#fablehaven: keys to the demon prison

[thethiefinwhite]

"Are these pancakes only for the doomed?"

- Art Request (I'm sorry if the quote isn't quite right, it's been awhile since I've read Fablehaven 😅)

Thanks for my first request, Vellatra! And not to worry! I knew which part you were talking about! :)

"Coulter strolled into the room. 'Uh-oh, Stan is fixing pancakes! Must be time for another death-defying mission!'

'Way to ease the tension,' Warren muttered.

'Can I have some?' Coulter asked. 'Or are they only for the condemned?'

'No pessimistic geezers allowed,' Warren declared."

[sees-writes]

I love that Dale and Warren Burgess full on took their role as older cousins to Kendra and Seth so seriously, becoming as protective of them as older siblings would. I mean:

“‘Maybe you should just feed me to him (Olloch),’ Seth said.

‘Don’t talk nonsense,’ Grandma said…

‘He’ll have to eat me to get to you.’ Dale said. ‘Whether you like it or not.’”

This is Book 2 RotES

“The knife at her side had Kendra’s full attention. She realized that the wrong words or action might get her stabbed.

…

Warren stopped into view, hands in his shopping cart, eyes on Civia. Kendra had never seen him look quite so serious.

…

“Warren stopped. ‘I don’t care who you are,’ he said. ‘You harm Kendra and I’ll break your neck.’”

This is Book 5 KthDP

-

Dale was fully ready to fist fight a whole ass demon to protect Seth. Warren told the LAST Eternal that he did not give a shit and would end her to protect Kendra. I just love how ride or die these to are, pure Burgess blood right there.

[teenageread]

Review: Keys to the Demon Prison

Synopsis:

After centuries of plotting, the Sphinx—leader of the Society of the Evening Star—is after the final artifacts needed to open the great demon prison, Zzyxx. If the legendary prison is opened, a tide of evil is certain to usurp control of the world.

In an effort to intercept the final artifacts, Kendra, Seth and the Knights of the Dawn race to strange and exotic preserves across the globe. The stakes have never been higher. The risks have never been more deadly.

In this explosive series finale, allegiances will be confirmed and secrets revealed as the forces of light and darkness collide in a desperate, climactic battle to control the keys to the demon prison.

Plot:

Seth and Kendra had a mission to save everyone they loved, they needed to stop the Sphinx, a once-thought ally, who was actually the leader of their rival group known as the Society of the Evening Star. The Sphinx wanted to use the artifacts to open up the demon prison because he believed he could control the demons, which those at Fablehaven knew was impossible. Kendra and Seth had an extra reason to hate the Sphinx, as he was responsible for the kidnapping of their parents, who were blind to the world of Fablehaven. Starting off with a mission to collect the final artifact, the Knights of the Dawn ran into trouble as the Sphinx was hot on their tail. Kendra and Seth found themselves separated as Seth was captured by the Society, Kendra managed to escape with a few friends. In prison is where Seth met Bracken, a unicorn in their human form, who promised to help Seth escape and follow the Knights in stopping the Society. Kendra and friends were tasked with getting Warren back and rescuing those the Sphinx have taken from them. Along the way, Kendra and Seth meet new friends, reconnect with old friends, and be betrayed by those they trusted. As the Knights of Dawn head to face off with the Society of the Evening Star, Kendra, and Seth must work together, alongside their friends, to save the world as they know it, protect those they love, and hopefully restore Fablehaven, and their home, in time. 

