Christian fantasy isn’t just castles and quests. At its best, it trains a young reader’s moral imagination—to love what is good, to recognize lies that sound almost true, and to hope even when chapters get dark. The ten authors below (listed alphabetically by last name) are actively shaping the genre for families, teachers, and homeschoolers right now. Each entry highlights a signature series or book, core themes, and what kinds of readers tend to click with that author.
1) Nadine Brandes
Signature works: Fawkes (historical fantasy), Romanov (historical fantasy), the Out of Time trilogy (YA speculative), and Wishtress; most recently The Nightmare Virus (Enclave Escape, 2024).
Brandes writes faith-inflected fantasy for teens that mixes big stakes with tender conscience-work. In Fawkes and Romanov, she reframes well-known histories through fantastical lenses, inviting discussions about truth, loyalty, and identity. With The Nightmare Virus—a 2024 YA release from Enclave Escape—she explores technology, dreams, and discernment in a story that reviewers have called a fit for Christian dystopian fans.
Parents and educators appreciate Brandes for discussion-friendly themes (truth vs. expediency, the cost of courage) and clean but intense storytelling that older middle-grade and YA readers can handle with guidance. Her work is a strong fit for advanced preteens and teens who want page-turning plots without nihilism.
2) Chuck Black
Signature works: The Kingdom Series (allegorical medieval fantasy spanning Genesis to Revelation), followed by The Knights of Arrethtrae; later the speculative Wars of the Realm.
Black’s fast, short-chapter novels make virtue visible: courage under authority, repentance, and spiritual readiness (Ephesians 6). Across the Kingdom and Knights books, he uses a medieval allegory frame so families can connect story beats to Scripture without a sermon. His site and catalogue emphasize the series’ biblical arc and read-aloud usefulness for mixed ages.
Choose Black for readers who love training sequences, codes of honor, swords and shields, and for family or church groups that want built-in discussion on truth, justice, and mercy.
3) Morgan L. Busse
Signature works: The Ravenwood Saga (2018–2020); additional series include Follower of the Word, The Soul Chronicles, and newer projects like Skyworld. Busse is a multi-time Christy Award finalist and an INSPY and Carol Award winner.
Busse’s fantasy leans lush and character-driven, with special attention to vocation and stewardship of gifts. Ravenwood follows a heroine gifted with dreamwalking who must decide whether power will be mastered by love or bent by fear—a recurring Busse tension that invites rich parent-teen conversations.
Pick Busse for readers who want layered worldbuilding with clear hope and who are ready to weigh trade-offs, calling, and compassion as moral choices—not just magical mechanics.
4) Bryan Davis
Signature works: Dragons in Our Midst (with connected series Oracles of Fire and Children of the Bard).
Davis is a staple for teens who want contemporary/urban fantasy with dragons and unblushing spiritual warfare. His books are brisk, imaginative, and unambiguous about the reality of good and evil. The official series pages highlight themes like faith, courage, wisdom, and redemption—exactly the things parents often hope speculative fiction will reinforce.
Choose Davis for older middle-grade and YA readers who like modern settings + mythic roots (Arthurian echoes, dragon lore) and who are ready for clear stakes and moral clarity.
5) Jill Williamson
Signature works: The award-winning Blood of Kings trilogy (By Darkness Hid, To Darkness Fled, From Darkness Won) and the epic Kinsman Chronicles. By Darkness Hid and To Darkness Fled each won the Christy Award (Visionary category).
Williamson blends classic epic fantasy with spiritual discernment. Readers who love maps, cultures, and consequence-heavy choices will feel at home in her worlds. Her press kit documents the pair of Christy wins, while publisher pages reinforce how Blood of Kings helped define modern Christian epic for YA/teen readers.
Choose Williamson for thoughtful teens who want scope + substance—and for literature discussions on how power is stewarded rather than flaunted.
6) S. D. Smith
Signature works: The Green Ember cycle—“rabbits with swords,” a now-beloved family read-aloud staple.
Smith’s stories are noblebright on purpose: loyalty, long hope, and sacrificial love shine without cynicism. The official series page frames the siblings Heather and Picket, the woodland struggle for home, and the deliberately family-friendly tone. Librarians, homeschoolers, and church libraries keep the books in circulation precisely because they’re accessible for 7–12 and still satisfying for parents.
