The Carol-award winning The Restorer’s Son is Book 2 in The Sword of Lyric trilogy. If you saw my previous posts, you know that I loved Book 1 — and guess what? I loved Book 2 just as much if not more. While Book 1 focused on Susan Mitchell, soccer mom extraordinaire, Book 2 focuses on the rugged Kieran of Braide Wood. This smart-aleck, sarcastic, backwoods scout/fighter is a man who struggles with his own mortality, his heritage, and his less-than-stellar standing in society. Maybe it’s just my own warped sense of humor (What? Me? Sarcastic? Nah), but I really enjoyed following Kieran and his dry wit.

I struggle with how to review this story because if you haven’t read Book 1, the opening chapter of Book 2 is a HUGE spoiler. I can, however, present you with the first couple of paragraphs without risk.

Chapter One — Kieran

“Hills of Hazor take you,” I swore for at least the tenth time since first light. My sword hacked at thick underbrush, but when I shouldered my way forward, a twig snapped back at my face. I cursed the day I’d met the last Restorer. It was because of her that I was battling through this forsaken forest below Cauldron Falls. My blade deserved a more substantial enemy.

A squint-eyed badger rambled out from a thornbush. Sniffing the air, it bristled and ducked back under cover. Wise plan. I was hungry. Stinging beetles landed on me from the low-hanging branches overhead. I swatted them away and stalked onward.

Why hadn’t I convinced Tristan to leave her in Shamgar when she first turned up? A witness to his crime, and he had brought her to our refuge in the deserted city. Typical. He was a naive idiot sometimes.

She hadn’t looked very threatening that day — rain-soaked, bloody, and unconscious. If only I’d known then how much trouble she was capable of causing. What was that old saying? Don’t judge a rizzid’s menace until you see its teeth.

And so it begins. Kieran goes on to find a new calling, an orphan boy, a ruthless king with burning questions, and an enemy land torn apart by darkness. (I can say that since it’s all mentioned on the back cover.)

But Kieran isn’t the only character. Susan and Mark reappear, searching frantically for their teenage son, all the while struggling with suspicions that they have been betrayed by an ally. In regard to Susan and Mark, the publisher puts it best: “Assassins, political intrigue, false leads, and near misses beset their path, which will lead them into the dark prisons of Hazor before the One’s purpose is revealed.”

I’ve read this book a couple of times and thinking back to the first time, I recall turning the pages deep into the night, dying to find out what happened next. And yet, the book focuses on more than just adventure. Intrigue, the dangers of pride, and the mortality of man in the face of an all-powerful God are the first few themes that come to mind.

Now for the best part — if you haven’t read The Restorer’s Son, you should. If you have read it, you should read it again, but make sure you have the Expanded Edition so you can take advantage of the links to extra content, new scenes, and an extensive devotional guide in the back.

I’m sure you’ve figured out by now that I give The Restorer’s Son 5 stars out of 5.

For purchasing information, you can click through here, Marcher Lord Press. The book is currently available from the publisher in trade-sized paperback. I understand e-book versions will be available very soon. I’ll try to keep you posted on that.

You can find Sharon Hinck online at: http://www.sharonhinck.com/

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

• Oxygen by John B. Olson and Randall Ingermanson (deluxe re-release). I loved this book. In fact, by the time I finished it, my entire family knew the story. I couldn’t stop talking about it.
• Freehead (working title) by Kerry Nietz. This is the conclusion of the epic sci-fi “DarkTrench” saga that started in 2009 with A Star Curiously Singing.
• The Restorer by Sharon Hinck (deluxe re-release of the first book in the “Sword of Lyric” trilogy). I loved, loved, loved this book so much we used it as a selection for our local book club. Needless to say, it was a BIG hit there too.
• Broken Sight by Steve Rzasa, a new space opera from the universe revealed in the universe revealed in Rzasa’s novel The Word Reclaimed.
• Wind and Shadow by Kathy Tyers. This is a very long-awaited sequel to the classic Christian sci-fi “Firebird” trilogy. I can’t wait to read it.

For more info on books previously released by this fabulous publisher of inspirational speculative, sci-fi and fantasy fiction, check out the website: Marcher Lord Press.

