I recently finished reading Elantris by Brandon Sanderson www.brandonsanderson.com/book.php?id=1 and I think it is an excellent book. It takes place in a world that up until recently was more or less ruled by the Elantrians, a race of people mysteriously taken from the general populace to become the god-like people of Elantris. They established peace and utopia in the land. Nobody went hungry because the Elantrians could simply make trash into food.

Something happens and Elantris and its magic failed. Now to become and Elantrian is a curse. You are thrown into the city and conveniently forgotten. The merchant who became king is an incompetent money monger and is driving his country into the ground.

The Fjordell Empire, an empire set up on a fanatical religion, is intent on conquering the two remaining countries not under their banner. A high ranking church official comes and has three months to convert this people or they will all perish by an invasion of Fjordell.

I don't want to give away any other details about the book but it is is full of political and religious intrigue with many wonderful twists and turns. It keeps you guessing and thinking and while there were many 'secrets' that I had figured out many of my theories were proven incorrect and I was pleasantly surprised. For a first book this is excellent. It's not pure fantasy nor is it pure science fiction but has elements of both. It isn't as good as Tolkien which is, for me, the benchmark of greatness but it would be a bit behind Eragon and Eldest by Christopher Paolini. Probably a 78 out of 100. Worth reading and following the author as I believe he just released another book, which I haven't read yet.