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Searching... Monmouth Public Library | CD J Fic Mull, B | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
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.
Author Notes
Brandon Mull was born on November 8, 1974. He graduated from Brigham Young University in 2000. His first novel, Fablehaven, was published in 2006. His works include the Fablehaven series, the Beyonders series, The Candy Shop War, the Five Kingdoms series, Pingo, Pingo and the Playground Bully, and the Spirit Animals series.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (2)
Kirkus Review
Witty repartee between the central characters, as well as the occasional well-done set piece, isn't enough to hold this hefty debut together. Teenagers Seth and Kendra are dropped off by traveling parents at their grandfather's isolated Connecticut estate, and soon discover why he's so reluctant to have them--the place is a secret haven for magical creatures, both benign and decidedly otherwise. Those others are held in check by a complicated, unwritten and conveniently malleable Compact that is broken on Midsummer Eve, leaving everyone except Kendra captive in a hidden underground chamber with a newly released demon. Mull's repeated use of the same device to prod the plot along comes off as more labored than comic: Over and over an adult issues a stern but vague warning; Seth ignores it; does some mischief and is sorry afterward. Sometimes Kendra joins in trying to head off her uncommonly dense brother. She comes into her own at the rousing climax, but that takes a long time to arrive; stick with Michael Buckley's "Sisters Grimm" tales, which carry a similar premise in more amazing and amusing directions. (Fantasy. 11-13) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
New York Review of Books Review
TRUCKS ROLL! By George Ella Lyon. Illustrated by Craig Frazier. Richard Jackson/Atheneum. $14.99. (Ages 4 to 7) This ode to things in motion - sometimes outlandish things like huge chocolate chip cookies and giant rabbits - doesn't always scan perfectly, yet it will be great for reading aloud with any small child who loves big trucks. Frazier's gleaming, saturated colors evoke classic travel posters and include visual jokes his audience will appreciate, like giant bunny ears silhouetted at a truck stop. THE GAME. By Diana Wynne Jones. Firebird/Penguin. $11.99. (Ages 12 and up) The powerful device at the center of this novella is the dangerous game played by a houseful of headstrong children: though forbidden by their parents, they have learned to enter the "mythosphere" and to ride the strands in and out of the world's folk tales and ancient myths, bringing back trophies. Hayley, an orphan, is taught to play the game by her wild cousins and discovers she's good at it - perhaps good enough to save her parents who, it turns out, are trapped there. Wynne Jones, the author of the Chrestomanci series and "Howl's Moving Castle," is an expert at mixing fast-paced action with thought-provoking situations. THE CIRCUS IS COMING. By Hilary Knight. Golden Books/Random House. $15.99. (Ages 3 to 9) A reissue of a book that has been out of print for almost 30 years. Somewhat reminiscent of Knight's classic "ABC" (which remains out of print), this "picture parade" offers a pageant of comical potbellied figures like the "acrobatic chimpanzees flying on the high trapeze" and includes a spread that was cut from the original, featuring South American llamas, gauchos and dancing girls. FABLEHAVEN: RISE OF THE EVENING STAR. By Brandon Mull. Illustrated by Brandon Dorman. Shadow Mountain. $17.95. (Ages 9 to 12) The second novel in a series about a brother and a sister who stumble upon an enchanted refuge called Fablehaven and become enmeshed in a world of magical creatures. This time the evil Society of the Evening Star is after an artifact hidden in Fablehaven, and the siblings, Kendra and Seth, must outwit the society to survive. Mull's awkward writing sometimes underscores the overfamiliar plot mechanics of the two-children-save-the-world fantasy, but his story offers unexpected twists and entertainingly scary creatures. CATCHING THE MOON. By Myl Goldberg. Illustrated by Chris Sheban. Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic. $16.99. (Ages 4 to 8) In this delightful fable, a woman goes fishing for the moon to complain about the tides - too high - and, to her surprise, she catches him. " 'What is it?' she grumbled to the round-faced man who appeared at her door. 'Sea cucumber sandwich?' he gleamed in reply." In a spare, humorous style, Goldberg ("Bee Season") tells a layered story that invites rereading. On dimly lit pages Sheban's golden pictures, done with watercolors and Prismacolor pencils, give off a dream-like glow. JULIE JUST ON THE WEB: STONE AGE SAGAS Read an interview with Michelle Paver and hear an excerpt from "Wolf Brother" read by Ian McKellen, at nytimes.com/books.