Fablehaven

I'm not going to recount the plot of the story to you because there are a million other reviews one can read if that is what they desire. However I will give you the skinny on the book and the skinny is…this book is better than Harry Potter. First, I will own up to the fact that I am a Harry

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Potter aficionado. Second, while some people think books should not be compared to others but reviewed in their own right I disagree. Harry Potter set a new standard for children's fantasy books; it is also a series, love or hate it, that is known by just about everyone, everywhere. Since the Fablehaven series is also a children's fantasy series a comparison to Harry Potter is a logical step. Now, why is Fablehaven better than Harry Potter? Fablehaven is simply more realistic and that makes it easier to relate to. Here is a list of reasons why it is a good series to dive into.

1) Fablehaven is for everyone (all ages). I am 26 years old and have no children. I was killing time at Wal-Mart, saw the book, thought it looked interesting, and the words were small not over-sized children's type so I decided to check it out. Within the first 30 pages I was hooked; I couldn't put it down. After I was done I suggested it to some of my philosophy classmates and forced it upon my 56 year old mother (who told me I was pathetic for being so enthralled by a children's series). That children's series kept her up night after night…(who's pathetic now?) There are many characters of many different ages in the series that play distinct roles. This is a FAMILY BOOK. It would be most enjoyed together, as a family, by being read out loud.

2) The children in the story, Seth and Kendra, are akin to realistic children. One thing about Harry Potter I never quite liked was the fact that he was very impulsive and irrationally dove into situations that he was only able to get out of due to good fortune, the help of others, and luck. In Fablehaven the characters make calculated decisions, sometimes they take risks based on their calculations and sometimes they don't. They are also always aware of the consequences of their decisions and there are many times in the story where the children, as well as the other characters, have to pay the piper for their choices. This series teaches a very important lesson with regards to choices, and consequences.

3) Brandon Mull, the author genius, nailed the brother/sister combo of Seth and Kendra. In the series the reader can see in their relationship sibling rivalry, the lightness of teasing, and sibling love. Kendra is rather shy, is very cautious and calculating, and slow to flame. Seth, on the other hand, is a quick fire, always jumps in head first, acts impulsively, is defiant and sneaky, and is often in trouble because of it. Mull uses these characters and their opposite traits to create humor. There is one scene where Seth does something (I don't remember what) and after he does it he says something like, "That was worth 100" and Kendra says, "Yeah, 100 idiot points." And Seth replies, "What you call idiot points I call awesome bucks." And I just busted up laughing because my 18 year old brother still makes comments like that. Mull hits that old fashioned, classic, boy vs. girl humor perfectly.

This series is worth the time, the energy, and the money. The kids will enjoy it, the parents will enjoy it, and everyone will benefit from the time spent together reading it. In the back of the books Mull provides a reading guide. The questions are priceless. While, they are for children I think they really enable parents to talk to their children and get involved in their lives. One of the questions is "Kendra has faced multiple betrayals over the course of the series. Which do you think was the worst and why? Have you ever felt betrayed by a friend? How did you handle it?" I say, "Drink the Milk and jump on board!"

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This book is very similar to Spiderwick Chronicles--except more annoying with a main character with no sense. But, then there would be no plot if somebody wasn't stirring things up. I liked it enough to read the next book.

Now I will review a book called Fablehaven by Brandon Mull. It is about two kids who find out that their grandparents own a preserve for mythical creatures. And when their grandparents are kidnapped, it's up to them to save them.

I really liked this book because it was an entertaining fantasy which

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is my favorite kind of genre. The second book in the series was just as good, but I got bored reading the third.

The second book, Rise of the Evening Star, has spies and betrayal. The two kids must recover a powerful artifact before the evil society gets it.

Even though, I was bored with the third book in the series, that was when I was only nine years old. Now that I'm a ten year old, obviously superior, I would probably be able to read the third book in the series with powerful gusto. In fact, I'm planning to read through to the fifth book in the series.

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While the story was engaging, the voice acting on the audio book was verging on terrible.

Fablehaven, the first of a series, is an engaging children's fantasy that's fun for adults (like me) as well. This story has it all: fairies, imps, a witch, a troll and more. Everytime I read a children's or ya book that I enjoy as much as I did Fablehaven I think, where were these books when I was

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a kid? Good thing I'm still a kid at heart. I really need to read the rest of the Fablehaven series.

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Two children are sent to their grandparents while their parents go on a cruise. While at the house they discover that in fact it's a refuge for mythic creatures and that there is trouble brewing.

There is an evil conspiracy to set free forces of evil and this is what the various havens were set up

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to stop. So the children have to get involved when the adults are disabled from saving the world.

There's a lot about consequences and dealing with panic and all sorts of fun stuff like that. The two children behave a lot like real children. There are moments where credulity is a little strained but overall I found it a satisfying read.

