I’m ALWAYS on the hunt for books that feature complex platonic relationships between men – brotherhood, bromances, rivals, frenemies, and a mix of everything in between!
Since I love this trope so much, I feel like I’ve read all the ones mentioned on lists, forums, and blogs online. So I’m always delighted to discover hidden gems, like at indie book events! I recently returned from the Realm Makers expo, and rounded up 7 that I’m excited to read!
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Fates Defiant by Brigitte Cromey and C.M. Banschbach
Fates Defiant was one of my favorite reads last year, so I was so excited when it won the Realm Makers award for the fantasy category! I got to meet the co-authors C.M. Banschbach (pictured top) and Brigitte Cromey (pictured bottom).
“The story follows Bastian, a disgraced soldier, and Cyrus, the reigning arena champion. Gladiator opponents – turned allies, turned brothers.” – C.M. Banschbach
An unexpected alliance forms when two gladiators come face to face, but in order to survive long enough to see freedom, they’ll have to fight… to the death.
“This is Magician’s Apprentice. It stars Jericho Carver and Aurik Spellsmith. Jericho is the common sense son of a carpenter and is also a magician’s apprentice. Aurik is the son of the magician who was away studying in the city. They are competing to see who gets the shop when the magician retires… and havoc ensues!” – H.L. Burke
An estranged son. An adopted heir. A magical attack that forces them to work together.
“There is a fierce rivalry between two brothers who are born just seconds apart from each other. One of them is rather evil-hearted and his name is Morlan Stormgarden. He and his brother Aravel have never gotten along. Morlan always insists there’s a better way to rule the entire kingdom. Well, Aravel ends up being king. That doesn’t sit well with his younger brother…” – Wayne Thomas Batson
From the bestselling author of The Door Within Trilogy comes an epic tale of two powerful kings whose rivalry threatens to tear the world of Myriad apart.
“This one is about an outcast soldier who finds an unlikely friendship in a slave he kind of accidentally acquires and the two of them have a lot of unresolved issues they get to work out together. They turn out to be the best of friends. Bromance for the win!” – Laura VanArendonk Baugh
A bastard, mage, and monster must set aside prejudices and rivalries to find an end to centuries of conflict, before they die as traitors.
“Two of the protagonists are Voldigar, a famous chanter of the Order, and Lanathor, a famous teller of the Order. Lanathor is steeped in tradition, following the code. Whereas Voldigar, old as he is, has seen many things – he loves the code as well, but he’s willing to break it to do what he thinks is right. Which brings them to loggerheads at times, but they are fast friends and learn to forgive one another throughout.” – Ezra Ferguson
A devout order of warrior monks had rid the world of demonic power. But when their oath-sworn prince rises to the throne, his folly threatens to undo everything.
“We have Captain Marik who is a pirate and Grayden who is a young man trying to get to the air military academy. Marik hijacks the airship he’s on, so obviously they don’t like each other at first, but eventually they do have to work together.” – Jenelle Leanne Schmidt
A rogue airship captain. An ambitious youth. A clash of powers beyond their imagination.
“Kaid (an impulsive adventure seeker) and Brazen (the reluctant, overthinking tagalong), share a bond only twins can understand. When they learn the truth about their father’s death, however, their responses are so wildly opposite, they wonder if they’ll ever share that bond again.” – Brett Hibbler
Monstrous beasts lay waste to the world of Voiyanna, and their only hope lies in a group of divided ambassadors sent to petition an ancient—and supposedly long-dead—hero.
“We have Comran and Etran who are half brothers, very embittered, who gradually become allies, who gradually become the brothers they’ve wanted their entire life.” – C.M. Banschbach
A man born for war. A bastard raised in contempt. Only together can they defend their tribe from slaughter.
If you know of more fantasy books with complex brotherhood dynamics, please share below!
Hi, I’m Caylah Coffeen, a freelance editor and marketer of sci-fi and fantasy books. I love reading and writing and am a follower of Jesus Christ.
I’ve worked for Monster Ivy Publishing, Eschler Editing, and Havok Magazine. Reach out to chat about books and publishing!
Thanks for stopping by my website! I hope you’ve found some helpful resources about reading, writing, and publishing. If you liked this article, here’s some more free content…
Did you know that there are about 8,000 English books listed in Amazon’s “Religious Science Fiction and Fantasy” category right now?
You can find this number by going to Amazon’s book department and selecting categories and subcategories. In this instance I chose Books>Religion and Spirituality>Literature and Fiction>Science Fiction and Fantasy. The number of search results at the top indicates the number of listings in this category.
This does include different editions and formats (print, Kindle, audiobook) for the same titles, however. Meaning the real number of unique Christian SFF titles is far smaller than 8,000.
The number of paperbacks is about 5,000. So if we exclude the numerous alternate editions of Lewis, Tolkien, and classic writers like Bunyan and Dante, and ignore the nonfiction that slipped in (mythology coloring books) should we estimate half that: 2,500?
Is that how many Christian fantasy and sci-fi books there are right now?
Using Publisher Rocket for Market Research
Amazon shows you the number of results available for specific searches like “Christian Fantasy,” but programs like Publisher Rocket by Dave Chesson do it faster, pulling the data directly from Amazon.
Amazon itself called Chesson a “Kindleprenuer,” leading to the title of his website where he shares he has “worked with many New York Times bestselling authors like Ted Dekker, Orson Scott Card, Kevin J. Anderson… [plus] multiple major publishing companies.”
It’s useful for completing market research, but there can be glitches when using this program. For instance, when I first searched “Christian Fantasy,” it told me there were 60,000 titles listed under that keyword on Amazon and 50,000 filed under the keyword “Christian science fiction.”
That seemed astonishingly high to me, and when I reached out to their team, they indicated that there was indeed a disconnect between their and Amazon’s data. A direct query into Amazon’s search bar for “Christian fantasy” produced over 200 results, which Publisher Rocket then began showing.
So when compiling the numbers below, I double checked all results by searching the terms in Amazon directly and found them to be correct. Note that because these are monthly averages, you may get different results when you search the same terms. The number of competitors should change gradually though, as new books are only published so quickly.
The State of Christian Fantasy Publishing
Here is additional data about the types of Christian fantasy books which are being published, and significantly, how many shoppers are searching for such books.
The most important columns to analyze are “Number of Competitors,” which counts the number of books using the selected keyword, and “Est. Amazon Searches/Month” which tells you how many shoppers are searching for that keyword.
Looking at the number of books competing for these keywords, we can roughly estimate that there are between 200-800 Christian fantasy books of various sub-genres currently on Amazon. That’s our supply. Goodreads users seem to agree – there are 794 books on this list “Christian Fantasy.”
What’s the demand?
These are most searched-for terms from shoppers per month:
YA christian paranormal romance: 1,586 Biblical mythology fantasy: 1,439 Christian romantasy: 1,016 Christian fantasy: 869 Christian fantasy for children: 816 Christian paranormal fiction: 639 Christian young adult fantasy: 345 Christian epic fantasy: 243
So let’s estimate that there are roughly 200-1,500 readers looking for varied Christian fantasy each month.
That’s great news for writers, authors, and publishers of Christian fantasy. At worst, supply is just keeping up with demand, and at best there’s about twice as much interest per month as the current market supplies!
That’s simplifying the data. The specific numbers do much more to show where there are gaps in the market that Christian publishers and authors can meet.
Where Demand Exceeds Supply
There’s about 7 TIMES more interest in YA christian paranormal romance per month than there are books available for such readers. And about 4 times more monthly demand for Christian romantasy than supply!
That first revelation surprised me. The second did not.
I was also surprised by the apparently small interest in epic and medieval Christian fantasy. That’s the “easiest” type of Christian fantasy to pull off well, and is still one of the most popular sub-genres of fantasy in the general market, so I expected the most readers to be looking for such books. But supply and demand are about equal in this area, with 211 books listed as “Christian epic fantasy” and about 243 readers looking for such titles each month.
No doubt my own preferences colored my expectations, which is why hard data is so important for approaching publishing as a business, rather than just a passion.
Let’s look at some other surprises in the data.
Ironically, the keywords authors used most frequently – “supernatural christian fantasy:” 807 titles, and “christian medieval fantasy:” 435 titles – have the least amount of search interest, at under 100 queries a month.
This tells authors that they’re not marketing their books correctly to readers. That’s what this program was designed to accomplish – to help authors pick keywords that actually match buyer intent. (That’s what the “competition score” column at the end means – it’s telling you how hard it’d be to rank for the keyword.)
There commonly exists a gap between how authors anticipate readers look for books, and how shoppers actually search for their next read.
For instance, more shoppers are searching “fantasy like Narnia” (1,500/mo) than are searching “Christian fantasy” (870/mo).
Here’s an another example: I work in publishing, so I tend to use more “exact” terminology. I searched “middle grade christian fantasy” to see how many books existed in that sub-genre. It was around the 200 mark, just like you see above under “christian fantasy for children.” However, the search numbers were abysmal, at <100. I knew there’s no way there was that little interest in middle grade christian fantasy, so I typed in other terms, and discovered the much more accurate-sounding number of 816 average searches a month for “christian fantasy for children.”
So here we see that 807 supernatural christian fantasy books exist, with less than 100 interested readers, while less than 200 biblical mythology fantasy books exist, with over 1,400 interested readers. Could it be the case that readers are using the latter term to refer to story concepts like demons and angels, while authors are using the term supernatural instead? Or do readers think of “biblical mythology” as “stories set in bible times plus magic?”
That’s a question that polling could help answer. But for the main purpose of this article, analyzing supply and demand, my point is that there does appear to be greater interest in sub-genres of Christian fantasy than just the top 2 keywords reveal.
Follow the Money
It’s also important to factor in the data about “average monthly earnings” for each keyword, because that indicates how many readers are actually buying Christian fantasy. The number of people searching a term doesn’t equal the number of people who actually made a purchase. Many people searching this term didn’t end up buying anything, while many other shoppers who didn’t start with that specific search term did make a purchase.
It’s important to note that the column “average monthly earnings” records “the estimated average monthly earnings of the top books that rank for this keyword.” In other words, the fact that “Christian fantasy” sells an average of $36,701 a month means titles like Narnia sell that much a month, not that all books listed under that keyword combined sell this much a month.
