The exciting premise of Hill’s debut fantasy, the first of the Memories of Oblivion series, suffers in its overly detailed and meandering execution. The brutal Truban Empire is in a state of unrest following the arrival of the Apostle, a notorious sorcerer. Fear of magic wielders pervades even among the strongest of the empire’s knights and warriors. Alpheus Hindlow, a state scholar, has always been fascinated with sorcerers, but when he discovers his own magical powers, he refuses to embrace his newfound identity. Then his mentor, Jeffery Reeling, is found dead by magic and Alpheus is mistakenly arrested and brought to trial for his murder. Alpheus is forced to defend himself and confront his new identity without his mentor’s guidance. Hill’s fantasy world is robust, but he relies too heavily on exposition to bring it to life, slowing the first half of the story to a crawl. Thankfully, the plot picks up following Reeling’s murder, and it chugs along toward a dramatic cliff-hanger that will leave readers hopeful for more action and higher stakes in the sequel. This is a rocky series launch, but it’s not without promise. (Self-published)