Eye of Night by Pauline Alama

The Eye of Night, by Pauline J. Alama, is the author's (as far as I can tell)first book and for her first one, it's pretty good.
The story is set in a world that is dying. The death is being caused by something called The Troubles. The Troubles take the form of ghosts, weird weather, and earthquakes.
The plot is about three people: a crippled prophet, a beautiful fool, and an ex-priest who join forces in order to deliver something called The Eye of Night to the heart of The Troubles. The Eye of Night is actually a kind of egg that is getting ready to hatch, and the hatching needs to happen in the far North where the Troubles seem to be originating from. The hatching will supposedly bring about the end of the world and the possible birth of a new one.
This story deals quite a bit with religion. The people in this world worship two gods and two goddesses. Their different aspects, saints, and festivals are examined in depth.
Alama creates some very believable characters. I particulary liked the relationship between the prophet Hwyn and the ex-priest, Jereth. It was quite touching.
Also, the the story looks at how past actions by ourselves and others can haunt us for the rest of our lives and even beyond the grave.
If you're looking for a full on sword and sorcery yarn, this isn't a book to read. But, if you're looking for a story that is a little more subtle and gets into some spirtual themes while examining the human condition, you'll like it. Oh yeah, one thing that is nice is this book is standalone!!!! Kind of a rarity these days.