That’s good news – shoppers are spending more than $36K a month to buy Christian fantasy books. But Publisher Rocket can create better estimates for the top performers.
The State of Christian Science Fiction Publishing
Now, let’s take a look at the state of Christian science fiction. They get lumped together in the parent category “Religious Science Fiction and Fantasy,” but we can learn more by separating them out.
I also threw in a stat for Christian horror at the bottom since it gets lumped in under the category “Christian speculative fiction.”
It was easier to round out the number of available titles here, as regardless of the sci-fi “sub-genre” or “thematic” terms I used, I consistently came up with around 200 titles. That’s fewer than the fantasy titles, which does not surprise me. The highest earners in this category also make far less than in the fantasy category.
There seems to be much less demand for Christian sci-fi across the board, though the top search query still indicates there is 3x as much demand as supply. I must also note that shoppers do weird things.
Apparently, more readers are searching with keywords like:
A Christian science fiction: 1,646 monthly queries Scifi books with christian plot: 746 (this keywords’s top titles earn >$15K/mo!) Science fiction for christian: 312 Christian science fiction series: 287 Christian sci-fi fiction: 265 (compared to <100 for just “Christian sci-fi,” go figure) Christian futuristic fiction: 245
So again, when we go a bit deeper down the rabbit hole of what shoppers are actually typing into Amazon, we see that there’s more demand than the dismal <100 searches we see for some of the more sensible terms above.
And by looking at the monthly revenue for top books, we see there are definitely more than 100 readers a month willing to purchase “christian hard scifi,” “christian science fiction for youth,” and “children christian science fiction.”
Likely, many of these purchasers searched the book titles or authors directly, which indicates word of mouth is probably a better sales tactic for Christian science fiction specifically, while more readers are evidently willing to “cold search” for Christian fantasy.
I will note another unfortunate fact, which could be skewing data. Authors, desperate to find readers who would be at all interested in their book, tend to ignore genre distinctions. For instance, I’ve seen straight up wizard, medieval fantasy books listed as sci-fi when they really shouldn’t be because authors know readers in one genre are usually interested in the other too, and they want as many views as possible.
Next Steps
If we combine all of these listings, do we reach the estimated 2,500 titles? I’m not sure if there’s a gap here, but I think we can say with confidence that the current body of Christian speculative fiction lies somewhere between 1,000-3,000 titles.
Does this fit your observations?
I’m going to keep an eye on these keywords in the coming months to track any major changes or see if the numbers remain similar.
This number is growing each year, as is reader interest and generated revenue! Amazon’s data agrees.
Considering shopper interest, it seems like the most promising paths for growth are YA Christian paranormal romance, Christian romantasy, and biblical mythology fantasy. Looking at the areas of greatest revenue production, there is potential for children’s Christian fantasy and children’s Christian science fiction as well.
I think it would be greatly fruitful for Christian speculative fiction publishers and authors with a wide reader base to initiate polling among their audiences to clarify how readers define certain sub-genres of Christian fantasy and sci-fi and verify if these expectations match up with how the books are being marketed.
For the keywords that have a decent number of searches but comparatively abysmal sales, it’d be worth asking readers how existing books have failed to motivate a purchase. For instance, there are 223 monthly searches for christian scifi space exploration which result in only a measly $13 of monthly earnings for the top title. Or 1,016 monthly searches for christian romantasy compared to only $160 of monthly revenue for the top book.
It’s possible this data is incorrect or incomplete. But it’s also possible that the Christian romantasy and space exploration books currently on the market are of poor quality, lack the necessary metadata for readers to discover them, or do not actually possess what readers want.
Also, obviously Amazon isn’t the only source of data for the book industry, but it is one of the most readily available and understandable sources, especially for indie authors and presses.
Let’s find out the answer to these questions so as authors, publishers, and industry professionals, we can create better Christian science fiction and fantasy and help readers actually find our work!
If you have data which contradicts or enhances any of these findings, I’d be incredibly grateful if you shared them. Please weigh in on the conversation so we can all make a better plan for the future. Thanks!
Hi, I’m Caylah Coffeen, a freelance editor and marketer of sci-fi and fantasy books. I love reading and writing and am a follower of Jesus Christ.
I’ve worked for Monster Ivy Publishing, Eschler Editing, and Havok Magazine. Reach out to chat about books and publishing!
Thanks for stopping by my website! I hope you’ve found some helpful resources about reading, writing, and publishing. If you liked this article, here’s some more free content…
I started hitting the con circuit in about 2018 and fell in love – book lovers, authors, cosplay, night owls, drool-worthy merch, and so on! But I still felt like kind of the odd one out, because while there were some Christians at these events, and the friends I made were kind when I mentioned my faith, it just wasn’t an interest most attendees shared.
I thought how amazing it would be if there was a Christian literary convention where I could nerd out about all my fandoms and crack Bible jokes too! Much to my disappointment, no such thing existed. But in my initially dismal Googling, I discovered Realm Makers!
Realm Makers started out in 2013 as a a cohesive, professional conference for Christian speculative fiction authors. In 2016, they added an awards program for Christian fantasy and science fiction – at the time, I believe no other awards existed for this sub-genre. On their website, they describe the exact same feeling I had experienced at secular cons and in “mainstream” Christian circles – I couldn’t quite be myself fully in either.
But they still weren’t a convention. And I didn’t have ~$1500 to drop on travel, lodging, food, and conference fees. So I bided my time and stalked their amazing FB group, in which I made many friends and learned so much about this budding industry.
Ralene Burke, Rebecca P. Minor, Caylah CoffeenRich CoffeenKathy Tyers book signingHavok Magazine at Realm Makers
Then, last year (2025), they hosted their first EXPO for fans in Grand Rapids! FINALLY, I could afford to come and hang out with fellow creatives, browse book stalls, learn about Christian video game creators, and meet the publishers I had followed for years. Plus the geniuses behind Realm Makers: Rebecca (pictured above) and Scott Minor!
It was a blast! I got to meet one of my favorite authors, Kathy Tyers, who later kindly gave an interview on this blog. I got to help my dad (author Rich Coffeen) and Havok Magazine (with whom I was an editor at the time) vend at their tables. Of course, I ran around in cosplay, collecting stickers and business cards, and meeting indie Christian SFF authors I never would have discovered if not for this expo. I came home with a juicy stack of new books that marginally consoled me as I sulked about having to wait a whole year to return.
But now the time is near!
This year they’re hosting their conference and expo in St. Louis. The conference runs from Wed, June 24th – Sat, June 27th, with their awards banquet Thurs evening. The expo runs all day Fri, June 26th and Sat, June 27th. And this year, they’re not even charging for entry to shop the expo (screenings and events within the expo do cost extra).
It really was a wonderful event, great for both networking and sharing common passions, so I highly recommend that you attend if you can. I would love to meet you there!
Here’s one of the official fliers from their press kit, linked to their website where you can find more details.
Hi, I’m Caylah Coffeen, a freelance editor and marketer of sci-fi and fantasy books. I love reading and writing and am a follower of Jesus Christ.
I’ve worked for Monster Ivy Publishing, Eschler Editing, and Havok Magazine. Reach out to chat about books and publishing!
Thanks for stopping by my website! I hope you’ve found some helpful resources about reading, writing, and publishing. If you liked this article, here’s some more free content…
Kathy Tyers writes character-driven science fiction with a deep heart and an inquiring spirit. She is the author of the Firebird series – Firebird, Fusion Fire, Crown of Fire, Wind and Shadow, and Daystar – of the Star Wars universe novels Truce at Bakura and New Jedi Order: Balance Point, and of several stand-alones.
She returns to the Firebird universe with her upcoming release Firebreak, which takes place between Crown of Fire and Wind and Shadow. Releasing March 10, 2026 and now available for preorder, with 20% off on Enclave Publishing’s website!
Cover art by Kirk DouPonce at DogEared Designs
Lady Firebird Caldwell returns to the world of her birth, Netaia, intending to introduce her young sons to the noble Electors while her husband, Brennen, conducts a military inspection. When mysterious ships in distress suddenly approach the planet, the Electorate sends her to initiate first contact. Forced to work alongside a vengeful childhood enemy, Firebird uses everything within her power—even her passion for music—to negotiate, only to discover their alien technology threatens all the worlds she holds dear.
Facing ruthless betrayal, Firebird undertakes a deadly journey to salvage the mission. Brennen must make daring use of his telepathic powers to save human life in the galactic Whorl, including that of their young sons. But saving the worlds might force Brennen to give the order that would mean Firebird’s death. In a galaxy poised on the edge of ruin, survival may demand the ultimate sacrifice—from them both.
Caylah: I’m so excited to hear that you’re releasing a new book in the Firebird universe! The new cover looks stunning! Could you tell us more about Firebreak and how the story came to you?
One of the hardest choices an author can make is where to start and end their story – after all, the universe and characters never “end” in our own minds! It’s been quite a few years since your last book in the Firebird universe. How did you decide it was “right” to return?
Kathy: Caylah, thank you for the opportunity to talk about writing Firebird’s story again. If you don’t mind, I’d like to combine my answers to your first two questions.
In 2022, I thought I would never be able to write again. Long COVID had done bizarre things to my brain. Sometimes, I could barely wake up for two or three days, and then I’d have insomnia for most of a week. The worst of it was the sensation that something seemed to be creepy-crawling inside my skull. I barely had the energy to get through a day and cook dinner. Some people thought I was doing pretty well, but I had no energy left to write, which made me feel sad and old.
Still, every second Monday evening, I got together with some new writers from my church and helped them learn the craft. I tried to resurrect an old project of mine, Holy Ground, a rural fantasy novel. I’d written it in third person limited POV, and my writing friends encouraged me to try rewriting it in first person. Week after week, I simply had nothing to bring to the writers group. The passion just wasn’t there. I couldn’t persevere through the long, long process of writing a full first draft, even though the novel was substantially written already.
Finally, Broose–another founding member of that group, and a former Disney animator–challenged me to simply write something that brought me joy and fed my spirit. I had thoroughly enjoyed writing the Firebird series. They filled up something inside of me that had gone empty and dry during COVID. So, out of a sense of grateful nostalgia, I re-read all five of them. I found myself wondering what Firebird and Brennen were doing between Crown of Fire and Wind and Shadow. (Books 3 and 4) The next thing I knew, a new story was pouring out of me. The post-COVID lethargy was gone. Kathy Tyers was alive again.
