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It seems like ages ago we said we were working on a web store. Well, now we’re getting back to that. We have a Shopify store in progress and are busily adding books and other goodies. It’s much more complex than I’d anticipated, so it may take us a few more weeks to get it fully set up. We’re hoping to have a better idea of when (or even a completed store) by our next newsletter. Stay tuned!
Faith, Sacrifice, and the Thracian View of Death
Among the ancient peoples of the Balkans, few figures are as mysterious—or as compelling—as Zalmoxis, the god of the Getae and Dacians, closely connected to the Thracian spiritual world. To Greek writers, Zalmoxis was an enigma: philosopher, prophet, healer, and god all at once. To his followers, however, he was something far more intimate—a divine teacher who revealed the secret that death was not an end, but a passage.
According to ancient sources, including Herodotus, Zalmoxis taught that the soul was immortal. Death, therefore, was not to be feared. Those who lived rightly would pass into a better existence, dwelling eternally with the god. This belief shaped every aspect of Getic life, from how they approached warfare to how they honored their dead—and it found its most striking expression in a ritual that occurred once every five years.
Part of a battle scene from a Thracian tomb in Kazanlak, circa 300 BC. Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Sending a Messenger to Zalmoxis
Every five years, the Getae chose a messenger to be sent directly to Zalmoxis. This was not a punishment, nor was it forced. The man selected was a volunteer, someone willing to carry the community’s prayers, questions, and needs to their god.
The ritual itself was stark and solemn. Three spears were held upright, and the messenger was thrown upon them. If he died, it was believed that Zalmoxis had accepted both the messenger and the message. His death was considered a profound honor—not only for the man himself, but for his entire community. He had been chosen to stand in the presence of the god.
If, however, the messenger survived, the meaning was reversed. Survival was not celebrated. Instead, it was taken as a sign that Zalmoxis had rejected him. The man was believed to be unworthy, and rather than being honored, he was cast out from society. Another volunteer would be chosen in his place.
To modern readers, this ritual may seem brutal, even incomprehensible. But within the Getic worldview, it made a harsh kind of sense. If death was not final, then dying in service to the god was not a loss—it was a transition. What mattered was not survival, but acceptance.
A young warrior in chiton and Thracian cloak (battlement, strokes, rays bordered by dots, zigzag, dots; zip, black band, dilute glaze lines), equipped with an Attic helmet, a peltast’s shield and a spear, moves rapidly to the left.
Egisto Sani, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
A Different Understanding of Death
The ritual of the messenger reveals something essential about Thracian spirituality: death was not the enemy. Fear of death, in fact, was often portrayed by ancient writers as something foreign to the Getae. They were said to face battle with confidence, believing that those who fell would simply go to Zalmoxis.
This belief likely unsettled their neighbors. Greek authors struggled to categorize Zalmoxis, sometimes claiming he had once been a man—perhaps a priest or philosopher—who later became divine. Others suggested he had studied under Pythagoras. Whether these stories were attempts to rationalize an unfamiliar religion or reflections of genuine cultural exchange remains unclear.
What is clear is that Zalmoxis occupied a unique space between god and teacher. He was not distant. He listened. And every five years, the people ensured that their voices reached him.
Memory, Meaning, and Myth
Today, Zalmoxis survives not through temples or rituals, but through fragments—etched into ancient texts, folklore, and the enduring spiritual identity of the Balkans. The ritual of the messenger reminds us that belief systems shape not only how people live, but how they are willing to die.
For the Getae, faith was not symbolic. It demanded trust, courage, and ultimate surrender. And in that surrender, they believed, lay the promise of eternity.
ARC Opportunity
The ritual described above takes place in our upcoming series, THE CURSED RING, although it’s twisted by a menacing cult… That and so much more about ancient Thracian beliefs make their way into the series. We’d live for you to give it a look… and review!
Soulmate and Sacrifice
We’re looking for ARC readers for Soulmate and Sacrifice, the first book in our urban fantasy THE CURSED RING series.
BLURB:
To stop an ancient, murderous cult intent on destroying the world, I must either betray my duty or sacrifice the one I love.
Life as a paranormal crime investigator can be a bitch. Especially when evidence points to my soulmate as the prime suspect in a gruesome ritualistic killing.
And I believe Stefan’s guilty. He holds a damned ring that I cursed three millennia ago—one that has already claimed too many lives. If I can’t get him to remember our timeless bond, I’ll lose my soulmate forever.
Even worse, if the cult completes its twisted agenda, they won’t just murder Stefan—they’ll unleash a global catastrophe.
Racing against forces both mortal and ancient, I must unravel dark secrets I helped create. But if I uphold justice, I’ll lose the man I’ve spent a lifetime searching for—and my divided loyalties will doom us all.
Fans of Patricia Briggs, Ilona Andrews, and Faith Hunter will be spellbound by this fated-mates Urban Fantasy romance steeped in ancient Thracian lore, where dark magic and undying love collide.
Grab your copy today and join Kalyna in her battle to save her soulmate from malevolent forces that have already claimed him twice before.
ARC SIGNUP: https://booksprout.co/reviewer/review-copy/view/254652/soulmate-and-sacrifice