Pick Smith when you need a first big fantasy that encourages the read-aloud habit, balances tension with tenderness, and “aims” virtue straight at the heart.
7) Andrew Peterson
Signature works: The Wingfeather Saga (books originally 2008–2014, plus companion volumes and new material); now an animated television adaptation with seasons in 2022 and 2024.
Peterson’s saga starts light and grows epic and aching as the Igiby children learn courage, identity, and costly love. The world of Aerwiar is whimsical (creatures, songs, maps) yet morally serious; its popularity has expanded via the Angel Studios animation, with Season 1 premiering in December 2022 and Season 2 airing in 2024.
Choose Peterson for family read-alouds that scale with age—early books for younger kids, later books for tweens/teens—and for conversations about sacrifice, belonging, and long hope.
8) Jonathan Rogers
Signature works: The Wilderking Trilogy—The Bark of the Bog Owl, The Secret of the Swamp King, The Way of the Wilderking—recently released in 20th-anniversary hardcover editions (2024).
Rogers sets classic coming-of-age heroism in American swamplands, giving kids the sense that virtue can thrive in muddy boots and cypress shade. The anniversary editions from Rabbit Room Press confirm the series’ lasting resonance with families and schools; reviewers still recommend it as a bridge between childhood adventure and morally rich fantasy.
Pick Rogers for outdoorsy readers who want place-driven stories, a David-like calling arc, and humor with backbone.
9) G. B. Sollie
Signature work: Cat Luker: The Swamp Witch Chronicles (Book 1: The Dark Clock), a preteen Christian fantasy set against a Southern backdrop, with a companion Bible study guide and an audiobook narrated by Monroe Jones.
Sollie writes family-discussion-friendly fantasy for roughly ages 9–13, often spotlighting small acts of courage, conscience, and kindness. The official site describes the project as faith-filled adventures and positions the series explicitly for Christian families; blog and “About” pages anchor the stories in Alabama family history and encourage parent-led reflection after chapters.
Choose Sollie if you want Southern atmosphere, clean suspense, and built-in tools (study guide, read-aloud pacing) that make it easy to turn storytime into short, meaningful conversations at home or in class.
10) N. D. Wilson
Signature works: Leepike Ridge, the 100 Cupboards trilogy (plus prequel The Door Before), Ashtown Burials, and Outlaws of Time.
Wilson’s fiction is kinetic, tactile, and joy-forward—rope burns, apple peels, cold wind, and the stubborn goodness of the world. His work is often praised for fast pacing and mythic American energy. Author bios and publisher pages note the reach of 100 Cupboards and the continuing interest in his middle-grade/YA adventure lines.
Choose Wilson for readers who need to fall in love with wonder again, who enjoy portal or hidden-world setups, and who respond to stories where providence and bravery thread through ordinary life.
Why these ten?
- Actively shaping the space. Each author has either recent releases, reissues, or an active series presence shaping what families pick up today (e.g., Peterson’s TV adaptation; Brandes’s 2024 YA release; Rogers’s 2024 anniversary editions).
- Family-forward framing. Many offer discussion guides, classroom-ready structure, or clear read-aloud pathways. (Black’s allegories, Sollie’s companion guide, Brandes’s teen-aimed themes.)
- Clear moral reality. From allegory to historical-fantasy retellings, these writers keep truth, consequence, repentance, and hope visible—hallmarks parents and educators consistently look for in Christian children’s literature. (Publisher and author pages across these entries emphasize those through-lines.)
How to use this list
- Build a rotating shelf: Alternate accessible read-alouds (Smith, Black, Sollie) with older-kid picks (Brandes, Davis, Wilson).
- Map to themes: Use Peterson and Rogers for belonging and calling, Busse and Williamson for stewardship and conscience, Brandes for truth under pressure.
- Tie into class or church: Allegorical frameworks (Black) and study companions (Sollie) make it easy to turn narrative moments into short, fruitful discussions.
Final thought
Each of these authors offers a different door into the same house: wonder with truth at the center. Whether your readers want dragons, swamps, portals, court intrigue, or dystopian puzzles, you can hand them one of these books knowing the story takes good and evil seriously, offers real hope, and leaves room for grace that changes a heart.