Caylah: That is wonderful advice – returning to joy when our muse decides to hide under a rock. What did you enjoy most about this story and what are you excited for readers to experience (no spoilers of course!)? I’m personally excited to see more about Netaia’s culture and how it transforms over the years.
Kathy: The characters! I’ve known Lady Firebird for most of my life. Over the years, she has matured into someone who feels very real to me. So does Brennen. Letting them find each other and embark on their adventures together satisfied a hunger in my soul. In our fallen world, we long for a happy ending–but doesn’t a happy ending usually lead to the next challenge?
Caylah: Indeed! Firebird came so alive to me, so I’m excited to see more of her story.
How does your relationship with God influence your writing process and story planning? e.g. perhaps you have a prayer you like to pray as you sit down to write.
Kathy: I try to get to work immediately after my quiet time each morning. One of my favorite C.S. Lewis quotes says, in effect, that who/what you are will come out in your writing whether or not you try to put it there. So I work hard on telling a good story and, occasionally, on bringing forward the faith elements. Lightly but genuinely! The exception to “lightly” was Wind and Shadow, which was written as a Master’s degree project for Regent College, a wonderful theological school in Vancouver, BC. One of the main characters was a priest in training, you see….
Caylah: Amen! Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. I remember you published a different edition of Firebird before your deal with Enclave. How did you choose to release a version with enhanced religious themes (is that the biggest difference)? Have you received criticism from fans of your general market (Star Wars) work?
Kathy: My editor Steve Laube had been a fan of my writing before I moved over from Bantam Books to Bethany House publishing, where he worked at the time. During our first conversation, he told me he had suspected for some time that I was a Christian because he’d found hints here and there in my writing (see C.S. Lewis quote above!). Yes, people have left reviews online warning other readers that my books from a Christian publisher have Christian themes. Surprise!
Caylah: Personally, I found the themes of shame, faith, and new life incredibly challenging and encouraging – they make the story have eternal significance. Are there any readers who’ve approached you over the years to share how the Christian message impacted them? All authors want to think that their stories have the power to transform at least one life!
Kathy: One of the most moving experiences in my life was attending the baptism of a young woman who said she’d decided to become a Christian after reading the Firebird books.
Caylah: I love how much you weave music into the chapter titles and into Firebird’s thought processes! In my opinion, that’s one of the elements that takes a character from “good” to “great” – their hobbies and passions actually transform how they view and interact with the world. I actually use your trilogy as an example when I offer this advance to new writers! Are there any other tips for character development that you’d share with budding writers?
Kathy: My characters usually reveal themselves to me slowly. I need to spend time with them, thinking through what they find beautiful, meaningful,or challenging. Often, it’s through the process of writing a first draft that I learn what drives them. I enjoy involving some of my characters in music or other arts because that’s been a big part of my background since childhood. I grew up in a musical family. I might ask a hopeful writer, “What do you enjoy, what do you know something about, besides your fiction? Can you layer that into your story in some way that enriches the plot?”
Now and then, though, inspiration hits in an instant. For example, I first glimpsed one of my favorite characters, Tel Tellai, when he was standing at the foot of a breakaway strip while a space-and-atmosphere fighter took off. He was just standing there in shock and protest, holding both of his arms stiffly down at his sides. “Who in the world is that?” I wondered. Calmly, he told me his name (honestly, that’s how it felt) and that he loved Phoena Angelo. I was shocked. “You love HER?? What???? How could ANYONE….”
Caylah: Moments of “conception” like that make storytelling feel like such a superpower! Since we’re quoting C.S. Lewis, your description reminds me of how his main character in Till We Have Faces says, “I was with book, as a woman is with child.”
The interrogation scene between Brennen and Firebird is one of the most tensely compelling scenes I’ve ever read – the chemistry! I remember the first time I read it, how Brennen’s act of clicking his heels together and shifting forward to begin accessing Firebird’s mind was such a tangible moment that made me physically feel the tension in the room. Then I reread your annotated version and realized you did this deliberately (as good authors do, haha)! You articulated so clearly how physical actions can punctuate energy and emotion and create turning points within a scene without the characters using any words. Are you able to expand upon that idea, maybe going into when this tactic works and when it might not, for some writers?
Kathy: Thanks, Caylah. I love that scene too. I wrote at length about tagging dialogue with action beats in my book for the Christian Writers Institute, Writing Deep Viewpoint: Invite your Readers Into the Story.It isn’t always easy to find the right action beat. I hear my characters speak to each other long before I can see their body language or their surroundings. Every writer’s process is just a bit different.
Caylah: That sounds like a great resource – thank you! It’s encouraging to know that even elements which might not come as naturally or quickly to writers can still become a great strength.
There’s a lot of disagreement about what makes a “strong female character.” Some people have complained that Firebird too quickly gets “shunted into the role of wife and mother,” but I think you did a wonderful job of showing a variety of feminine strengths in Firebird. Being a lethal fighter pilot isn’t the only way to kick butt, which she still does throughout the rest of the trilogy! How would you describe your approach to writing female characters and do you think Christians “should” write women differently than we see in mainstream media?
Kathy: I’m especially glad you asked about this. “The role of wife and mother” is not the end of any story. In and of itself, it’s a high calling for many. For others, it’s a vital step into their unique future. When I brought Firebird and Brennen together, I knew that they both had strong reasons for wanting to create a family.
Still, they obviously weren’t the kind of people to live quietly-ever-after. How, then, would they balance parenting with the other calls on their lives? It’s been a challenge for me, just as it’s been a challenge for them. But they’re doing it! Just wait till you read how they get there in Firebreak.
Caylah: I can’t wait to see the kind of trouble Kiel and Kinnor got into as kids!
Ok, now for my “fan girl” moment. When Brennen first feels Firebird’s mental shout he expects to find brotherhood. Though it didn’t turn out that way, I’ve been fascinated by what that dynamic would look like in their culture. I would LOVE to see a short story about a Sentinel “blood brother” pair!!! Do they have any famous “Gilgamesh-Enkidu” pairs or stories about sisterhood (which is rarer to find in fiction, sadly)?
Can individuals have more than one pair bond? For instance, would a pair bonded husband also be able to pair bond with a brother in arms? Would his bonded wife feel his brother through their connection at all? I then had fun imagining what would have happened if one of the Shuhr assassins had discovered they were connatural with one of the men in the Caldwell bloodline. What do you think would have happened – would they have stayed their hand as Brennen did with Firebird?
Kathy: You may have given me a great subplot idea. Thank you.
Caylah: Ooh, yes! Is there anything else you’d like to share about your story, process, or world?
Kathy: Thank you again for the chance to share a bit about Firebreak, my favorite characters, and my writing process. It was a treat to meet you at Realm Makers, and I hope to see you there again in 2026, when Firebreak is finally available!
Caylah: Thanks! It was lovely meeting you too. And congrats on the birth of your grandson!
Kathy: Thank you!
Follow Kathy Tyers on Facebook for more news and discussions, and find the first book in her Firebird trilogy here. Firebreak, releasing March 10, 2026, is now available for preorder on Amazon or through Enclave Publishing’s website (20% off there).
Amazon links are affiliate links – I may earn from qualifying purchases.
Hi, I’m Caylah Coffeen, a freelance editor and marketer of sci-fi and fantasy books. I love reading and writing and am a follower of Jesus Christ.
I’ve worked for Monster Ivy Publishing and Eschler Editing, and am currently a weekly editor with Havok Publishing. Reach out to chat about books and publishing!
Thanks for stopping by my website! I hope you’ve found some helpful resources about reading, writing, and publishing. If you liked this article, here’s some more free content…
Firebird is a thrilling Christian space opera, filled with planetary battles, telepathic warriors, familial betrayal, and the deep longing for one’s soul to be seen – by one’s people, lover, and God himself.
Synopsis
As the third princess of the planet Netaia, Firebird has been ordered to die. Her people consider her a wastling, an extraneous heir whose only role is to die in service to her people. A fighter pilot and Major, Firebird is sent with the leading strike force to conquer a nearby planet which holds mineral resources vital to weapons of mass destruction. Captured by the Federate forces who defend the system, she is shocked when they offer her mercy. Shielded by the telepathic warrior who spared her life, she begins to question the fanatic loyalty her people and gods expect of her.
Characters: 5/5
Characters are the heart of this story, and the dialogue and dynamics between characters have physically palpable energy and tension.
Lady Firebird Angelo is one of, if not the only, female character who I’d consider one of my favorite characters in fiction. I prefer reading about male leads because I never connect well with female protagonists. Not so here! Firebird displays a delightful mix of vulnerability, loyalty, grit, poise, intelligence, and more. She is much better fleshed out than most female characters I encounter, with a strongly incorporated skill for music, a complex dynamic with her family and authority figures, inside jokes and regrets about the past, and maturity beyond her years. She is torn apart by a complex moral dilemma – serve the lies and violent agenda of the planet she loves (but which has rejected her), or embrace truth, eternal salvation, and a new life among the strangers who were once her enemies.
Brennen Caldwell is super hot – it’s true. A fighter pilot, commander, and Sentinel (genetically engineered user of telekinetic and telepathic abilities), he’s the most desirable bachelor in his culture (not even accounting for his religiously significant bloodline). But he’s not just a love interest – we get his POV as he runs ops, struggles to develop his leadership, chafes against the prejudice of the Federacy, and tries to help Firebird heal from the mental abuse she’s lived with her whole life. His driving motivation is to find a true companion who can share his life and soul with him. Their people (Thyrian-Ehretans) form telepathic pair bonds with individuals who are connatural, or share a high mental, spiritual, and physical resonance. And, oh, the dramatic tension when he discovers an enemy is more of a kindred spirit to him than any of his own people.
Plot: 4/5
This is a character-driven story, so while there are some epic (and realistically written) battles, there’s a much greater focus on politics, family dynamics, and cross-cultural encounters.
The first time I read this book, the middle portion irritated me a little, because the plot slows down and the two main characters end up on different planets for a time – however, this is quite necessary for the long-term health of the main characters’ relationship. Brennan was in a position of power over Firebird, who was extremely vulnerable mentally, emotionally, and politically. Separating them for a time allowed Firebird to get her feet under her and explore a new planet and ideology without pressure. If not for this distance, Brennan could easily have come across as predatory – something he himself is highly aware of throughout all their interactions. I admire how Tyers planned this out, allowing both leads to do some soul searching independently before eventually joining forces to address the larger political problems they face.
