Book Review: “Brill of Exitorn” by Peggy Downing (1994)

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Rating: 4 out of 5.

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It’s been my habit for a while now to wake up my kids with a good book. At 6:40 on school days my alarm goes off, and from 6:45-7:00, I read them a chapter or two in order to break them out of their dream worlds and ease them into the land of the living.

My only requirement for these morning reads is that the books be from either Christian authors or Christian publishers. We’ve enjoyed most of what we’ve read from BJU Press (now JourneyForth), and this story, Brill of Exitorn, was a mighty surprise for us. It’s good clean drama, which is to be expected, but it’s also exciting, a world filled with injustice, death, and the constant threat of execution.

The land of Exitorn has been overthrown by the wicked Emperor Immane and his selfish family, while the previous King Talder has simply disappeared. Early in the story, the King’s army is sent to test all the boys in the kingdom of Exitorn in search of a Companion who can entertain and appease the fat and selfish Emprince Grossder, a lazy prince who loves nothing but to eat chocolate and to watch executions. Brill is selected for his wit, and he’s summarily taken from his home forced to befriend and entertain the Emprince (a word I personally hated to read, so I just called him “Prince”).

While in the castle, Brill meets Segra, Companion to Princess Florette and a girl who’s hiding a streak of (healthy) rebellion. When Brill befriends her and discovers that she knows where King Talder’s being kept alive, he must choose between the safety of living as Prince Grossder’s jester (essentially) and the danger of helping rescue and restore the good King Talder to his throne.

This book not quite a fairytale. There’s no magic in the mythical land of Exitorn with its Middle-Ages vibe, but there some elements that give it a fantasy feel. The most important element is the amazing Dinogators that live in the moat surrounding the castle island and which serve as the King’s favorite mode of execution. These reptiles are smart, though, and while they can’t speak English, they can understand it. Segra especially has been able to make friends with these monsters, an ability that proves useful as the story progresses.

I’ve known about the BJUP library of novels for most of my life, but I had never even heard of this book growing up. Both my kids (ages 11 and 12) enjoyed it, as did I, and we were excited to discover that it also has a sequel, The Lost Prince, which we began immediately upon finishing this book. Although it is technically a Christian book, it’s not overtly so, and I think that it could enjoy a larger audience, if only BJUP found a way to market to a broader audience. There exists in this world of Exitorn a lost “Book of Wisdom” which shares little proverbs of biblical morality, but it’s not a large piece of the plot, and I don’t think non-Christian readers would equate it with the Bible or be turned off by its presence.

The book covertly teaches a great deal about friendship and courage, not to mention the dangers of selfishness and greed. Good wins; Evil is punished (the mark of any good book that I want my kids reading), and we’re already enjoying the sequel.

My daughter asked me if they’ve made a movie about this book, but of course, “they” definitely haven’t. I did wonder, though, whether someone in the BJU art or video departments wouldn’t consider taking this on as a feature-length project, much like artists have done with Andrew Peterson’s Wingfeather Saga. Brill’s world isn’t quite as involved as Wingfeather, but I could see it as an animated feature that would excite homeschool kids around the world. Something to consider there, Professor!

©2024 E.T.