Wondering what modern Christian authors are writing? Check out the authors below! Want to have your work reviewed here? Why not e-mail me? Please keep in mind, though, that since this is a labor of love, the best way to get your book reviewed is to send me a copy. Thanks!

Top *New!* In order to accomodate as best as possible, I am also including a list of authors who have contacted me and/or whose book I have received but have not yet reviewed. These authors are listed below, but no rating is currently attached to their work.

Robert F. Kauffmann
Received for Review - "The Mask of Ollock"
Website: Arx Publishers
Robert F. Kauffmann is an author and artist living in Cinnaminson NJ. His animated films have been screened at film festivals nationwide and have won several awards. His graphic artwork has been featured in galleries in New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Miami, and other cities across the country. His book, "The Mask of Ollock," is an epic poem about the betrayal of a sorcerer king by his power-hungry son.

Keith Rommel
Received for Review - "Spirit of Independence"
Website: Spiritofindependence.com
"If a character in a book can deceive you, imagine how much a real life Satan can lie," said novelist Keith Rommel, who tackles the problem of the great deceiver in his new novel "Spirit of Independence." "Spirit of Independence" is book one in the Spirit Chronicles, which will be followed by Repentance, book two of the Spirit Chronicles to be available this summer. "Anyone who enjoys the Left Behind novels will gain immense pleasure from Spirit of Independence," said Harriet Klausner.

Theodore Beale
Website: Eternalwarriors.com
Hi, I'm a Christian author with two books in my Christian Fantasy series, Eternal Warriors, being published by Pocket Books this September. For information and excerpts, please feel free to check out www.eternalwarriors.com.

Phillip Jackson
Website: Scifi-jackson.com
I'd like to acquaint you with my time travel trilogy, which has been favorably reviewed by the Christian Library Journal, among others. You can get a full picture of the trilogy by accessing my website www.scifi-jackson.com. As you'll see from the story, man's relationship to God plays an important role in my works.

Top Mitzi Kleidon

For more about this author, please visit her website!

Rexcalibur

Literary Quality:
Christian Morality: Harmless/Good
Age Appropriateness: Pre-Teen

The premise for Kleidon's Rexcalibur, that years after the fall of Camelot, a new generation of Knights should restore the dream to its former glory, is a good and solid one - rife with potential to right such wrongs as Lancelot and Guinevere's indiscretions, wipe Mordred from the scene entirely, and recreate such memorable scenes as the Green Knight, the finding of Excaliber and the Grail. Unfortunately, Kleidon's homage leaves much to be desired in its story telling. The first fourth of the book focuses entirely on the largely characterless knights' separate journies to Camelot - which mainly consist of a brief, undeveloped confrontation with some strange being, followed by a perfunctory greeting by Sir James (Merlin) and King Stefan (Arthur) at Camelot.

The plot ostensibly starts with the journey of Rex (Lancelot) - on page 92! Once Rex reaches Camelot, the Knights and King Stefan go in search of Excalibur, which has been imprisoned, and from thence the company parts ways again to go in search of an...Orchid? The finding of which will apparently release Camelot from its ruination (brought on by a still-existing Morgan). Part two begins and continues in the same way as the first fourth of the book: a series of incredibly short chapters wherein the various knights are met by fell creatures (one proclaiming: "It is I, Blecko, Knight of the Dead Forest!"), who defeat the knights (save Rex, now known as Rexcalibur) and bring them to Morgan. The plot veers for a chapter to introduce Rexcalibur to Misteria (King Stefan and Queen Julia's daughter, who is living with her kindly uncle), but after a few kisses, the story wraps up with Rexcaliber's defeat of Morgan, recovery of the...Orchid?...freeing of his fellow Knights, and restoration of Camelot.

Perhaps the use of "short stories" for each of the new knights of the Round Table is supposed to hearken back to the original form of Arthurian legends, which were separate tales woven together. However, none of the Knights is well-drawn enough to warrant interest in his own quest, nor is each individual quest unique, clever or revelationary to character or plot. The effect is really that of a fanfiction story posted on the web and then compiled into a book. (The level of grammar is approximately the same.) Now, as one who has written and enjoyed fanfiction herself, I have nothing against the growing subgenre - but in its web context. That which is printed should have passed through editors and been refined. Recommended to those hungry for Arthurian tales.

Top J. C. Lynn

For more about this author, please visit her website!

The Veiling Society

Literary Quality:
Christian Morality: Excellent
Age Appropriateness: Pre-Teen

Following in the tradition of other Christian allegories, such a Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress or the classic Hind's Feet in High Places, J. C. Lynn (Jessica Sandoval) offers her Veiling Society for today's adolecents.

The story follows Ashley, who has recently lost her mother in a drunk driving accident and subsequently moved from Florida to Washington, who one day stumbles into the land of Specifia, wherein the abstract concepts of earth are incarnate. There she is guided by Sense and Crazy, both of whom work for Wisdom, to combat the Destroyer, his demon, IT, and their city, Society, in order to free the seven sisters (generally named after the gifts/fruits of the Spirit) and restore the crumbled city of Innocence. Along the way, Ashley comes up against several humorous puns in the vein of Lewis Carroll - such as literal saddlehorses - and fanciful gizmos to rival Harry Potter's world - such as the weather making airplane.

Fun and games take up approximately half of the book, but the true story begins once in Society. Ashley, Sense and Crazy are captured by IT and given new, brainwashed personas. They are Providentially saved by Conscience; and Ashley is guided to "the building" to face the cardinal vices and free the sisters - of whom Ashley has been revealed as one: Youth. The story ends with Ashley's return home and the hope for the conversion of her small family. Although Lynn hints that the devil is still lurking out there, and that both Ashley and the reader should keep on guard.