The ending felt a bit abrupt to me, both the physical conflict and spiritual outcome, but I think the rest of the trilogy did an excellent job of expanding on the themes and ideas present in this book, and progressing the relationship between characters in a realistic way. It is also true that soldiers often make major decisions that would seem abrupt to regular people, because we don’t understand the stakes they live through when risking their lives every day.
Writing: 5/5
I love Kathy Tyers’ writing style! Her dialogue is poignant, sharp, emotional, and filled with tension. She’s an expert at describing body language and using physical motions to punctuate emotion and create breaks within scenes. Her scenes have excellent internal pacing. There are several scenes in this book that are seared into my memory because of how physically visceral it feels reading them. The tension and draw between characters is palpable. Many stories explore the concept of telepathic bonds, but some fall flat because they don’t manage to make readers feel how the characters’ souls sing to one another.
This story explores how mental beliefs and passions, spiritual longings, and physical compatibility all weave together to create truly deep relationships. So many love stories and friendships in fiction omit anything of spiritual significance, but this story is all the richer for raising questions like “will I face more condemnation in the afterlife for committing a moral wrong in loyalty to my people, or for betraying them to save many lives?” Firebird must confront the manipulation, abuse, and state-leveraged religion that has twisted around her her whole life, and she does so because one of her enemies shows her more compassion and forgiveness than any of her mentors or blood relatives ever did. That, is a relationship worth writing home about.
Worldbuilding: 4/5
It’s SO hard to find space opera without aliens, and I’m always delighted when I do. This world is completely focused on human cultures, politics, and relationships, reminiscent of both Star Wars and Lois McMaster Bujold’s world (Shards of Honor). I loved the unique cultural dynamics on Firebird’s planet, Netaia – a society ruled by an aristocratic class, a line of Queens, and a religion of 9 Powers. Their culture reminded me somewhat of Imperial Japan and Russia.
The underlying premise in Brennen’s culture is fascinating too: what if Jesus didn’t come 4,000 years after Creation, but waited many more millennia? His people are essentially the Jews, and his family is like the line of Judah, from which the prophesied Messiah will one day come. Firebird, then, is like Ruth.
The Federacy that rules a large portion of the universe is characterized as a benevolent Empire despite its obvious bureaucratic corruption, self-serving politics, and prejudice against Ehretans. It bothered me, especially in later books, that the Ehretans let the Federacy treat them like trained dogs, and the ones who split off (the Shuhr) to create their own society outside of the Federacy’s self-serving restrictions on ability users are shown as completely evil and in the wrong. In fact, every time an Ehretan acted outside of the extremely controlling rules, they are shown to be despicable people. It rubbed me the wrong way because it reminded me of a brand of Christian authoritarianism that advocates submission to rule following even when leaders are treating you unfairly.
Of course, the strictures they place upon themselves make sense considering how they were nearly wiped out in the past by humans who feared their abilities. They limit individuals out of desperation to maintain the survival of their race. But it still bothers me that Brennan acts as though it would be objectively wrong not to follow the restrictions placed on him by his people and the Federacy alike. The Ehretan government runs personality tests to see how “moral” people are, and then forcibly prevents them from studying their abilities to a greater level if they don’t like what they see – an incredibly self-righteous form of enslavement that implies that any form of ambition is evil. An Ehretan that tries to learn more about their abilities or leave their society is essentially treated like a criminal.
It’s taken for granted that the government has the right to control their people to this extreme because their leaders are holy and God-serving. Imagine if our government was formally Christian and tested people to see how serious they are about their faith or if they have a tendency toward certain sins (not even open sin, but the probability for sin), and based on the results, prevented them from carrying weapons or achieving higher education. And anyone who left was considered a deserter and criminal… It’s a dangerous implication – that if a society is Christian, they can limit human rights if they think the freedoms could hinder God’s “greater good.”
But the best sci-fi makes people think and ask questions like this! I love rereading this book because each time I get to chew on something new. Her story sparked my imagination and helped inspire my own sci-fi world!
Hi, I’m Caylah Coffeen, a freelance editor and marketer of sci-fi and fantasy books. I love reading and writing and am a follower of Jesus Christ.
I’ve worked for Monster Ivy Publishing and Eschler Editing, and am currently a weekly editor with Havok Publishing. Reach out to chat about books and publishing!
Thanks for stopping by my website! I hope you’ve found some helpful resources about reading, writing, and publishing. If you liked this article, here’s some more free content…
Fantasy as a genre has long captured the imaginations of readers with its thrilling adventures and heroic narratives. But if you’ve spent any time in the trenches of Reddit, BookTok, or even Threads, you’ve likely come across a question echoing throughout the zeitgeist:
Does fantasy suffer from a lack of diversity?
That, however, is the wrong question.
At the heart of this conversation lies a more critical distinction. The real question we should be asking is:
What do we even mean by “diversity”?
Is it simply about including characters of various races and socioeconomic backgrounds?
Or does true diversity dig deeper?
This article explores that very question while offering insights into how diversity can (and should) transform the realm of fantasy. Along the way, you might come to love me, or you might come to hate me. But one thing you won’t accuse me of is being a vapid wanderer with nothing but clouds for thoughts.
What Does Diversity Mean in Fantasy?
When we think about diversity in fantasy, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? For many, in a culture increasingly unmoored from classical philosophical foundations, “diversity” is often reduced to outward traits: ethnicity, gender, or socioeconomic status.
And yes, those factors matter.
But they shouldn’t overshadow what truly makes stories vibrant and enduring: diversity of thought. Because a book, at its core, is a well assembled stream of consciousness. A meditation and confrontation with ideas.
Diversity in My Own Career
This subject is actually quite dear in my own author journey and not for the reasons you might suspect. Whenever diversity comes up, it’s often along the lines of: “Hey, Izaic, why don’t you mention you’re Black? That could really help spotlight you or bring money in the door.” Every time I hear that, it feels like an arrow to the heart.
Why?
Because it screams the bigotry of low expectations. Ideas that stand the test of time are based on merit. To have mine judged by skin tone or assumed hardships might grant me a short‑term dopamine hit but, in the end, would leave me wondering: did I earn X or Y, or was that just the result of someone’s assumption about me?
So, over and over again, I have declined grants or invitations that hinge solely on my skin tone. At times it’s been hard and a challenge to the life of virtue. Undoubtedly I am leaving money on the table, but I have faith that I am more than the base materials of my physical body. What remains, and what is important, is the diversity of my mind and soul, which God made perfectly to His design.
Beyond Biometric Metrics
Reducing diversity to metrics like race, gender, or class oversimplifies a much richer and more vital conversation. Biometric diversity does not automatically guarantee depth or quality in storytelling.
True diversity emerges from exploring nuanced ideas, conflicting beliefs, and different cultural frameworks for understanding universal human experiences.
Imagine a world where fantasy novels challenge readers to see the world differently—to entertain new possibilities and reflect deeply on their own beliefs.
That is authentic diversity.
More Than Skin Deep
Reducing diversity to physical characteristics is a form of tokenism, where characters are included as symbolic gestures rather than meaningful contributors to the narrative.
Instead, let’s consider stories whereideas and beliefs are the defining elements of uniqueness.
For example, a Black author can skillfully craft a European medieval fantasy steeped in knights, castles, and folklore. Likewise, a White author can authentically write a story centered around urban Black youths navigating the challenges of Chicago through the lens of portal fantasy.
The richness of a story stems not from the biometric traits of its characters or creators, but from the depth and clarity of its ideas.
Biological factors ≠ Diversity.
They are merely a potential starting point from which diversity might emerge.
This is not to deny the importance of representation but to elevate the conversation.
Our ultimate goal as lovers of literature should be compelling storytelling that speaks to the human condition. As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. famously said, what matters most is “the content of their character.”
For fantasy, this means content that challenges, inspires, and transports readers into the vast frontiers of imagination.
The Reader’s Role in Seeking True Diversity
Writers aren’t the only ones responsible for cultivating meaningful diversity. Readers play an equally crucial role in shaping demand for more thoughtful and expansive narratives.
When audiences seek out stories that offer fresh perspectives and complex characters, they help pave the way for a broader, richer literary landscape.
Supporting Authentic Storytelling
Here’s how readers can contribute:
Explore New Authors: Seek out voices from various cultural and social backgrounds. But celebrate them not for their skin or heritage—celebrate them for the merit of their thoughts and craft.
Foster Conversations: Discuss books with others. Unearth the deeper themes and perspectives within a story.
Prioritize Depth: Choose books that offer intricate world-building, moral complexity, and provocative ideas over ones that simply check superficial boxes.
By demanding authenticity and intellectual richness, readers uplift authors and help shape a publishing culture centered on excellence.
Raising the Next Generation of Readers
Creating a culture where diversity of thought thrives doesn’t happen overnight. It begins with nurturing a love for reading in young minds. Exposing children of all backgrounds to a range of high-quality, diverse literature helps expand their worldview and strengthens critical thinking.
How to Foster a Love for Diverse Literature:
Start Early: Introduce imaginative fantasy stories that stretch the mind and expose kids to different ideas.
Align with Values: Share stories that reflect your core values but don’t avoid those that challenge or stretch them.
Create a Rich Literary Environment: Fill homes or classrooms with books spanning genres, cultures, and philosophies.
Celebrate Curiosity: Encourage kids to ask hard questions about characters, themes, and conflicts.
Train for Excellence: Stop paying lip service to mediocrity. If you’re invested in the future of Black youth—or any youth—invest in their craft. Train them rigorously. Push them to be extraordinary.
A sustained effort to introduce children to rich, diverse storytelling shapes a generation that values both creativity and authenticity. Excellence is the only foundation that ensures diversity lasts beyond trends.
Building a Future of Excellence in Fantasy Literature
Fantasy offers endless room for exploration, creativity, and connection. But for the genre to thrive, it requires intentional effort from writers, readers, and publishers alike.
Christian authors, especially, have a unique opportunity to contribute by anchoring their work in faith and reflecting the boundless creativity of God’s design.
The future of fantasy doesn’t rest on superficial representation. It depends on cultivating excellence and allowing the diversity of ideas to compete in all aspects of storytelling.
