Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Fablehaven: Keys to the Demon Prison

This is the fifth and final book in a series, so I'm going to go ahead and recommend the whole series. They are all complete books - no cliff hanger endings - but you want to read them in order.

Fablehaven, Book 5:Keys to the Demon Prison

I've read reviews that compare Brandon Mull's series to Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings, but the author he most reminds me of is Rick Riordan. Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians series gives the reader just enough details without getting bogged down in background. And yet, at the end of "The Last Olympian," I still had questions. The Fablehaven books are much the same.

In this final installment, my only gripe is that I want more. The series is over, and I wanted the astrids to play a bigger role (the guy on the cover is an astrid). There were so many characters that I want to know more about. The book has 588 pages, and he kept me up way past my bedtime turning them. The action, the characters, the love interests, the betrayals, the climax, and the ending - they were perfect. Le Sigh.

This is one of those series that get better with each book. For those of you who don't know what the series is about, I'll give you a little bit of spoiler free background. The story is set in our world, the USA of today. The catch is that there are secret preserves that house and protect mythological/fairy tale creatures and there are secret societies that know about these creatures and disagree about how they should be treated. Oh, and let's not forget the demons, mostly bound or buried in the heavily guarded, almost unreachable prison, Zzyxx. You'd think these societies would at least agree that Zzyxx is a place best left alone, but what kind of story would that be?

I'm just going to add that Brandon Mull wins the prize for the absolute best break-up scene of all time. But that's in the fourth book. I seriously got up and danced a little "that is so cool" dance when I read it.

Do you have any book recommendations for me?

18 comments:

  1. Have you read the Shadow Children books? They are so awesome--just finished reading the 7th and final, and they just get better each book too. Plus, they are only about 200 pages each, so they are quick reads. I plan to read Fablehaven soon!

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  2. Ooh, this looks great. Will definitely have to check this series out!

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  3. I'm looking forward to reading the first Fablehaven :o) Once the A-Z challenge finishes and things get back to normal I will get reading!!

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  4. I can't wait to read this one!
    Sorry, no book recommendations - unless you haven't read the Septimus Heap series yet. Those are pretty good.

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  5. LiLa, looking forward to your Olympics.

    Niki, your A-Z posts have been so much fun to read.

    Rorie, the Septimus Heap books are good. I wonder if she has another one coming out pretty soon.

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  6. I'm a little late to the Fablehaven series. Loved the first one and bought the second. Then I guess I wasn't in the mood and I generously let my husband read it first. I'll get to them all though! Thanks for the review.

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  7. I had a hard time with the first book in this series...I'm not sure why, but I didn't really get hooked into it. Maybe I should give it another shot.

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  8. Karen, my daughter quit reading with the second one, too. She thought it was too scary, but that was a couple of years ago. I don't think it would scare her now.

    Beth, the first one is the slowest and my least favorite. Three through five are amazing.

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  9. This is one of my all-time favorite series!! I.LOVE.IT!

    If you haven't read them already, I highly recommend THE RANGER'S APPRENTICE series and Kathleen Duey's series THE UNICORN'S SECRET. Both are wonderful. :-)

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  10. I love that you did a "that is so cool" dance! I can totally relate...only I've only never read these books. Although I love that he named the prison Zzyxx...that is my all time favorite road sign on the way to California.

    Love your posts!

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  11. Actually the road sign is Zzyzx...but purty darn close anyhow. :O)

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  12. Shannon, The Ranger's Apprentice series is awesome! I haven't read The Unicorn's Secret. Thanks for the recommendation.

    Emily, you made me double check my spelling. I'd forgotten about that road sign. Love YOUR posts!

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  13. I've been reading the Fablehaven series to my kids before bed. I think we're on the third one? It's the one with the plague that turns creatures bad (hope that wasn't a spoiler!) Anyway, I absolutely love romance, and you mentioned love interests and a break up scene. Where are they? I'm anxious to get to those parts!

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  14. You are there, Susan. Keep reading. :)

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  15. My brother loves the Fablehaven books. They've been on my to-be-read list, but I'm definitely going to have to read them soon now.

    Thanks for the review!!

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  16. I HIGHLY recommend Hunger Games and the subsequent book, Catching Fire. The third of the installment comes out this August, and I can't WAIT for it!

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  17. Thanks, Chris! I've read them, and I'm with you.

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