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Sending, by Matt Koceich

LOSE YOUR FAITH. SAVE YOUR SOUL.

Mark Grant has a unique ability to see distant places and has earned millions in his quest to locate the Garden of Eden. Now dark forces want him to uncover a 4,000 year-old secret that holds the key to eternal life.

This is no harmless quest for Paradise. Armies of darkness seek to reclaim their place in heaven. To do so, they must escape their ultimate death in the lake of fire by using Mark as their human host. The fruit of the Tree of Life will solidify their insidious plan. So Mark is sent to find the way back into Eden—and his family is kidnapped to ensure his compliance.

The minions of Satan think Mark is working completely for their errands. But someone else is sending Mark, as well.

Racing time to find them and the Tree of Life, Mark must decide if he’s willing to lose his faith to save his soul.

The Tenth Crusader, by Kirk Outerbridge
A Rick Macey Cyberthriller:
Thirty years of unrequited revenge stuffed into the body of a high powered combat cyborg

The Philippines of the future is a dangerous place. A country ravaged by 20 years of Islamic civil war. A nation fractured by religious fundamentalism and socioeconomic decay—and a place General Rick Macey thought he’d never have to see again.

But when a political assassination takes place at the US embassy in Manila, a calling card is left that Macey can hardly ignore.

Charged with mending US-Philippine relations, Macey must uncover the assassins, known only as The Tenth Crusaders, before the U.S. is accused of politically sabotaging the Philippines’ efforts to join the Islamic Alliance of Oceania—a pan-Islamic Supercountry comprised of the former Malaysia and Indonesia.

Failure could mean a new conflict between the U.S. and I.A.O., but to find the Crusaders, Macey will have to confront his past in the Philippines and the truth behind why he never wanted to return.

König’s Fire, by Marc Schooley

They Called Me Nebuchadnezzar

The Nazis have established a torture center in a mine at the heart of a Romanian forest. Here they interrogate prisoners and, sometimes, throw them into the furnace at the heart of the mine.

Only now, the primeval forest is rising against them, unleashing a preternatural army to besiege the great iron gate of the mine. The fearsome guards become terrified prisoners and the furnace itself burns with hungry anger against them.

Sascha König, a man they called Nebuchadnezzar, is their only hope. He is master of the furnace. All along, he has been Hitler’s ardent servant. But now…König is wrestling with demons of his own, and the Master of all fires is calling him to Himself through the haunting eyes of a little gypsy girl König did not save.

You can find the publisher and sample chapters here: Marcher Lord Press

Release date is October 1, 2010.

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

To Darkness Fled, Book 2 in the “Blood of Kings” trilogy by Jill Williamson, is a masterfully written inspirational, adult fantasy novel. I don’t say that lightly. After reading Book 1 (By Darkness Hid), I eagerly looked forward to reading the sequel. Life being what it is, it took a while to get to it, but once I met my other commitments, I grabbed the book and happily settled in for a good read. I wasn’t disappointed.

The book picks up right where Book 1 left off, however, it continues the story primarily from another character’s point of view. In this book we get to explore the mind and experiences of Lady Averella, known to her current companions as Vrell Sparrow. In Book 1, we see Vrell flee the wicked prince in the guise of a young lad, who is then sucked into the world of men for the adventure of her life.

Once again, author Jill Williamson had done a great job of creating a believable character and placed her in certain situations that kept me turning page after page. Here’s the official blurb:

Enter Darkness…

They had no choice. Chased by an evil prince, Achan, Vrell, and the Kingsguard knights flee into Darkness. They head north, for Tsaftown and Ice Island, where they must free an army that can help them fight for Er’Rets.

Darkness sickens Vrell. How long can she keep her secret without being caught? Achan already suspects her of lying. If she is not careful, he will suspect her of treason, as well. She hopes he will let his suspicions go until they reach her home. Though he would not be very wise if he did.

Achan wanted freedom, but this new journey has bound him more than ever. Sir Gavin’s claim is so far fetched. First, that there might only be one god, and second, that this God chose Achan to push back Darkness, the magnificent curse of Er’Rets. Him. Achan. Barely a man himself.

Each setback Darkness brings seems minor compared to the one choice only Achan can make. What will he choose?

To read sample chapters of To Darkness Fled on Scribed.com, click here.

