The Heretics' Retribution

When the medieval Kingdom of Brismos fell, two countries rose to replace it. Amosdom, in the West, was founded on the belief that God was truly male. Brimith, in the East, believed that God pertained to the Holy Feminine. As it would be terrible for either nation to let a band of Heretics run free, they pledged to destroy their neighbors.

Theodore was born in Lindinis, a village on the outer edges of Amosdom, and from a young age fought battle after battle to survive. Shunned for the birthmarks on his arms and back, he was sure he was alone in his woes. When the recruiters came to find medics for Amosdom's Holy army, he signed up so as to escape his past battles.

On the other side of the continent, Zissis's mother forbid him from joining the war as a soldier, worried he would be singled out for the markings covering his skin. In Sirmium, the capital of Brimith, there were countless opportunities for someone's future, but Zissis struggled to find purpose. When the Brimith army sent out to recruit cooks for the war effort, he signed up hoping to find something to fight for.

A medieval low fantasy book, this novel explores the harsh consequences of blind devotion, and what happens to those deified in a broken system.