It's not often that I will read a book that is from a first time author, often they are of a low quality that denotes inexperience. However, on occasion there is a golden nugget amongst the din of that inexperience that offers up a rich story full of interesting characters that can take you on a journey where you find yourself caring for the characters."Shadestaff: Iliya's Task" was recommended to me by a friend who allowed me to borrow her copy. I was not expecting much from this first time author and was pleasantly surprised.The synopsis reads like any common fantasy novel. "Things look bad on the island continent of Kedoenial with the reptilian race known as the Raptaren, attacking cities and joining forces with the Keysoites, a group bent on subjugating the populous, who are led by a man whose ultimate goal is to resurrect the Raptaren demigod, Tydinor. There is but one hope, a young girl by the name of Iliya Danzen. She has no idea of what her future will hold.". As far as I'm concerned, it seems like an interesting idea that has been done quite a lot but I was willing to see where this story would go.The first chapter explodes into action within the first few pages, it grabbed me by the throat and told me that I must continue reading. The second chapter was the same as characters were introduced and the world in trouble began to take shape. I found myself falling in love with one of the characters in particular. Shanvaar.Shanvaar is an old man who is, to put it mildly, insane. The way the author wrote this man reminds me of my doddering old grandpa, very wise and infinitely funny. He has a very skewed view of the world and the people in it and he's not afraid to speak his mind. I supposed being over eight hundred years old will do that to a person.And then there is Iliya. She is quite literally thrown into a world that she knew nothing about having grown up in a small fishing town. She acts the way a confident fifteen year old girl would act, eventually growing strong and brave. She seems to be rather wise beyond her years but is also reckless and impulsive. As the main protagonist in this story, she is a very likeable and a character that is easy to relate to, despite the setting of a magical fantasy world.I found myself caring for what happened to the characters in this book, something that I never expected from a first time author like J.D Ford. I was devastated when I finished reading and learned that I had to wait for the sequel. So I went looking for information, all I could find was the facebook page and the twitter for J.D Ford and it looks like he's making progress in writing the second installment of what he says will be a trilogy.I then learned a little more about the author. J.D. Ford was taken ill some years ago which made it virtually impossible for him to find work. He turned to writing as it had always been an interest of his and found his true calling. He deserves a hell of a lot more attention for this book.I will be re-reading Shadestaff: Iliya's Task over and over again until I can lay my hands on the sequel. It is a damned good read.If you want the facebook page, the link is http://www.facebook.com/shadestaff and the twitter handle is @Jam1eford.My opinion? You should definitely read this book if you are into fantasy and suspense.