Because some descriptions were very pretty, and I loved the Lake setting as well as the descriptions of the fairies! Also, I was impressed with how well things came together for the "climax" and thought the author did a better job of tying things back together than I would have expected.
So, oddly enough, I find myself curious to read the next book, but unfortunately I was not nearly as impressed as I was with other fantasy stories.
Hopefully the next few will be better! It's Katie's and my next "to-read-together" book View all 11 comments. If I hadn't already read the Spiderwick Chronicles this would have gotten a higher rating, but alas I have.
They had elements that were fairly similar and as a result I didn't enjoy this as much as I should have. Regardless this was a fun read, and I'll definitely continue on!
Jun 20, Shauna rated it it was amazing. I have no idea this book could be so awesome! I have to admit Fantastic writing for older elementary - but held me glued to it as an adult. Off to the library to get the rest in the series Mar 07, Erica rated it it was amazing Shelves: middlegrade-march , books-read-in , 5-star-reads , own. Action packed.
A series I know I will recommend over and over, even though I've only just begun this journey. The church was completely still. There was no sign anybody had been there in a hundred years. Evil likes darkness.
Grandma thought about the que 2. Grandma thought about the question a moment before answering. Almost right away, strange things begin to happen, and they begin to suspect that there is something out of the ordinary about their grandfather's property. Soon Seth and Kendra find out that their grandfather is the caretaker of Fablehaven——a sanctuary for mythological creatures. But when the rules are broken and a great evil is unleashed, it is up to Seth and Kendra to save Fablehaven——and maybe the world.
My thoughts: I first heard about this series years ago, when I first joined Goodreads. I remember many of my friends on here were reading it and in love with it, and I always meant to pick it up at some point. I finally got around to reading it this past summer, when it was the group read for one of my Goodreads book clubs. Maybe it's because I'm not a huge fan of middle grade fiction, but I had some trouble connecting with this story.
While I liked the idea of it, I found the plot a bit repetitive and I felt that the characters didn't have much depth and were, frankly, kind of annoying. What I liked: The concept behind the story is a fun and interesting one. I enjoyed the idea of there being a haven for magical creatures. The world itself was pretty nicely imagined. I also thought there was a nice balance of humor and horror in the story. There are definitely a lot of funny moments, but there are scary moments as well.
I like a story that can be humorous but also suspenseful. What didn't work for me: As I said at the beginning, I don't read a lot of middle grade fiction so I felt a little out of my element with this book. While I have nothing against younger protagonists, I feel that sometimes middle grade books have a somewhat condescending tone to them which I felt was present in this book. So, I felt like the style was a little forced at times.
I also found the plot to be pretty repetitive. It got kind of formulaic after a while and it seemed to keep repeating something along these lines: Grandpa: Seth and Kendra, there's this thing I don't want you to do.
If you do this thing, you will be in a lot of trouble. So, don't do it. Seth: Kendra, let's do the thing Grandpa told us not to do. Kendra: Umm no you idiot, he said not to do that thing.
Seth: Well, I'm going to do it anyway. Grandpa: Seth I told you not to do the thing! Seth: Sorry. Grandpa: Ho ho, it's no matter. On top of that, I found Seth to be pretty dang irritating and stupid. It was like, every time he was told not to do something, he would just go and do it anyway as illustrated above.
And all that really accomplished was to make him seem annoying and bratty. And that seemed really strange to me, seeing as it implied that being disobedient and irresponsible are admirable traits. She came off as being the standard goody-two-shoes child who always tries to be the voice of reason. For most of the plot her only function seemed to be to stand around telling Seth not to do stupid things. At least towards the end she took matters into her own hands, and I was happy about that, but I just wish she'd had more of a significant role throughout the story and not just at the very end of it.
The final word: This book was just okay for me. I didn't dislike it, but I also didn't enjoy it all that much. While the idea was fun, and it had its exciting moments, I wasn't thrilled with the way it was executed; the plot seemed to repeat itself frequently, and I couldn't connect with either of the main characters. I thought it was all right in the end, but I don't think it was enough to compel me to read the rest of the series.