To Darkness Fled is appropriate for readers 13 and older, but will likely appeal to most adult readers interested in Christian fantasy. I highly recommend the book.

Author Jill Williamson can be found all over the web, including: www.jillwilliamson.com,  Facebook,  MySpace,  Shoutlife,  Shelfari,  GoodReads,  Twitter,  Amazon (author page)

To Darkness Fled, by Jill Williamson
Publisher: Marcher Lord Press
Publication Date: April 1, 2010
696 pages

To read the recommendations of the other CSFF bloggers, see the sidebar.

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

For my previous review of By Darkness Hid, click here.

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Today we wrap up the CSFF blog tour for Jill Williamson’s fantasy novel By Darkness Hid. I’ve been looking at the other bloggers’ posts and so far it’s been a great tour.

Now I have the privilege of posting the results of an interview I conducted with Jill. Thank you, Jill, for being so gracious and patient with all of us bloggers this week. And now for the interview:

What led you to write “By Darkness Hid”?

My son and I were walking past house that had burned down. There was a tree in the yard that was half charred and half leafy green. I thought it was so cool. So I ran home and Photoshopped the tree. It’s the same tree that is the header on my website.

I also had a weird dream about a woman soldier who was on a mission to rescue the heir to the land. His transport had been in an accident and he was taken to a hospital on the wrong side of the city, the dangerous side. He was in a coma. But there was another guy in the hospital room who had amnesia. And only I knew that the coma guy was an impostor. Amnesia guy was the real heir. And the soldier woman was going to be the one to figure it all out.

How long did it take you to write the book?

I spent a couple months creating my storyworld. I started writing in December 2007. It took me a little over a month to write the first draft. I spent the next six months rewriting it, getting critiques from my critique group, and rewriting some more. The book was done when I showed Jeff Gerke my first chapter at the Oregon Christian Writer’s conference that July.

Who was your favorite character to write? What is your favorite thing about that character?

Achan is my favorite. I like that he is sarcastic and hates fancy clothes. I like that he calls Vrell, Sparrow.

Who are your favorite authors and who inspired you to become a creative writer?

In the Christian market, my favorite author is Frank Peretti. The Harry Potter books inspired me to write fiction because Christians in my community were arguing about whether the books should be read by Christians. Also, my pastor at the time, Pastor Joe Torosian, read my first chapter and encouraged me. He told me I was telling, not showing, and he told me that this was a worthy calling and I should go for it.

If you could be any character from a fantasy book, who would it be and why?

I would be Princess Leia. Because she’s smart and tough and a princess and she gets to marry Han Solo. J Plus she’s got spunk.

Now that the first two books in the Blood of Kings trilogy are published, I see there is one more book left. When can we expect to see that hit the shelves?

If all goes well, book three should be out April 2011.

Are you working on any new projects?

I am polishing up that first book of mine. It’s a Christian Agent Cody Banks-type story called The New Recruit. I’m also brainstorming a new fantasy story that I’m excited about. And I get to draw a brand new map!

How can readers find you on the web?

I’m everywhere! My website is www.jillwilliamson.com. I’m also on Facebook, MySpace, Shoutlife, Shelfari, GoodReads, Twitter, Amazon…

On top of that, I run two blogs. The first is Novel Teen Book Reviews at www.novelteen.com. It’s a website that reviews clean teen fiction. This is a great resource to see what books are available in the Christian market for teens. The other blog is for teen authors, though adult authors may find some useful tips too. www.teenageauthor.com.

Again, thank you, Jill, and thanks to everyone else who stopped by. If you haven’t read By Darkness Hid yet, I hope we have convinced you to get a copy soon. If you love good Christian fantasy, I encourage you to support Jill by purchasing a copy if you can. If we support good, strong Christian fantasy, hopefully it will encourage more publishers to produce more of the same!

Great tour, guys.

Brandon Barr
Keanan Brand
Gina Burgess
Beckie Burnham
Melissa Carswell
Valerie Comer
Karri Compton
Amy Cruson
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
Emmalyn Edwards
April Erwin
Sarah Flanagan
Andrea Graham
Tori Greene
Ryan Heart
Joleen Howell
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Dawn King
Leighton
Rebecca LuElla Miller
New Authors Fellowship
John W. Otte
Crista Richey
Chawna Schroeder
Andrea Schultz
James Somers
Rachel Starr Thomson
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Phyllis Wheeler
KM Wilsher
R.L. Copple

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

As I posted the publisher’s summary for the book yesterday, I won’t do it again today but will just jump into my take on By Darkness Hid.