Yorks spent six years as a professional Track athlete, earning silver in the United States championships, among several other distinguishing awards. Now, he seeks his true passion for authoring fantasy works with a heart for virtues that chase the Good, True, and Beautiful.
Hailing from the Pacific Northwest, Yorks is now happily lost in Hillsborough, living the small-town life and raising a growing family with his wife Courtney.
Check out his book!
Hi, I’m Caylah Coffeen, a freelance editor and marketer of sci-fi and fantasy books. I love reading and writing and am a follower of Jesus Christ.
I’ve worked for Monster Ivy Publishing and Eschler Editing, and am currently a weekly editor with Havok Publishing. Reach out to chat about books and publishing!
Thanks for stopping by my website! I hope you’ve found some helpful resources about reading, writing, and publishing. If you liked this article, here’s some more free content…
God’s world is beautifully and wonderfully made! And his kingdom is made up of people from all 4 corners of the earth – I love hearing the stories of all my brothers and sisters in Christ.
Sci-fi and fantasy is special because it opens new worlds to me and examines ideas I may never have encountered otherwise. So when these genres are written by unique voices who come from different walks of life than me, I often find even greater delight in the imaginations they have spun into being!
Christian SFF has grown dramatically as a genre in the past 2 decades alone, and we’re seeing a wider range of authors than ever before! So I’ve compiled this list of diverse Christian authors of sci-fi and fantasy to help readers find and enjoy their compelling stories!
This article contains affiliate links – I may earn a small commission on qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Anna Tan grew up in Malaysia, the country that is not Singapore. She writes fantasy stories and fairy tales, puts together anthologies, and wrangles writers for the Malaysian Writers Society (MYWriters).
Anna has an MA in Creative Writing and is interested in Malay/Nusantara and Chinese legends and folklore in exploring the intersections of language, culture, and faith.
All Putera Mikal wants is to gain the Amok Strength, the supernatural power granted by Kudus to the Mahan royal family. No matter how religiously Mikal keeps his vows, Kudus still denies him the Strength—whilst his father, Sultan Simson, flaunts the Strength despite his blatant defiance of the Temple and the priests’ visions of coming doom.
Then the prophecies come true. Taken captive, Mikal must find a way to liberate his people and restore his throne in Maha—and the key to this is the Amok Strength. But what does it take to gain Kudus’ favour?
Tosca Lee is the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of twelve novels, including a series with Ted Dekker. Her work has won multiple awards and has been translated into 17 languages and optioned for TV and film.
She serves on the Board of Directors of International Thriller Writers and as adjunct faculty for Drexel University’s MFA program. Tosca lives in Nebraska with her family, a drooling cat named Misty, and giant 160-lb. German Shepherd, Timber.
Emily Jacobs is the descendant of a serial killer. Now, she’s become the hunted.
Her quest takes her to the secret underground of Europe and the inner circles of three ancient orders—one determined to kill her, one devoted to keeping her alive, and one she must ultimately save.
Filled with adrenaline, romance, and reversals, The Progeny is the present-day saga of a 400-year-old war between the uncanny descendants of “Blood Countess” Elizabeth Bathory, the most prolific female serial killer of all time, and a secret society dedicated to erasing every one of her descendants.
Jon Del Arroz is a #1 Amazon Bestselling author and “the leading Hispanic voice in science fiction.” He is a popular YouTuber with hilarious livestreams.
He says on his X (Twitter), “I became a #1 bestselling author by standing for Christian values.” In his free time he likes roleplaying, reading comics, and playing tennis.
After years of fighting for justice with his deadly nanotech, Templar Drin abandons his post, crash landing on a desert world controlled by a tyrannical alien empire. Its inhabitants are forced into slavery, broken where a once-proud race cultivated its lands.
For the first time in Drin’s life, he has no backup, no support, none of his brothers. Yet he still seeks to liberate millions of slaves from their captors and bring faith to a downtrodden world. But in his way stands the most dangerous weapon in the galaxy.
Valicity Elaine is the author of several Christian YA dark fantasy novels and a former Booktuber. In 2015, after her experience with indie publishing, she founded The Rebel Christian Publishing.
Their goal is to produce and publish good quality Christian books with a strong focus on the inclusion and representation of minority cultures. They aim to keep Christ at the center of their business and to positively reflect the Christian faith in the books they produce.
Code-X5 is a Guardian, fresh from the factory after a memory wipe. But there is a flaw in X5’s programming. He can’t pinpoint it, but something is wrong. Despite this, X5 just wants a fresh start, but that’s hard when your client is an exiled princess who wants you to bust her out of prison.
He thinks it will be a simple mission until they discover a scheme that could unravel the very fabric of the Valetian Empire.
Is it possible that X5’s programming is more than flawed… and that he wasn’t always a Guardian – what if he isn’t the only one?
Dylan West writes faith-based, young adult science fiction and fantasy novels. He is a Jesus lover, web and video game developer, former Navy nuclear operator, foreign language nut, and a nut in general.
While other people are busy thinking normal thoughts, he’s crafting corny jokes. Dylan lives in Chesapeake, VA, with his wife and daughter.
People worship technology on Planet Daishon. With inventions that prolong life and eradicate disease, it’s little wonder. Death seems obsolete until an earthquake kills thousands, including Mallory’s parents. Suspecting the top research center triggered it, she begins to investigate.
She unlocks an underground world and the remnants of a universal war. To survive, Mallory must trust the voice of one she can’t see, to find the very bottom. Something out of folklore is trapped there, and it is trying to escape.
Willamette’s earliest memories of books coincided with those of America, when she first came here from Hong Kong at the age of seven. Awed by the abundance of free books, she determined to learn English so that she could partake of this bounty.
At first she wanted to be a detective, but after studying physics and library sciences, she became an academic librarian. Now she combines her love of information and speculation to create fantastic stories that nevertheless give an air of a world truer than the one we see.
Pergi can only retain her father’s throne if she marries the neighboring prince, combining their kingdoms. Yet the same prophecy that calls for the reunification also warns that they must join by love. So she is supplanted by her younger sister, Sadira, who unexpectedly runs on her wedding day, only to be snared by the dark lord Malchor.
What starts as an impromptu rescue of the wayward bride leads to a desperate struggle against a deadly foe. For if Malchor completes his true goal, and gains the Far Stones of power, he will subjugate all the peoples of Miran. Can Pergi’s adamant sense of duty rise above the forces crushing her?
Lee James writes stories of hope and redemption. Whether it’s fantasy, mystery or historical fiction, her beautifully awkward characters traverse a dark labyrinth on their journey to a hopeful end.
She is vehement about the importance of creating and preserving the sanctity of the written word. In that vein, she supports literacy programs and her local libraries. Most importantly, she supports her fellow writers. She also enjoys photography, watching The Simpsons, and of course, reading.
Bree, a feisty protegee fighter, is sent to infiltrate the city of Azriel. Unexpectedly, the Watchmen of the Keep welcome her as one of their own.
But the city’s water source has dried up, they face constant attacks from the vengeful spirits of former Watchmen who sold their souls for power, and an immortal creature lurks.
Then, a Watchman is murdered. But only a Watchman can kill another Watchman, so all eyes shift to Bree. Should she betray the dying city, or find the killer before it’s too late?
Daniel Tuituku is from Hawaii, but grew up in North Carolina, which is still his home. He’s a Christian and homeschooled alum, and his favorite works include Pilgrim’s Progress and the writings of C.S. Lewis.
When he got laid off from a job back in 2021, he jumped on the opportunity to write and publish his first book, Strange City. Daniel writes about real world themes and problems, but ensures the message of salvation and hope shines through the darkness of this fallen world.
Noe Ryker grew up in the Gray Zone as an orphan whose parents were killed for their beliefs. Whether he’s being harassed by The Law, being ordered around by robots, or forced to bow down to the tyrannical King, Noe has been giving in for too long.
All of that changes when he meets Faith, a strangely powerful woman – or spirit – he thought he once knew. Driven by a sense of purpose for the first time, Noe sets out to take down the King and liberate the city. But can he speak boldly, act courageously, and hold on to what he knows is true, even as the shadows of doubt and fear grow all around him?
Yorks spent six years as a professional Track athlete, earning silver in the United States championships, among several other distinguishing awards. Now, he seeks his true passion for authoring fantasy works with a heart for virtues that chase the Good, True, and Beautiful.
Hailing from the Pacific Northwest, Yorks is now happily lost in Hillsborough, living the small-town life and raising a growing family with his wife Courtney.
Magnate Rivia watches his land crumble, and the High King refuses to answer his pleas. He sends a skyship on a desperate mission—commanded by an invalid whose body is shattered but whose will remains unbroken.
The invalid’s destination? The lost promised land that drove Magnate Rivia’s father to madness. Their path? The storm-ridden skies of Aithos, where dragons once soared, secrets lie buried, and death waits in the clouds.
Failure means rebellion. Success could mean salvation, but at what price?
R. J. Amezcua is the creative director of Quentorex Studios and the author of a science fiction book trilogy and an illustrated children’s book.
Mr. Amezcua’s favorite TV shows – Lost in Space, Outer Limits, and Star Trek – sparked his imagination. He also enjoys watching the Food Network, walking in the morning, and gathering with friends and family.
Decades after global infanticide wiped out millions on the planet Ramah, Jazrene Vallo tries to piece her Holy Order back together.
But those responsible – the merciless, sorcerer-led Necrogog legions – still threaten multitudes of star systems, following their objective: to kill the promised Mantis messiah, whose birth mother is a member of the Holy Order, Marium Kahnet.
A group of rogue sisters is out for revenge. And her past isn’t clean either, with her own government seeking to prosecute her for war crimes. Even with a group of elite mercenaries and the instructions of a divine messenger, Jazrene may not be able to stop another wave of destruction.
A. Bean is a Christian author who writes fictional stories that reflect the body of Christ and the Bible. She writes in multiple genres, including end times fiction, historical fantasy, and more.
Her treasured dog, Sesame, is a small tricolor beagle that loves peas! On their days off, they like to travel, visit new restaurants, and find exciting dog treat recipes.
