Fablehaven

The Fablehaven series by Brandon Mull is a wonderful children's series that will help fill the void since the last Harry Potter book. These books were recommended by Richard Paul Evans, author of The Christmas Box.

1.) The first book in the series is simply titled, Fablehaven. Fablehaven is a mystical game preserve for magical creatures.

"None who enter will leave unchanged"

13-year-old Kendra and her 11-year-old brother Seth think they are in for a boring two weeks at their grandparent's home in Connecticut, a home with lots of rules. Grandpa offers no good reason to stay out of the woods but he does promise terrible punishment - confinement to the attic playroom - if Kendra and Seth disobey the rules. Naturally, Seth goes into the forest and beyond. What waits for him is beyond his comprehension. Kendra meanwhile, takes time to unravel a puzzle Grandpa has given her, involving three keys that belong to three hidden keyholes in the playroom. These keys lead her to the discovery of "Drink the milk" - drinking the milk allows humans to see the mysteries that await in the forest.

Excitement and adventure allow the siblings to delve deeper into the secrets of Fablehaven. Grandpas has hidden much from them until they have proven they are the right sort of people to experience Fablehaven in its natural state. The plot of Fablehaven is fast paced, precise and perfect. It is a mesmerizing tale and the characters instantly turn into children the readers know and learn to love.

This is a wonderful book and I see great things on the horizon for Brandon Mull.

2.) Book number two, Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star. At the end of the school year, Kendra and Seth find themselves racing back to Fablehaven. Grandpa has invited three specialists - a potion master of Samoan ancestry who keeps lots of good stuff bottled up; a mystical creature trapper who has the strangest and most horrible roommates ever; and a magical relics collector with lots of cool tricks up his sleeves. The Society of the Evening Star, an ancient organization is determined to infiltrate the preserve and steal a hidden artifact of great power. Time is running out. the Evening Star is storming the gates. If the artifact falls into the wrong hands, it could mean the downfall of other preserves and possibly the world.

This book stands out for the exciting and colorful characters (on both sides) including the Sphinx who is always on the move; a gluttonous beast that will stop at nothing until he has eaten everything on his menu; plus fairies, imps, goblins, and an assortment of others, alive, undead, reanimated and even catatonic.

Will Kendra learn to use her fairy gifts in time? Will Seth stay out of trouble? Can they overcome paralyzing fear? This books picks up where the first book left off and it is just as good of a read as the first. Children of all ages will enjoy this book.

3.) Book number three, Fablehaven: Grip of the Shadow Plague. Kendra and Seth are only a few weeks from heading home from Fablehaven and starting school, when a new threat makes the likelihood of going home an impossibility. Creatures of light on the preserve begin to turn dark. Because of the new abilities Kendra acquired from the fairies in book one, she has become a target of the Society of the Evening Star is she returns home. As if that is not enough, she is invited to join the Night of the Dawn, an organization pledged to protect magical preserves. She travels on a secret mission to protect Fablehaven, as well as the other magical preserves.

This third book contains some of the best writing, action and story-telling of the series so far. Valuable lessons for kids and families are deftly woven into the story without being preachy. The action is even more intense so very small children may not be ready for this book, but tweens and teens will gobble it up. Here's waiting for book number four!
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