Moses Siregar III

I lost interest in the middle of the book and since I don't like doing DNF reviews so it took me a long time to finish this book. The only thing I like about "The Black God's War" was the entire conflict was due to a convergence of two civilizations inspired from Indus and Greece civilizations. It was interesting for me since I always like historical adaptations even if its deathly fictitious.

Plain speaking, I can't stand female characters who are too stupid to live especially in a book with a lot of words in it. Halfway through the book I was asking myself whether it was the character developments or plot progression but despite some promising start, as I go on, I don't find myself invested at all. Its not about likable characters or ELI5 plot but there's a need to add more complexities to make a fantasy book rich in content and soulful. Add to the fact that it does get tiring when the descriptive parts tend to be uneven and bland and sometimes appropriated to fit into the desired conflicts that drive the whole book. Usually I like politics in fictions but when clarity was rendered optional and the narrative style made character motivations genuinely nonsensical and again with the blown up writing style, do understand why it was so easy to give up on reading the book in the first place.

I don't feel the book was meant for me. Some may like it but overall, it was plain disappointment to me. Being Asian, I do love asian history and there's a whole field of unexplored territory of asian fantasy anyone could exploit with some imagination. Although I don't feel the book appropriated anything and the setting does remind me of Devdas, but I wish there was more to it than the setting being used as plot devices.

The ARC was given by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.… (més)

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 the last pages of the book. That said, there is enough of a story here - enough ideas, action and adventure, not to mention magic to make it a page turner from beginning to end. The juxtaposition of Western and Eastern based religions battling it out for the power to be right is an interesting concept. Though some subtle commonalities were included, something more substantial would be great. The concept for the book is a good one and the book ends gracefully , instead of some of the ruder cliffhanger endings that I have been reading lately. Most of the questions are answered and there is a definite wrap up before the book concludes. An extra star for that. With greater characterization this could easily be a 5 star book. There are very few people who are sure of themselves 100% of the time. If they are they tend to be driven or obsessed. Add a bit of gray into these characters - you won't be sorry.

All in all, I would definitely recommend this book to people who love fantasy. This looks like it has the makings of a fine fantasy series and I will be reading the next one.… (més)

Moses Siregar III has spun an epic tale of growth, love, betrayal and acceptance in The Black God's War. The first book in his Splendor and Ruin series, War tells of the end of a long-waged war between two civilizations that have more in common that they know.

The book is very well written and the characters come to life after a somewhat slow start. Dialogue is smooth and easy. It rarely feels as though it's for the sole purpose of exposition, save for one section where one character reveals information about another character's past. The monologue feels as though it was lifted from something more modern and urban than this story's setting and it feels as if a completely different character is speaking.

Beyond that minor lapse in style, the book forms a very cohesive whole until the end. There, the resolution feels a little contrived, as if Siregar realized the book was running too long and wanted to wrap things up. Regardless, I look forward to Book II.
… (més)