by J.A. Webb | Apr 5, 2025 | Blog post
Can Christian men really enjoy middle-grade stories seen through the eyes of a thirteen-year-old boy?
If you’ve been reading this blog for any time, you are aware how frustrating has been my search to find thrilling fiction written for Christian men. So often, I retreat to the great classics of the past, all the while moaning, “Where are the great modern Christian writers . . . who are writing for men?”
Sometimes I even take a peek into the YA and MG section, open a few covers, then too often shuffle home empty handed- to pick one of the afore-mentioned classics off my own bookshelf.
I mean, really! How many guys are going to be hooked by a story featuring a pack of snarky teen-age girls? By stories about a geeky kid bullied by the high-school quarterback? We may have lived that story ourselves . . . but who wants to go back and re-live it? Give us stakes that resonate!
Yes, like a bad Groundhog Day nightmare, bookstore offerings too frequently disappoint the Christian man.
But not today.
At the recommendation of a friend- thanks Jeremiah!– yet with trepidation, I picked up A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. I think it was the ent-like green man on the cover that tipped the scales. Who doesn’t love a walking tree monster?
But still, that trepidation was real, having been so repeatedly disappointed by the insipid young protagonists who’ve invaded in so many otherwise promising MG/YA stories. Don’t writers remember what it was like to be young? None of us were ever so vapid. Foolish, perhaps. But not that. At least I hope not.
So it was with great surprise and not a little joy that I entered the world of Monster and found a thirteen-year-old POV character who, not only didn’t make me cringe, but was so well-written that I forgot his age altogether. Was instead swept away by the tale.
Beyond that, I’ll say little about the story. I don’t want to spoil anything for you.
But I will leave with this one caution. Don’t listen to the (very well narrated) audio while driving. Doing so with fogged eyes is highly unsafe. Thanks a lot for the tear-jerker Josiah!
So, though our epic quest for great fiction written for Christian men may not have yielded any new adult fiction this week- still, we did come away with one worthy MG/YA offering.
I’ll take the win.
by J.A. Webb | Feb 8, 2025 | Blog post
Should Christian men read Nobledark fantasy?
Possibly- if they enjoy stories about flawed heroes mired in a world of incredible darkness, overcoming crushing odds and battling to reach the light.
Particularly- if the author happens to be a Christian.
Positively- if that Christian author weaves the gospel message throughout.
For the Christian reader, aside from the grim world and an often violent story, the problem with most secular Nobledark fantasy is how the hero achieves the goal. Often, these stories feature heroes who overcome and achieve admittedly worthy goals — but strictly by their own strength. This is true even where that strength is supernatural. Magical. It’s still a power of them, not of God.
Worse, what it means to do good is often based only upon what is good in their own eyes, but not in obedience to the one and only Higher Power of the universe. Oh, the story often does feature “gods” of some sort, but the hero will never find the ultimate Truth. Because the real God of Creation will not be found in those pages.
Therefore, though the hero may experience some sort of transformation, they will never experience the one transformation that matters.
In Darkness Cast, much like other Nobledark fantasies, is set in an incredibly dark world. It’s violent. Terrible things happen.
As Western Christians, comfortable in our own sheltered worlds, we often shrink from such. But to do so is to forget that many genuine heroes have braved that darkness, the violence. Have seen terrible things . . . many of those terrible things happened to them.
They’ve willingly done so that the innocent (you and me) might live in freedom- experiencing no such thing themselves. Never even imagining such.
So it will behoove us to acknowledge that the darkness exists. To realize that even if grittier, dark stories aren’t our preferred reading fodder, they serve a purpose for some Christian readers. These stories mirror real world experience, touch some at a soul level. Engage those readers with the Power of Story for God’s Glory- men whose inner being will never resonate with stories of romantic suspense or even the supernatural suspense and intrigue of my own story world.
So- again the question. Should Christian men read Nobledark fantasy? My answer is yes, if it’s Jonathan Shuerger’s In Darkness Cast -because in Jonathan’s story, the God of Creation plays a leading role. The Gospel and the redemption of the sinner, even the chief of sinners, is a central theme, shining light where “darkness has been cast,” illuminating that lost world. Revealing the path to an eternity worth fighting for.
The author has woven these eternal truths into his story in a way that’s not intrusive. Is natural. Inevitable. Not cheesy or forced.
So finally, after such a long and arduous journey, we can report the acquisition of the long-sought prize- a fantastical story I wholeheartedly recommend to adult male Christian readers!
May this be the first of many.
by J.A. Webb | Apr 2, 2024 | Blog post
Genesis by J. A. Webb, prequel to The Seekers Series: An epic fantasy adventure about a search for truth in a darkly tyrannical world
If your very existence relied on uncovering the most profound mysteries of the universe, where would you turn?
Father Curtis, Priest of the Order of the Eternal, seeks solace in the serenity of his secluded parish, sheltered from the oppressive regime’s grasp. But when he is unjustly branded a heretic, he is forced to embark on a harrowing journey for survival.
In the process, he discovers that the very foundation of his beliefs has been built upon falsehoods. Amidst the chaos of his escape, he is confronted with the stark realization that the world he once trusted is a labyrinth of deception, orchestrated by the tyrannical forces of the Order.
His own fate and the fate of humanity hang in the balance as he battles to find the truth about himself, the Order, and Creation, in a world where seeking the truth is a capital offense.
This prequel kicks off the high-stakes tale and introduces the characters featured in the new Dystopian epic: The Seekers Series
Get your copy of the prequel now!- Click Here!
Seek The Truth!
