Brandon Mull

By far the Keys to the Demon Prison is the strongest book in the Fablehaven series. In it, Mull corrects many of his earlier mistakes, by creating nuanced and interesting characters on all sides. He highlights shifting alliances and the difficulties arising from allying with those currently convenient. Of particular note is the comparison that Mull draws between Seth and the Sphinx in the early part of the book.

The plot is also entertaining, with even more creative settings and creatures. show more Some of the flaws that plagued the early books, such as villain monologuing, plot that turns out to be largely unnecessary, and repetition of exposition to each character in turn, are still present in Keys to the Demon Prison, but in attenuated form. Mull also tries to actually highlight the strengths and weaknesses of each character, rather than play on gender norms as was the case in early books. show less

Step back into the world of Fablehaven with these two delightful satyr sidekicks! Two of my favorite side character cousins, Newel & Doren get a story all their own & I was definitely here for it. I loved the humor, friendship, & the growth these two undergo as they try to defeat a formidable foe & win the Satyr Games.

Newel & Doren hate to lose, but that’s what seems to be happening when a couple of upstarts steal their thunder at the Satyr Games. They even have new tech which Newel & show more Doren definitely need. But, while these two fun loving adolescents plot to win the prank war side of the games, they find themselves needing to step up & be the heroes when they find several friends turned to stone by a Gorgon. Will they be able to save their friends from this petrifying enemy before it’s too late?

I thoroughly enjoyed being plunged back into the Fablehaven world. My kids & I loved reading the Fablehaven series & Doren & Newel were some of our favorite comic relief characters. It was so fun seeing them grow & mature as they seek out a new adventure & become the heroes. Their humor & delightful way of problem solving pulled me right in & I enjoyed seeing their mostly slacker ways turned around.

There are some enchanting new characters added to this universe including salamanders, a listening doll, & swamp hags! I loved listening to each of these fabulous new additions via the audiobook. If you have a chance to listen, highly recommend! The narrator does a fantastic job bringing each of these characters to life. He made the story even more engaging with his fabulous voices.

Brandon Mull has a unique way of blending humor, adventure, & fun with profound messages of courage, strength, friendship, & not giving up. The Gorgon’s Fury has some fabulous themes & messages for middle graders & up.

Highly recommend this delightful new addition to the Fablehaven world & look forward to more adventures with these two lovable satyrs! I received an advanced complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions are completely my own & voluntarily provided. show less

I really liked the world Mull created with 'Beyonders ~ A World Without Heros (AWWH).'

'AWWH' has a strong prologue; I was pulled into the story from the first paragraph. I normally do not read the higher fantasy, but enjoyed this tale. The hippo incidence threw me a bit, but there is so much humor to back up the unusual portal that I found myself laughing out loud. Mull easily weaves humor throughout the story, even in some intense moments for the protagonists, and the humor flows show more naturally with the tale, as do the challenges. Mull doesn't gloss over any of the challenges the protagonists encounter; they are exhausted, beaten, hunted, and left wondering who they can trust. There are sacrifices made by many, choices that don't always present an easy answer.

The antagonist is believable, and while he effectively uses weapons, poisons, etc. that are at his disposal, he use wit, torture, and intimidation just as much - if not more - for great power and evil. The antagonist is at his most evil when he is breaking a person physically and emotionally.

I understand Mull creating young (13yo) protagonists in 'Beyonders,' given the target audience for the series, but Jason and Rachel 'read' older to me, and some of the mental challenges they encounter would have been more believable had they been a bit older. It would be nice if more authors moved away from the overused pre-teen or 13 year old hero. Wasn't a deal-breaker, though. I would also have liked to experience more depth of character from the protagonists; I'm hoping we get that with the rest of the series. I would have appreciated a map with this first book as well.

Highly recommend! Ready to continue this journey with 'Seeds of Rebellion.' show less

New magical candy, creepy clowns, another mysterious White sibling, and a whole lot of thrills and chills cap off this fantastic conclusion to The Candy Shop War series. Brandon Mull has long been a favorite author in our household, not only for the kids, but the parents too. The imaginative, exciting stories where everyday life and magic secretly coexist make kids want to read and bring out the kid in adults as well. We bought the first Candy Shop War book when our oldest daughter was just show more seven years old, the second book when she was eleven, and now she’s 21 and highly anticipating this final installment. I’m happy to tell her it does not disappoint!

The Dreams and Screams Carnival is aptly named. Here kids and adults can realize their fondest dreams and scariest nightmares. It’s a fantastical place with hidden locations, spell binding rides, special coins and tickets, secrets, and magic. But some enter the carnival and never come out. The carnival’s next destination is Colson, California of all places where the Blue Falcons consisting of Nate, Pigeon (Paul), Trevor, and Summer, who previously defeated the two White sibling magicians, are gearing up to attend a new middle school.

The Blue Falcons meet a new friend Zac who happens to be a huge social media influencer. He offers to get them special access into the carnival, but local magician Mr. Stott senses the carnival isn’t all that it seems and warns the kids to beware. When their magical candies won’t work and they find out the carnival is owned by none other than Camilla White, yet another White sibling, the kids work together to solve the mystery of where all the disappearing people are hidden. John Dart and a new magician work to help the kids uncover the secrets and battle new foes as well as distinguish between dreams and reality. It’s a fast-paced, imaginative ride middle grade kids and up will definitely enjoy.

Getting to know these amazing kids in this series has been a joy. They’ve all grown not only in confidence, but in their leadership abilities, Nate especially. I love how they all work together and support each other. What kids faced with being granted their hearts desires, would recognize the lie and be able to withstand the temptation? I enjoyed the subtle messages in the book of nothing worthwhile is ever easy and it’s better to live in a flawed reality than a fake dreamworld.

I’m honestly sad to see the series end. I’m hoping there might just be one more White relative to wreak havoc on Colson so we can see these great kids again. While this is the third book in the series, it could be read as a standalone, however, I highly recommend reading the previous books first. I received an advanced complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own and I was not required to provide a positive review. Content: Clean with mild violence. show less