Should Christian men read Kathy Tyers’s space opera Firebird?

The search for thrilling fantastical fiction for Christian men is sometimes so difficult I’ll take a risk when I discover an older title that seems to have promise.

I took one of those risks this month on Firebird by Kathy Tyers. The second edition was released in 1999 and is described as Christian science fiction. When the (audio thank you!) book opened, I was quickly hooked by a romping space opera complete with thrilling space battles and tooth-grinding political corruption and intrigue.

In short, I was having a great time and was quite proud to have discovered a hidden gem in those dusty archives. Then, as if the protagonist’s X-wing fighter stopped mid-air- the munitions aimed her direction frozen mid-flight, the book devolved into an unmitigated romance.

Not a fan of romance, myself, I nearly DNF’d the thing. Yet the first third of the book was so good, I stuck it out, and once the story had cleared its romance-loving throat, the action picked up and finished with a satisfying conclusion.

One of the most interesting things about Firebird is the presentation of the Christian faith- and though not named as such, the references are obvious. The faith-centric story line even features a conversion experience complete with an epiphany. One that was well-written, true to real-world experience, and emotionally evocative. Good stuff.

So- should Christian men read Firebird? Any guy who loves a little battle-intensive space opera will enjoy this story . . . as long as they are able to endure the romantic middle. Of course, for anyone who likes space opera and romance- this is the book for you. A well-written thrilling read (except for the romance shoved in the middle — or did I already mention that?).

So although my search for great masculine fantastical fiction for Christian Men continues unrequited, our journey into the far reaches of space did not return altogether void.