The Black Gods War

“ Moses is a fine writer deserving of success and I think that it will follow. I really enjoyed Moses’s work. ”
    —NY Times Bestseller David Farland

    “The Black God’s War is, to date, the finest example of quality independent fantasy I’ve seen … This is what indie publishing is all about and I have no qualms about recommending this great novel.”
    —Indie Fantasy Review

    “I don’t give many 5 star reviews … I find I really can’t stop thinking about this story. Unforgettable story, intriguing characters, compelling journey with unexpected twists—in short, a very satisfying and engaging read.”
    —(5/5 stars) MotherLode Review Blog

    “… a rather brilliant climax that left me grinning from ear to ear …By the time you flip to the last few pages, I hope you have the shivers just as I did …”
    —Journal of Always Reviews
    “An inventive tale with high command of craft.”
    —Scott Nicholson, Author of The Red Church

    “Given the quality of the writing, you would not know that this is Siregar’s first novel and he set the bar quite high … I enjoyed this book, immensely. It had style, it had substance, and it had a lot of heart … Siregar easily defies the stigma that you can only get a quality book out of a recognised publishing house.” (Review: 9.4/10)
    —FantasyBookReview.co.uk

    “Simply a great book, skillfully written. It is intriguing, holds your interest and has some surprising twists and turns that will pleasantly, or unpleasantly, surprise you. For a debut novel ... simply outstanding.”
    —Ray Nicholson (Top 1000 Amazon Reviewer)

    “I enjoyed [the] novella from its opening chapter to its gripping end.” (Review: 5 out of 5 stars)
    —Red Adept Reviews

    “If you want to read a talented new author with a flair for storytelling, you should definitely pick up this story.”
    —Two Ends of the Pen Blog

    “Siregar's debut is an excellent example of the quality the indie author scene is capable of ... More like this, please.”
    —Signal dot Noise Blog

    “His characters are as passionate as his descriptive prose. The pacing is perfect ... This is a novella epic fantasy fans don't want to miss.”
    —Bryan Thomas Schmidt's Blog

    “The writing is tight, the characters well-drawn and deep, and the world feels alive and many-layered … this is no one- or two-dimensional and predictable plot/conflict, but rife with undercurrents and tensions that just spread out like so many strands of a spider’s web.”
    —W. Brondtkamffer’s Blog

    “Siregar's strongest suit may be the character development on display, as the royal siblings and a few other characters exude their personalities and frailties in a believable fashion.”
    —Skull Salad Reviews

    “… 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.”
    —Ron C. Nieto’s Stories of my Life Blog

The full-length version of this story
    is now available!

    The Black God’s War
    [A Stand-Alone Novel]
    (Splendor and Ruin, Book I)

The Black God’s War won awards in the categories of
    *Best Novel* and *Best Fantasy*
    In the eFestival of Words
    Best of the Independent eBook Awards (2012)

Please visit the author at

    ScienceFictionFantasyBooks.net
    and subscribe to his newsletter
    (you’ll also get some free stuff).

For Molly, Athens, and Mom.

    Thanks to Homer and Carl Macek (Robotech).

Author’s Note

    This novella is a 27,000-word excerpt from my novel with the same title, The Black God’s War . The first five chapters of this novella are identical to the first five chapters of the full novel. After chapter five, this novella takes a different course in order to focus on particular characters and elements in the story. In brief, the novella focuses on the kingdom of Rezzia. The full novel shows both sides of the story, including Rezzia’s enemy, Pawelon.
    If you like what you’ve read after five chapters, you could pick up the novel to read the rest of the 85-chapter story (120,000 words); that’s what I would recommend. Or, of course, you can just enjoy this shorter work (15 chapters).
    Thanks for reading a new author. I hope you’ll enjoy the story!

“ Every old poem is sacred.”
    -Horace

Chapter One: Sing Muse, of Hades and Light

    IN THE KINGDOM OF REZZIA, inside the highest chamber of the grand minaret, ten-year-old Lucia looked out to see her father, King Vieri, on the balcony. He lifted