Keys to the Demon Prison by Brandon Mull (Fablehaven 5)

Keys to the Demon Prison by Brandon Mull
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hmm, so I really enjoyed this series as a whole, and this was a satisfactory finish. It didn't blow me away though. The plot was an extension of what was already established in the earlier books and seemed a little rushed as Mull was keeping his word on finishing the series here. I see how both Seth and Kendra have matured, and how they still make mistakes, and how they are human. I recognize how much the setting has evolved, with the fantasy world fully explained. Seth ran from one impossible encounter to another, and eventually won his battle with his own "demon." Kendra's position in the fairy world is more secure now, with a long-term love interest to boot. It is hard to put my finger on it after these statements, but I still feel like it could have been more.

After ruminating on it for a bit, I've decided that my first two observations above are really at the core of my concern. First, the plot was clearly laid out, and progressed along a fairly straight line. There were no last minute plot twists (the dwarf's betrayal is the last I remember, and it was fairly early on...) Second, the whole thing felt a little rushed. I appreciate not having days of traveling around from place to place, but either this could have been two books (the first ending with the Fount of Immortality changing hands) or this should have been trimmed a little. The Singing Sisters could have been excluded, for example, with Seth going straight to the Totem Wall.

As usual, don't take my nit-picky criticism to mean that this wasn't a fantastic book/series, I just came away with a single concern that felt like it needed to be voiced. And now I have voiced it.

Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary by Brandon Mull (Fablehaven 4)

Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary by Brandon Mull
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Maybe I'm being too free with my stars on this review, but I am really enjoying this series. It has also been a while time since I have taken time out to read a whole series for recreation, so Fablehaven may be benefiting from my overall love of reading as a hobby, especially in this genre.

So Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary has a couple of intriguing developments, including the big shocker at the end, which I won't discuss here. But I can talk about how well Brandon Mull positions Vanessa throughout the series. She keeps being relevant, but completely unresolved from a reader's point of view. She is like the Snape of Fablehaven, and Snape was a key to the Potter series...

I also like that Mull is not hesitant about diving deeper and deeper into the Fantasy world he has created. For most of the book Kendra and Seth are in a fictional setting, which Mull has complete artistic control over, yet we identify with them as contemporary school children. It is a well thought out plot. I'm looking forward to the finale.

Grip of the Shadow Plague by Brandon Mull (Fablehaven 3)

Grip of the Shadow Plague by Brandon Mull
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So I have nitpicked at the previous Fablehaven books, finding fault with some small facet of the book to justify 4-star ratings. With this third installment I can't find the flaw. The small things that bothered me before have fallen into balance as the characters and plot have stabilized. Dragons, kachinas (?!?!?), and a mysterious leader with questionable loyalties. I can't wait to get to the next book, and so am going to hand out five stars and go back to my reading...

EDIT: So I noticed that I have another review for this book from a previous reading.  That happens sometimes, and it is interesting to see how my perception has changed over time (and how it hasn't :) )

Rise of the Evening Star by Brandon Mull

Rise of the Evening Star by Brandon Mull
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a great followup book in this series, expanding on the plot and developing the characters. Seth wasn't even as obnoxious this time (that is a relative statement though... still over the top.) I liked getting to know some of the other roles/characters in the fairy-aware world, although that is a fine line to walk, because the bigger that world gets the more complex it is and it gets more and more difficult to keep the ignorance of the regular world believable. But it is fantasy, and the reader understands that, so there is room to grow here.

Brandon Mull did a great job with this book, and with the series so far, but I only give this one 5 stars because I wasn't wowed by anything in this book, and you have to save the 5-stars for those books that are truly special.

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So after reading the Beyonders series, and remembering how talented Brandon Mull is, I remembered that I never finished the Fablehaven series. It is really strange for me to not finish any series once I start it, and I realized that there were 3 such series for me right now. I didn't finish them because they were not all published when I started them, and I didn't get to each new installment as they cam out. (For those interested the other two series are the Magyk series by Angie Sage and the Leven Thumps Foo series by Obert Skye-- I will go back to them next, since I think they are both complete now.)

