Fantasy novelist and Statesboro High graduate Dan Desai Martin announced his first book tour for his novel, "In the Shadow of the Sanctum." The multi-state tour will take Desai Martin across Georgia and into South Carolina with several stops over eight days.

His first stop will be a book signing at Statesboro's Galactic Comics & Games, 21 E. Vine St., on Saturday, Sept. 19, starting at 11 a.m.

"I'm so excited to that my first stop on my first-ever book tour will be at Galactic Comics in my hometown of Statesboro," said Desai Martin. "I grew up there, and have always felt a tremendous amount of love and support from family, friends and neighbors."

Desai Martin will be at Galactic from 11 a.m.–1 p.m. Anyone can stop by during that time to pick up a copy of the book and have it signed. Desai Martin added praise for Galactic Comics.

"This store is about more than comics and games — it is a gathering place for folks in Statesboro," he said. "A place to come together over shared interests. And that's why it was the first place I reached out to when I decided to plan a book tour."

"In the Shadow of the Sanctum" follows Ehla, a young woman who fled the violent and manipulative Holy Sanctum, only to find herself at the center of a rebellion she wants no part of. The more she learns about the One God and Serpent, the more she struggles with anxiety about her past, distrust of those around her and a growing desire for vengeance against those who hurt her.

The novel explores themes of religious oppression, revolution and self-discovery, and has drawn comparisons to Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale," Sabaa Tahir's "Ember in the Ashes" series, and Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" series.

Following the book signing Sept. 19, Desai Martin will speak to the Creative Writing Club at Georgia Southern University. Then he heads to Rome, where he will speak to creative writing classes at Berry College, his alma mater, before a book talk and Q&A on the evening of Sept. 23 at the college.

The next day, he heads back to Statesboro, where he will meet with some students involved with Statesboro High School's literary magazine. The tour wraps up on Saturday, Sept. 26, at the Barnwell Community Public Library in Barnwell County.

A full list of his tour stops can be found on his website, www.DanDesaiMartin.com.

"The reception for this book has been overwhelming," Desai Martin said. "I'm so excited that fans of fantasy novels are enjoying the book, and maybe even more excited when I hear from people who don't normally read that genre, but enjoyed this book. I hope there is something in this book for everyone."

Desai Martin graduated from Statesboro High in 1998 and then earned a degree in Religious Studies from Berry College in Rome. He currently lives in Silver Spring, Maryland, where he is on the Board of the Maryland Writers' Association. Also, he is an editor for the Association's annual "Emerging Voices: Poetry and Prose by Maryland Teens."