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Liked It1 of 1 members found this review helpful “Two warring countries, two young princes honor-bound to protect their people, two proud leaders who refuse to back down. These are the countries of Rezzia and Pawelon. Rezzia is a country of people who worship the ten gods of the Lux Lucis; Pawelon is a country of sages and thinkers who utilize...” see full review » see other reviews » |
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“Although you can tell this is a first effort the author shows promise. I look forward to the next story in the series. ”
Amy B wrote this review Friday, April 6, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I was fortunate to receive an early review copy of The Black God’s War, a very interesting fantasy debut from Moses Siregar III.
tottman wrote this review Sunday, February 5, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
The Black God’s War is an interesting take on fantasy tropes in that there is not really a clear cut “evil” to overcome or a clearcut “good” to overcome it. Both sides in the battle have their own viewpoint and it’s never clear what would constitute a victory for either side.
The writing is consistently good and the characters feel real and interesting. The system of magic is certainly different, but ultimately not very well explained. One side in the conflict, the Rezzians, calls upon the powers of the gods, who are present if not often seen, or at least seen by many, yet whether or not they choose to manifest their powers as called upon is somewhat arbitrary. The other side in the conflict, the Pawelons, rely on powerful sages. These sages use a form of concentration and mantras to manifest their powers. Several things about this system of magic are never made clear, however. Some sages study for years, but can apparently teach their powers to others with no apparent training in a matter of days or hours. It is also never explained what makes some sages more powerful than others or how those powers compare to the powers wielded by the Rezzian gods.
The plot moves steadily forward and maintains interest, but the results of the battles and the strategies employed are unreliable. The feelings and motivations of some, but not all, of the main characters seem to change almost randomly. It is hard to become invested in the outcome of the battles when there seems to be no permanence or consequence to them.
Maybe the point is that motivations for starting and continuing a war are murky and clouded by personal feelings of those in charge. Or that the outcome of battles and maybe even entire wars is irrelevant and inconsequential. As a story, though, it is ultimately unsatisfying.
The level of the writing and some of the concepts involved make this an interesting read. The holes in the plot and the arbitrariness of some of the outcomes make it less satisfying. 3 stars.”
“I don't read many sci-fi/fantasy books, but this one intrigued me, and I'm glad I read it. In general, it was about war and misunderstanding, and the younger leaders (princes, prophets, warriors) trying to put an end to many generations of violence and destruction in their world. I was a little confused toward the end, about the gods and their purpose/motivation, and what they actually are. Also, some of the ending was just a little too neat, like "they all lived happily ever after." Since everything was so wrapped up at the end, I don't feel especially compelled to find out what happens next in the series. However, there are some very interesting and likeable characters here, and power and passion, and it was an enjoyable experience overall, so I will probably buy the next book as well. ”
booksaremyworld wrote this review Saturday, December 10, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No1 of 1 members found this review helpful“Two warring countries, two young princes honor-bound to protect their people, two proud leaders who refuse to back down. These are the countries of Rezzia and Pawelon. Rezzia is a country of people who worship the ten gods of the Lux Lucis; Pawelon is a country of sages and thinkers who utilize their own minds to reach a higher level of consciousness. Rezzia believes they must conquer Pawelon in order to raise its people above their superstitions; Pawelon believes they must stand fast against the mythology of the Rezzians. Can there be any end to this conflict without the multitude of deaths feared by the Rezzian Haizzam, Caio, or the Pawelon prince Rao? Can they find a way to work together to achieve peace, or will their fathers ensure that there will be nothing but war?
Katy wrote this review Sunday, November 20, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
It was very difficult to come up with a way to describe the overall plot of this story without a) getting into way too many details and/or b) adding in too many spoilers. This is a very complex story, with multiple layers and ideologies. Siregar says he wrote the story as an homage to Homer; there are also references that can be related to Greek and Roman mythologies and ideologies and a strange blend of Hinduism and Buddhism. I found it all quite fascinating, although many I have spoken to have had a difficult time with the story due to its very density. Personally, I really liked it. It is definitely dark fantasy – deep and heavy – but if you are a fan of military fantasy, dark fantasy, and/or stories that delve into the relationships between people and gods, you should find this as fascinating a read as I did. This is the first book in a series, and the author says that he is working on the second book at this time. Be sure to check this most interesting story out – if you enjoy a complex read, you will love this.”
“Incrediable world building - plotline almost as good”
T. Edmund Jenkin wrote this review Friday, September 30, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“The Black God’s War is, without a doubt, one of the most fascinating epic fantasy books I have read in years.
Christopher Kellen wrote this review Friday, September 16, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Mr. Siregar has essentially taken the long route around, making the tropes of world-shaking fantasy feel new again through his fresh vision of world-building and his decidedly non-traditional-Western-European approach.
When one picks up a fantasy novel, there are certain things that you expect. You expect knights, and lords, and castles. You expect princesses and dragons, at least in some form or another. We expect a Western European world which generally has one thing or another in common with the high medieval/Renaissance era which is so familiar to all of us.
Somehow, Mr. Siregar manages to avoid all of that.
My favorite part of this book is not the incredibly strong core story, nor is it the highly believable characters. Those are wonderful things in their own right, of course, and they only serve to make this book better. My favorite part of fantasy is always world-building, and I have never seen a fantasy world like the one constructed for The Black God’s War. It feels fresh, it feels original – and that, my friends, is my favorite part of this book. From the Roman core of the Rezzians to the Indian/Buddhist roots of the Pawleon, Mr. Siregar has chosen an entirely different basis for his fantasy, and it is quite refreshing.
I will not go into plot, so as to avoid spoilers (and besides, the book’s description does a fine job of doing what little summary I could manage anyway) but the characters of Lucia, Caio, their father Vieri and Ilario are all very well drawn; Lucia and Caio especially often seem to leap off the page. Rao, Aayu and Narayani are equally well-done, and Mr. Siregar has done an excellent job adapting stereotypes to make these characters feel like real people, instead of cardboard cutouts.
This is not just one of the best independent books I have ever read; this is one of the finest fantasy novels (period, full stop, etc etc) that I have read in many years. My hat (had I one) goes off to Mr. Siregar for a well-told, well-edited and highly professional independent work that lends credence and credit to independent authors everywhere.
Final Score: 5 out of 5. You must read this book – you will not regret it.”
“Nice lyrical voice and intricate plotline”
Thea Atkinson wrote this review Thursday, April 14, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“A novella that introduces you to the epic novel to come. If you read this, you'll want the novel. I can't wait!”
ToastmasterLiz wrote this review Wednesday, October 13, 2010. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I will say this. I loved it so much I had to write it.”
Moses Siregar III wrote this review Wednesday, August 11, 2010. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
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