Tolkien and Lewis got their hooks into me when I was a teen and this led me to spend many hours playing RPGs, devouring fantasy novels by the armful. Unfortunately, many books were disdainful of faith (particularly of the medieval European variety) but the respectful ones inspired me. Years later, I decided to write my own novels and add a science-based perspective from 20+ years as an engineer. The result is a series of 5 epic fantasy novels. I have plans for more, branching out into sci-fi, romance, children’s books, and historical fiction. My recommendations showcase a few of the writers who inspired me and still provide a model for my work.
A rousing tale of a scarred count sent to revitalize a dilapidated province in an alternate-world version of medieval France, this gem by Brittain and Bouchard features the interaction of religion and magic, engaging characters, a budding romance, and a whodunit worthy of a mystery novel. I especially liked the friendship between the Count and a magically-talented monk and how the authors handled the relationship between the Church and wizardry (a trait of Brittain’s other works from the Yurt series). Since it’s the first in a series, there is a follow-on and hopefully, more to come.
Magic, heresy, and treachery: Count Galoran must face them all to keep his high castle. - Galoran is a scarred warrior and younger son, cast aside by the emperor when his days of service seem over. - Melchior is a priest trained in the difficult and highly dangerous magical arts, with dark family secrets to hide. The two are thrown together when Galoran unexpectedly inherits the castle and county of Peyrefixade, and Melchior is assigned as his spiritual advisor. Galoran soon learns that others covet his castle, the heretics who were supposed to have been defeated in the great war…
A young college student with confidence issues and a knack for verse is transported to a fantasy world where he finds a beautiful queen under siege by a multitude of malevolent actors, a set of unusual companions, and an environment wherein poetry is literally magical. Stasheff’s treatment of faith and magic is thoughtful, his characters interesting and the plot engrossing. I particularly like rooting for the protagonist as he grows, learns, and overcomes. The magic system based on poetry is pure gold and the series has stood the test of time: it’s still as fun of a read now as it was when it first came out.
The first of a light fantasy series, by the author of the "Warlock" series. Matt Mantrell finds himself suddenly transported to a world where magic is worked by the reciting of rhymes. Thrown into jail for practising sorcery, he conjures up a drunken dragon and falls in with a beautiful princess.
The second book of the original Shannara series follows a young man tasked with escorting a young woman to her destiny to forestall a demonic invasion. But a menacing evil stalks them: a seemingly invincible demon assassin. Can he unlock the magic secrets of the mystical Elfstones before he and his companions are destroyed and the world with them? Like many of Brooks’ novels, this one features superb world-building, white-knuckled tension, jaw-dropping action, and a bittersweet romance in a single package. The magic and environment of the book captured me in seconds and I wished Shannara was real. I re-read it from time to time and it is one of my all-time favorites.
Ancient, ultimate evil threatened the Elves and the Races of Man. For the Ellcrys, the tree of long-lost Elven magic, was dying, loosing the spell of Forbidding that locked the hordes of Demons away from Earth. Already the fearsome Reaper was free. Only one source had the power to stop it: the Elfstones of Shannara. And the valiant companions must ride again in an impossible quest to find them.
In this, the final novel of Kurtz’s epic series about the magic-wielding Deryni race, the half-blood King Kelson navigates dynastic marriage, alliances with far-flung kingdoms, assassination plots, and family betrayals. Kelson is a favorite character of mine: decent, brave, practical, and devout, and I felt great satisfaction when he finally met his soulmate in the spirited and courageous Princess Araxie. All doesn’t go smoothly for the pair, however, and they have to overcome many obstacles before they can be united. Kurtz is a master at atmospheric world-building, and I fell into her world as readily as I fell into Narnia and Middle Earth. I really liked how Kurtz expanded her scope to include regions similar to Byzantium, medieval Hungary, and the Islamic world. It was fascinating, thrilling, and uplifting; another of my all-time favorites.
“Kurtz’s strengths lie in her patient accumulation of telling detail, well-articulated plots, and believable magics. Should bring the fans flocking, and attract newcomers too.”—Kirkus Reviews
Speculation runs rampant throughout the kingdom of Gwynedd as to when, and to whom, King Kelson will finally be wed. As a rival monarch takes his rightful place on the throne of a nearby land, it becomes more imperative than ever that Kelson produce a long-awaited heir.
With the mystical Deryni blood flowing through his veins, Kelson can only hope for a woman whose power and conviction are equal to his own. Love is set…
Lawhead’s tale of a struggling Oxford graduate student whisked away to a Celtic fantasy world drew me in immediately. The author superbly melded together traditional Celtic mythology with a deep spiritual connection and a crystal-clear understanding of the battle between good and evil. His characters are well-drawn, fallible yet noble, and the real story is the coming-of-age of the protagonist as he discovers more within him than he realized. Though not overtly faith-based, this novel had themes that reminded me of the Lord of the Rings and Narnia and the descriptions made me feel like I was really there. I became a fan after just one novel.
Wolves in Oxford; extinct beasts in Scotland: the barriers between our world and the Celtic Otherworld are breaking down. Two men are drawn into Albion, and changed for ever.
On the borderlands of the Kingdom of Deran, Dar Cabot fights off an attack by goblin warriors and finds a nearby hamlet in ruins, its people slain. Eager for justice for the townsfolk, he enlists the help of an unlikely combination of allies: a halfling spy with a hidden past, the adopted son of a famous wizard, two half-elven sisters from an enemy land, a widowed priestess of the Elven god and a seemingly laid-back warrior with secrets of his own.
Dogged by an ancient prophecy that seems to call them out by name, the companions find friendship, romance, intrigue, and startling revelations as they race against time to thwart the Ja'al plans and uncover the secret of Whitehorse Peak.
To hide a corporation’s failure to properly service a space ship, Captain Jonas Stryker is prosecuted but saved from imprisonment by a dying man, who hires Stryker to collect asteroids for their mineral content. Stryker soon finds he must stop a shadowy corporate group called The Board, who employ space piracy, terrorism, and even weaponised asteroids to overthrow the Federation government.
Set in Lagrange points, space stations, the Moon and outback Australia, it is a fast-moving story with some speculative future technology. If you were interested in the NASA attempt to alter the orbit of the asteroid Dimorphos, you might…
When a trial to cover-up a corporate failure ends Captain Jonas Stryker's career, he wants revenge against The Board, a ruthless, shadowy organization with limitless funds that employs space piracy, terrorism, and even weaponised asteroids. Posing as a space miner, Stryker learns that The Board wants him killed, while a young female SCIB police agent wants retribution against him for having her career spoiled at his trial. As Stryker avoids attempts to kill him, he becomes the only chance to prevent The Board from overturning the Federation Government and imposing a Fascist-style rule. A story of greed, corruption and honour,…
