The First Betrayal by Patricia Bray (aka pbray)
Sometimes the magic inside us isn’t meant to be discovered….
Orphan, exile, priest, Josan has been posted to a lighthouse on the farthest edge of the kingdom. As a member of the collegium, he once dreamed of making a real contribution to the Learned Brethren, but those dreams died after a mysterious fever shattered him, body and mind. At least that’s the story he’s been told to explain a past he can’t remember. But that past has returned…with a vengeance.
When Lady Ysobel Flordelis is shipwrecked on Josan’s island, this sets in motion an explosive destiny. The Seddonian trade liaison is traveling to Ikaria on official business, but her secret purpose is to revive the revolution brutally crushed years before. Neither Ysobel nor Josan can foresee the significance of their brief meeting. But as Ysobel navigates the elaborate court intrigues in Ikaria, Josan will be forced to leave his island exile and embark on a treacherous journey to unlock the secrets that bind his past–an act that could lead him to glory…or doom.
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Patricia Bray is also the author of the Sword of Change trilogy, also from Bantam Spectra. This includes: Devlin’s Luck, Devlin’s Honor, and Devlin’s Justice.
Et in arcaedia, ego. 
Nice, Nice. (and this is a good idea!)
C
The dark/unknown past element is difficult to do now without being cliché. I’ll check this one out to see how she’s handled it.
But that’s beside the point. Congratulations are in order. It looks good–the design is especially appealing. (I’m surprised it’s taken so long for fantasy covers to abandon the Errol Flynn in opaque primary colours look.) Here’s to many more.
Wow, that cover is absolutely gorgeous. Even if I didn’t already like Bray, I’d pick this one up for the cover alone.
Isn’t it great? It’s digital art by Steve Stone.