The motifs of light and dark have been the basis for many literary pieces throughout time. Drawing on his African upbringing interlaced with Australian and New Zealand mythical characters, Victor Kelleher has written a story of the evil and good, the handsome and ugly, the night and day that represent the dark and light of 16-year-old twins.
Rabon, the golden one, meets his brother, the hideous swamp creature, and is appalled at this relationship. He is amazed at the prophecy that further links their lives as heirs to their individual legacies, becoming the Sun Lord and the Night Lord.What Kelleher has done with skill is carve out characters that belie the stereotypes of enlightened or ugly creatures. Rabon, expected to be honorable and achieve his rightful place through a hero quest, is jealous and lacks the patience to make his conquests successful. Lal, the creature ("black caverns for nostrils, a great gash for a mouth, the swollen tongue bulging from it; a snaggle of discolored teeth half embedded in bruised lips . . . ") is a sensitive tolerant twin whose wisdom leads them to avenge the death of their mother, Jenna, and Dorf, the man who raised Rabon as his son.
Other effective contrasts are the men that Rabon and Lal seek, Solnak, the Sun Lord whom Rabon will replace, and Luan, the monster of the night whose appetite for death is appeased through sacrifice and gifts by the villagers of Tereu.
The metaphors of surface beauty and dedication are the twists Kelleher uses prolifically and powerfully. Showing man's basic fear of ugliness and grotesquerie as both implied and real emotions, "Brother Night" stands for more than an unlikely twin, but for the traditions that make his appearance offensive as well as winsome. While the characters are exposed gradually to the reader, the author never wavers in his description of them, their actions or their speech.
When Rabon and Lal assume their places in the hierarchal chain, it is hoped that war between the dark and the light will be replaced with understanding. But the bigotry and prejudice of the townspeople will not let it happen. Lal is feared because of his "not normal" appearance and hides away again, as his father, Luan, did before him. Rabon will be respected and followed as long as he shuns his twin brother. The traditions are bound to go on as little hope is reserved for the conclusion.
"Brother Night," the story of two vibrant characters, would make a strong beginning of a series of high fantasy. Readers in grades 7-9 will enjoy this fast-paced adventure and clamor for more.
- Marilou Sorensen is an associate professor of education at the University of Utah specializing in children's literature.