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Splendor and Ruin #1
The Ninth Wind
"In THE NINTH WIND, Moses Siregar takes readers to a fascinating new world where politics, magic, and adventure mingle in exciting and profound ways. If you like fantasy, you'll love this!" --NYT Bestseller David Farland
THE NINTH WIND SPEAKS FOR THE DEAD …
The Ancestors whisper of rebellion, their breath a cold blue wind in the forests and hills of Andars. The Rezzian occupation lingers, dragging the folk of the hills through bitterness and despair.
Three siblings stand ready to challenge the Kingdom of Rezzia. Their fates have long been seen by the primordial Orns: one by Angst, one by Fidelity, one by Wrath.
Idonea searches the dark wood to master the magic of the three sacred trees. Skye pursues omens to lead his shield-brothers to victory over Rezzia's legions. As armies battle for control of the Andaran hills, Dag calls out so that he may become as impenetrable as Altrea, allowing nothing to bend him, or turn him, or break him, so that he may stand and defend his kin. The ten gods of Rezzia and their lions stand in his way.
The Ninth Wind is the long-awaited return to Moses Siregar III’s award-winning epic fantasy series, Splendor and Ruin. Drawing on Norse, Greek, and Indian mythologies, the Ninth Wind is a tale of betrayal and retribution, of gods and sages and witches, of fearless journeys and magical awakenings.
It is a tale of honor, devotion, and valor. An adult tale of the children of wind and wood.
________
"... I’ve been lucky enough to get my hands on an early copy of The Ninth Wind by Moses Siregar, a terrific Indy writer who I think is going to blow up big when this comes out. A top tier epic fantasy from him."
--Jonathan Wood, author of NO HERO
THE NINTH WIND SPEAKS FOR THE DEAD …
The Ancestors whisper of rebellion, their breath a cold blue wind in the forests and hills of Andars. The Rezzian occupation lingers, dragging the folk of the hills through bitterness and despair.
Three siblings stand ready to challenge the Kingdom of Rezzia. Their fates have long been seen by the primordial Orns: one by Angst, one by Fidelity, one by Wrath.
Idonea searches the dark wood to master the magic of the three sacred trees. Skye pursues omens to lead his shield-brothers to victory over Rezzia's legions. As armies battle for control of the Andaran hills, Dag calls out so that he may become as impenetrable as Altrea, allowing nothing to bend him, or turn him, or break him, so that he may stand and defend his kin. The ten gods of Rezzia and their lions stand in his way.
The Ninth Wind is the long-awaited return to Moses Siregar III’s award-winning epic fantasy series, Splendor and Ruin. Drawing on Norse, Greek, and Indian mythologies, the Ninth Wind is a tale of betrayal and retribution, of gods and sages and witches, of fearless journeys and magical awakenings.
It is a tale of honor, devotion, and valor. An adult tale of the children of wind and wood.
________
"... I’ve been lucky enough to get my hands on an early copy of The Ninth Wind by Moses Siregar, a terrific Indy writer who I think is going to blow up big when this comes out. A top tier epic fantasy from him."
--Jonathan Wood, author of NO HERO
- GenresFantasy
455 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 18, 2015
8 people are currently reading
138 people want to read
About the author
Moses Siregar III
4 books263 followersMy 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 an anime series: a space opera spanning three human generations, one that unfolded over 85 consecutive episodes and four months of after-school TV. Watching Robotech was a spiritual experience for me. I still remember how high I felt after watching the final episode for the first time. How many pleasures in life are better than a well-executed drama?
Because of that experience, I decided I wanted to be a storyteller when I grew up and hoped I could someday inspire others as that show inspired me. As things turned out, I have spent most of my life exploring religious and metaphysical questions, while writing a lot on the side, both professionally and for fun. In 2009, I decided to get back around to my heart's desire when I was a boy: Telling the big story.
My novella-length (24K words) preview of the novel is currently available for 89 cents on Amazon. The full novel is planned for release in print and as an e-book in May 2011.
I invite you to read a free sample:
Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Black-Gods-War-Int...
Smashwords link: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/212...
