About the Book

Book: Thalia in Exile

Author: Allen Brokken with Thalia Schertzer

Genre: Middlegrade Christian Fantasy

Release Date: June 26, 2026

Thalia never expected to be taken. But the Darkness has plans of its own.

When the dreaded Steele Brothers and their Giant allies raid her home at midnight, Thalia and her friends are forced on a harrowing journey to the mysterious academy at Emohnomed. Like the young men of Judah chosen for the King of Babylon’s service, they are dragged towards a land of shadowed luxury to learn the language and literature of a culture that serves the Darkness.

Thalia finds brief respite aboard a luxurious train. But when Headmistress Imogen adds a “gift from the bishop” to the students’ punch, Thalia’s keen senses catch the putrescent smell of a counterfeit light. Clinging to the Good Book she smuggled into her bag, she refuses the smoke-laced food that turns friends into unthinking foes. In a world of beautiful lies, Thalia must stand firm against false accusations and prove that the only true strength comes from the Light that cannot be tainted.

Because this isn’t just about escaping her captors. It’s about saving the people who no longer know they need to be saved.

Author Q&A 2

• How did the co-authoring partnership for this book come about?
  • Variant A: Thalia’s family were massive supporters of the Towers of Light, and when she emailed asking to help, I knew it was a perfect match for the story I had planned. At the time, I had an outline for a Daniel retelling but lacked the time to write it; Thalia’s offer to collaborate was the “God-send” I needed to bring this world to life. We met on a video call where I laid out the “flight plan” for the book, and we’ve been on a writing adventure together ever since.
• Do you have any specific “interesting writing quirks” that emerged while co-authoring with a 12-year-old?
  • Probably the biggest quirk was a lack of context. I grew up on a farm in the midwest United States surrounded by the lore of frontier life. Thalia grew up in the city in Canada.  She just didn’t have a lot of 1860’s context.  So there were times where I had to work with her to rewrite sections of the story because what she imagined just weren’t available in the 1860’s frontier.

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About the Authors

Allen Brokken is a teacher at heart, a husband and father most of all. He’s a joyful writer by the abundant grace of God. He began writing the Towers of Light series for his own children to help him illustrate the deep truths of the Bible in an engaging and age-appropriate way. He’s dedicated 15 years of his life to volunteer roles in children’s ministry and youth development. Now that his own children are off on their own adventures, he’s telling stories and sharing clean humor on social media.

Thalia Shertzerr is a dedicated writer whose Christian faith is the central part of her life and the heart of her storytelling. Outside of writing, she has a strong interest in science and hopes to pursue a future career in clinical medicine. Thalia balances her time between her academic goals, her faith, and her love for reading and capturing moments through the lens of her camera.