As I mentioned yesterday, I expect By Darkness Hid to have great appeal for both adult and young adult lovers of Christian fantasy–and yes, the book is unabashedly Christian. In my opinion, this is a good thing because the Christian fiction market is desperately in need of fantasy and sci-fi books of this caliber. There are many readers (and writers too) who have abandoned Christian fiction because of its tendency to gloss over this genre. Because of this, I love what up-and-coming publishers such as Marcher Lord Press are doing to provide quality books to those who are hungry for speculative Christian fiction. And I believe By Darkness Hid definitely helps to fill that hole.

(Warning: If you haven’t yet read the book, the following does contain minor spoilers but I promise not to give away the ending.)

In fact, I found the book’s style to be reminiscent of (and written as well as) Robin Hobb’s classic Farseer Trilogy. Perhaps part of that is due to the fact that Achan reminded me a bit of FitzChivalry (the main character in the Farseer books), but the similarity in characters ends there. Where Robin Hobb’s main character searched for meaning in spite of who he was, Jill Williamson’s Achan spends his days dealing with the injustices of his position in life as a stray orphan, all the while not realizing his true identity.

In this, I believe Jill skillfully created a character arc that skillfully depicted Achan’s increasing conflicts and hoped-for resolutions. I suspect that Book 2 will continue to build Achan’s character even further.

I was a bit surprised when Jill threw Avarella/Vrell Sparrow into the mix as well. At first, I found her story developing a bit slow, but it picked up for me as Jill wove Avarella’s and Achan’s story lines together. I look forward to seeing this combined story line continue in Book 2 as well.

In terms of story world, Jill has built a wonderful universe that encompasses two regions, one that contains sunlight and another that is hidden in a fog of darkness. However, I admit to being a bit confused as to how this half of the book’s world could operate in a normal fashion (at least in terms of the nobles and societal structure) if the fog of darkness is as black as it seemed to be painted. I suspect that we will find out in the next book that the “darkness” is actually more grey than black.

My review would not be complete without discussing the magic system Jill has built in her universe. Bloodvoicing is an interesting talent but I believe it is the other main reason By Darkness Hid reminded me of the Farseer books–the talent is only found in those of royal lineage. But that’s okay. I think Jill carried it off just fine.

As I’m sure you have noticed by now, I haven’t read Book 2 in Jill’s Blood of Kings Trilogy, but I enjoyed Book 1 so much that I ordered Book 2 (just published April 1) the same day I finished Book 1. I have tried to identify the things about Book 1 that I liked the best and realized that what I truly enjoyed was the way Jill intertwined the characters, story world and magic system into a believable, intriguing tale set in an interesting universe.

In spite of the huge pile of books I have collected that I want to read, Book 2 of The Blood of Kings series (To Darkness Fled) will quickly move to the top of the list once I get it in my hands. Because I read Book 1 on my iPhone, I wasn’t sure how many pages the printed copy was but when I looked on Amazon, I saw that the trade paperback is 508 pages. I admit that my favorite books are so large they can double as doorstops, so I’m glad to see that Book 2 weighs in at 696 pages.

I like the longer books because they are generally crafted in a more complex fashion than simpler books. I say that to point out the fact that because Jill has woven a story in this book that (at least initially) presents more than one story line, it would probably be difficult for younger readers to follow. But readers ages 13 and up will probably do just fine.

If you find the length of By Darkness Hid a bit daunting, let me encourage you to not let it stop you from reading the book. To me, By Darkness Hid was crafted well enough that it held my interest from beginning to end and kept me going until I had finished the book in two days.

Overall, I would enthusiastically recommend By Darkness Hid to Christian fantasy lovers aged 13 years and up. While some excellent books come along from time to time (Wayne Thomas Batson and Bryan Davis come to mind) it’s rare to find a well-crafted fantasy book in the Christian market.

