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Exitorn Adventures #1
Brill and the Dragators
Taken from home to serve as a companion to the selfish son of the much-feared Emperor of Exitorn, Brill soon finds himself entangled in a daring plan to restore the rightful king to the throne.
128 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 1987
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 10, 2008
I cannot describe the impact of this book in my life in mere paragraphs. Sadly, it's out of print, so likely, you'll never read it. Though I do have copies (yes, plural) to share!
Picture me much somewhere in elementary school, quiet and book-obsessed, though sadly bored with all the literature meant for my age and far too intimidated by the impressive chapter books on the other side of the library. Enter Brill, a country boy who's whisked away from his family to serve as companion to the fat, selfish prince who must eat all his food coated in chocolate. At the castle, Brill meets Segra, my subsequent introduction to the concept of the headstrong female heroine. Reckless and compassionate, Segra is companion to the princess and happens to be obsessed with helping the dethroned King Talder, locked in the garden jail tower, restore his rightful place as ruler of Exitorn.
Brill-- far more interested in keeping his head attached to his shoulders in the palace of the paranoid and power-obsessed Emperor Immane-- just thinks she's crazy. This belief is strengthened when Segra tells him she's befriended an injured dragator (that's a cross between dragons and alligators) and named him Peachy. True to Brill's luck, dragators are not only the emperor's favorite method of execution, but also could be the key to saving the kingdom.
This series, aside from earning the distinction of my first real fantasy novel, was also the first book I read with characters who maintained a believable faith in God (believable in the sense that the entire book is cheesy and written for third-graders, work with me).
The series, way before Karen Hancock and Kathy Tyers were writing decent Christian-based fantasy fiction, went wildly overlooked. It did, however, come at the perfect time in my life. One day when I'm a famous author, these books will go on a favorite list on my website. Then they'll have do a reprint.
Picture me much somewhere in elementary school, quiet and book-obsessed, though sadly bored with all the literature meant for my age and far too intimidated by the impressive chapter books on the other side of the library. Enter Brill, a country boy who's whisked away from his family to serve as companion to the fat, selfish prince who must eat all his food coated in chocolate. At the castle, Brill meets Segra, my subsequent introduction to the concept of the headstrong female heroine. Reckless and compassionate, Segra is companion to the princess and happens to be obsessed with helping the dethroned King Talder, locked in the garden jail tower, restore his rightful place as ruler of Exitorn.
Brill-- far more interested in keeping his head attached to his shoulders in the palace of the paranoid and power-obsessed Emperor Immane-- just thinks she's crazy. This belief is strengthened when Segra tells him she's befriended an injured dragator (that's a cross between dragons and alligators) and named him Peachy. True to Brill's luck, dragators are not only the emperor's favorite method of execution, but also could be the key to saving the kingdom.
This series, aside from earning the distinction of my first real fantasy novel, was also the first book I read with characters who maintained a believable faith in God (believable in the sense that the entire book is cheesy and written for third-graders, work with me).
The series, way before Karen Hancock and Kathy Tyers were writing decent Christian-based fantasy fiction, went wildly overlooked. It did, however, come at the perfect time in my life. One day when I'm a famous author, these books will go on a favorite list on my website. Then they'll have do a reprint.
April 21, 2024
Every now and then as I search through the wild world of used books, I come across a series I have never heard of before. Enter the Exitorn Adventures by Peggy Downing. I discovered two of these by chance at a used book store while traveling through Southern Alabama. What I also discovered was a series of books that I had to find out more about immediately.
I plowed through book one in two sittings. It was charming, heartfelt, full of danger and adventure, and boasted a heroic pair of lead characters who truly feel like equals on an adventure together in the midst of a thrilling fantasy romp.
When Brill is taken from his home to be the prince's newest companion, what he discovers at the palace is a place of ominous splendor. The palace is beautiful; the prince has everything he could ever want, and yet the Emperor is ruthless, executing his opposition by throwing them to the deadly dragators who live in the palace moat. Soon Brill meets Segra, one of Christian fantasy fiction's greatest characters, and together they set out to save the kingdom, rescue the king, and discover the secret the palace has been hiding all these years. But that's only if they can avoid the watchful gaze of the Emperor who will throw them to the dragators if he catches even a glimpse of rebellion.
First of all, I have to say the fantasy world that Peggy Downing has created here feels lived in and weathered in a good way, almost like how the Star Wars galaxy feels -- things have happened here and we are stepping into a glimpse of this world. Brill is a very likeable, yet flawed main character, who we root for and feel so scared for all at the same time. The threat of danger is very real and around every palace corner. No one is necessarily safe, and it is very possible none of them will make it out alive.