I am the news manager at http://AdventuresinSciFiPublishing.com, and a monthly blogger at http://GraspingForTheWind.com
Facebook Page: http://facebook.com/MosesWrites
Facebook Profile: http://facebook.com/MosesSiregar3
Twitter: http://twitter.com/MosesSiregar
YouTube: http://youtube.com/SciFiFantasyBooks
Shelfari: http://shelfari.com/MosesSiregar
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 an anime series: a space opera spanning three human generations, one that unfolded over 85 consecutive episodes and four months of after-school TV. Watching Robotech was a spiritual experience for me. I still remember how high I felt after watching the final episode for the first time. How many pleasures in life are better than a well-executed drama?
Because of that experience, I decided I wanted to be a storyteller when I grew up and hoped I could someday inspire others as that show inspired me. As things turned out, I have spent most of my life exploring religious and metaphysical questions, while writing a lot on the side, both professionally and for fun. In 2009, I decided to get back around to my heart's desire when I was a boy: Telling the big story.
My novella-length (24K words) preview of the novel is currently available for 89 cents on Amazon. The full novel is planned for release in print and as an e-book in May 2011.
I invite you to read a free sample:
Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Black-Gods-War-Int...
Smashwords link: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/212...
I am the news manager at http://AdventuresinSciFiPublishing.com, and a monthly blogger at http://GraspingForTheWind.com
Facebook Page: http://facebook.com/MosesWrites
Facebook Profile: http://facebook.com/MosesSiregar3
Twitter: http://twitter.com/MosesSiregar
YouTube: http://youtube.com/SciFiFantasyBooks
Shelfari: http://shelfari.com/MosesSiregar
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
January 10, 2016
#9 - Top Ten Reads of 2015 at timothycward.com
The Ninth Wind by Moses Siregar III is the first book in his new trilogy, Splendor and Ruin. His first novel, The Black God’s War, is a prelude set in the same world, but isn’t required reading before starting with The Ninth Wind.
*Disclaimer: Moses is a dear friend. I don’t often mention that in reviews since I love so many of you authors, but someone asked if I could review him without bias because of our friendship. Let me take this moment to share that all of my reviews are based on the story, not the person. I’m always as respectful as I would be were they my best friend. You will always only get my honest opinions on the story.
That said, to the review:
I read The Black God’s War a few years ago. I should probably preface my review with the fact that I don’t read much Epic Fantasy. I don’t know if it is standard for the form, but I have yet to read an Epic Fantasy that didn’t have parts that felt slow or which at least slightly overwhelmed me with names and places I’d need to remember. I mention this to say my review likely doesn’t represent the perspective of Moses’ ideal reader.
Having read The Black God’s War, it’s clear Moses’ writing has matured, and with how much I loved The Black God’s War, that’s very exciting. His religion building cultures are again deeply rooted in philosophy and passion, and in this new viewpoint he combines the religions of the prelude, TBGW, with a new culture in the Andarans. I enjoyed Moses’ introduction through one family who will become the most powerful warriors of their nation. He made me care early on and displayed a handsome representation of each of their gifts and struggles, both internally and as seen in their family and how they’ll represent their nation.
One thing you’re sure to get with Moses, and which may be the best aspect to his storytelling, is that people you care about are going to die and no one is safe from getting the proverbial axe. When they do, look out! Moses has some serious descriptive writing chops.
The fighting style Moses uses for these Andaran warriors combines rich creativity with sound battle tactics and power. They fight in groups of three, where two shield warriors protect the third and his freedom to use both hands for wielding weapons. Moses adds a spiritual element to their powers in how each is gifted as the heart, the mind, and the spirit of the tria. The spirit is one of our POV character’s gift. He can commune with the spirit of his ancestors for wisdom and the power they give through the wind.
We also have this character’s sister, Idonea, who has trained to become a volwa, a kind of witch, which some in her culture denounce as evil. In this book she goes through the process of learning her power and facing the hard decisions that go along with it.
We also have a younger brother, Dag, who struggles with prophecies of his older brother’s demise, and a novel/series-potential theme where prophecies are merely outcomes resulting from a character’s refusal to change.
All of our warriors, Andaran or on the opposite side, have strong reasons for their actions. Moses did a great job showing that, as well as pitting them against each other in ways that made me eager to read on. Moses has an excellent sense of conflict in this way.
The most difficult part of evaluating The Ninth Wind on a star based system is a combination of respect for the genius in the piece of art Moses has delivered and possible areas where I’m not the ideal reader. He delivered a superb drama, where characters grew, their emotions moved me, their powers shone on the stage, and I wanted to weep with them in their tragedies.
