Okay, but not what I was hoping for.

books:


	• Fablehaven Brandon Mull Shadow Mountain, 2006 - 8 pages average customer review:based on 83 reviews view larger image
	for more information click here

highly recommended

A wonderful start to a new series

After hearing about the series for awhile I finally broke down and bought the first book in the series. Like most first books there is a lot of introductory information. This book introduces us to Kendra and Seth Sorenson who are brought to the home of their grandparents in Connecticut because there parents are going on a cruise. 17 days in the country with people they hardly know sounds like torture for both Seth and Kendra especially when Grandpa says that they must stay on the grounds and in the house. Under no circumstances are they to go into the woods. Anyone who knows anything about children knows that once something becomes forbidden there is an instant draw to it. So its no surprise when soon Seth is making forays into the woods wanting to explore its inner depths. Grandpa also gives the kids a set of small keys and challenges them to find the 3 things in the room that the keys open.

The two kids have opposite, yet complimentary, personalities. Kendra as the oldest is a little more reserved and has no trouble obeying the rules. She takes up the challenge with the keys eagerly wanting to solve the puzzle. Seth, one the other hand, is filled with curiosity and don't understand the importance of rules. So you can imagine that its not long that Seth is getting into trouble and it falls to Kendra and eventually Grandpa to try to clean up the messes that he inadvertently makes. Overall, Seth is a good character. He is believable in everything except for the fact that he never learns from his mistakes. His 'i didn't mean to' attitude when something goes wrong gets old after awhile. Kendra on the other hand is almost too grown up for her age and tends to be a pretty passive character. This is something that I hope that will change as the books progress and she is exposed to an alternate world.

I really enjoyed this novel. It was quick paced with an engaging premise. My one real problem with it is that the kids learn and accept the whole idea of the preserve a little two quickly. Although it was nice to get more to the heart of the novel but the rushing of learning was a little jarring and for me was a small blip in the narrative of the novel. It was just a small blip though and it won't keep me from checking out the rest of this wonderful series. If you like young adult books with a fantasy backdrop then I highly recommend this series.

http://tickettoanywhere.blogspot.com/

for more information click here

Okay, but not what I was hoping for.

I find it very difficult to write a review for this book. I suppose I'll start with the fact that I'd expected the book to focus more on the actual "Fantastical Preserve" - ie, what a caretaker actually does day-in and day-out to care for magical creatures. However, there really wasn't any of that. Or very little at least. It was more like a giant patch of land where the magical beings could exist. Which, is fine, just not what I'd expected.
So, now for the unfortunate things - at least, in my opinion. I didn't really like the main characters all that well. I thought I did, for a while, but then they were just annoying. Everyone had their promising qualities, etc., but nobody really stood out to me as someone you were rooting for. The children were constantly disobeying "rules" as well as annoying each other. And while this had ramifications, it didn't seem to register with the kids... at least not as soon as it seemed it should have. On a similar topic, I found the lack of communication with the children just as disappointing, and again, the ramifications didn't seem to fit really. I wasn't very happy that one of the "messages" seemed to be "follow the rules because they are the rules." Perhaps this will be addressed in later books, but it wasn't satisfying for me in this book. Additionally, the ramifications for not telling the children all they needed to know was pretty sever, and again, I'm not sure how well the characters "learned their lessons." But, again, it is a series... so....
Also, the writing style was okay, but nothing that really astounded me. Sometimes it felt like a lot of time was spent on things that weren't really that important.
Also, a warning for squirmish readers, some parts are rather nasty. There's nothing really, really, bad, and it's fine still as a young adult fantasy story. But there are some fairly gross descriptions, and some somewhat sad moments.
Finally, I could never really grasp the "world" of Fablehaven. I wasn't clear on how and why magic did or did not work. It felt, and perhaps this is unfair, but that the author was making the rules to fit the plot he wanted, instead of working it the other way around. Some things just seemed too convenient. But again, 'tis a series.
So, why give it three stars instead of none? Because, for whatever reason, I was still interested in the story. Because the initial chapters and the final five or so were well done and held my interest quite well. 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!

for more information click here

Look out J.K.....

I actually purchased this book at walmart because the cover art was fantastic and the plot sounded fun at least. I was surprised to find a vibrant and fantastic world created in its pages, the best thing to come out since Harry Potter, it is a fresh outlook on mythology and fantasy. It is not a difficult read and pre-teens should have no trouble with it, but the characters and story are delightfully rich and whole. It is a new way to look at ancient myths. Any fan of fantasy where the good guys win in the end will love this book, there is darkness in it, but light triumphs and the heroes mature and grow and become loveable.

for more information click here

Great book

My boys and I love this book. It starts a series that is hard to put down. Highly recommend it for young and old alike that like to escape into another world in their books.

Our New Favorite

We discovered this book through the recommendations tool on amazon, and I am SO glad that we took a chance on it! My husband and I both thoroughly enjoyed this book and once we started reading it was really hard to put it down. The moment we finished reading it I went online and purchased the second one. We have shared this book with family, and now my father-in-law is hooked as well. This is one book that will be staying in our family library for good.

for more information click here

reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

For centuries, mystical creatures of all description were gathered to a hidden refuge called Fablehaven to prevent their extinction. The sanctuary survives today as one of the last strongholds of true magic in a cynical world. Enchanting? Absolutely. Exciting? You bet. Safe? Well, actually, quite the opposite...

Kendra and her brother Seth have no idea their grandfather is the current caretaker of Fablehaven. Inside the gated woods, ancient laws give relative order among greedy trolls, mischievous satyrs, plotting witches, spiteful imps, and jealous fairies. However, when the rules get broken, an arcane evil is unleashed, forcing Kendra and Seth to face the greatest challenge of their lives. To save her family, Fablehaven, and perhaps the world, Kendra must find the courage to do what she fears most.

for more information click here

hot or not? What's your opinion? Write a review and share your thoughts!

fablehaven

Fablehaven
FABLEHAVEN - AUDIO CD - Rise of the Evening Star
Rise of the Evening Star (Fablehaven)
Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star (Fablehaven)
Fablehaven: Grip of the Shadow Plague (Fablehaven)

search for books
fablehaven

Impressum / about us