In a world where reading is a rare ability you must be born with, it’s been decades since a new Scribe has surfaced…
Amana Hart believes she was born with the Gift; the ability to innately understand and speak multiple languages – but she must keep this a secret. Only men of great wealth and stature are supposed to have this ability, so to pursue her dream of becoming a Scribe, she must take on a new identity.
Only God can keep Amana safe. The Scribal Institution will stop at nothing to silence liars and fakes. If she isn’t careful, she could end up burned at the stake.
S. E. M. Ishida is a children’s book author who writes science fiction and fantasy. She is also a technical communicator. The two roles allow her to write for both small publishers as well as a large technology company.
Her hobbies include reading, drawing, and collecting toys. She likes robots and tea!
Nick Newton is not a Genius. He’s just a merely average boy from the country of Thauma. He may not be brilliant like his mom and dad or a child prodigy like his sister, but he won’t let that stop him from uncovering the mysteries of a clockwork factory or revealing a war hero’s greatest secret.
With help from two new friends and his butler named Jude, Nick embarks on an adventure that will change his life forever.
Jaymi Mozeak was born in 1982 in Nuernberg, Germany. Soon after, her family moved back to the states where she grew up on the central coast of California.
Besides being an author, artist, and speaker, Jaymi Mozeak is also a Christian Seer. She became a Christian at age 7 and has walked with the Lord ever since. Now she draws inspiration for her stories and artwork from the dreams and visions she receives.
“I drank the blood of an angel… How can You want me?”
Follow Silver Fox, a brave young wolf-dog, in her quest to find a place for herself among the glories of heaven. She looks like a demon and is hampered, abused, and mistrusted because of it. She feels like no one will ever trust her or want her around.
No one will love her except Shepherd, the white lion. He alone invites her to join his army. What does he see in her that no one else has?
Help Me Expand This List!
Do you know of any other authors whose works would fit this list? Comment below or shoot me an email, and I’ll feature them here!
Hi, I’m Caylah Coffeen, a freelance editor and marketer of sci-fi and fantasy books. I love reading and writing and am a follower of Jesus Christ.
I’ve worked for Monster Ivy Publishing, Eschler Editing, and Havok Magazine. Reach out to chat about books and publishing!
Thanks for stopping by my website! I hope you’ve found some helpful resources about reading, writing, and publishing. If you liked this article, here’s some more free content…
Good reviews are absolutely essential for the sales of your book. Readers want to find out if your book is worth reading without having to expend much time upfront. The opinion of readers like them is a huge factor in decision-making.
But Christian fantasy, sci-fi, and horror are niche genres which have a relatively small audience. It’s already hard enough for authors of mainstream fiction to find reviewers, but you might feel incredibly frustrated trying to find the small crowd of readers who won’t condemn your themes of faith OR accuse you of “condoning witchcraft.”
So I’ve compiled a list of resources to help you gain reviews for your Christian SFF book – all of them are friendly toward indie and self-published authors:
ARC Websites DO Accept Christian Sci-Fi & Fantasy Books
Top advanced reader copy (ARC) websites include NetGalley, BookSirens, and BookSprout. Publishers list their upcoming releases and readers can create an account and request free copies, in exchange for leaving an honest review.
These websites accept all types of genres and any reader can sign up for a free account. I’ve seen Christian fantasy and sci-fi listed on these sites (I’m a reviewer on BookSirens). It’s quite possible that other Christian readers of sci-fi and fantasy browse these websites and will request your book.
The MOST important factor which affects your book’s likelihood of approval on these sites is your release date. If your book was published more than 6 months ago, they will not consider it eligible. Ideally, your book should be available on these sites at least 3 months before publication so that you gain some positive reviews by the time your book goes live. That’s why they’re called advance reader copies.
Note that you are not paying for a review. You are paying these companies to connect you with their list of reviewers.
This is the go-to location for the Big 5 Publishers, so indie authors have to compete with many famous authors and books in high-demand. However, the publishers are also picky about which reviewers they send free books, so there are many readers on the platform who want free books and will keep browsing if they don’t get their top choice.
Prices: $60-800+ depending on what type of plan you purchase. Kindlepreneuer has a great article summarizing the best NetGalley deals.
This is my favorite ARC site because I think they have the best search function – this makes it easy for me, as a reader, to narrow down their choices and find exactly the type of book I’m looking for.
They also keep a public database of reviewers which allows authors to search for good matches and reach out in-person to readers they think will enjoy their book.
Prices: $10/ARC plus $2/reader or $100/year for unlimited ARCs – learn more
BookSprout is similar to BookSirens, in that it’s very friendly to indie authors. Their plans offer a certain amount of reviewers per month. For instance, if you pick their $9/mo plan, you can receive up to 25 reviews. With their $29 and $59/mo plans, you get unlimited potential reviews.
This is a popular site that reviews indie and bestselling authors alike. They state that, “more than half of the books submitted for a free review will receive one within three (3) months. Some books are reviewed in less than a week while others are never selected for review.”
The Independent Book Review exclusively reviews indie release in a wide variety of genres. They’re composed of a team of reviewers, with varied preferences. They note that they do not accept: “some religious books.” But that likely does not exclude SFF with themes of faith, redemption, and the like.
This site helps library professionals choose which books to stock. They state, “As the book review journal of the American Library Association, Booklist connects library and education workers to the books and resources needed to support and enrich their communities.” They also have a branch of their site oriented toward library patrons who are searching for their next read.
Since they receive over 60K review requests per year, I suggest only submitting to them if you think your book has wide appeal. This could be a great option for children’s book authors as well.
Lorehaven is currently the only major website completely dedicated to writing about Christian sci-fi, fantasy, and other speculative fiction. They maintain a database of Christian SFF books, and authors and readers alike can submit books to be included.
They have a team of reviewers and for your book to be considered it must be: Christian-made, fantastical in genre, and professionally published (indie or traditional). Lorehaven also runs a podcast and has an active discord server for readers.
They review both secular and Christian-made sci-fi and fantasy, but focus on works released by major publishers. So this is not a good option for self-published authors. They review mostly middle grade and YA, aiming their reviews at parents, though you can submit books aimed at adults as well.
Jon Dykstra, the editor of Reformed Perspective, has reviewed a number of Christian fantasy books, including the Wingfeather Saga and The Dark Harvest Trilogy. There’s not an official way to request reviews on this website, which emphasizes curated and reflective content, but there is no harm in bringing your series to their attention.
PluggedIn is aimed at parents and mostly reviews popular media. Their intent is to help parents filter through the (often secular) content their children are most likely to encounter and request to read or watch. But they have reviewed Christian-made fantasy novels.
They do not have an official way to request reviews, but you can email them directly at letters@pluggedin.com. Keep in mind that the more requests they receive for a certain type of review (or specific work of fiction), the more likely they are to see it as a high demand and expand into that area.
This is our blog, and we’re glad you’ve found your way here! We love reviewing science fiction and fantasy of all types, including those with Christian themes!
You may submit a review request here. Please be sure to check out my reading wishlist first! Note that I do not review books with more than 2 POVs.
Periapsis Press is one of the most prolific reviewer sites of Christian SFF, run by Katie and David Roome! They also offer author interviews and invite guest posts from reviewers.
Chris Solaas writes concise reviews that include: an analysis of each story, a summary of the Christian content, and estimated ratings for mature content. He notes that he receives way more requests than he can ever accept or even respond to, and is also behind on the books he has chosen to read.
Kristi notes: “As a self-published author myself, I realize the need for reviews and certainly empathize with the difficulty of self-marketing. I read some fantasy, but not really paranormal. I read sci-fi, but not so much space operas.” She has a list of her preferred genres.
Leah is a Christian and avid book lover who reviews books clean in language and content, though she will read dark and violent content – which she will then warn of in her reviews.
Coralie reads and reviews both Christian fantasy and classics. She notes in her book review index that you can reach out on her contact page if you’d like to see specific reviews.
Tressa only reviews clean books and notes, “I pretty much read all sub-genres (contemporary, historical, fantasy, dystopian, scifi, steampunk, etc., except most thrillers).” She is backlogged with requests, so be sure to compare her recent reads with your book to see if you’ll be a good fit.
Be aware that YouTube videos rarely focus on reviews of individual books, and are more likely to include a list of recommendations or a discussion and comparison of a genre. It’s still a great way to reach a wider audience of readers!
Celestria says, “I talk about clean and Christian books here. Subscribe to watch me fangirl about fictional characters, drink too much coffee, and sing the occasional song.”
Rochelle is a vlogger based out of South Africa! She makes videos about her faith, her daily life, and books. Here’s a video she made about Christian fantasy.
Her bio says she’s “a teenage author, book lover, and Christian with a big dream and an even bigger God.” She reviews and recommends Christian fantasy, definitely on the cleaner side.
Valicity Elaine used to run this BookTube channel, but transformed it into an indie publishing company with the same name! She still actively reviews on Goodreads. I encourage you to get in touch with her!
Christian Fantasy Reviewers on Instagram
There are many great book reviewers on Instagram who mention that they’re Christian and love to read sci-fi and fantasy! Try searching with tags like #Christianbookblogger, #christianfantasy, and #bookreview. It might take you a while to filter through, but it’s well worth it. I find reviewers on IG to be incredibly friendly, excited, and open to helping share the work of new and indie authors!
Note: I am actively researching and expanding this section.
These individuals have left Goodreads reviews on multiple major works of Christian sci-fi and fantasy and most note on their profile that they are interested in both genre fiction and Christian works. I only included accounts of people who have been active on the platform within the past year.
You could certainly friend them and send a message, but keep in mind that most of these people are readers who do not run “official” reviewer blogs. So be sure to browse through some of their favorites to make sure that they’d actually be interested in your book, BEFORE reaching out to them.
Find more individual readers by scrolling through positive reviews left on your favorite Christian SFF books!
Who Are Your Favorite Reviewers?
If you’re an author of Christian SFF and have some favorite reviewers who love your work, please share so I can keep expanding this list! If you yourself are a reviewer of Christian SFF, please let me know if you’d like to be featured!
Hi, I’m Caylah Coffeen, a freelance editor and marketer of sci-fi and fantasy books. I love reading and writing and am a follower of Jesus Christ.
I’ve worked for Monster Ivy Publishing, Eschler Editing, and Havok Magazine. Reach out to chat about books and publishing!
