I just finished the third book in Brandon Mull’s Fablehaven series about a secret preserve filled with magical creatures, some friendly and harmless, others deadly. Kendra and Seth Sorenson, grandchildren to caretakers Stan and Ruth Sorenson, discover the secret world and have many exciting and dangerous adventures. The series is about the battle between the Knights of the Dawn, an organization that tries to protect the preserves and keep the creatures and people safe, and the Society of the Evening Star, an evil groups that is seeking to unlock the demon prison, release the most terrible creatures in existence, and bring the whole world under their control.
I didn’t love the first book, but the second and third were pretty good. I began the series with Harry Potter in mind, which was a mistake. The two series are completely different. Fablehaven is directed at younger audiences, and the thing I liked most about it, besides the fantastical world of fascinating creatures and rules, were the lessons that Kendra and Seth learned in their time at Fablehaven. I like books like this that teach moral lessons about honesty, integrity, courage, etc, because kids can understand and learn those lessons without being sat down in a corner and told, “You must be honest.” Books with a moral are able to teach kids in a way that a good talking to could never do.
Fablehaven would be a great series to read aloud to your kids at bedtime, although you should read it yourself first so you can save the scary parts for earlier in the day. This series would be appropriate to read aloud to children as young as 6 or 7.
I look forward to April of next year when book 4 will be released. What will happen to Fablehaven and the world at large? I can’t wait to find out!
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }