Joy! Someone has given me an interesting topic to write about! I have no experience writing book reviews, but one has to start somewhere. Where better than Amazon.com's selection of ubercheap e-books? The Guild of the Cowry Catchers, Book 1: Embers, Deluxe Illustrated Edition copyright 2010 by Abigail Hilton is a thoroughly engaging fantasy tale written for readers who shop in the grown-up section of the bookstore. Our hero is Gerard Holovar, captain of  the high priestess's police, whose job is to put down an insurgency... or die trying. Also contains: Love, violence, a bisexual fox person, and pirates.

Important things to know about Embers: First,  the story takes place in the world of Panamindorah, where everybody is part human and part beast (like fauns). Second, there are full-screen drawings and paintings that show scenes from the story. These are black and white on the Kindle, but the resolution is fine and they are available in color on the e-book's website, cowrycatchers.com.

Third and probably most important (should I have said this first?) the website also contains a free, full cast audio version of this e-book! Aside from the entertainment value the audio version is helpful with pronunciation of Panamindoran names, which can be daunting.

This is an amazing piece of work. I cared about the characters from chapter one and the pace is unrelenting. The story is well written and the formatting for Kindle is nearly perfect. Beware, though: I obsessed over this author's work for months after I read this! You may find yourself buying more of her e-books, and this is Hilton's only 99¢ offering. Book 1 ends on a cliffhanger, and finding out what happens in Book 2 will cost you $4.99 (unless you listen to the free, full cast audio edition of that, which is also on the website). I've read that one too and I think it's entirely worth the price, but that's up to you.

I highly recommend this e-book to people who want a fantasy adventure in a never-before-seen world, with moving characters and lots of bonus features.

PS: Check out the comment from Ms. Hilton! She's got even more available!