Don't forget to enter the giveaway at the end of the post to be in the running for some great prizes.
Tour is sponsored by Pride Promotions.
Talking with author Lexi Ander:
What
was the Igigi War?
If
you've read Surrounded by Crimson,
there was the scene where Tristan came upon the depiction of the Igigi War on a
cavern wall. What or who are the Igigi? Why were they fighting? What was the
outcome?
The
Igigi and their war was one of those vague myths that I latched onto. There
were plenty of websites where people had ideas and lots of speculation but very
little facts. What was thought to be factual was the term Igigi being used for
the gods of heaven and Annunaki were the gods of earth. The term was penned
during the Babylonian period and said to encompass their ten great gods.
Sometimes the term used was synonymous with the word Annunaki but evolved to
refer to all the gods of heaven. Igigi was also thought to be the younger gods,
the 6th generation, who were servants/slaves to the Annunaki until
they rebelled and they were replaced by the creation of humans. In the
Babylonian Epic of Creation, the Igigi numbered three hundred.
Like
I said, there was very little in the ways of facts, so I took Igigi to mean a
group of gods and then I labeled the biggest battle between the gods as the
Igigi War, a civil war that drastically changed who ruled. I'm going to do my
best to generalize because I don't want to lose you to the details. Those
details will be made into separate blog posts that focus on the information
about the gods and their personalities. So here we go.
Tiamat
and Abzu filled the cosmic abyss. Abzu fathered on Tiamat the elder deities and
from the elders more gods were born creating a great havoc that annoyed Abzu to
no end. He'd had enough and planned on murdering the lesser gods so he could
start over. Tiamat loved all her children and went to her favorite grandchild,
Enki, confiding in him what Abzu planned.
Armed
with this information, Enki battled with Abzu, captured him and put Abzu to
sleep in the waters under Enki's temple. Tired from the fight, Enki fell into a
deep asleep next to Abzu and began to absorb Abzu's creation power. Kingu, a
son of Tiamat and Abzu, had aspirations to become the ruler of the gods and he
ran to Tiamat telling her consort was murdered and Tiamat loses her shit.
She
created and army of gods to battle those who killed her mate. Tiamat took Kingu
as her lover and bestowed upon him the Tablets of Destinies. Three clay tablets
that Kingu wore as a breastplate giving him immense power and she made him the
general of her army.
Meanwhile,
Enki's mother attempted to wake him from his sleep because if anyone could talk
sense into Tiamat, it was her favorite. But Enki was too exhausted and didn't
wake. Enlil stepped up and extracted a vow from all the gods defending against
Tiamat that he would be made "king of the gods" which, of course,
they agreed to. With a net, arrows, club, and an invincible spear Enlil battles
with Tiamat, splitting her asunder. Her ribs were made into the vault of
heaven, her weeping eyes became the source of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers,
and her tail made into the Milky Way. The Tablets of Destinies were taken from
Kingu and Enlil donned them becoming the king of the gods. Even though Kingu
fled, he was captured and later killed. The gods Tiamat created for the war were
subjugated and in later texts they were depicted as servants.
In
some accounts of the creation myth, there were a few of the lesser gods who
sided with Tiamat. In Surrounded by
Crimson, the God Ashur revealed that he didn't side with Tiamat and
therefore had been separate from her. That was the reason he could teach
Tristan the songs of the earth but the Earth didn't respond him. In his own
way, Ashur seeks forgiveness through teaching Tristan and Ushna.
This
is what I called the Igigi War. There was another smaller skirmish that led to
the creation myth of humans… but that is another story.
A
huge thank you for allowing me to be a guest on the blog today! Throughout the
blog tour for Dragon's Eye, I hope
you enjoy the behind the scenes look at the gods and mythos, and how they play
a part in Sumeria's Sons. For a visual representation, please visit my
Pinterest page. (https://www.pinterest.com/lexiander1/sumeria-sons-inspirations/) During the tour I
discuss the Sumerian pantheon, about who and what the Gods/Goddess are, and how
I use them. Make sure you stop by the other blogs to get a complete look at the
Gods and Goddess the Lycan's follow.
Also,
Less Than Three Press is running a special sale on Sumeria's Sons from September
23rd through October 7th
(dates inclusive).
Twin
Flames
is $0.99.
25%
off Songs
of the Earth
25%
off Dreams
of the Forgotten
25%
off Surrounded
by Crimson
Thank you for stopping by and reading!
Now onto Lexi Ander's Dragon's Eye....
Cover
Artist: London Burden
Series should be read in
order.
Release
Date: October 7, 2015
In the wake of birth and
betrayal, Ushna takes the God Ashur to Tristan in a last desperate bid to save
Tristan's life—and is helpless to do anything but watch as Ashur instead buries
him in a grave. Though he has no desire to go on living, having now lost Brian
and Tristan, Ushna has no choice. Not only do their children need him, the
mysterious Simurgh has come out of hiding and forces him to continue on—for
there is much to do and little time to do it, especially with treachery and
danger closing in on them from every side.
Pages or Words: 98,000
words
Categories: Fantasy, M/M
Romance, Menage/Poly, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
Exclusive Excerpt:
Chapter
One
**Ushna**
The
God Ashur followed behind me carrying Tristan, whose body was battered and
broken. The cry of our newborn pups preceded me. Their birth was supposed to be
a wondrous occasion, but through treachery and lies, that was stolen from us.
Instead of enjoying the happy moment, I feared Tristan was dying.
