's War. It has many of the things fantasy readers have come to expect - nations warring more out of tradition than cause, gods with elemental gifts and a young prince at the center of it.

The world of the Rezzians and the bare glimpse we get of their rival Pawelons is clearly well thought out and nuanced. The main...more

like · see review

Aug 08, 2012 Lee rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

This was an interesting read for me. I had a fair bit of time looking forward to this story. I had and do follow Moses Siregar on Facebook and enjoy seeing how he is progressing as an author. So I went into this story wanting to love it.

The story was a bit of a roller coaster for me, there were certainly parts of the story where I was deeply immersed and thinking four stars and then there were times of plunging into two star territory.

I’d like to expand on the ups and downs as a lot of the lows...more

like · see review

Oct 02, 2012 Cheryl M-M rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is an interesting way to introduce a novel. This ebook contains the first five chapters of the The Black God's War [A Stand-Alone Novel] (Splendor and Ruin, Book I). This novella is fifteen chapters in length. The chapters that follow after chapter five are chapters that were discarded from the initial novel, I assume due to the fact it was already quite long, with it having 85 chapters. So the reader gets a glimpse of the lost chapters of the Black Gods War which give a different view of t...more

like · see review

Nov 08, 2011 Suz rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, free, kindle

This novella was OK, especially for a Kindle freebie. It's made of a selection of 15 early chapters from an 85 chapter "epic." It was decently written, and there were some fun ideas in the book.

This particular selection of chapters centers around a brother-sister pair who are the leaders of a country and have been endowed with powers by their patron gods. Their country is involved in a holy war against another country (of non-believers, of course). The parallels between these gods and Greco-Roma...more

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 13 14 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (3)

Genres

Fantasy

44 users

Fantasy > Epic Fantasy

5 users

Short Stories

2 users

Fantasy > Mythology

2 users

Epic

2 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Moses Siregar III

My novel is a dramatic epic fantasy (cover below), with a novella-length intro now available as an ebook. I blog about the writing life at:

http://sciencefictionfantasybooks.net

You can find the novella at Amazon and Smashwords. Below, you'll find a YouTube video with my reading of the first chapter of my novel. The first chapter is also on my GoodReads profile.

When I was ten, I fell in love with a...more

More about Moses Siregar III...

Books by Moses Siregar III

The Black God's War (Splendor and Ruin, #1)

The Children of Wind and Wood (A Preview of the Splendor and Ruin Trilogy)

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About The Black God’s W...

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

title link	preview: The Black God’s War: A Novella Introducing a new Epic Fantasy
avg rating	preview: The Black God’s War: A Novella Introducing a new Epic Fantasy Goodreads rating: 3.53 (139 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8844576-the-black-god-s-war?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1287115903l/8844576.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8844576-the-black-god-s-war?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Black God’s War: A Novella Introducing a new Epic Fantasy by Moses Siregar III[/url]

The Black God’s War: A Novella Introducing a new Epic Fantasy

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website