By Darkness Hid by Jill Williamson Published by: Marcher Lord Press (2009) 508 pages Rating: 10/10 Buy it Now:

This is just not fair.

I know, I know. It's part of the danger of epic fantasy writing, especially when it's a title clearly marked as "Book 1."

But now I want the next book. And I want it right now. I mean, Achan doesn't even know yet that...

Okay, okay. Maybe I should back up...

By Darkness Hid is another superb offering from upstart Marcher Lord Press, and this is one that the major publishers should have jumped all over. While I love Starfire, for example, I can easily see why Christian publishers wouldn't be very interested in it, but this one... By Darkness Hid is the kind of fantasy that should be on Christian bookstore shelves everywhere. Every publisher is looking for "the next J.R.R. Tolkien", so much so that it's a horrible cliché to compare a fantasy writer to him. I won't go that far, but I will say that because the publishers are looking for that kind of thing... this is where they should have been looking.

In short, the world is Er'Rets and half of it exists in perpetual darkness due to a mysterious event in the past, long thought to be a curse from the king of the gods. Two main characters vie for the readers' attention. The first is young Achan Cham, a young slave who experiences regular beatings and mistreatment, but longs for more. His opportunity comes when a strange knight takes note of him and offers to train him. In the midst of the training, a change comes over Achan, unleashing mysterious voices in his head that threaten to overwhelm him.

The second character is Vrell Sparrow - at least, that's the name she's going by. Disguised as a boy to hide from an unwanted suitor, Vrell has the same "bloodvoicing" ability that Achan is discovering, but she's known about it for years and has it under control. Unfortunately, that ability has drawn more unwelcome attention, attention she can't avoid without revealing her subterfuge.

Along the way, both are surrounded by a variety of other unique characters, few who match up with the standard fantasy tropes. In fact, the world of Er'Rets is fascinating and complete. I can't wait to explore it further.

If you like fantasy novels at all, you owe it to yourself to get hold of this one. Even if you don't, I've already seen comments from those who usually don't like fantasy who enjoyed this book. Highly Recommended.