There is a lot of mystery here, and Downing does what I love in fantasy books: introduces tidbits here and there that will definitely be coming into play in later books in the series, but at the present give us such intriguing mysteries we have to find out what happens next. There were also some great twists and turns that did have me gasp out loud!
So let's talk about characters, because we have to talk about Segra, a character who feels way ahead of her time. She is no damsel in distress and has plenty of agency, but also is not a Mary Sue. She doesn't treat Brill with contempt or disdain, and Brill doesn't treat her as such either. Brill and Segra are a team, both with flaws and both with something to contribute to save the day, and I loved it. This is one of the best examples of a friendship in a series in my opinion.
The villains are also despicably evil and reminded me so often of the villains in some of the most classic children's stories.
All said, if you can find a copy of this book, you should definitely read it. And dare I say... I liked this better than Narnia...?
I plowed through book one in two sittings. It was charming, heartfelt, full of danger and adventure, and boasted a heroic pair of lead characters who truly feel like equals on an adventure together in the midst of a thrilling fantasy romp.
When Brill is taken from his home to be the prince's newest companion, what he discovers at the palace is a place of ominous splendor. The palace is beautiful; the prince has everything he could ever want, and yet the Emperor is ruthless, executing his opposition by throwing them to the deadly dragators who live in the palace moat. Soon Brill meets Segra, one of Christian fantasy fiction's greatest characters, and together they set out to save the kingdom, rescue the king, and discover the secret the palace has been hiding all these years. But that's only if they can avoid the watchful gaze of the Emperor who will throw them to the dragators if he catches even a glimpse of rebellion.
First of all, I have to say the fantasy world that Peggy Downing has created here feels lived in and weathered in a good way, almost like how the Star Wars galaxy feels -- things have happened here and we are stepping into a glimpse of this world. Brill is a very likeable, yet flawed main character, who we root for and feel so scared for all at the same time. The threat of danger is very real and around every palace corner. No one is necessarily safe, and it is very possible none of them will make it out alive.
There is a lot of mystery here, and Downing does what I love in fantasy books: introduces tidbits here and there that will definitely be coming into play in later books in the series, but at the present give us such intriguing mysteries we have to find out what happens next. There were also some great twists and turns that did have me gasp out loud!
So let's talk about characters, because we have to talk about Segra, a character who feels way ahead of her time. She is no damsel in distress and has plenty of agency, but also is not a Mary Sue. She doesn't treat Brill with contempt or disdain, and Brill doesn't treat her as such either. Brill and Segra are a team, both with flaws and both with something to contribute to save the day, and I loved it. This is one of the best examples of a friendship in a series in my opinion.
The villains are also despicably evil and reminded me so often of the villains in some of the most classic children's stories.
All said, if you can find a copy of this book, you should definitely read it. And dare I say... I liked this better than Narnia...?
March 3, 2024
This was one of my favorite books as a 3rd and 4th grader. It's hard to find now because it's out of print, but I finally got my hands on a copy and read it to my kids. "Read it AGAIN," they begged as soon as we finished it.
I give it 4 stars because of the way it entrances and enthralls it's intended audience. It's not very well-written, has little to no character development, much of it is scoffably unbelievable, and the Christianity can feel forced in places. And yet. My kids loved the story and I really enjoyed reading it again. I would highly recommend it to Christian families looking for adventure books that incorporate a spiritual element.
I give it 4 stars because of the way it entrances and enthralls it's intended audience. It's not very well-written, has little to no character development, much of it is scoffably unbelievable, and the Christianity can feel forced in places. And yet. My kids loved the story and I really enjoyed reading it again. I would highly recommend it to Christian families looking for adventure books that incorporate a spiritual element.
February 9, 2024
This book was much cheesier than I remembered it being when I read it as a kid, but the nostalgia still made it a lot of fun. Glad I was able to find it to reread it after all these years.
The Exitorn Adventures series seems like it was probably an influential one in the Christian fantasy world. I suspect Andrew Peterson may have gotten some of his inspiration for the Wingfeather Saga from the series, though I have no evidence to support that. I’d like to find out!
The Exitorn Adventures series seems like it was probably an influential one in the Christian fantasy world. I suspect Andrew Peterson may have gotten some of his inspiration for the Wingfeather Saga from the series, though I have no evidence to support that. I’d like to find out!
February 24, 2025
My two youngest wanted to give this book (which we listened to on youtube) 5 stars, but my oldest said it was just 3 stars, which I tend to lean toward, despite having chosen it due to some raving reviews. Cute story, but the beginning was a bit slow and the ending a bit abrupt.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews