Elantris

Brandon Sanderson has a knack for making epic fantasy books that are a joy to read. Elantris was his first widely published book. Elantis was once the home of the magical beings. Being "chosen" to go to Elantris was a special privilege. However, a few years ago, it lost its magic. Now, it is a great curse to be required to join Elantris. (However, it is something that cannot be avoided, because a body "changes" making it obvious that they need to be taken there.)

In the story, a betrothed heir to the throne wakes and finds he is Elantrian. He maintains his leadership skills and continues to learn and build up an "educated" group in Elantris. His fiance (whom he has never met) goes into Elantris to see what is up, and we get plenty of the Shakespearean relationship comedy as they finally work things out. There is also an evil Ninja-priest sect that is trying to overthrow the village and Elantris. Luckily, the heroes (through their learning) figure out why the magic disappeared and help save the day.

It is a long, well-written story with a Rune-based magic system.