The most notable areas of disappointment were in a couple sections that slowed the pace. The first was near the middle, when Rao, the leader of the Pawelons, takes over for a few chapters as the POV. He is one of the main characters of The Black God’s War, but in the distance between when I read that and reading this, I don’t remember as much as I’d like to to make his and another POV character, Lucia, engage me through clearer memories of their past tragedies. After a few chapters with Rao, when he meets up with this book’s main POVs, the pace picks up and I was again thrilled to see where the story would go.
While Moses did a good job rehashing some of what happened to Rao and Lucia in the previous book, I felt like I’d have enjoyed this story more if it hadn’t been years since I read their stories in TBGW. Part of the appeal to that novel, and this one, is the complex relationships and conflicting desires; it would be difficult to remind me of all of those without coming off like an info dump.
The other difficulty for me was in how the religious details slowed the story down. Here and there, they flowed seamlessly as we learned about characters and their powers, but when he went into the god system, especially near the end, I became tired and wanted to get back to the characters. It’s tough to be critical about that because this is an area where I’m not an ideal reader, as well as because these gods must be explained because of how their storyline contributes to our characters’ journey and the epic scope of what’s to come. I just have to be honest that that was a slower part of the read for me.
In conclusion, I’m thrilled with what Moses has done, expanding this brilliant world and his already gifted talent for prose and characterization. I loved that I didn’t know what was going to happen, and was so often impressed with his creative and tension filled surprises. I am wowed by so much of what he’s done. It will be a great pleasure to see where the story will go from here.
The Ninth Wind by Moses Siregar III is the first book in his new trilogy, Splendor and Ruin. His first novel, The Black God’s War, is a prelude set in the same world, but isn’t required reading before starting with The Ninth Wind.
*Disclaimer: Moses is a dear friend. I don’t often mention that in reviews since I love so many of you authors, but someone asked if I could review him without bias because of our friendship. Let me take this moment to share that all of my reviews are based on the story, not the person. I’m always as respectful as I would be were they my best friend. You will always only get my honest opinions on the story.
That said, to the review:
I read The Black God’s War a few years ago. I should probably preface my review with the fact that I don’t read much Epic Fantasy. I don’t know if it is standard for the form, but I have yet to read an Epic Fantasy that didn’t have parts that felt slow or which at least slightly overwhelmed me with names and places I’d need to remember. I mention this to say my review likely doesn’t represent the perspective of Moses’ ideal reader.
Having read The Black God’s War, it’s clear Moses’ writing has matured, and with how much I loved The Black God’s War, that’s very exciting. His religion building cultures are again deeply rooted in philosophy and passion, and in this new viewpoint he combines the religions of the prelude, TBGW, with a new culture in the Andarans. I enjoyed Moses’ introduction through one family who will become the most powerful warriors of their nation. He made me care early on and displayed a handsome representation of each of their gifts and struggles, both internally and as seen in their family and how they’ll represent their nation.
One thing you’re sure to get with Moses, and which may be the best aspect to his storytelling, is that people you care about are going to die and no one is safe from getting the proverbial axe. When they do, look out! Moses has some serious descriptive writing chops.
The fighting style Moses uses for these Andaran warriors combines rich creativity with sound battle tactics and power. They fight in groups of three, where two shield warriors protect the third and his freedom to use both hands for wielding weapons. Moses adds a spiritual element to their powers in how each is gifted as the heart, the mind, and the spirit of the tria. The spirit is one of our POV character’s gift. He can commune with the spirit of his ancestors for wisdom and the power they give through the wind.
We also have this character’s sister, Idonea, who has trained to become a volwa, a kind of witch, which some in her culture denounce as evil. In this book she goes through the process of learning her power and facing the hard decisions that go along with it.
We also have a younger brother, Dag, who struggles with prophecies of his older brother’s demise, and a novel/series-potential theme where prophecies are merely outcomes resulting from a character’s refusal to change.
All of our warriors, Andaran or on the opposite side, have strong reasons for their actions. Moses did a great job showing that, as well as pitting them against each other in ways that made me eager to read on. Moses has an excellent sense of conflict in this way.
The most difficult part of evaluating The Ninth Wind on a star based system is a combination of respect for the genius in the piece of art Moses has delivered and possible areas where I’m not the ideal reader. He delivered a superb drama, where characters grew, their emotions moved me, their powers shone on the stage, and I wanted to weep with them in their tragedies.