Thoughts: 

Brandon Mull wraps up the Fablehaven series with this banger of a novel. The longest yet, Mull continues to write from a third-person perspective as they follow Kendra and Seth around on their various missions, leading up to the final battle where everyone is together and all remaining questions are answered. With fast pace writing, this novel being the longest of the series, really flies through your hand as you are itching to figure out Kendra’s storyline, or Seth’s, and waiting for our sibling pair to be reunited to take on the bad guys' head on. Kendra is always an amazing character, and Mull really brings her out of her shell in this novel, making her normal thoughtfulness and hidden bravery seem on full display. For our romantics, having Kendra develop these deeper feelings towards the special people in her life, allows us to see Kendra growing up, as her crushes develop into something more, and gives you a glimpse into the emotional side of what is going on in Kendra’s life. Seth, on the other hand, is still a child, and where his bravery counts for some things, his stupidity is holding him back. A large theme Mull has been working on within Seth is having Seth not make rash and reckless decisions. For the first three novels, it seems that the entire plot revolved around Seth messing up and the Fablehaven crew having to fix that. With this being the last novel, I figured Mull would retire this plot device and give us a mature Seth as he has with Kendra. But nope, the plot device was recycled, and now the gangs are working together to stop a monster Seth created. Great job Seth! Still, Mull made Seth into a hero, giving him death-defying mission after mission, where Seth’s bravery and righteousness saved the day. With this being the final novel in the Fablehaven series, Mull really went all out with the battles, missions, and a conclusion that was worth waiting for. Despite keeping Kendra and Seth separated for the majority of the novel, our sibling duo are in their prime with this one. With a satisfying ending, I know Mull is not done with the world of Fablehaven, or with Seth and Kendra, and I am excited to see what they do next with them!

Read more reviews: Goodreads

Buy the book: Amazon

[zzyzxtourguide]

On theme with my username:

And on our right we’ll see a young boy absolutely demolishing several demons with a legendary sword

[certain-death-awaits]

New Fablehaven editions to be released by LitJoy Crate

There are to be new endpaper artworks by @/alysestew.art and new interior artworks by Brandon Dorman. They'll be signed by Brandon Mull and have an exclusive letter from him. The embossed leatherette books will have pages with gilded edges.

The first book drops on the 14th of March, with Rise of the Evening Star in May, Grip of the Shadow Plague in July, Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary in September, and Keys to the Demon Prison in November.

[quihi]

Okay, overall thoughts on Fablehaven and Dragonwatch. I hope to write in more detail later - I have a first draft of a post about my take on some of the religious themes and allegory in Dragonwatch - but I gotta start somewhere (that requires less citations).

I saw Carnival Quest on the library shelf last November, read that, and had so much fun I decided to go for more Brandon Mull and reread Fablehaven. (I don't read a lot of kids books, as an adult, but I hadn't felt like reading in awhile and this made reading fun.) The first book was rough, honestly—it was his first published book and it shows. The prose felt clunky and awkward, but I got used to it and it improved. Seth drove me insane—so much of the plot was driven by "Seth screws up." But it was a quick and easy and fun read, and the world and concept were a delight!

Books 2–4 were great. I only read the books once or twice over ten years ago, so all I remembered was the general concept, a little about Kendra and Seth, and a vague idea of the final battle. I got to experience all the twists again! It was very fun to see the people who populate this increasingly large world, and the people around the edges like that rich couple in Georgia who have fairies but have never seen a preserve. Like, how did they get involved, how much do they know? It's clear that Kendra and Seth are way more deeply involved than someone who just discovered the preserves normally would be. I have a lot of thoughts about their parents and how Fablehaven fits in with their lives, and I think I think about that a lot more as an adult—it doesn't bother me but I find it more sad now.

Keys to the Demon Prison was big, and wow did we see the world. It added a lot of stuff that hadn't felt foreshadowed at all—the Eternals, Vasilis, Bracken—so it felt a little disconnected and like there were some deus ex machina. I liked the ending, though, and how everything wrapped up with swapping the demon prison and the fairy realm.

So, fun series! They definitely felt like kids books, but I would still recommend them to kids and adults who want to read a fun, magical adventure.