So I picked up Fablehaven, and immediately began to enjoy the experience of reading a well crafted story. It had been long enough since my first reading that I had forgotten most of the details of the plot, so there were those awesome, "Oh yeah, THAT is what happened!" moments.

A specific thing I appreciate about Brandon Mull is that he manages to break away from some of the archetypal plots that persist in fantasy literature. No, this story is not about about a boy with no parents who learns about his royal or magical lineage and saves the world while growing into manhood at the same time. Not that I don't love those stories, because I do. And for as many times as I have heard that plot retold, I think there are a million more tellings worth reading. But Mull brings original ideas to the table, and for that he should be lauded. It is similar to my respect for Garth Nix. If those guys are ever in the same room, I want to be there too...

Anyway, so after this glowing review, why dock Fablehaven a star? Seth. He is an annoying character (reminds me of my complaints about Rachel from the Beyonders series ) And it isn't just that he is annoying, because real people are annoying sometimes, but he is so annoying that it pulls me out of the story. No one can be that stupid, and repeatedly to things that dumb. If they were that ridiculous, then I would expect other negative personality traits along with it. So the fact that he seems to have decent relationships with other characters despite his major flaws makes him an unbelievable character. To give Mr. Mull credit, I see that he was trying to create well-rounded characters with flaws that make them human (again similar to Rachel) but this was just overdone... So I'm keeping a star this time, but looking forward to the next book...

Chasing the Prophecy (Beyonders 3) by Brandon Mull

Chasing the Prophecy by Brandon Mull
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So, as I mentioned on the previous installments in this series, Brandon Mull does a great job at moving his books along. I'm sure that takes a lot of time and effort to pull off, but because he does it so well, I find myself wishing he would take the series further. If I feel like I got 6 books worth of reading out of 3, think how awesome it would be to get 10 books worth of content out of 5!

Having said that, I can only give 4 stars here. I don't know if I can even blame the author, as he might have intended to include what I see as a mistake: Rachel. She spends half this book being very whiny. She drove me nuts. From a writing perspective, I am tempted to say that he overdid it when he was developing that side of her character. I mean after the second conversation about how she felt everything was hopeless we got it. She wasn't on board. Move on. HOWEVER, I also recognize that it might not be an accident. Maybe her character is that whiny, and a little bit annoying. Maybe that is why Corinne is a better match for Jason. If that is a part of your master plan Mr. Mull, then the un-awarded star is for a slightly annoying protagonist. There, I've covered my bases.

Still, this is a great series, and I highly recommend it...

Seeds of Rebellion (Beyonders 2) by Brandon Mull

Seeds of Rebellion by Brandon Mull
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another great read from Brandon Mull. I couldn't put it down. I like how the plot has developed, and yet at the same time how he keeps it simple. No extra story lines. No flashbacks, chapters written from the antagonist's view, etc. Keep it sharp, clean and moving in one direction. This is the genre and level of book that I think can capture the most readers and deliver value to the most readers (not the same thing...) Can't wait for book 3.

A World Without Heroes (Beyonders 1) by Brandon Mull

A World Without Heroes by Brandon Mull
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Brandon Mull has become a fantastic author. Sure, his stories have depth. The plots are intriguing. His characters are genuine. But just as every person has a unique set of skills in life, I believe that if you are going to be a successful writer you have to have an edge, a competitive advantage if you will, that you can leverage into a career of bestsellers. After enjoying this book (and the whole Beyonders trilogy) I think that Brandon Mull has a gift when it comes to pacing a story. I feel like I got 6 books worth of content and story in just 3 books. I don't feel like he left anything out, or rushed any part of the plot. We didn't turn the page to find magically-developed characters, or too-good-to-be-true resolutions. No, everything developed in its own time, but he just keeps the pace going all the time, consistently. And for that I give him the full range of stars, and I look forward to reading his future books.