The most notable areas of disappointment were in a couple sections that slowed the pace. The first was near the middle, when Rao, the leader of the Pawelons, takes over for a few chapters as the POV. He is one of the main characters of The Black God’s War, but in the distance between when I read that and reading this, I don’t remember as much as I’d like to to make his and another POV character, Lucia, engage me through clearer memories of their past tragedies. After a few chapters with Rao, when he meets up with this book’s main POVs, the pace picks up and I was again thrilled to see where the story would go.
While Moses did a good job rehashing some of what happened to Rao and Lucia in the previous book, I felt like I’d have enjoyed this story more if it hadn’t been years since I read their stories in TBGW. Part of the appeal to that novel, and this one, is the complex relationships and conflicting desires; it would be difficult to remind me of all of those without coming off like an info dump.
The other difficulty for me was in how the religious details slowed the story down. Here and there, they flowed seamlessly as we learned about characters and their powers, but when he went into the god system, especially near the end, I became tired and wanted to get back to the characters. It’s tough to be critical about that because this is an area where I’m not an ideal reader, as well as because these gods must be explained because of how their storyline contributes to our characters’ journey and the epic scope of what’s to come. I just have to be honest that that was a slower part of the read for me.
In conclusion, I’m thrilled with what Moses has done, expanding this brilliant world and his already gifted talent for prose and characterization. I loved that I didn’t know what was going to happen, and was so often impressed with his creative and tension filled surprises. I am wowed by so much of what he’s done. It will be a great pleasure to see where the story will go from here.
Read
May 20, 2015I did it again. :-)
October 17, 2015
NO MAJOR SPOILERS.
Very happy to give this book a solid 4+ stars. A little long, but charged with great world building and philosophical weaving that will make an impression on you for days after you are done.
As some other reviewers noted, it's quite apparent the author has spent a great deal of time building this rich world. The Andars, a place of forests, mountains, and magic, where various types of trees are conduits to specific powers. The relationship of the volwa (a kind of witch) to the woods and people of Andars, and the fact that the volwas are actually shunned by the very people they are sworn to protect. There are also the lands of Pawelon (full of sages) and Rezzia (people given power through the worship of their ten gods) revisited as our protagonists try to keep the Rezzians off their land and stop a war they know is coming
There are some amazing lines in this book. Among them, "The Ninth Wind told me, your life and death are a perfect expression of one time and one place, of one fantasy, one journey, one droplet among the countless dreams in the eternal starry sea."
The plot has moments of brilliance although at times gets a little drawn out. Saved, though, by the author's weaving of philosophy and mythology into his world building.
Strangely enough, I rather enjoyed revisiting with Rao and Lucia (characters from the prequel - The Black God's War) and felt more tied to them than I did the three main Children of Andars, Skye, Dag, and Idonea.
I think this is because the Andars characters were written with a good deal of what I thought was over emotion or misplaced emotion. And the idea that the Andars folk had very strong community and personal values, yet still held secrets from one another because they didn't trust their own brothers or sisters (emotionally) to handle the information. As outcasts or "wildlings" I would have liked to see the Children of Andars be more honest and raw. I guess at times the Children of Andars, even the adults, seemed a lot like ... well, children. But they were innocent, lovable, and brutal at times in their strength and passion, and I'm sure these characters will resonate with a good many readers of epic fantasy.
All that being said, there's a lot of brilliance at play here. The author has set some serious events in motion, a great story and plot leading into the next book which includes some amazing interplay between Rezzia's Ten Gods, and Wrath, a sort of dormant goddess of the Andars people. The sages of Pawelon even get in on the action, which is a nice little twist.
If you enjoy sprawling epic fantasy, you will enjoy The Ninth Wind.
Very happy to give this book a solid 4+ stars. A little long, but charged with great world building and philosophical weaving that will make an impression on you for days after you are done.
As some other reviewers noted, it's quite apparent the author has spent a great deal of time building this rich world. The Andars, a place of forests, mountains, and magic, where various types of trees are conduits to specific powers. The relationship of the volwa (a kind of witch) to the woods and people of Andars, and the fact that the volwas are actually shunned by the very people they are sworn to protect. There are also the lands of Pawelon (full of sages) and Rezzia (people given power through the worship of their ten gods) revisited as our protagonists try to keep the Rezzians off their land and stop a war they know is coming
There are some amazing lines in this book. Among them, "The Ninth Wind told me, your life and death are a perfect expression of one time and one place, of one fantasy, one journey, one droplet among the countless dreams in the eternal starry sea."
