I met J.V. Hilliard at a writer’s conference. He was presenting, and I was there to learn.
Talking with him during a break inspired me to make Fantasy the April theme for This Awful Awesome Life. I was intrigued by the complexity of creating an alternate reality and maintaining it through a book series.
J.V. Hilliard is the author of the Warminster Series.
I decided to review The Last Keeper, the first book in the series.
Hilliard set his fantasy in Warminster, a world with multiple kingdoms, humans, elves, mythical/mystical creatures, and trollborns who have mixed blood. The Keepers have the gift of second sight/visions. They can see into the past and the future and learn how to use their gift at the Cathedral of the Watchful Eye.
He begins his saga with a prologue describing an event of great consequence concerning a disgraced Keeper of immense power, Graytorris. The event doesn’t give away the entire story. Instead, it leaves us with a little information and a lot of questions. Questions that can only be answered by reading the book and the entire four-book series.
Daemus is a Keeper of the Forbidden who begins to have horrifying visions. He keeps them to himself because he fears they are a reflection of something horrible inside him. When he’s summoned by the Great Keeper, he learns the other Keepers’ visions have been fading. Daemus’ visions give them important information. She knows Daemus must go into hiding before the evil figures from his visions can find him and kill him. The fate of Warminster rests on his young shoulders. He must travel to the kingdom of Castleshire to warn the First Keeper, but he’s being tracked by a band of Graytorris’ murderous assassins and monstrous creatures. His uncle Kester entrusts Daemus’ well-being to a band of renegade warriors led by Faux, a woman banished from Castleshire and facing death if she returns.
Ritter is a warrior in service to the kingdom of Thronehelm. He and his knights have been tracking a murderous band of raiders who have been destroying villages. He is trollborn, the son of a human and an elf. His familiar is a raven named Storm. He and the raven are psychically linked. He can see what Storm sees as he flies above battlefields and scouts for enemies hiding in the forest. With trouble brewing, Ritter is ordered home to Thronehelm for a ceremony celebrating a wedding between members of two noble families.
Princess Addilyn and her father travel to Thronehelm from their Elven kingdom to warn the king about dreams Addilyn has been having about a malicious army moving through Warminster. They arrive just before the festivities begin.
During the celebration, assassins attack, revealing the dangers to all of Warminster and how they relate to Addilyn’s dreams.
Addilyn and Ritter must travel by sea to Castleshire to inform the First Keeper of the dangers ahead.
All hope of saving Warminster depends upon our heroes reaching Castleshire. Daemus’ journey and Addilyn’s and Ritter’s journey are separate, yet parallel. They encounter different factions of Graytorris’ army, but remain unaware of their parallel journeys.
Hilliard skillfully advances the complex plot. He has created a hierarchy of citizenry within Warminster and within Graytorris’ evil army.
All the elements of fantasy you would expect are present and working together to tell an exciting story. There’s magic, but it’s limited. There are land battles and sea battles. There are also interpersonal struggles and moments of self-doubt.
It’s the whole package, but you won’t be getting any spoilers from me. Buy the book. Buy the series. Read and escape into an exciting fantasy world.
Works by J.V. Hilliard:
The Warminster Saga:
The Last Keeper (Book one)
Vorodin’s Lair (Book two)
The Trillias Gambit (Book three)
Echoes of Ghostwood (Book four)
Books Available on Kindle Vella:
The Element of Time
For more information visit the author’s website, JVHILLIARD.COM