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I found this book to be quite engaging and hard to put down. The basic storyline was not unusual, but the way in which the author tells the story is both interesing and funny. His use of humor tempers the serious nature of the subjects being covered such as death, spells, witches, evil , and demons

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taking over the world. The fast-paced nature of this story keeps the reader interested in the characters and how everything will be resolved. One of the more memorable moments in the story was when the kids have to milk the giant cow. They have to mount a ladder and slide down the giant udders to relieve her engorgement. Somehow the way the author described this episode made me laugh out loud! I can just imagine the milk squirting everywhere like a huge hose out of control! ha! I lalso oved that everyone had to drink the enchanted milk to really see what was going on around them! Once Grandpa, Lena and Dale disappear after Midsummers Eve, Kendra and Seth have to overcome many adult obstacles to rescue them from the witch Muriel. It is probably a good thing that Seth is so adventurous and not exactly a rule abiding young man, but Kendra has to overcome her fear and take some risks for this to happen as well. I look forward to reading the remaining books in the series to see how Brandon Mull will weave this intriguing story! Middle schoolers would really enjoy this book, but as an adult, I found this to be a fun read as well.

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A great start to a series, Fablehaven develops both the world and the cast of characters at no cost to the plot. Engaging and witty, Mull is destined to have fans clamoring for new tales mere days after each subsequent release, if his imagination and style persist.

A brother and sister are forced to spend time at their grandparent's house while their parents go on vacation. Their visit is way more interesting than they thought it would be. Harry Potter fans will be happy with this series. Great fantastical elements mixed with modern day kid issues.

Finally read this one, after hearing about it from my friends. It took me a while to get into it, but once it got going, I liked it a lot. I found Seth to be a really annoying character! I got tired of the way he never seemed to learn his lesson. Looking forward to reading the next in the series

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and seeing what happens next.

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I picked up this one after trying to read some other books because I knew it would be “safe”. I needed a break from sex scenes every other page that had nothing to do with the story mucking up the pages or from sex used in the book to show how evil the bad character was ad nausea, distracting

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from what could have otherwise been an interesting story. This one is classified as a young adult fantasy book but is highly entertaining and unique enough for adults to read and enjoy as well. This would be great to read as a family, or in a classroom. I am a great fan of reading aloud.

Seth and Kendra go to visit their grandparents, they do not know them very well and they live in another state. They stay with them while their parents go on a cruise and learn some interesting information about their grandparents during their visit. They bunk in a special room in the attic of the house, where they have a hen for a pet and slowly uncover clues to their unique surroundings. Welcome to Fablehaven…a preserve for all kinds of mythical and magical creatures both good and evil. I really want to visit so I can see the faeries, too! We meet Hugh, the golem, the witch Muriel and her mysterious rope of knots, and the silly satyrs who love watching a battery powered television. I whipped right through this one; it was an easy and enjoyable read and just what I needed after picking up a few misses. The author has done a respectable job painting a scene where you can tag along with Seth and Kendra on their adventures. Being the mischievous boy that Seth is, he sometimes has a hard time obeying the rules and this gets them into a lot of trouble as the story progresses. I actually got annoyed at Seth for being such a jerk sometimes. Kendra winds up saving the day and their adventures continue in the next book; Fablehaven- Rise of the Evening Star.
Because of the contemporary setting and writing style, young adults will be able to identify with the characters and it is a series that should keep their interest. It also has a strong female lead character, which I love in a book.

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Fablehaven is the story of Kendra and her brother Seth who go to her grandparents house for a couple weeks while their parents are away. What they come to realize is that their Grandfather is the current caretaker of Fablehaven, a sanctuary for magical creatures. You must drink the milk from a

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magical cow to see the magical creatures. When the milk is consumed the butterflies turn into fairies and the magical land around you comes alive.

This is a great read. Not only for those who love fantasy but for newcomers to the genre. This would also be a great read-aloud for the entire family. There is a series of these books which can make an avid reader. The visual writing is great, very imaginable. The story is believable and very intriguing.

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Fablehaven is a well written children's fantasy novel about two kids who get stuck with grandparents that they only have an aquaintence with for two weeks. If not for the cover of the book, you wouldn't know what kind of adventure these kids were about to undertake. Seth and Kendra are set up to

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uncover a fantasy world by their grandfather. Both kids show that they are grounded enough to accept that there are fairies, witches, golems, giant cows, etc. that really exist. This is a classic tale of good vs evil, and of course good triumphs. The story consistently moves forward by the younger sibling Seth's rebellious nature. He is almost balanced by the conservative line his sister tows. The adventure wouldn't have happened without Seth's curiosity coupled with his lack of respect for the rules. However, in the end, it's his sister, who in a desperate moment shows the most cunning and courageous attributes to save her brother, grandfather, and herself. Fablehaven is a fun ride and hard to put down, and takes the reader to places that make you wonder how they were ever concocted.