The plot has moments of brilliance although at times gets a little drawn out. Saved, though, by the author's weaving of philosophy and mythology into his world building.
Strangely enough, I rather enjoyed revisiting with Rao and Lucia (characters from the prequel - The Black God's War) and felt more tied to them than I did the three main Children of Andars, Skye, Dag, and Idonea.
I think this is because the Andars characters were written with a good deal of what I thought was over emotion or misplaced emotion. And the idea that the Andars folk had very strong community and personal values, yet still held secrets from one another because they didn't trust their own brothers or sisters (emotionally) to handle the information. As outcasts or "wildlings" I would have liked to see the Children of Andars be more honest and raw. I guess at times the Children of Andars, even the adults, seemed a lot like ... well, children. But they were innocent, lovable, and brutal at times in their strength and passion, and I'm sure these characters will resonate with a good many readers of epic fantasy.
All that being said, there's a lot of brilliance at play here. The author has set some serious events in motion, a great story and plot leading into the next book which includes some amazing interplay between Rezzia's Ten Gods, and Wrath, a sort of dormant goddess of the Andars people. The sages of Pawelon even get in on the action, which is a nice little twist.
If you enjoy sprawling epic fantasy, you will enjoy The Ninth Wind.
August 12, 2015
This book can best be described as a labour of love. You feel it, reading it. A lot of time, thought and emotion has gone into it. The characters and cultures are diverse, complex and well-presented, the language lyrical.
There is a lot of philosophical discourse in this book, musings on fate, the will of the gods, human choice and responsibilities, all of which makes the book a pleasure to read, but not one that a reader can whizz through. It is best savoured slowly, with thought given to the dilemmas facing the key characters, all of whom have suffered great loss and wish to do the best for their people.
It is the sort of book I love and can appreciate the skill and dedication of the author. I look forward to reading what happens next.
There is a lot of philosophical discourse in this book, musings on fate, the will of the gods, human choice and responsibilities, all of which makes the book a pleasure to read, but not one that a reader can whizz through. It is best savoured slowly, with thought given to the dilemmas facing the key characters, all of whom have suffered great loss and wish to do the best for their people.
It is the sort of book I love and can appreciate the skill and dedication of the author. I look forward to reading what happens next.
December 20, 2015
This book is a gem. If you enjoy fantasy adventure, it will satisfy your craving and provide more than you can dream of. The characters are wonderfully developed with perspectives from all angles of the arena. What I love the most about this book is that there is no two dimensional good against evil, but more of the real life grey area which shows everyone just trying to do his/her best from his/her perspective of life and the world. I eagerly await book two in the series.
June 26, 2015
~ Originally posted on Amazon.co.uk ~
I really digged this book. The plot, world building and characters were all solid and original. Mose Siregar has really come into his own since releasing the prelude to this book, "The Black God's War" way back when, and it comes across in this book. She reads smooth and easy.
The plot revolves around 3 siblings, whose lives are destroyed by a callus and oppressive neighboring Empire. Skye, Dag and Idonea are forced to rely on each other in their quest for absolution. It's the relationship between the siblings that really drive the plot, but there is plenty of banter provided by Dag and Skye's warrior brothers. Plenty of action and magic to boot too, which never hurts (unless you're on the receiving end I guess)!
The book has a unique feel to it, it's atmospheric. The author imbues a strong sense of nature in both the magic system and the world building, probably due to the magic being key to the plot, so if you aren't a big magic fan, you may struggle in this aspect.That's not to say there isn't plenty here for you action and plot wise, just that there is a strong magical element here and it is central to he narrative, but it is far from the everyday!
It may also help you appreciate the book a little more if you read the prequel as there are some characters common to both, but it's not essential.
Overall, I thought it was a great read and I'm looking forward to a follow up !
Happy Reading, Folks
Jay
I really digged this book. The plot, world building and characters were all solid and original. Mose Siregar has really come into his own since releasing the prelude to this book, "The Black God's War" way back when, and it comes across in this book. She reads smooth and easy.