There
was so much blood. The damage to his body overwhelmed my senses. I was afraid
if I didn't keep my eyes on him, if I turned my back for a second too long, his
Flame would slip away. We ran through the cursed caverns that wouldn't allow me
to touch my wolf or feel the song of the earth. Ashur's harsh commands to hurry
spurred me on faster but I had to look behind me, I had to see with my own eyes
that Tristan was still with us, still fighting.
The
scars… I couldn't care less but Tristan might. I vowed I would spend the rest
of my life showing him how beautiful he was to me—but first we had to get him
out into the open.
I
glanced back. "Hurry, Ashur."
The
corridor seemed much longer than when we'd come in. Glancing over my shoulder
again to ensure Ashur followed closely, my impatience caused a snarl to rumble
in my throat. Tristan's skin was a gray-blue, stark and sickly against Ashur's
rich mahogany tone. With every passing moment, we were losing him.
"Please."
I don't know if I begged Ashur to go faster or if it was a plea to the Gods to
spare Tristan's life.
When
we entered the darkened corridor carved from the bedrock, I heard Tristan sigh.
For months, he'd been teaching me how to listen to the Earth and I could
practically feel her rush to him. I climbed the stairs, my foot slipping on the
wet step in my hurry to get outside.
The
open air had never smelled so good, filling my lungs with the scents of life.
My wolf stirred, frantic for our mate. I reached to take Tristan from Ashur,
but he dodged my grasp, moving off to the side. His low voice had a musical
tone as he chanted in a language I didn't recognize and next to him, a hole formed
in the ground.
"What
are you doing? You said all we had to do was get him outside!" Why was
Ashur not singing the song for healing? I reached again to take Tristan from
Ashur's arms. Tristan was teaching me the complex chant, but Ashur was
Tristan's tutelary. He knew what to ask the Earth for and how. Why was he not
begging her to save Tristan's life? She wouldn't say no. She'd never say no to
Tristan because she adored him.
It
took a moment for the haze of my frantic thoughts to subside enough to realize
Ashur was talking and then another for me to process the meaning of his words.
What did he mean he couldn't restore Tristan's health?
With
rising alarm, I said, "You've been teaching him how to sing to the Earth.
Why can't you do that now?"
Ashur
dodged me, laying Tristan in the hole atop the dark loamy soil. Something eased
in me seeing Tristan in contact with the ground, although the Earth didn't rush
up to him as I'd expected. She never missed an opportunity to touch him… until
now. Instead, I felt power build until my bones ached and the snakes on my
chest writhed in discomfort.
Staring
down, I searched for the source of the energy, sure that at any moment,
whatever it was would show itself. My gaze continued to return to Tristan with
his ruined eyed, his torso ravaged and gaping. Never had I seen him so
vulnerable, so small, the very sight calling to the caretaker within me.
Tearing
my gaze away, I confronted Ashur who was pleading with me. "I teach him
the songs but She doesn't respond to me."
An
ancient sadness shone in Ashur's visage but I didn't care. I had trusted him to
save Tristan. Never before had I been filled with such useless rage. I didn't
understand what Ashur was saying. Who was he talking about? The Earth? He was
the king's tutelary, so why wouldn't the Earth answer his call?
Desperation
rose up and I barked, "Why the fuck not?"
"Because
I took the wrong side in a war, now I'm forever separated from Her."
What
did that have to do with the here and now? What did it matter he'd lost
something or someone? My Tristan was dying
and all he could do was talk. Ashur's pleading gaze held mine and I suddenly
understood. I glanced back down at Tristan, lying in a bed of fresh dark soil.
A
grave.
"No!
You cannot mean to do this. He's not dead!" I jumped into the hole;
Tristan's single eye stared at me with clarity, despite the state of his body.
His chest rose and fell with each labored breath. There was still time. I could
save him.
With
the strength of the God he was, Ashur wound his arms around my waist and easily
hauled me away from Tristan.
I
went mad.
I
fought, screamed and begged. First Brian and now Tristan. How was I to stay
behind? I pleaded with Ashur to allow me to go with Tristan. We'd travelled
through the Earth together before, we could do it again. I could sing to the
Earth and beg for Her help.
It
wasn't too late.
Then
Ashur chanted and the soil covered Tristan, taking him from my sight. I roared with
fury, thrashing and clawing at Ashur's hands. I vowed vengeance for this act of
betrayal. Silently, Ashur held me as I beat and wailed upon him, trying to free
myself from his steely grasp. He whispered continuously, "I am sorry but
this had to be done," in my ear. Tears of grief stained my cheeks and I
hated him all the more because it didn't have to be like this. He had no right
to take Tristan from me.
How was I to know I'd have only a few
short months with him? Never once did I consider I would be left behind again.
Who'd keep me grounded now? I was hollow, less than half of who I once was
because two essential parts of me were missing, leaving me a mere shadow of who
I used to be. What was left for me now? All I wanted was to follow Tristan.
I clenched
the loamy soil between my fingers, startling at the harsh cry of a babe. One,
then two, followed by a third wail of infant voices filled the silence. Each
tiny bellow wrapped around me and I hung my head feeling wrung out and
defeated. What would anchor me to this world, indeed?
Tour
Dates & Stops:
Meet
Lexi Ander:
Lexi has always been an
avid reader, and at a young age started reading (secretly) her mother’s
romances (the ones she was told not to touch). She was the only teenager she
knew of who would be grounded from reading. Later, with a pencil and a note
book, she wrote her own stories and shared them with friends because she loved
to see their reactions. A Texas transplant, Lexi now kicks her boots up in the
Midwest with her Yankee husband and her eighty-pound puppies named after vacuum
cleaners.
Where to find Lexi
Ander:
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