Eric Recommends: ‘Fablehaven: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary’
“Fablehaven: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary,” by Brandon Mull, is the fourth installment in the five-part series, and if the first three books were a little light on high-stakes risks, things are definitely beginning to crescendo now.
As always, Mull’s writing is breezy and fun, wasting little time on unnecessary exposition or tangents. It is the story, as you hopefully know by now, of a brother and sister, Kendra and Seth, whose grandparents are caretakers at a preserve for magical creatures. A dark society is trying to obtain the keys necessary to open a demon prison, which would end the world as we know it; it’s up to the kids and their fellow good guys to find the keys first and prevent this.
In “Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary,” it becomes necessary to visit the highly dangerous, off-limits-to-humans locale of the title, where much excitement and mayhem awaits. I continue to appreciate the fact that Kendra and Seth talk more or less like real kids do, and I’m glad to see some real consequences starting to turn up as the story nears its finale. (In other words: People die.)
If you haven’t checked out the “Fablehaven” series yet, I highly recommend it. While not as rich and complex as Harry Potter (its most obvious parallel), it’s an enthralling and imaginative — and highly addictive — saga in its own right.
April 14th, 2009 at 11:31 am
Sounds good.
Thanks for the recommendations Eric!
April 14th, 2009 at 3:59 pm
My daughter twisted my arm until I took her to the bookstore for this one last week. We got the last copy.
I might give them a try based on your recommendation…
April 15th, 2009 at 6:41 am
I heartily second Eric’s recommendation, and I thank him profusely for recommending the original Fablehaven book on this site, which is where I first heard about it. Great, great books.
April 15th, 2009 at 7:33 am
I first heard about this series from Eric, too, way back when. Now my whole family is addicted, which is great, except I’m last in line to read the latest installment.
Also, we’ve met Brandon Mull at a library book signing event and he is one of the coolest, nicest guys I’ve encountered.
April 16th, 2009 at 7:32 am
“Not as rich and complex as Harry Potter”??? Really?
I guess Rowling does do a better job of creating unforgettable characters, but the Potter books (as much as I love them and hate to admit it) are far more formulaic than the Fablehaven series and far more “fluffy” (no pun intended). Fablehaven, for instance, does not create long, boring lulls in order to force the plot to fit the main characters’ school year.
(Voldemort: “This time, my plan to destroy Potter is foolproof! Now I will wait until the perfect moment–the moment when he least expects it–and STRIKE!!!
I’m thinking just before summer vacation would be ideal.”
Wormtail: “But master, shouldn’t we just kill the boy now? I mean, no disrespect, your dark lordship, but waiting until final exams has never worked the last 6 times we tried it.”
Voldemort: “Nagini’s favorite food is rodents.”
Wormtail: “Just before summer vacation is pure genius, my lord!!!”)
Anyway, I love both series in spite of their minor flaws. Thanks for plugging Brandon’s excellent books!
April 16th, 2009 at 8:34 am
By “(In other words: people die)” I’m assuming you mean important people? There were a few deaths at Lost Mesa in the last one. I’m betting on Tanu.
April 17th, 2009 at 9:00 pm
I LOVE this series. And I have to agree, this latest book is definitely a little more mature than the first three. Actually, the twist in it completely blew my mind – I didn’t see it coming at all. Great books.
April 25th, 2009 at 6:26 pm
Thanks for the review! I love the Fablehaven series and devoured the fourth book. I agree that Harry Potter had me more enraptured, but I feel like there is something fresh and new to this series that has kept me up to all hours of the night this past week. I also didn’t see the twist at the end coming, yikes, I usually catch those!