Thanks for stopping by my website! I hope you’ve found some helpful resources about reading, writing, and publishing. If you liked this article, here’s some more free content…
I recently picked up an epic fantasy book I had greatly anticipated reading – it promised unusual worldbuilding, an intricate plot, and a unique authorial voice. I didn’t make it through the first chapter.
In the opening, the main female character gets drunk, breaks into someone’s home to commit adultery, assaults the homeowner when he tries to stop her, and gets thrown in jail. When she wakes up, she bangs on the bars and yells at the guards to let her out, as though she’d done nothing wrong. A stranger, who greatly outranks her, bails her out and gets her acquitted because he wants to hire her. She struts out like she owns the place, doesn’t offer this man a single thank you, and instead mouths off at him, becoming offended that he expects her to work off her debt to him!
That’s when I stopped reading. I was astounded we were supposed to find this character likeable. Or even admire her defiant attitude and the gargantuan chip on her shoulder.
Unfortunately, this is the exact type of character readers can expect to see over and over again, advertised as a “strong female lead.”
I would use another word: cocksure. I’m sorry if you find that crass, but that’s the point – that’s exactly what these characters are.
The Double Standard
How is it that the word I’ve found to best describe these “strong female characters” has largely been used in the past to describe men being jerks? It’s pretty much the old word for “toxic masculinity!” If a male character acted the way these female characters do, that’s exactly what they’d be called! No, if they acted half so horribly, they would never have made it past a publisher’s slush pile. Instead, we would have seen acquisitions editors tweeting about how triggered they felt.
I’m glad that publishing has enacted a higher standard for male characters! So many male “heroes” in books do treat everyone around them terribly, break their word, kill and torture without remorse, look out only for themselves, emotionally abuse their friends, abandon their families, and drink, swear, and fight with impunity. It continues to horrify me that stories like Prince of Thorns were ever published, and I’m relieved that publishers would reject such books today.
But I don’t want to read about hubristic, “antihero” women any more than I want to read about sociopathic, egotistical men. So why is this behavior seen as not just acceptable, but “cool” when enacted by women?
It shouldn’t be, for two reasons. But before I get into why, let’s define our terms.
“Toxic” or “Sinful?”
I’m a Christian, and I’m fine with using the phrase “toxic masculinity” because men are sinners, and like all sinners, glorify their sin as right. The world’s version of a “strong man” is extremely different from God’s version, and yes, it’s often toxic. Greed, rape (jokes), idolatry, and violence are all sins that God condemns. In the Bible, the “men after his own heart,” are faithful, humble, selfless, obedient to his law, self-controlled, and gracious. This is “righteous masculinity,” nothing like the “locker room boasters” which our culture has seen as cool (in the past). And praise God for the men who seek to be made anew in such a way!
When women call out “toxic masculinity,” I feel a lot of compassion for people who are often coming from non-Christian households. They’ve never met a godly man in their life, and they don’t have the words to explain why their relationships feel so wrong. So they use terms given to them by mental health professionals.
However, I know that many modern* feminists also use the phrase “toxic masculinity” to assert that the idea of gender differences and the existence of masculinity are in themselves toxic. I reject that claim and do not use the phrase in such a way.
*Early feminists were wonderfully brave women who championed equal rights under the law and were almost all Christians, so please be careful if you’re tempted to make blanket denigrating statements about feminists. I encourage you to read about the different “waves” of feminism to understand how/when things went wrong.
Our culture also praises the sins of women, glorifying selfish, petty, greedy, cruel speech and actions as “subversive, bold, driven, audacious, or strong.” We could refer to this as “toxic femininity,” and indeed if we are going to call out sinful masculinity, then we should be willing to do the same for sinful versions of femininity.
Though perhaps it’d be much better if we dropped this phrase entirely, in favor of biblical language. The Bible uses different words than “toxic”:
Righteous or wicked Godly or ungodly Integrity or crookedness Alive in Christ or dead in sin The wise or the fools
What does Proverbs tell us about what it looks like to live a righteous life?
The righteous hate what is false, but the wicked make themselves a stench and bring shame on themselves. The heart of the righteous weighs its answers, but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil. The righteous detest the dishonest; the wicked detest the upright.
Proverbs 13:5, 15:28, 29:27
I yearn to read about main characters who are considered heroes because they are righteous, not because they are wicked!
How dare publishers act as though they’ve made a stand for morality, only to turn around and espouse those same evils when committed by people like themselves! And these new heroes aren’t even well written.
Most “Strong Female Characters” Are Badly Written
It wasn’t just a shift in culture that led to a decline in the “toxically masculine” character. Publishers just started pointing out that such characters are often badly written and make for flat stories. Which is true.
Contemporary female leads, like many stereotypical male leads in older books (prophesied farm boy), are often 2-dimensional, cut-and-pasted copies of each other. Handing a girl a sword doesn’t give her a personality, though apparently it gives the author an excuse not to develop one. The most noticeable things about them, aside from their superior talent and skills, are their entitlement, aggression, arrogance, and air of martyrdom. When the story starts, they are the universe’s gift to humanity, and when the story ends, they are the universe’s greater gift to humanity.
Readers see very little character development, with the exception of “healing” from whatever injustice the world has perpetrated against the main character. There are no personal flaws they need to face and overcome. Everything is someone else’s fault. This makes for extremely boring storytelling. It breaks the cardinal rule of character development.
Everyone who’s taken an intro to creative writing course knows the joke about “the frat boy who signed up to get an easy humanities credit”: The guy writes a story about a perfectly handsome, intelligent, desirable young man who breezes through all his problems and gets the girl who wrongly rejected him before. The professor has to explain that a good (and realistic) story needs flawed protagonists (not the same as morally grey) and problems that they can’t immediately overcome. This creates tension in the plot and spurs development in the character. Usually, the new writer resists, because their character is actually a self-insert and they feel personally attacked at the implication that they have flaws.
These points are no less true for female writers and female characters. In fact, these days male writers are much more likely to accept feedback when you tell them their character needs work – I know, I’ve worked with quite a few developing male writers. But female writers are likely to get up in arms if anyone criticizes how unrealistic or entitled their female characters are. Because these authors are often living out their dreams of being able to get away with literal crime, say whatever they want to the men in their life, and be respected and taken seriously for it.
And, predictably, the characters and plot of these stories suffer for it. Yet publishers will ignore these obvious problems when they’re seen in female characters, because they too are fantasizing about walking around like god and being worshiped for it – as all sinful humans do.
Which brings me to the second reason why we should reject “toxic femininity” – the glorification of unrighteous women – in books.
Bad Ideology, Bad Examples
The version of femininity which is portrayed in so many of these stories is not something I want to embody. I don’t find these women strong. They are not good role models. Most of them are angry, bitter, self-absorbed individuals who hate authority, are isolated from healthy community and family, and listen to no one but themselves. They are unrighteous and thoroughly broken.
These characters embody everything that women have called out as wrong in male behavior. At least modern feminists have gotten more honest. Their actual message is, “men shouldn’t play god, but women are god.” I suppose these books sell because fallen people do relate to this desire. I don’t know why anyone is shocked – this is the oldest sin there is.
“You will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Yours truthlessly, Satan
That’s the message publishers are selling to girls: “you can be like god.” Girls down these books like cheap shots, craving temporary gratification in place of the answer that will truly quench their thirst. Such stories can never satisfy, because they run in direct opposition to the Great Story, which tells of a plain, humble, kind man doing what is right and vanquishing evil at great cost to himself, for the sake of others.
This doesn’t mean I only want to read stories about knights saving damsels in distress from dragons, though the trope is justifiably iconic (pun intended)! This is one major reason why I personally prefer reading about male mc’s.
But I do want Queens who save their kingdom from evil. Yes, give me heroines running around in capes and busting out martial arts moves. I need to read stories about female strategists, inventors, explorers, and more. AND I want to read stories about mothers, sisters, shy girls, bookworms, wives, and any other profession out there.
SO LONG as all these women first and foremost embody integrity, kindness, faithfulness, humility, goodness, and other signs of godly character. So long as her flaws and mistakes are actually portrayed as problematic and she actively wrestles to overcome them!
We have beautiful examples to guide us!
Noah’s wife cared for her family through the ending of the world, Abigail defied her wicked husband, Ruth braved the wilderness and poverty for love, Esther faced the emperor of the known world head on, Mary encountered an eldritch creature with who knows how many eyeballs and sang for joy. Jael and the woman of Thebez smashed open the heads of villains with household implements!
The woman of Thebez wields her deadly millstone
These are strong women, brave women, faithful women – women after God’s own heart.
Don’t believe the world’s picture of femininity. It is toxic. It is the way that leads to death. I urge you not to write self-absorbed, 2D, arrogant female OR male characters, but to look at the truth of God’s word and write stories that would please him and better teach us how to hear his story.
P.S. If anyone wants to make a biblical argument in favor of the descriptor “toxic,” I’m all ears (Matt 16:6). After all, a little Axe body spray goes a long way. 😉
Hi, I’m Caylah Coffeen, a freelance editor and marketer of sci-fi and fantasy books. I love reading and writing and am a follower of Jesus Christ.
I’ve worked for Monster Ivy Publishing and Eschler Editing, and am currently a weekly editor with Havok Publishing. Reach out to chat about books and publishing!
Thanks for stopping by my website! I hope you’ve found some helpful resources about reading, writing, and publishing. If you liked this article, here’s some more free content…
CC: Thanks for joining me Jeremiah, and congrats on your debut novel! Tell us about it!
JF: Thanks, and I appreciate you inviting me to join today! Here’s what you’ll find in my novel CORE Deception:
A tyrannical government, a cryptic letter, a devious hacker…
In a world where the government’s CORE systems see and track everyone, seventeen-year-old hacker Seth Alvarez is determined to save his sister from being placed in a reeducation facility. Armed with a cryptic letter, Seth embarks on a search for the valuable incognito devices—cyber master keys that can set his sister free. But with only three weeks remaining, he finds himself wedged between two powerful forces who will stop at nothing to get the devices first.
CC: That sounds exciting! I love books about siblings (I have 6 myself!). And congrats on making it to the finalist stage in the debut category at the 2025 Realm Makers Awards! What do you love most about this story and what are you hoping readers will connect with?
JF: I love stories of espionage, undercover, and page-turning suspense. I also like some level of technology. A dystopian setting offers the perfect venue for teen characters to get into these activities. If you love clean YA read that keeps you turning pages, stories of underdogs standing up to dystopian governments, and plots filled with intrigue and suspense, CORE Deception is for you.