Wonderfully, the morality for this book is excellent. The connections between the various allegorial figures, the virtues which are employed to overcome the vices - everything leads to a correct (and relieving!) morality. The content is tense, but not graphic; and the language and characters are eminently suitable for the book's target audience of pre-adolecents. However, for the adult, a few of the allegorical figures/places (such as the Love Forest) might cause a groan or two, and Lynn makes no bones about veiling God's voice or His Son's: both speak directly and in bold letters to Ashley throughout nearly the entirity of the story. The first section of the book includes almost no conflict as the companions journey through Specifia, to the story's slight detriment. However, this lack is more than made up in the second half of the story which takes place wholly in Society, and which begins to take on a mild form of Orwellian atmosphere.

Pre-teens and those who enjoy allegorical puzzles will enjoy The Veiling Society. Check out the author's website for her other books!

Top Nicholas C. Prata

For more about this author, please visit his publisher's website!

Dream of Fire

Literary Quality:
Christian Morality: Good/Dangerous
Age Appropriateness: Adult

Several months ago, I was contacted by Evolution Publishing, a new Catholic/Christian house, to review Prata's Dream of Fire, a Catholic military fantasy novel. Needless to say, I was thrilled when it finally arrived in the mail, and jumped into it right away...and very soon came to a grind.

Like so many Christian writers, Prata immediately falls into the trap that "in order to reach the secular audience, you must include lots and lots of guts and sex - as crudely and gratuitously as one can." The result is that the common man generally becomes so depressed with the depraved, insane rantings and gory depravities of the main character, and won't bother to get to the vaguely more interesting last third where the main character begins his metanoia. Unfortunately, not only is the main character despicable, almost every other character - including the so-called "good guys" (a group of apocolyptic [married] priests) who tend to be flat dogma-spouting idiots - are dull as well.

Worse, the action of the book is nearly incomprehensible. Prata's worldbuilding could stand a great deal of improvement - as it is, despite an appendix - the made-up factions only added to the confusion of who's fighting whom and why. The characters (with the possible exception of a papalesque priest) have no motivation, or rather the motivation is never perfectly revealed to the reader. Case in point: the main character is doing his level best at one point to get himself killed, and then spends the entire next chapter hiding from would-be assassins.

As for the theology, although generally excellent, it does tend to be laid on a bit thick - and a bit too late. The best stuff - such as the confession - are in the last few chapters. Alas, I doubt most people will read that far, and thus come away half-read with the sense that Catholics like to write about innocents being eviscerated (which descriptions, by the way, are done exceptionally well. Prata does know his military tactics!).

All that said, I hope that Prata continues writing and improving his craft. Those who enjoy hardcore military fiction will enjoy this book.

Top Lars Walker

For more about this author, please visit his website!

New! Take a look at this interview with Lars on christianfantasy.com!

Wolf Time

Literary Quality:
Christian Morality: Excellent/Good
Age Appropriateness: Teenager/Adult

For those who like their near-future sf/mythology fantasy with an explicitly Christian element, "Wolf Time" is the book for you. Following in the tradition of the literary social prophets, such as Orwell, Huxley and Bradbury, Walker joins the growing ranks of Christian apocalyptics, such as Michael O'Brien's "Father Elijah," Frank Peretti's "Piercing the Darkness," and Bud MacFarlane Jr.'s "Pierced by a Sword."

Carl Martell, history professor at the non-Christian Christiana College, cannot tell a lie. But he can sense when others do. And when acclaimed Norweigan Poet, Sigfod Oski, comes to town, Martell is certain the greatest deceiver of all is in their midst. Peopled with such endearing characters as the quiet but courageous Lutheran pastor, a born-again disk jockey, and the mythological wolf, Fenris, "Wolf Time" pulls you into Walker's all-too-realistic vision of where America is heading, and what believers will be called upon to endure.

Like almost all novels with an agenda (Christian or otherwise), though, the prose sometimes suffers for the Bible verses scattered throughout. Every conversation between two characters revolves around culture and religion, which single-mindedness may put-off would be readers. However, Walker's insights are sound, and his morals excellent - and, better, both are handled with a greater delicacy and tension as the book progresses. Walker is not afraid to present all sides of the argument, to make witches sympathetic while arguing against their theological view, to examine the fundamentalist fanatics' reasoning for fighting fire with fire while showing Christs' equally decisive but remarkably non-violent solution.

Christians, especially Lutherans, will enjoy Walker's take on the near-future. Viking and Norse Mythology enthusiasts will find "Wolf Time" an intelligent look at that religion. Recommended to teenagers and adults, due to several references to sex and violence. People searching for a follow-up non-fiction work may want to check out Peter Kreeft's "Ecumentical Jihad."

Erling's Word

Literary Quality:
Christian Morality: Excellent/Good
Age Appropriateness: Adult

Although most fantasy authors these days prefer to beat to death the Celtic mythology, only a few have turned their sights north and plumb the depths of the Norse. Walker is one of those few. And thank God, too! While Diana Paxson is busy writing against the historic conversion of the Norse to our "White Christ," Walker is there fighting for Christianity.

Following the aetheistic Irishman, Aillil, who to save his life pretends to be a priest, we are taken to the historic Erling Skjalgsson's home, where the war between the old pagan ways, and the civilisation of Christ is in full battle. More than the Norse are converted, though, as "Father" Aillil becomes ordained in truth, and learns just what it means to walk Christ's road.

Teenagers and younger are warned to wait to read this book, as several scenes depict sexual desire (although not consummation), horrific violence, and a fair amoung of ale swilling. The plot is good, but episodic, making for a slightly slower time reading than perhaps we are currently used to. Gentlemen, especially, will want to check out the longer version of Father Aillil's and Erling's adventures in the two-novel book, The Year of the Warrior.

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Updated 22 July, 2007
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