The plot revolves around 3 siblings, whose lives are destroyed by a callus and oppressive neighboring Empire. Skye, Dag and Idonea are forced to rely on each other in their quest for absolution. It's the relationship between the siblings that really drive the plot, but there is plenty of banter provided by Dag and Skye's warrior brothers. Plenty of action and magic to boot too, which never hurts (unless you're on the receiving end I guess)!
The book has a unique feel to it, it's atmospheric. The author imbues a strong sense of nature in both the magic system and the world building, probably due to the magic being key to the plot, so if you aren't a big magic fan, you may struggle in this aspect.That's not to say there isn't plenty here for you action and plot wise, just that there is a strong magical element here and it is central to he narrative, but it is far from the everyday!
It may also help you appreciate the book a little more if you read the prequel as there are some characters common to both, but it's not essential.
Overall, I thought it was a great read and I'm looking forward to a follow up !
Happy Reading, Folks
Jay
January 20, 2017
I enjoyed the prequel "The Black God's War" and I am very happy to say that "The Ninth Wind" is even better, really amazing.
It has all the elements I like in epic and it is wonderfully written as well.
We have a clash of nations and different cultures set in a rich world, which is not the usual medieval setting of many fantasy series.
Here we have something of ancient Greece with its polytheism, some ancient Asia with no gods but sages which seem to me a mix of Buddhism and Shaolin, and something close to ancient North Europe or Celtic culture and religion based on a connection with nature.
Different and refreshing.
We have political intrigues, war and a lot of magic.
Then we have the gods actively participating to the story and interacting with the characters.
So I could not love it.
And since gods are involved, it is not a surprise that the main cause of this clash is religion, so it is easy to find connections with our world, especially thinking about the news of last years.
People thinking that their religion must be forced to others through war sounds very familiar.
However such elements can be found in several other novels, so what made the difference for me are Siregar's style and his wonderful characterization.
In the first book I did not completely appreciate the style, but here I found it great.
It is just my impression, because I do not have the technical knowledge to explain the reason, so I cannot say if it is the author who improved or it is me getting used to his writing style.
Anyway I really enjoyed every page.
Then the characters.
I found them all real and credible, but most of all they stirred emotions and feelings, both positive and negative.
I think that one of the worst disappointments you can find in a book is when you do not feel anything for any of the characters.
Here is definitely the opposite.
Even if, to be honest, the feelings I had for the main characters, the 3 Andarans brothers, are quite negative.
Too much anger and hate for my taste, much better the Rao's way for me.
I guess it is a matter of personal background.
I am in my forties and I leave in Europe, so I consider myself mature and I have never known war, nor my family luckily ever suffered episodes of violence.
In my situation it is difficult to understand the reactions of young kids leaving in an occupied country and suffering what they did, so I could not feel any empathy, but I can understand them.
Probably if something similar happened to me, and if I were 18, I would have different feelings.
Anyway this is exactly why I loved how Siregar created his characters, even if I do not like them, they are plausible.
Besides just the fact that I have such thoughts is another virtue of this book.
I love when a book makes you think and forces you to use your brain.
The book is full of philosophical discussions on several themes and I must say that I feel enriched after reading it.
Thank you very much Mr. Siregar.
Now I was looking for news about the next book in the series and unfortunately I found out on the Internet that Moses Siregar decided to stop writing and dedicate his life to something different, so most likely the series will not be completed.
From what I read, I can understand and respect his decision, and I would like to wish him all the possible happiness.
I only hope that sometime in the future a spark could ignite again his passion and love for writing,
which are clearly shown in his books, so that we can all have the pleasure to enjoy other books like this one.
All the best from Italy Mr Siregar!
It has all the elements I like in epic and it is wonderfully written as well.
We have a clash of nations and different cultures set in a rich world, which is not the usual medieval setting of many fantasy series.
Here we have something of ancient Greece with its polytheism, some ancient Asia with no gods but sages which seem to me a mix of Buddhism and Shaolin, and something close to ancient North Europe or Celtic culture and religion based on a connection with nature.
Different and refreshing.
We have political intrigues, war and a lot of magic.
Then we have the gods actively participating to the story and interacting with the characters.
So I could not love it.
And since gods are involved, it is not a surprise that the main cause of this clash is religion, so it is easy to find connections with our world, especially thinking about the news of last years.
People thinking that their religion must be forced to others through war sounds very familiar.
However such elements can be found in several other novels, so what made the difference for me are Siregar's style and his wonderful characterization.
