Kendra and her brother, Seth, have no idea that their grandfather is the current caretaker of Fablehaven. Inside the gated woods, ancient laws keep relative order among the greedy trolls, mischievous satyrs, plotting witches, spiteful imps, and jealous fairies. But when the rules get broken, powerful forces are unleashed, and Kendra and her brother face the greatest challenge of their lives. To save their family, Fablehaven, and maybe even the world, Kendra and Seth must find the courage to do what they fear most...
This is a pretty enjoyable book: it's got a lot of action and magic that is really entertaining to read. But I can't help feel that something is missing. The story is about two siblings, Kendra and Seth, who go to their Grandpa's house while their parents are on a cruise. However, it turns out their Grandpa's house is really a preserve for magical creatures.
Now, I sort of found the characters to be a little flat. There was no room for characterization, although I did like when Kendra got the guts to try and rescue her family. But there was no build-up to get there. I feel as though the characters could have been worked out more.
Mull's writing, though sometimes he's got this fantastical images, gets annoying after a while. I don't even know how to explain it really, but it seems really, really functional and a lot less fluid.
But all in all, it's a pretty decent book. There were some really shining scenes, like when Kendra and Seth were hiding on Midsummer's Eve and Kendra's heroic act near the end. But other than that the plot was simply left to exploring the magical preserve and seeing what mischief and/or wonders that could happen.
