Tag Archives: Fablehaven

Keys to the Demon Prison by Brandon Mull (2010) – BR00185 (2020) – 🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪

The PolyBlog
March 14 2020

Plot or Premise

Almost three separate stories together — an opening reset of who is on which team, separate adventures for Kendra and Seth, and then a merged final battle.

What I Liked

Seth’s story is almost readable now, although I still feel most of the time it could have simply been one kid’s story, not separate ones for Kendra and Seth. I like his adventure to retrieve a magical sword, and the final magical battle is decent.

What I Didn’t Like

The final battle seems less intense than the previous one at Fablehaven with the dark plague. Almost “battle-lite” rather than the final battle. The final “solution” is a bit simplistic, more trick than strategic, and a bit of a let-down. And some of the threads of the story, particularly with Seth, are left unresolved.

The Bottom Line

The final battle isn’t as big as expected.

Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary by Brandon Mull (2006) – BR00182 (2020) – 🐸🐸⚪⚪⚪

The PolyBlog
January 27 2020

Plot or Premise

Two stories converge, one of faux Kendra and one of a Dragon sanctuary.

What I Liked

The story of Kendra and a duplicate is interesting, but a bit slow for most of it. But once the Dragon sanctuary is involved, it takes off again.

What I Didn’t Like

Seth is being stupid again and it is really starting to take away from the story. If it was just him in the story, I would have stopped reading long ago. Plus the faux Kendra story is pretty one-sided for most of it. Finally, the teams are separated in the sanctuary, and everyone relatively carries on as if it is “business as usual”, despite thinking the others have died. Really?

The Bottom Line

Great dragons, bad story.

Grip of the Shadow Plague by Brandon Mull (2009) – BR00181 (2020) – 🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪

The PolyBlog
January 27 2020

Plot or Premise

Darkness has come to Fablehaven, with many creatures being turned from light to dark.

What I Liked

There are almost three stories working at once, which adds to the complexity – Seth running around being annoying and self-centred in the Preserve; Kendra going to another Preserve on a quest; and a giant battle at the end that seems almost Lord-of-the-Rings-like.

What I Didn’t Like

The three stories are not well-integrated, and could really stand alone. Seth is still being annoyingly self-centred to drive plot devices along, and I don’t know if the author wants us to see him as brave or just stupid. Things tend to work out, but they would have been better if he did nothing. There are also a LOT of characters to keep track of in each segment.

The Bottom Line

Lots of things happening, almost too much.

Rise of the Evening Star by Brandon Mull (2008) – BR00180 (2020) – 🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪

The PolyBlog
January 26 2020

Plot or Premise

Kendra and Seth start to receive their training from three experts on how to protect the Preserve.

What I Liked

The three experts and their specializations are pretty cool, all with slightly different skills and personalities. And the finale seems like a solid “Indiana Jones” challenge.

What I Didn’t Like

The book is a lot slower than the first, and while Seth isn’t quite as annoying, the ending reads almost like a copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (series of chambers, different puzzles) and the main protagonist, Kendra, is relatively an observer for most of it while others do the heavy lifting.

The Bottom Line

Not as good as the first book.

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull (2007) – BR00179 (2020) – 🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪

The PolyBlog
January 25 2020

Plot or Premise

Kendra and her brother Seth protect a magical preserve against dark forces.

What I Liked

Like most stories of youth being exposed to magic for the first time, there is a healthy skepticism like they’re being punked. What differed in this one is that the initial intro is one mostly of light and wonder, not darkness and fear. Kendra and Seth want to explore and see all the wonderful things, without first encountering people trying to kill them. The darkness is revealed more slowly. And so you share that burgeoning love and mystery. I also like the funnier moments, a bit like the humour in some of the Percy Jackson series more so than the constant impending doom in Harry Potter.

What I Didn’t Like

Seth is annoying. Most of the early plot developments are because he doesn’t listen to his grandfather, constantly screws something up, and even after suffering consequences, does similar things again. Separate from being annoying, it seems incredibly repetitive too.

The Bottom Line

A nice preserve to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there.