In the first book I did not completely appreciate the style, but here I found it great.
It is just my impression, because I do not have the technical knowledge to explain the reason, so I cannot say if it is the author who improved or it is me getting used to his writing style.
Anyway I really enjoyed every page.
Then the characters.
I found them all real and credible, but most of all they stirred emotions and feelings, both positive and negative.
I think that one of the worst disappointments you can find in a book is when you do not feel anything for any of the characters.
Here is definitely the opposite.
Even if, to be honest, the feelings I had for the main characters, the 3 Andarans brothers, are quite negative.
Too much anger and hate for my taste, much better the Rao's way for me.
I guess it is a matter of personal background.
I am in my forties and I leave in Europe, so I consider myself mature and I have never known war, nor my family luckily ever suffered episodes of violence.
In my situation it is difficult to understand the reactions of young kids leaving in an occupied country and suffering what they did, so I could not feel any empathy, but I can understand them.
Probably if something similar happened to me, and if I were 18, I would have different feelings.
Anyway this is exactly why I loved how Siregar created his characters, even if I do not like them, they are plausible.
Besides just the fact that I have such thoughts is another virtue of this book.
I love when a book makes you think and forces you to use your brain.
The book is full of philosophical discussions on several themes and I must say that I feel enriched after reading it.
Thank you very much Mr. Siregar.
Now I was looking for news about the next book in the series and unfortunately I found out on the Internet that Moses Siregar decided to stop writing and dedicate his life to something different, so most likely the series will not be completed.
From what I read, I can understand and respect his decision, and I would like to wish him all the possible happiness.
I only hope that sometime in the future a spark could ignite again his passion and love for writing,
which are clearly shown in his books, so that we can all have the pleasure to enjoy other books like this one.
All the best from Italy Mr Siregar!
January 21, 2016
A Wonderful Read
I was blown away by the first book The Black God's War and this follow up did not disappoint.
Moses Siregar has shown himself to be a master at world creation with his original medieval \fantasy setting, a world influenced heavily by religious views and deities constructed from Nordic, Pantheonic, African and Middle Eastern legends.
In this world the author spins an action packed, fast paced and emotionally charged story of the terrible price paid when we battle for supremacy of our gods. The moral and ethical dilemmas within the story carries a clear message for us today, and I can easily see these books as a film franchise. It is a tale well worth the telling and I eagerly await the concluding stories in the series.
Kudos to Mr. Siregar on such fine writing and once this series is completed I have no doubt it will establish his work amongst some of the very best in this genre.
I was blown away by the first book The Black God's War and this follow up did not disappoint.
Moses Siregar has shown himself to be a master at world creation with his original medieval \fantasy setting, a world influenced heavily by religious views and deities constructed from Nordic, Pantheonic, African and Middle Eastern legends.
In this world the author spins an action packed, fast paced and emotionally charged story of the terrible price paid when we battle for supremacy of our gods. The moral and ethical dilemmas within the story carries a clear message for us today, and I can easily see these books as a film franchise. It is a tale well worth the telling and I eagerly await the concluding stories in the series.
Kudos to Mr. Siregar on such fine writing and once this series is completed I have no doubt it will establish his work amongst some of the very best in this genre.
July 3, 2018
Siregar's trilogy really gets moving with this book (after the prelude "The Black God's War").
This book uses the "travelogue" approach, sending the main characters on a journey that hits all the neighboring lands that will certainly play larger parts in the rest of the series*. It was bittersweet for me, because while it was great to see the characters I liked from BGW, we didn't get to spend nearly enough time with them. Of course, this isn't their story (at least not yet), so it's understandable.
One of the other benefits of this is that Siregar gets to showcase the different cultures he has created, each with a very different theology, government, philosophy, magic system, etc. The author has certainly done his homework on the cultures of our world and also added his own flair to each.
The main magic in this is Idonea's nature magic, and it takes up a good portion of the text. This is necessary and richly detailed - lovingly, even. I really felt as if I were experiencing it through her as she grew in knowledge and power.
There is obviously a lot of set up for the rest of the series. Nothing really resolves itself in this book, but you don't mind that because of the bold directions Siregar takes each of the characters in. I'm eager to find out what happens next - and that's really what matters.
* presuming there IS a rest of the series forthcoming... :( The fact that we might not get the rest of this story did push my rating down from 4 to 3; it's still a good read by itself, but without the payoff that is not in this book, you'll be left hanging.
