Reforging the Fallen: How My Faith-Based Epic Became a Work of Pure Fantasy

Stories evolve — sometimes in ways their creators never expect.
When I began writing "Books of the Fallen," it was deeply Christian in theme. Seven volumes born from questions of faith, redemption, and rebellion. Angels and demons, heaven and hell - I wrote about them as symbols of a larger truth: our constant struggle between light and darkness.
But something unexpected happened.
Readers who loved fantasy turned away at the mention of scripture. And those who embraced faith shied away from the rawness, flaws, and reality I wrote into my angels and fallen beings. I found myself between worlds — too sacred for fantasy, too fantastic for the faithful.
So I did what every story eventually demands of its author:  I listened.
Actually I had a dream, which is one way my Author often speaks to me.
The heart of "Books of the Fallen" was never about doctrine. It was about longing, the desperate need to belong, to be accepted and forgiven, and to rise again. And so the story began to change. The celestial courts became realms of light and shadow. Angels became all-too-human beings of energy, purpose, and desire. Heaven and hell became symbols of choice, not boundaries of belief.
What emerged wasn’t less meaningful — it was or will be more alive.
 I haven’t finished the rewrite. Yet.
Stripped of overt religious structure and beliefs, the soul began to breathe. It became a myth, a saga, a fantasy born of faith but not confined by it. It invites readers from every path — believers, seekers, skeptics — to see the divine within the story of struggle itself.
What this looks like :
Before (faith-forward): Heaven fell silent as the Morning Star begged for mercy he had not earned. Only grace could reopen what pride had sealed.
After (pure fantasy): The Lightbound kept its counsel while the Starborn Aurion weighed his last oath. Doors answer to vows, not apologies—and his had all been spent.
Rewriting is like watching stone turn to flesh, faith turn to fire.
And so begins the next incarnation of my series - "The Fallen Reborn” - where light and darkness are not enemies but mirrors, and every soul must decide what it means to rise.
Even angels can fall. But what happens when they can fly again?
I hope to have it published on Amazon before Christmas and other online retailers.
Let me know what you think. Your comments and critiques are appreciated.