Faith cannot do intros.

Now that that's out of the way:

Hello, everybody! Today's post is inspired by binge-reading some truly stellar Christian fiction and my firm belief in the lack of truly good, moving Christian fiction. For a while now I'll be doing a series on good books and series that have Christian truths, Christian beauty, and a real presence of God, while maintaining a level of true quality. I can think of a few of those just off the top of my head, but we'll start with just one for now:

The Wingfeather Saga!

• It features a cast of unforgettable, fully-developed, very HUMAN characters.

Look, Jack- the kids in this one are beyond real. They squabble like siblings (hint: they are siblings), but that doesn't grate the way it can in some books. Janner, arguably the MC, is such a real person, and I love him. His humanity shines through at every step. He's always there for his younger siblings, no matter how much he may gripe and complain about it. Tink/Kalmar, his younger brother, wrestles with inner demons that are very relatable, while still fantastic enough to keep this book securely in the world of fantasy. Leeli, their little sister, is very much a little girl thrown into things too big for her, and while her struggles and humanity is a little less developed than her brothers', she's still an incredibly well-done character.

And the cast of supporting charies! From Nia, the kids' strong and quiet mother; to Peet the Sock Man, a loony bin who may hide more beneath the socks on his arms than anyone realizes; to Podo, the kids' ex-pirate grandfather; all the way to the Stranders of the East Bend and the guildsmen of the Hollows, the characters are as real as the world they inhabit. Which leads me to the next point...

• The world is built from the ground-up. It makes sense, it's very well-developed, it's just plain amazing. 

• The emotion. My stars. If you need something to smack you in the feels, this is the series for you.

The first book in this series is kind of a silly, ridiculous children's book, which is part of its charm IMO. But the second one launches so many emotions and feels onto you that you will not be prepared for it, no matter how much someone tells you. And by the third and fourth books... just don't. Even. Go there. I like my heart burned and bleeding, please. Especially when the characters do things that you scream at them for, and then do something that makes you just sob your little eyes out for them. Someone help me because I am drowning in these books. If you couldn't tell.

• A slight disclaimer:

If you can't get into the first one, I understand. It's kind of childish. It's not got a standard tone for epic fantasy. It occasionally forays into the superfluous. The stuff that I mention above is not as prevalent. BUT push through it.

Because by the second book, Andrew Peterson has found his niche. While he excels at writing funny songs (Matthew's Begats, Alien Conspiracy, and Loose Change, as a few examples), he also writes songs that are some of my top favorites of ever. Music that makes me long to go home, that makes me cry and feel emotions that I didn't know were there half the time (because when it comes to music and such I am an emotionless piece of lettuce. [I.E., Come Back Soon, Three Days Before Autumn, and Don't You Want to Thank Someone.])

The same holds true with his books. Humor and emotion run hand in hand throughout this series, and while the first book may not show that as much, the later three definitely do.

Please, if you're looking for wholesome Christian fiction, go try these books. Part of the reason these characters are so real is that they have real trials and struggles. When they are faced with decisions they frequently take the wrong path. Then they deal with the consequences of evil that they chose. It's real, it's human, and it's sometimes uncomfortable to read about. But in Janner, Tink, and Leeli, their mom and grandpa, and their friends, we see ourselves.

And the Maker watches over all of them and ordains everything that happens.

Buy it on Amazon

Buy it from the Rabbit Room (AP recieves the most money this way)