View all 10 comments. Apr 05, Prabhjot Kaur rated it it was ok Shelves: children , middle-grade , fantasy , contemporary. It stared out pretty slow and picked up a bit in the middle to towards the end. It was a good plot but with terrible characters. I didn't care much for any of the main characters save for Lena a bit. I did like the dual narrative though. Kendra is a very boring teenage girl who doesn't take any risks or does anything exciting.
She just exists until the end. And then in the end she's granted all these powers to save her family. Seth who's Kendra's younger brother is exactly opposite to her. He al It stared out pretty slow and picked up a bit in the middle to towards the end.
He always crosses the line and doesn't listen to anyone's instructions or basically anything else. Not to mention he gets himself and everybody else in trouble time and again and still ignores all the warnings and instructions.
He just doesn't learn from his mistakes. Then there are the grandparents who don't tell anything to their grandkids until after it happens or somethings strictly on need-to-know basis. Like I mentioned before it was a good plot and I would have liked to know about the other creatures as well. But I'm guessing we'll know more in the next book. Even though this is only two stars book for me, I'd still read the next one as I have a lot of questions and would like to get more information on all the other creatures on the preserve.
Aug 02, Kells Next Read rated it it was amazing Shelves: fantasy , magic , my-copy , first-brandon-mull-book , magical-creatures , ebook , children , fairies. Not the way we think of good. None are safe.
Much of morality is peculiar to mortality. The best creatures here are merely not evil. Kendra and Seth are siblings the leads in this fantasy filled with fairies, naiads, golems and witches. This is my first Brandon Mull book and I can boldly say, I was left feeling more than satisfied with frequent nostalgic feelings of my younger days lol. Even though this is a "None of these creatures are good. Even though this is a children's book the story was gripping and the world that the author created most fascinating.
I will definitely be continuing this series. Oct 07, Joey Rambles rated it really liked it. I am so sorry. I just couldn't resist! Was that it? Because the more I read MG novels, especially the fantasy ones, the more I feel the urge to kick myself in the shin for not reading them sooner.
But hey, you know what they say. You're never too old to have a happy childhood. There is a lot that I love about this novel. I love the characters, I love the writing, I love the world that they live in, and I especially love the last line. No spoil I am so sorry. No spoilers, but the very last sentence of this novel had me crying from laughter. I even kinda love Seth, even if some of his actions had me going like this: Seth, you frustrate me beyond disbelief.
But I probably would've done the same things you did, so I can't blame you. Sometimes, I forget just how enchanting a simple fantasy can be. I read so many adult fantasies with such complex worldbuilding and they're great, but an MG fantasy every now and then reminds me that there is beauty in simplicity.
When I think about what happened in this book, all I can really say is that it's about two kids who visit their grandfather only to find out he lives in a magical reservation, but I dunno. It feels bigger than that. Or maybe it isn't, and its charm is in its smallness. Whatever the case, I had plenty of fun. Of course, this is a series, so I'm sure that that simplicity won't last and that this world is just going to get more complex as we go along, but I'm still up for the ride!
I can't wait to get my hands on all five books of this series. Does it get better and better? View all 5 comments. Jun 19, Kamilla rated it it was ok. This book was so frustrating. I wanted desperately to like it, but it was a struggle to keep reading past the first few chapters. I had major issues with Mull's writing style, and his characters were little better than basic stock characters. His mythology seemed a little bit contrived, and the history that was offered for it was sketchy, abrupt, and in all honesty kind of difficult to believe It did show promise though, and I'm sure that the series gets better as Mull is bound to find his st This book was so frustrating.
It did show promise though, and I'm sure that the series gets better as Mull is bound to find his stride. Maybe I'm out of practice reading fantasy aimed at the elementary-early junior high set, but all of the blunt as a stack of bricks foreshadowing got on my nerves, and the fact that none of the characters showed any form of growth whatsoever made it worse.
There was no surprise in the plot, and I wanted to reach into the book and grab the grandparents to shake them into speaking like real people do. The only parts in the book where I got even a little bit excited or scared or interested were the Midsummer's Eve section and the end battle chapters. But even those disappointed by resolving themselves quickly and with no fuss. And then it didn't even attempt to do anything interesting or inventive with those stolen plots.
