I have longed to move to the Shire ever since I first saw the film version of The Fellowship of the Ring. I wasnât aware at first of Tolkienâs deep Catholic faith, but once it was pointed out to me, I was amazed at how he managed to weave Christian virtue into everything he wrote. As a long-time writer myself, I realized that I wanted to tell stories about the big stuffâlove and hope, good and evil, doubt and courageâin a way that was genuine and unflinching. I think that all of the authors on this list have pulled off just that.
A Cast of Stones brought me back to a magical time in my childhood when I could truly get lost in stories. Despite being a boring grown-up with boring grown-up problems constantly vying for my attention, this book took hold of me completely. Our main character, Errol Stone, is truly and devastatingly flawed. Heâs an alcoholic, he has major dad issues, and heâs treated like trash by many around him. His doubts, his fears, his virtues, all of it comes to life on the page. I found myself rooting for him as I root for Frodo and Sam on the slopes of Mount Doom. If that wasnât enough, the rest of the characters, plot, and prose are wonderful, too.
In the backwater village of Callowford, roustabout Errol Stone is enlisted by a church messenger arriving with urgent missives for the hermit priest in the hills. Eager for coin, Errol agrees to what he thinks will be an easy task, but soon finds himself hunted by deadly assassins. Forced to flee with the priest and a small band of travelers, Errol soon learns he's joined a quest that could change the fate of his kingdom.
Protected for millennia by the heirs of the firstâŚ
I just canât help myself from recommending the entire Blades of Acktar series at every opportunity. In my opinion, it is one of the greatest Christian fantasy stories ever written. The worldbuilding is incredibly unique. This is not your typical allegorical Christian fantasy in the vein of Tolkien or Lewis. This is an alternate world, but one where Jesus and the Bible exist. At first, itâs strange, but as you fall in love with the characters, it becomes the most natural thing in the world. The world of Acktar lives and breathes, and the author absolutely excels at handling some of the most difficult parts of the Christian faith with incredible insight through the eyes of her charactersâincluding a reformed assassin that I may or may not be in love with.
Third Blade Leith Torren never questions his orders or his loyalty to King Respen until an arrow wound and a prairie blizzard drive him to the doorstep of the girls whose family he once destroyed.
Their forbidden faith and ties to the Resistance could devastate their family a second time. Survival depends on obedience, but freedom beckons. How far does he dare go to resist the king and his Blades?
No matter what Leith chooses, one thing is certain. Someone will die.
Experience the adventure of the best selling Christian kingdom adventure series today!
Christopher Jope was supposed to be the next great celebrity heartthrob. But then he was demoted to third wheel in the supernatural throuple romance he starred in years ago. Now, heâs a B-list celebrity at best, struggling to find success in his work or love in his personal life.
The Oath is an unmissable read for anyone who is fascinated with the wickedness of Smaug in The Hobbit. The way that Frank Peretti writes his non-human villain is absolutely masterful, but donât worry, there are plenty of homo sapien villains to go around as well! As you read about the adventures of our main character, Steve Benson, your expectations are pulled in one direction, only for the author to jump out and surprise you at every turn. Like Tolkien, Peretti understands that though sin and corruption can be complex, some evil is just evil.
A brutal killer lurks near Hyde River in the Pacific Northwest. When wildlife biologist Steve Benson is called in to investigate the latest murder, he discovers that the victim is his brother. But why are the terrorized townspeople silent-and unwilling to help?
Something evil is at work in Hyde River, an isolated mining town in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest. Under the cover of darkness, a predator strikes without warning-taking life in the most chilling and savage fashion.
The community of Hyde River watches in terror as residents suddenly vanish. Yet, the more locals are pressed for information, theâŚ
Orphanâs Song is a lot more of a subtle allegory than some of the books on this list, but that is not a criticism! The author has such a gorgeous writing style, and her world really draws you in. Itâs the kind of place you want to visit, but it doesnât bog down the story. The music theme is also very well done, and thereâs a hint of mystery that keeps you turning pages. If you like griffons, this is the book for you.
Deep within the world of Leira flows a melody that was sung at the beginning of time by Emhran, the Master Singer. Now it is broken, buried, forgotten. But in each generation, a Songkeeper arises to uphold the memory of the Song against those who want it silenced forever.
When Birdie first hears the Song coming from her own mouth, her world shatters. She is no longer simply an orphan but the last of a hunted people. Forced to flee for her life, she must decide whom to trustâa traveling peddler, a streetwise thief,âŚ
Willem and Jurriaan have a miserable childhood thanks to their cruel, controlling motherâLouisa Veldkamp, a world-renowned pianist. Dad turns a blind eye. One day, Louisa vanishes without a trace during a family vacation.
Adoptee Anneliese Bakker survives a toxic childhood and leaves home, vowing never to return. While searching forâŚ
Part of what I love the most about The Lord of the Rings is the way that J.R.R. Tolkien made Middle Earth feel like it could be real. I have to remind myself itâs not history, but fiction. Reading Recorder gives me the same feeling. Sure, technically, itâs science fiction. Itâs set in space. But there is a depth and honesty to the world that Cathy McCrumb has created that is rare and worth exploring. It is both a prescient warning about the future of humanity and a powerful story about found family and finding hope when up against impossible odds. Also, the romantic subplot of this book will absolutely shatter you.
The Consortium is All. But Recorder Can No Longer Obey.
Recorder has no family, no friends, and no name. Donated to the Consortium before birth, her sole purpose is to maintain and verify the records. A neural implant and drone ensure compliance, punishing for displays of bias.
Suddenly cut off from controlling technology, Recorder tastes what it means to be human. But if the Consortium discovers her feelings, everyone she knows will be in danger.
With no name, no resources, and only an infinitesimal possibility of escape, Recorder's time is running out.
"McCrumb achieves a fascinating coming-of-age story in aâŚ
The dragons have fled the skies. A noble House is clinging to life. The God of gods is rising.
As the Envoy of the Four Kingdoms, Wes has had his purpose decided since birth: sacrifice the treasures of the people to the dragon gods, and they will keep Kaveryth safe. For five years, heâs been forced to watch his Kingdom fall into ruin while carrying an unbearable grief of his own. The Elders insist that they must continue to be faithful to the Dracodei, but Wes is beginning to doubt that their protectors are holding up their end of the bargain. Despite his misgivings, he continues to fulfill his dutyâuntil he meets a misunderstood dragon who offers him a choice for the first time in his life.
Riley Masterson has moved to Greenbrier, SC, anxious to escape the chaos that has overwhelmed her life.
Questioned in a murder in Alabama, she has spent eighteen months under suspicion by a sheriffâs office, unable to make an arrest. But things in gentrifying Greenbrier are not as they seem. AsâŚ
Trapped in our world, the fae are dying from drugs, contaminants, and hopelessness. Kicked out of the dark fae court for tainting his body and magic, Riasg only wants one thing: to die a bit faster. Itâs already the end of his world, after all.