Love fantasy? You will want to order this book that releases in April!

What is this amazing story titled, you ask?

By Darkness Hid: The Blood of Kings, Book One
Coming April 1, 2009 from Marcher Lord Press

Who is the author? Her name is Jill Williamson, and she is incredibly talented! I don't care much for fantasy (for the most part) but her story pulled me in and wouldn't release me until I finished the last page. Of course, I did an endorsement for the book because it was so well done. And now I MUST read the sequel, too. It's fascinating.

Here are some of her sites...

http://www.jillmwilliamson.com/
http://www.novelteen.wordpress.com/

Here is a little bit about the book...

Half of Er’Rets is locked beneath an impenetrable shroud. On the side that still sees the sun, two young people struggle to understand the mind-communication abilities thrust upon them.

It's called bloodvoicing. Some say it's a gift. One of the newly "gifted" wish it had never come.

Achan has been a slave all his life. Worse than a slave—a stray. He is consigned to the kitchens of a lord and forced to swallow a foul potion every day. When an enigmatic knight offers to train Achan for the Kingsguard, he readily accepts. But his new skills with the sword do not prepare him for the battle raging between the voices in his head.

Vrell Sparrow is not who she seems. She masquerades as a boy to avoid capture by the powerful forces that seek to exploit her. But Vrell feels called to help a young squire who recently discovered his bloodvoicing gift, even if doing so requires her to work with those who could destroy her.

While Achan learns to use his new ability, Vrell struggles to shut hers down. All the voices strive to learn Achan and Vrell's true identities—and a different kind of voice is calling them both.

Here is the endorsement I wrote for this fabulous story...

“By Darkness Hid is a compelling debut fantasy novel which beautifully illustrates the battle between good and evil as well as the challenges faced by the faithful. The world Williamson creates is well crafted and so believable that at times it made me cringe. While reading this novel I was living in the land of Er’Rets and experiencing the peril she puts her characters through. For someone who is not normally a fantasy reader, this story not only kept me riveted to the pages, but anxious about the outcome as well. Oftentimes fantasy novels are hard for me to follow, but that was not the case with By Darkness Hid. Ms. Williamson really knows how to keep a reader’s attention by putting her characters into impossible situations. Just when things look like they can’t get any worse, they worsen further. I am anxiously awaiting the next installment in this series.”

–Michelle Sutton, author of the YA novel, It’s Not About Me, Editor-in-Chief of Christian Fiction Online Magazine

Love what you've read and heard? You can pre-order the book here!

http://jillwilliamson.wordpress.com/the-blood-of-kings/

And just to see if you were paying attention, if you read this entire post and would like to enter your name to win a copy of this book, post a comment about why you love fantasy and what intrigues you about this story and I'll contact the winner when the contest closes at the end of this month.