Take codes and ciphers for example. I’d read about them in true spy accounts and liked the idea of incorporating them into the CORE Series. As I learned more so I could write about them correctly, I really enjoyed codes and ciphers. In fact, they play key roles in CORE Deception and its prequel novella Association. I even created a Code and Cipher Guide to go along with my books.
Another reason I like CORE Deception is the primary thematic element, which grew out of 2020 when I faced fears I didn’t know I had. I’ve struggled with fear of acceptance, fear of failure, and fear of incompetence before—to name a few fears. But this was new to me. It was fear that dominated my thinking and tried to control my actions. (And really, doesn’t all fear do that?)
Something told me this wasn’t right—more like Someone. As a Christian, I shouldn’t fear like that, not if I believe the Bible. After all, our future is secure, no matter what happens to us physically. And as Christ-followers, we have more hope than anyone else.
That was me. It felt like I’d lost control of almost every aspect of normal life. Not that I had control in the first place. And that was the foundational deception of my fear. Experiencing this it was painful because it forced me to face a reality—I wasn’t trusting God like I thought I was, like I wanted to think I was. But as painful as that was, it was a gift, growing me as a Christian. And I soon incorporated it into CORE Deception.
CC: That’s such a powerful way to put it. I’ve certainly struggled with that. It’s easy to “trust” God when everything is going well. How else has your faith shaped this story? Could you share what “Christian sci-fi” means to you?
JF: Faith should shape everything Christ’s followers do and think. It’s easier said than done, but that’s what I try to do, including with my writing. This doesn’t mean there’s a Bible verse on every page, but it does mean my writing should reflect a Christian worldview and be done for Christ’s glory.
This reminds me of a pivotal point years ago. I’d been writing it since I was a kid, mainly for enjoyment but with the possibility of publishing eventually. I sensed a challenge from the Lord regarding my time used in writing. If I was going to spend time on it, I should use it for His glory and not just my personal enjoyment. Yes, I want to write engaging stories that whisk readers away into an amazing world of fiction, but I also sensed the call to use my stories to “lay up treasure in heaven” (Matthew 6:20). That includes reflecting biblical worldview and weaving in themes that inspire courageous living for God, regardless of the genre.
I like to think of Christian sci-fi—really any genre—as stories written from a biblical worldview. The Bible should always be the foundation and guide for creators and readers. As 2 Timothy 3:16-17 tells us, God’s word is sufficient for all areas of life.
CC: Amen! What did you most enjoy about writing your book? What was most challenging?
JF: I absolutely love the phase of writing when the spark of an idea grows into something bigger. It’s that phase when I’m exploring characters or a storyworld (or both!), ideas explode, and it seems anything is possible. It’s like receiving a fascinating new toy on Christmas Day—I’m just so excited to play with this new idea and see what it can do! With CORE Deception, it didn’t take long to realize I had enough for more than one novel.
But for all those loose ideas to form a cohesive story, I eventually had to put it into a framework (either before or after writing the first draft). The phase of structuring everything, making my setting consistent, and refining character arcs posed one of my greatest challenges. I’ve polished words before and cranked out many drafts over the years, but pushing a novel through developmental edits (making all the large pieces work) wasn’t something I’d done before and was harder than anticipated. But the story is so much better for it.
CC: Worldbuilding is definitely the fun part! Actually sitting down and writing takes so much discipline! How long have you been writing and how did God guide you into this career?
JF: One of my first stories was a one-of-a-kind picture book I wrote and illustrated myself as a kid. It was four pages long with a grand total of seven sentences (if you include “the end”), put together with construction paper, masking tape, and staples. [optional: insert picture below] The name was Twenty Door Bells. A real page-turner, huh? You can tell I was using cutting edge print-on-demand technology too. But you can see my imagination was already at work.
Mostly, I only wrote creatively when it was required for school. But somewhere along the way, I found I liked crafting stories. Sometimes it was because my siblings were writing stories. Later, it’s more likely that I ran out of stories to read, and so I decided to write my own. I enjoyed it so much I kind of became an overachiever with writing assignments.
For example…
Assignment: 5 pages of fanciful fiction
Completed Project: 39-page story of animals in a medieval kingdom, complete with intrigue and major battle scenes.
Assignment: Short story with dialogue (short, as in, only a few pages)
Completed Project: 35-page mystery with black-cloaked thugs and a pie fight, among other things.
Soon I was writing even when there wasn’t any assignment—short stories, poems, novellas, novels—and sharing them with my family and friends.
I got into westerns, action, mystery, humor, sci-fi, fanciful, fantasy, retellings, and even an interactive mystery-thriller. I did flash fiction, short stories, novelettes, novellas, short novels, novels. Having siblings who wrote helped a lot, offering camaraderie and some friendly competition. I have terrific memories cowriting with my brothers and sisters. Also, it was huge that my mom (and homeschool teacher) fostered creativity.
As time went on, I sensed God calling me to do more with my creative writing, as I mentioned above.
CC: Haha, I love your enthusiasm! And that your mom kept your first story! How would you describe your writing style and how has it evolved since those early stories? Do you have any advice for writers as they try to develop a unique style?
JF: I love stories with high suspense, action, and thriller pacing. I think a lot of teen guys would agree. When I read books in that genre, I’m able to detect a general style, especially for action and suspense scenes.
But when it comes to developing my own style, I’ve largely followed James Scott Bell’s advice on the subject. Keep in mind, both he and I write for the commercial fiction market, not literary or what your high school English teacher taught you. In Revision and Self-Editing for Publication, Bell says, “It’s best to allow voice and style to emerge naturally in the telling of your tale. Attend to the fundamentals of the craft, and voice and style will seem organic. That’s your goal.”
Put another way, don’t think too hard about style. As you write more and more, you’ll naturally develop one of your own. But if you concentrate too much on style, you risk awkward, unnatural prose that jars the reader.
CC: That’s a good point. Sometimes writers can over-plan, rather than letting things develop organically. What was your journey to publication like? Why did you pick the route you did and what kind of challenges did you face along the way?
JF: As mentioned, at some point I pivoted from writing for fun to writing intentionally, like for the purpose of publication. I dedicated myself to the craft of writing and eventually started looking for publishers and agents. But eventually, I didn’t sense any major publisher’s interest in my writing. While a small publishing house might have been, I felt like I’d be doing much of the same work as independently publishing—an idea I gradually liked more and more.
More significantly, as time went on I realized that I would really like to have a say in the final book product. I sensed that God wanted me to influence the story, the editing, the cover, the marketing, and so on. The catch is, I had to learn at least some about all those areas. For example, I knew I should outsource my cover design, but that still requires I understand the norms for covers in my sub-genre and can create a design brief for the designer.
Pragmatically, indie publishing works well in the book industry today. There’s definitely a learning curve if you’re going to do it well, but it’s easier than ever for an author to tackle areas like typesetting and selling directly from their website. And I’ve found I enjoyed the business and marketing parts of writing a lot more than I anticipated.
CC: That must be a relief! It’d be so hard to stick with it if you hated the business and marketing like a lot of authors do! There has been discussion lately of how few young adult books feature male main characters (outside romance plots). Indeed, it seems like major publishers aren’t interested in these types of stories. Why do you think this is? Are you hoping to reach boys and young men in particular, and how do you hope your book can accomplish this?
JF: Yes, I write for teen guys. Perhaps because as a teen guy, I had a hard time finding books I enjoyed. Thankfully, I did find some, and that’s probably why I ended up writing YA! But more importantly, that’s the genre I sense God calling me to. I still have a lot to learn here, so I’m always eager for resources that help me do this.
It’s no secret to those in the book industry that guys don’t read/buy as many books as girls.
If you look at what the large publishers are producing, the same disparity seems to exist in the young adult genre. Not that there’s anything inherently wrong with that. My guess is they’re publishing what sells. To an extent, it’s a chicken or the egg situation—since not a lot of guys read, few new books get published for them, which leads to fewer guys reading and therefore publishers creating fewer books for that diminishing readership.
Some blame the gaming industry for drawing guys away from books, but my counter to that is “what is it about those games that connect with guys?” There are a number of independently published authors who have figured out how to produce stories guys love and are filling the void left by the larger publishers. Because plenty of young men do like to read, even if they’re not looking for reading material in the same places other people are.
CC: Thank you! That’s a valuable perspective. What’s next for you as an author?
JF: I’m well into the planning phase of CORE Deception‘s sequel. Readers can expect more suspense and espionage while exploring new facets of the CORE Series storyworld and digging deeper into characters like Seth, Krystin, and Jhalak. The next title and plot are a secret right now, though I’m feeding some insider snippets to those subscribed to my emails. Here’s a teaser for the sequel:
A relentless pursuer. An unpredictable ally. The opportunity of a lifetime.
Can seventeen-year-old hacker Seth Alvarez survive a daring undercover mission that could change the course of a nation…or destroy everything he’s even known and loved?
After a third novel in the CORE Series, I’m praying about what to write. Several ideas are pushing their way to the front of the line, and it’s too early to say which one will win out. It could be another sci-fi, a modern thriller, kingdom adventure—you get the idea.
CC: Thanks Jeremiah, I look forward to it! And best of luck in the next stage of judging at the 2025 Realm Makers competition!
JF: Thanks so much for allowing me to join the discussion today!
About Jeremiah Friedli
Author of the 2025 Realm Awards Finalist CORE Deception, Jeremiah Friedli is a homeschool graduate, lifelong writer, ice cream lover, and native Texan. He enjoys getting out in God’s creation, whether that’s hiking, camping, running, or just reading quietly on the porch. Otherwise, you might find him seated behind a large screen with one of his beloved spreadsheets or watching a movie with his family. Learn more and connect with him at jeremiahfriedli.com.
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Hi, I’m Caylah Coffeen, a freelance editor and marketer of sci-fi and fantasy books. I love reading and writing and am a follower of Jesus Christ.
I’ve worked for Monster Ivy Publishing and Eschler Editing, and am currently a weekly editor with Havok Publishing. Reach out to chat about books and publishing!
Thanks for stopping by my website! I hope you’ve found some helpful resources about reading, writing, and publishing. If you liked this article, here’s some more free content…