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This book was awesome! It's about two kids, Seth and Kendra, who went to visit their grandpa. But they soon found out that their strange grandpa was actually the guardian of a magical place called Fablehaven, where there's fairies, naiads and witches. But soon it'll be Midsummer Eve, the darkest

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day of the year, where all the evil creatures are on the loose in Fablehaven. Things go terribly wrong, and it's up to Kendra and Seth to save Fablehaven and their family. I think my favourite part would probably ber when Kendra discovers where all the little keys that her grandpa gave her fits. It's like a cool little mystery. And I would've never guessed what was inside, and where they were! That's what so cool about it!

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This is the first out of five books in this series; I have been wanting to read this series for a while. Overall I liked this book; it took a little while to get things set up but then things really took off. This book reminded me a lot of the Spiderwick Chronicles.

Kendra and Seth find themselves

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stranded at their grandparents' strange house after their parents get sent on a cruise. At first they think it is going to be a boring couple weeks. That is until they drink some strange milk and find themselves in the midst of fairy creatures.

This was a very creative and interesting story. All the characters are very engaging; making this a hard to put down book. It did take a while to set up the story, that made the beginning of the book drag a little bit, but once things started getting interesting they got *really* interesting. It is a book that might be a little scary for very young children but other than that it is very all-age appropriate.

I can't wait to see what Mull comes up with for the next book!

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I absolutely loved this book. It's full of all sorts of fairy tale/fable like creatures and there's some crazy and exciting adventures that the two siblings go through. I absolutely loved the humongous, collassal sized cow. A must read... :)

Pretty good. Entertaining without being dumbed down. I enjoyed the mix on fairies on the preserve and the ingenuity of the characters. A great book for kids or to read to your kids. I am looking forward to the second in the series.

When Kendra and Seth are dropped off at their grandparents farm, they have no idea that Fabelhaven is actually a secret preserve for magical creatures of all kinds. Their grandfather gives them only two rules, both of which are not followed; stay out of the woods, and stay out of the barn. Seth,

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while breaking the first rule mentioned, discovers Muriel Taggert, a witch living in the woods, confined to a shack and bound by a eries of knots on a rope. His curiosity gets him into quite a lot of trouble but also helps him discover fairies, satyrs, naiads, a cliff troll and a magic cow.
Fablehaven is a fast moving, highly enjoyable fantasy, guaranteed to be loved by those who liked the care of magical creatures classes best in the Harry Potter books. It is also a great recommendation for those who enjoyed the Madelaine L'Engle series that started with A Wind in the Door, although I realize I'm dating myself here.
I will definitely be buying the sequel, which is called Rise of the Evening Star.

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Kendra and Seth are not happy. Sent to their reclusive grandparents house while their parents are on vacation both children are convinced that this will be their worst holiday EVER. The house is in the middle of nowhere, there are no electronic gadgets, they barely know their grandparents, their

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grandmother is not even there, and there are so many rules it’s a wonder they can breathe without permission. The only upside is an attic especially built for children packed with toys, a large swimming pool and a garden full of butterflies.

But not everything is as it appears and they soon learn that their grandfather is the caretaker of a sanctuary for mythical beings. When their family is put in jeopardy together Kendra and Seth must learn the secrets of Fablehaven and save both their family and Fablehaven.

This is a great fun read with well paced action and believable scenarios (well as believable as you can be with mythological beings involved) and their real consequences. There is good light and shade in the story and well fleshed out characters that have clear flaws and strengths. The story is well paced with some fantastic action scenes all mixed with a bit of humour.

I really enjoyed this book and will be looking forward to the rest of the series and Kendra & Seth’s adventures.

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This is a great book about magical creatures and a family that has been entrusted to keep the world safe from dark secrets that were long ago forgotten. If you like action and adventure in a very magical sense then you will love this book.

Good, fun book. There were times when I got so involved in the story I wanted to yell at the children. Good character development including the bad ones.

I'm not a huge fantasy reader, but this is exactly the kind of fantasy novel I adore. I'm a big fan of the whole kids-go-to-stay-with-eccentric-relatives-and-discover-secret-magic-world thing. Kendra and Seth discover that their grandparents are caretakers of an enchanted sanctuary for fairies,

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trolls, imps, and all matter of magical creatures. Fablehaven is governed by a strict set of rules, and when Seth defies them, he triggers a series of increasingly unfortunate events that threaten to destroy the sanctuary, unleash an ancient evil into the world, and brutally kill Seth and his Grandparents. Kendra, the cautious and timid one, must go against her nature and break some rules of her own, if she is to rescue her family. A thrilling read for fans of Narnia and the ilk, that also gives the reader some food for thought. There's a discussion guide at the end with some thoughtful questions - great for classrooms or book clubs.

My favorite part was when one of the the satyrs said "Don't take anything we said to heart.....we were just being satirical." That's some brilliant punnage. Subtle, too.

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Excellent fantasy. Keeps you on your toes. Can't wait to read the next book.

A fun magical read. It offers an easy, but enjoyable break into the imaginary, guarded by sound rules of an intriguing alter-world. Kids and grown-up kids alike will enjoy the excitement of exploring this fun-filled adventure. A wonderful escape!