Christian Speculative Fiction discussion

We have a thread for how to deal with negative reviews, which I think is definitely useful and necessary. But I felt like there also needed to be a thread where we can share and express our gratitude and enthusiasm for positive reviews our books get!

Have any of your books gotten a review lately that really made you feel good about how your writing is impacting people? Or are there any reviews that aren't so new, but were so complimentary and confidence-boosting that you still remember them vividly?

My novel The Voyage of the Kaus Media recently got a super nice 5-star review here on Goodreads, and it totally made my day. The reviewer is actually a young man in my congregation; I used to teach his sisters in our congregation's preteen girls' group, and I gave them VotKM after it came out. Their older brother picked it up and apparently absolutely loved it, based on his review. I told his mom to thank him for me, and she said he liked it so much he's started reading it again--I consider it high praise for an author when someone likes your book so much that they want to re-read it right after they finish it!

What also impresses me about this review is that a teenage boy apparently really liked a novel where the main character is a female college student. While I'm sure the swordfights, giant robots, and naval battles helped, it's really great to me to know when my writing is enjoyed by a diverse audience!

I was overwhelmed with joy (not a daily happening!) when I saw this review from someone I did not know. It turns out to come from a Goodreads member and is about Immortality: This Is Probably a Novel

"I also read it because the sample pages looked so professionally done—I knew I was in good hands, and that a strange experience awaited. I was not disappointed!

This author knows her way around a narrative. The pacing is great. The dialog is great. The sense of place is … phenomenal. Great balance in the storytelling from beginning to end, and immersion into Chester’s viewpoint was rock solid. I was transported to wherever Chester went, throughout space and time and mysticism. There was a delicious sort of vertigo that I periodically felt, like in teacups at Disneyworld, but I always knew the author had my back—because of her expert use of narrative voice to mark the story pillars.

The imagery—dream images, nightmare almost—packed such a punch. Some were things I’ve not seen done in fiction before, and it gave the story an ancient feel, as though it was anchored in something very primal, which was remarkable. This is not a cookie cutter story!

Social commentary is woven throughout, to give the novel heft and meaning. The main character (Chester) juggles different ways of living and thinking. He’s conflicted, trying to say and do the right thing, even as he says and does the absolute wrong thing. His palpable awkwardness floats off the page.

If you liked the unreal vibe in Inception, you’ll love watching Chester’s world slowly unravel. Then, when you think you know where the story is going, everything gets woven back to where Chester started, firm ground reappears under your feet, you’re solid once more. This book is a gift. With a bow on top."

How wonderful for my book to find a reader with such understanding, intelligence and - oh boy, I could wax lyrical about such reviewers. I hope she's as happy as I was when I read this review.

Anna, that was an absolutely lovely review! Congratulations and thanks so much for sharing! I really love when I get thorough, well-thought-out positive reviews. It's always great to know people are enjoying my books, but it means so much to me when someone takes the time to craft lengthy and meaningful praise.

I'd like to thank all my reviewers for taking the time to write and most can bring a spot of sunshine to even the greyest of days. I hope you see more uplifting reviews in this thread.

Agreed! I look forward to sharing more positive reviews here, because I treasure each one!

My novel Thunder Girl got this incredible 5-star review from audiobook narrator Benjamin Fife:

"I Adored this book. When I can't stop grinning while reading... The author did something right. And... It sounds like I'm going to get to narrate it. :) I'll do a more involved review later, but I had to post this because this book just made me happy. If you like Dinosaurs, steampunk, and anything just fun and uplifting, you'll like this book."

To say his response thrilled me would be an understatement. I sent him a free copy of the book to see if he would be interested in an audiobook production. And he had this to say about it? I was walking on air. (He also told me that he kept talking to his wife about it, and when somebody likes a book enough to want to share it with someone else, then I really feel like I've done my job right.)

To me, this response is all the more important because it helped me feel confident in my writing skills. My editors give my books good reviews, but well, they're already fans of my work and know me personally, and while they are intelligent and critical readers, I always worried some bias was sneaking in. I appreciate my editors' reviews, but Mr. Fife's review means a lot to me because it originated from a cold contact of a professional I had never met before.

After I sent the book to him, I confess I was terrified of all the things he could find wrong with it. From his blog posts, he sounds like a very discerning reader who is not afraid to call out anything he dislikes about a book. So I was prepared for the worst and unexpectedly got the best.

His feedback helped me finally feel like, while I may not have the biggest promotional budget, there is not really anything inherently wrong with my work that renders it unreadably bad. It gave me the confidence to pursue more promotional venues, and to keep writing and believing in my work.

For everybody who wonders if their reviews make a difference, yes. Yes they do.

Congratulations on the wonderful feedback. It is so affirming to get that kind of response. Well done!

Thank you! :)

Somebody left this really nice 4-star review on my first novel:

"Aww this was so much fun!! I loved the diverse cast, culture, and even speaking patterns (I don't know why but I love fraa's way of speaking)!! It was nice not having romance in a book for once. Refreshing. The overall story was so unique, it was so cool! The only complaint I had was that it's a little slow but who cares about that:p overall I thoroughly enjoyed Skydwellers and will definitely be reading more of TK's books in the future!"

I'm so glad she enjoyed Skydwellers--I feel like it can be a little polarizing because of how old it is, and it had previously gotten a rather unflattering 2-star review on Amazon. So it was really nice to see someone willing to look past the book's weaknesses to enjoy what both she and I think it does well.