Tomorrow I will post an interview with Jill Williamson so come back y’all, y’hear? If you want more info about By Darkness Hid, click my Amazon affiliate link here.

Don’t forget to check out my fellow CSFF bloggers and see what they have to say about By Darkness Hid.

Brandon Barr
Keanan Brand
Gina Burgess
Beckie Burnham
Melissa Carswell
Valerie Comer
Karri Compton
Amy Cruson
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
Emmalyn Edwards
April Erwin
Sarah Flanagan
Andrea Graham
Tori Greene
Ryan Heart
Joleen Howell
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Dawn King
Leighton
Rebecca LuElla Miller
New Authors Fellowship
John W. Otte
Crista Richey
Chawna Schroeder
Andrea Schultz
James Somers
Rachel Starr Thomson
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Phyllis Wheeler
KM Wilsher
R.L. Copple

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

By Darkness Hid

The book first caught my eye last year when it was released. However, I’m sorry to say that when I saw “Young Adult” listed as the reader category, I passed it over to pick up another book from my TBR pile. Nonetheless, I am a big fan of what Marcher Lord Press is doing for Christian fantasy and sci-fi fiction so when I would come across them online from time to time, this book would pop up and I would wish it weren’t YA. Well, it appears my fears were unfounded. I was glad to see a few days ago the book listed as YA/Adult fiction, a designation that I believe is more appropriate.

A few months ago, I began to hear more and more about this book. First I saw it was chosen for an upcoming Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy (CSFF) blog tour. Then, lo and behold, an e-book version was offered on Amazon for only 99 cents. How could I go wrong? Besides, By Darkness Hid had just been announced as a finalist for a Christy Award. It was at that point I decided that was it. I had to read this book and see what all the fuss was about. Wow! Am I glad I did!

So here we are on Day 1 of the 3-day CSFF Blog Tour. Tomorrow I’ll will give my thoughts on the book, then on Wednesday, I will post an interview with Jill.

For now, here’s the official blurb, followed by links to my fellow CSFF bloggers. I would encourage you to stop by their blogs for a further look into By Darkness Hid. Without further ado, here is the official book description:

Achan is a stray, mere property ranked lower even than a slave. His entire life he has lived as the abused ward of Poril, who is cook to Lord Narthak. Every morning Poril forces Achan to drink a foul elixer, supposedly for his health but it’s never prevented any illness that Achan can see.

Sometimes Achan has feelings about things before they happen. Sometimes he senses when someone with ill intent are on their way to abuse him.

One day, Achan has a new feeling. Someone is approaching who wishes him only well. It turns out to be Sir Gavin, famed hero of the Old Kingsguard. For some reason, Gavin takes an interest in Achan and even offers to train him in the ways of knighthood.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the continent, a teenage girl dons mens’ clothing to conceal her identity. Her mother is under pressure to marry her daughter, Averella (now going as Vrell), to an evil lord. Vrell uses the mental communication ability she and her mother share to vanish into the world of men.

Forces of darkness have become aware of both Vrell and Achan and are seeking to seize their powers. While one knows her gift and hides it, the other’s true gift–and identity–is known only to a few who seek to use it to overthrow the world.

Note: This is Part 1 of a 3-day blog tour. For the rest of my review, click here: Part 2 and Part 3.

Brandon Barr
Keanan Brand
Gina Burgess
Beckie Burnham
Melissa Carswell
Valerie Comer
Karri Compton
Amy Cruson
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
Emmalyn Edwards
April Erwin
Sarah Flanagan
Andrea Graham
Tori Greene
Ryan Heart
Joleen Howell
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Dawn King
Leighton
Rebecca LuElla Miller
New Authors Fellowship
John W. Otte
Crista Richey
Chawna Schroeder
Andrea Schultz
James Somers
Rachel Starr Thomson
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Phyllis Wheeler
KM Wilsher
R.L. Copple

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Superlative Stream, by Kerry Nietz
With his female companion, HardCandy, and a secret ship named DarkTrench, Sandfly travels across time and space to find the source and meaning of the transmission that changed his life. (The Superlative Stream is the sequel to A Star Curiously Singing.)

The Word Unleashed, by Steve Rzasa
Baden will have to come to grips with the power he has unleashed on the Realm of Five. And that power has plans of its own. (The Word Unleashed is the sequel to The Word Reclaimed, which is available for $.99 in e-book form from Amazon for a limited time. Here’s the Amazon link.)

