Fablehaven by Brandon Mull
“For centuries mystical creatures of all description were gathered into a hidden refuge called Fablehaven to prevent their extinction. The sanctuary survives today as one of the last strongholds of true magic. Enchanting? Absolutely. Exciting? You bet. Safe? Well, actually, quite the opposite.
Kendra and her brother, Seth, have no idea that their grandfather is the current caretaker of Fablehaven. Inside the gated woods, ancient laws keep relative order among greedy trolls, mischievous satyrs, plotting witches, spiteful imps, and jealous fairies. However, when the rules get broken – Seth is a bit too curious and reckless for his own good – powerful forces of evil are unleashed, and Kendra and her brother face the greatest challenge of their lives. To save their family, Fablehaven, and perhaps even the world, Kendra and Seth must find the courage to do what they fear most.”
I read this book when I was in 6th grade. At the time I was just getting into the magic that is stories between two covers. This book was the start of my interest in fantasy books. All the mythological creatures and magic got me intrigued and sucked me in. Soon I had easily read all 6 books within 2 months.
I give this book a 9.5/10. I loved this book so much as a 12 yr.old girl. It had everything from centaurs to satyrs to witches and even pixies, or fairies.
The characters were very relatable in what they were thinking. The author perfectly got the curiosity of kids their age down and the bond of siblings.
I remember the scene in the book where Seth, the youngest, wanted to go into the forest, where they were forbidden to go, and Kendra had pulled a big sister move and scolded him not to. Of course, being as he is so close to her age, he does not see her as being in charge of his actions. He goes anyways.
Why did I say this? This proves my point of the relationship between them as siblings is relatable. Do your younger siblings listen to what you advise of them to do or not do? I did not think so.
Besides that point, Brandon Mull moves his plot along very smoothly. He makes the transaction from Kendra discovering all the keys in her grandfather’s game to unlock a book that leads to the huge discovery of all the magical creatures on their grandparents property. To think, it all started with a treasure hunt and the two of them drinking Viola's unpasteurized milk. The book is concluded perfectly and leaves the readers wanting for more, which is exactly what gave us, more. The rest of the series went just as well and sucked us even more into the depth of its dimension only to spit us back out after the very last book and leave us feeling sucked of emotion due to all the feelings that were jerked around (not as much as other books, though. Many books will cause you to go on a non stop roller coaster of feels that only goes up). In conclusion, Fablehaven by Brandon Mull is a must read for those into mythical and magical stories. It is not anything like Percy Jackson, it may have some of the same creatures, but it is much, much different in so many ways. I suggest to readers 11 and older.(No one will judge if you are a 16yr.old and reading it. There is no shame in that. I was 15 when I read the Percy Jackson series.) Thanks for reading my review! See ya, ~Victoria~