I may read the second installment to see if Mull improves with time and experience We'll see. Feb 03, Jen rated it it was amazing Shelves: young-adult-fiction. I picked up this book after attending a "Meet the Author" event at our local library. I had to fight my 9-year old daughter for it Fablehaven is a fascinating place, brought to life vividly by Brandon Mull. But it was more than just magic, it had a moral and some very good discussion points that my daughter and I talked about after we finished.
This book and its sequel were ones that you WANT to read with your kids. And both of us are waiting I picked up this book after attending a "Meet the Author" event at our local library.
And both of us are waiting for the Book 3! While their parents are off on a 2 week cruise, Kendra and Seth are sent to stay with their grandparents, which they think will be boring beyond belief Their grandparents live on the magical preserve, Fablehaven, a refuge for fairies, trolls, satyrs, and many of the things that go BUMP!
Overwhelmed and excited by all that the house and its vast yard have to offer, Kendra and Seth both exhibit very different approaches to interacting with Fablehave While their parents are off on a 2 week cruise, Kendra and Seth are sent to stay with their grandparents, which they think will be boring beyond belief Overwhelmed and excited by all that the house and its vast yard have to offer, Kendra and Seth both exhibit very different approaches to interacting with Fablehaven's magical creatures.
Kendra, cautious and kind, explores the playroom within the house and discovers a secret message in a hidden journal. Seth, on the other hand, bold and mischievous, turns all of Fablehaven upside down with his recklessness and bravado. Because of Seth's exploits, Kendra and Seth must work together to save their family and this magical place. Using their unique skills, imagination and all the courage they can muster, will they be able to save their grandparents, Fablehaven and themselves?
Beautifully conceived with unconventional plot and characters, Fablehaven is a delight that will capture the imagination of young and old alike. Oct 21, Rollie rated it really liked it. However, both ways will unveil the secrets behind Fablehaven. And as they venture Fablehaven, they discover creatures and beautiful places but unfortunately set free a force of evil.
When the time I signed up for goodreads, Fablehaven and The Lightning Thief were the books that rocketed on my top wish list. Since The Lightning Thief had stricken first the availability I went for it first. Besides, Fablehaven is a little shy to show up until lately. By Brandon Mull. Master of the Phantom Isle, 3 Dragonwatch 3 Hardcover. Published: Shadow Mountain - October 1st, Sky Raiders Five Kingdoms 1 Paperback.
Rogue Knight Five Kingdoms 2 Paperback. Crystal Keepers Five Kingdoms 3 Paperback. Death Weavers Five Kingdoms 4 Paperback. Time Jumpers Five Kingdoms 5 Paperback. The Candy Shop War Paperback. Availability: Not in stock but may be ordered. Subject to Publisher Availability. Seeds of Rebellion Beyonders 2 Paperback.
Hanukkah Nov. See a selection of titles from our large in store collection. Ready to Go Gifts. Purchase an Online Only Gift Code. A perfect gift and able to be used exclusively on our website. Purchase a Store Gift Certificate. In this explosive series finale, allegiances will be confirmed and secrets revealed as the forces of light and darkness collide in a desperate, climactic battle to control the keys to the demon prison.
You may have read about centaurs and satyrs, fairies and fog giants. But have you actually seen them? Now you can. Witness the majesty and brawn of Celebrant, the King of Dragons or discover how to view the blinding beauty of the Fairy Queen.
And if you have really sharp eyes try to locate the fairies inside this book. They will give you clues to many of the creatures and artifacts that will be found inside the new series Dragonwatch — the sequel to Fablehaven. Discover what Kendra and Seth do next. The Dragonwatch series is available now! Unlike the other Fablehaven books, this one is half-finished.
The missing ingredient is you! Begin by writing your name in the space provided on the front cover. Then get ready to write, draw, solve, and create, guided by the many activities inside, including an origami Raxtus dragon. The secret world of enchanted preserves is waiting for you to jump in—just make sure to avoid any deep pools filled with naiads! It is a lucky book that can hold this kind of story. I only wish I could have read it when I was ten or twelve.
The dialogue snaps and sizzles. Fablehaven is a worthy addition to the crowd. Fablehaven For centuries, mystical creatures of all description were gathered to a hidden refuge called Fablehaven to prevent their extinction. Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star At the end of the school year, Kendra and her brother, Seth, find themselves racing back to Fablehaven. Fablehaven: Secret of the Dragon Sanctuary Brace yourself for a shocking secret.
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