Book review - Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

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 that their grandfather is the current caretaker of Fablehaven. Inside the gated woods, ancient laws give relative order among greedy trolls, mischevious 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.


Fablehaven was recommended to me by Mr. Hughes' 6th grade class. I try to read books that are mentioned during class time if I can find it in our local library system (we now have a 10-county lending system across the state so it is easier to find authors and books that are available to folks in the entire state as opposed to just being limited to our 10-library county). When I first started reading Fablehaven, I found the writing to be passive - no dialogue to speak of, no action, no description, I felt compelled to continue reading until the end. The descriptions come but not so mucch as in your face, out there for the world to see kind of descriptions.

The further into the story I got I did almost feel like I was in a fairy tale land and viewing the creatures as best as I could see them (one needs magical milk to see the fairies and other creatures). The adventures one experiences are not fast-paced or constant but are slowly revealed and what seems like a normal excursion turns out to be a life-turning adventure for Kendra.

If you like mythical creatures and mythology, you will enjoy this book. I'm off to get the next in the series and find out more about the mystical preserve Fablehaven.