To Darkness Fled, by Jill Williamson
Achan, Vrell, and the Kingsguard knights flee into Darkness. They head north, to Tsaftown and Ice Island, where they must free an army that can help them fight for Er-Rets. (To Darkness Fled is the sequel to By Darkness Hid, which is available for $.99 in e-book form from Amazon for a limited time. Here’s the Amazon link.)

Two previously released MLP books are also available in e-book form by Amazon for a limited time at the $.99 price: Starfire by Stuart Stockton Vaughn, and The Dark Man by Marc Schooley. Click on the books titles for the Amazon link.

You can purchase the books on MLP’s website at:
http://www.marcherlordpress.com/New_Store/Fiction.htm

MLP bundles and specials are also available:
http://www.marcherlordpress.com/New_Store/Bundles_and_Specials.htm

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Word Reclaimed

Far in the future, the five colonized systems have finally been freed of the curse of religion. By mandating tolerance across all colonies, no one can bring religious persecution upon anyone else. Things have been this way for a generation. Long enough for most of those living to have never known a Torah, Koran, or New Testament, except in stories. And the Kesek secret police work hard to keep it so. So what happens when a bitter teenage discovers a holy book that has been earmarked for destruction? What happens when it begins speaking to him. And now that Kesek is coming for him and his father and anyone else who gets in his way, what is he going to do with this troublesome book? The Word Reclaimedis epic space opera amidst civil war, treachery, and  political alliances as sifting as Martian sand.

And now for the interview. Enjoy!

What led you to write this particular story?

A few years ago I hit upon the idea, what if a man found a Bible in the wreckage of a starship? Then I wondered what it would be like if written religious texts were banned, and faith was regulated. From that came the genesis for “”The Word Reclaimed.”

In a way, The Word Reclaimed reminded me of several really great space operas–like Star Wars and Anne McCaffrey’s novels, among others. What particular books or movies impacted you as you were growing up?

Ah, you discovered the not-so-great secret! I love the Star Wars series and read several novelizations, especially the “Heir to the Empire” and “Black Fleet Crisis” trilogies – those I read in college. I did most of my science fiction reading in high school and college. I thoroughly enjoyed C.J. Cherryh’s “Merchanter’s Luck” as well as the Honor Harrington novels of David Weber.

Oh! And I can’t forget the canceled “Firefly” TV series. Best sci-fi show ever!

Who are your favorite authors, those whose books you’d love to settle down with on a cold winter afternoon or evening?

The aforementioned “Merchanter’s Luck” is one I re-read regularly. I also really enjoy David Drake’s “Lt. Leary, Commanding.” Kathy Tyers’ “Firebird” trilogy is a great one, too.

How long did it take you to write The Word Reclaimed?

The Word Reclaimed is actually the first half of a much longer epic I called “Commissioned.” It took about six years to write the whole works, with most of the work completed during nine months in 2008-09. Jeff Gerke of Marcher Lord Press decided he wanted to publish the novel but asked me to find a cut-off, a cliffhanger of sorts. I did, and “The Word Reclaimed” was born.

Who was your favorite character to write? What is your favorite thing about that character?

Well, my protagonist Baden was enjoyable if only for the fact that he’s an average guy struggling with some real questions of faith and belief. But I’d have to settle on Detective Chief Inspector Nikolaas Ryke of the Kesek secret police as my favorite to write. He’s just mean! It was fun to take one character and see just how much of a villain I could make him.

If you could be any character from a fantasy or sci-fi book, who would it be and why?

That’s easy – Han Solo! Or at least, somebody with his same job description. Come to think of it, I’d love to be on the crew of the good ship Serenity of Firefly fame …

What projects are you working on now?

I am in the midst of rewriting/editing the sequel or Book 2, entitled “The Word Unleashed.” The release date is April 2010. After that, well, I have lots of ideas for this universe.

How can readers find you on the web?

My website, www.steverzasa.com, has the latest information about “The Word Reclaimed” and background about the universe in which “The Face of the Deep” series is set. “The Word Reclaimed” is available for purchase through www.marcherlordpress.com, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”