The God War

Set against the backdrop of a world war on the planet Estaff, The God War tells the story of Jarin, a young woman who has led a simple nomadic existence until she and her uncle are unexpectedly attacked by agents of the Children and forced onto the run:

Jarin asked what she already suspected. “You knew they were coming, didn’t you?”

Qwend looked down. “I’ve been feeling eyes on us for at least a month now.”

Jarin must have looked as surprised as she felt, because Qwend added, “I know maybe I should have told you, but there was no point in making you worry. There was nothing you could have done. Besides, I didn’t want to say anything in case I was wrong.”

Jarin didn’t know how to respond to that, and she saw that Qwend was looking confused as well, as if trying to make up his mind about something. Finally he said, “There’s quite a few things you need to know Jarin.”

“About why they’re after you?” she asked.

“Us,” Qwend nodded. “If this means what I think it does, then my greatest fears have come true. Jarin, until I say differently, don’t use any magic, no matter what. Our only hope of escape is to stay hidden for as long as we can.”

Shocked, Jarin had to ask, “What does this all mean?”

Qwend looked straight at her and told her more in one moment about his past than he ever had in her entire life. “My son has become the leader of the Children. To make if official, I have to be dead. In order to ensure no one can usurp his reign, you must die as well.”

Chapter 1 Chapter 8 Chapter 15 Chapter 22

Chapter 2 Chapter 9 Chapter 16 Chapter 23

Chapter 3 Chapter 10 Chapter 17 Chapter 24

Chapter 4 Chapter 11 Chapter 18 Chapter 25

Chapter 5 Chapter 12 Chapter 19 Chapter 26

Chapter 6 Chapter 13 Chapter 20 Chapter 27

Chapter 7 Chapter 14 Chapter 21 Epilogue

Chapter 1 Chapter 6 Chapter 11 Coming Soon

Chapter 2 Chapter 7

Chapter 3 Chapter 8

Chapter 4 Chapter 9

Chapter 5 Chapter 10 Added February, 2008

This site is the home of The God War, a four book fantasy series available to read here free of charge. The books are being posted sequentially as they are revised.

If this story is so great, then why isn't being published as a traditional book? Well, I'm not saying it's perfect, but I do think it is an entertaining story. Here's the background: I've been working on this planet and various storylines for nearly twenty years. The story of The God War has evolved considerably since I first started working on it. Books I-III are now completed, at least in rough draft form, at about 100,000 words each, and I'm writing Book IV now.

The reality is that fantasy novels are the toughest kind of books to get published. I've spent a lot of time working on this story. At this point in time I really don't want to spent the next several years trying to get this story published the traditional way. I also don't like the idea of letting these works sit on a shelf to gather dust.

The way I look at it is that if this series is actually good enough to be published the old fashioned way, then it should certainly attract attention as a free series available online. I don't think that what I've written is gold and I'll never be able to produce anything again. I've evolved a lot as a writer while working on this story, and I've learned a lot as well. So in the end, my thinking is that if these novels are any good, I will find that out by people coming here and enjoying them. What greater satisfaction can a writer ask for?

There's a comments section at the end of each chapter that's finally working. This story is a work in progress and I am always tinkering with it, so any suggestions are always appreciated. You can also drop me a line at bentiffany@thegodwar.com. Thank you!