Sunday, September 15, 2013

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull || Book Review

Fablehaven
Brandon Mull


Genre: Fantasy, YA, Children's
Series: Fablehaven
Publication Date: July 1, 2006
Number of Pages: 351
Source: Purchased
My Rating: 

For centuries, mystical creatures of all description were gathered to a hidden refuge called Fablehaven to prevent their extinction. The sanctuary survives today as one of the last strongholds of true magic in a cynical world. Enchanting? Absolutely. Exciting? You bet. Safe? Well, actually, quite the opposite ... Kendra and her brother Seth have no idea their grandfather is the current caretaker of Fablehaven. Inside the gated woods, ancient laws give relative order among greedy trolls, mischievous satyrs, plotting witches, spiteful imps, and jealous fairies. However, when the rules get broken, an arcane evil is unleashed, forcing Kendra and Seth to face the greatest challenge of their lives. To save her family, Fablehaven, and perhaps the world, Kendra must find the courage to do what she fears most.

This was actually a reread for me. The first time I read this book was about 2008 and the differences of what I noticed this time through was really interesting.

Although Fablehaven is directed towards a younger audience I definitely still thoroughly enjoyed reading it. The plot is engaging and interesting and the characters are believable and even a little endearing now that I'm older. I love the way that Brandon Mull has integrated the modern world and the fantastical one. The idea that fantastic creatures are things that need protecting on preserves is one of the coolest ideas I've come across.


I don't really have any big problems with this book. It doesn't slow down, but it doesn't speed up a whole lot either. It's pretty even paced the whole way through. It's a great concept, but it never left me on the edge of my seat dying to know what happened next. It's also a tiny bit predictable and the side characters are a little underdeveloped. But this book is directed towards a younger audience, so I wasn't expecting it to be as intense as novels directed towards adults.

I also know what the next couple books have in store which makes me very excited to reread the next few and also finally finish the series. Overall I give Fablehaven 4 out of 5 stars.

No comments:

Post a Comment