This book uses the "travelogue" approach, sending the main characters on a journey that hits all the neighboring lands that will certainly play larger parts in the rest of the series*. It was bittersweet for me, because while it was great to see the characters I liked from BGW, we didn't get to spend nearly enough time with them. Of course, this isn't their story (at least not yet), so it's understandable.
One of the other benefits of this is that Siregar gets to showcase the different cultures he has created, each with a very different theology, government, philosophy, magic system, etc. The author has certainly done his homework on the cultures of our world and also added his own flair to each.
The main magic in this is Idonea's nature magic, and it takes up a good portion of the text. This is necessary and richly detailed - lovingly, even. I really felt as if I were experiencing it through her as she grew in knowledge and power.
There is obviously a lot of set up for the rest of the series. Nothing really resolves itself in this book, but you don't mind that because of the bold directions Siregar takes each of the characters in. I'm eager to find out what happens next - and that's really what matters.
* presuming there IS a rest of the series forthcoming... :( The fact that we might not get the rest of this story did push my rating down from 4 to 3; it's still a good read by itself, but without the payoff that is not in this book, you'll be left hanging.
September 27, 2015
I formed a love/hate relationship with The Ninth Wind pretty early on. I adore Siregar's world from my reading of The Black God's War. It's so refreshingly different from the bulk of fantasy that I've read, but there are still hints of cultures from our world that I enjoy finding. Some of the characters from TBGW are in this book, although in secondary or even tertiary roles, and they're still themselves, although changed by the events of the previous books. My favorite character from TBGW is still my favorite here, though he's rarely seen. None of the new characters eclipsed him. It made me wish I saw more of him, but that's a wish denied.
The "hate" part of this relationship came in that failed attachment to the newer characters, particularly Idonea. I couldn't connect with her. I had a hard time with Skye and Dag, too, with my best relationship being with Dag. But even that wasn't friend so much as acquaintance. This isn't meant as a failing of Siregar's writing or characterization. He writes well. I just didn't connect personally with the main characters. I'm much more intrigued by Pawelon myself. It happens. People are different. There are many readers who, I think, will connect strongly with Idonea, Skye, and Dag. I just didn't.
Yes, I do plan to read more of the series as it releases. Yes, I hope to see more of Pawelon and its people. Do I hate the Andars? No. Do I dread another book featuring them (if that happens)? Not really. The epilogue brought on a level on intrigue I didn't see coming that did have me clamoring for more.
The "hate" part of this relationship came in that failed attachment to the newer characters, particularly Idonea. I couldn't connect with her. I had a hard time with Skye and Dag, too, with my best relationship being with Dag. But even that wasn't friend so much as acquaintance. This isn't meant as a failing of Siregar's writing or characterization. He writes well. I just didn't connect personally with the main characters. I'm much more intrigued by Pawelon myself. It happens. People are different. There are many readers who, I think, will connect strongly with Idonea, Skye, and Dag. I just didn't.
Yes, I do plan to read more of the series as it releases. Yes, I hope to see more of Pawelon and its people. Do I hate the Andars? No. Do I dread another book featuring them (if that happens)? Not really. The epilogue brought on a level on intrigue I didn't see coming that did have me clamoring for more.
September 23, 2016
The Ninth Wind is a rich tapestry of conflict between nations. A small group set out on a journey to try and stave off an attack on their land, Andars, and also to find out the fate of a beloved father. The group is led by siblings Skye, Dag and Idonea - a 'witch' who harnesses the magic of sacred trees. Their journey leads them into peril and promises and revelations and finally to a confrontation that takes everyone by surprise.
This is a wonderfully written story, full of great characters, that's told from the POV both warring sides, so that the reader can get a glimpse into the minds behind the reason conflict exists in the first place. The pace of the story is continually free flowing, doesn't get bogged down in unnecessary verbiage, and the climax is very satisfying.
The first book in a new trilogy and I can't wait for the next one. It promises to be an exciting series by a gifted writer.
This is a wonderfully written story, full of great characters, that's told from the POV both warring sides, so that the reader can get a glimpse into the minds behind the reason conflict exists in the first place. The pace of the story is continually free flowing, doesn't get bogged down in unnecessary verbiage, and the climax is very satisfying.
The first book in a new trilogy and I can't wait for the next one. It promises to be an exciting series by a gifted writer.
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