After this, life got busy, and I needed a break, and time to let the books sink in and read a few other books, so I didn't start Dragonwatch until January. I raced through the first three books, then took about a week off before I could get myself past the beginning of Champion of the Titan Games, then finished the series in under a week. They got so frustrating and dark that I needed that break, but I'm glad I didn't force myself to keep reading when I was worn out.

Okay, look, I know this seems to be an unpopular opinion, but I enjoyed them. I don't know if it helped because I read them all in under a month and didn't think too hard or reread them in between, and I hadn't been eagerly awaiting them—I don't think much about Mull or keep up with his new books. I didn't notice a lot of the continuity errors that I guess were there, though I did notice the big thematic change from darkness being neutral to being more evil (though I have some thoughts on that, too). There were definitely some weird choices. The structure of book five felt very similar to Fablehaven's book five.

I liked Knox and Tess. I see reasons they would be introduced, and while they could have done more (Tess: spends entire series as the innocent girl, gets teleported around a couple times but never to anywhere from which she can get home), I couldn't help liking them. They're decent foils for Kendra and Seth, at least. I think I'd have liked more of them, over cutting them. I badly wanted Knox and Seth to sit down for a good conversation about mistakes and forgiveness.

One of the story choices that baffled or irritated me most was not putting Marat or Agad back in charge of Wyrmroost, after Celebrant lost his status. I guess the best argument is there wasn't time between them returning from Stormguard Castle and Seth's disappearance, and the explicit consent of both Kendra and Seth was needed, but like, that should have been the first thing they did. I guess no one thought of it. And I suppose there was still the issue of no easy way to leave.

There was a lot of religion, which I began to notice in Master of the Phantom Isle, and was surprisingly blatant in Return of the Dragon Slayers. Religious themes in books don't bother me, though I know that's a YMMV topic and I understand why some people don't like it. (Thank you to the Fablehaven fandom for, as far as I can tell, not getting into absolute hatred of Christianity.) But, well, they were still overall the fun adventures that I was reading for, even as they got more sad and the character arcs got deeper. I'm glad I finished and read through the whole series.

I was left with a lot to think about. I have ideas for fanfiction. Mostly canon compliant, set after Dragonwatch, with some earlier, and also one romance AU that I'm worried about people's reactions to the ship. I'm buying a lot of the books to reference more easily, since I like referencing books when I write and I'm no longer twelve years old with the time and urge to flip through and reread books a dozen times until I know every plot point by heart by the time I return them to the library, but I do have more disposable income.

So, uh, I'm not really one to rate books, but I'd still call these solid and fun overall, though they have their flaws. I far prefer enjoying books to criticizing them, so I'd rather like them and try to find ideas and headcanons that improve them, rather than linger on the elements I dislike. I want to be positive!

[haveyoureadthismgyabook]

Series info:

Book 1 of Fablehaven

Book 2: Rise of the Evening Star

Book 3: The Shadow Plague

Book 4: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary

Book 5: Keys to the Demon Prison

[imasorenson]

Bracken : Still don’t trust me? At least you’re not stupid.

Seth : Don’t give me too much credit.

THEIR INTERACTIONS IN PRISON SEND ME EVERY SINGLE TIME

[breathdeepseekpeace]

I really really hate doing this, but I am between jobs right now and am struggling to make ends meet, I made some Fablehaven Fandom gear, and am hoping to make more Fandom stuff, if anyone is interested, help ya girl out?

https://demigod-outfitters.creator-spring.com/listing/centaurs-are-jerks

[warrenwaskilledbyadeer]

Seth when he gets Vasilis: The best offense is a good defense! Actually the best offense is this sword ‘cause it’s really coo - oh my gosh I set everything on fire

[seaglassdinosaur]

I think that part in Keys to the Demon Prison where the cat talks about how his immortal master keeps trying to end his life - really messed me up.

[teenageread]

Review: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary

Synopsis:

Brace yourself for a shocking secret.

Two hidden artifacts have been found. Three more remain unrecovered. More preserves face destruction as the Society of the Evening Star relentlessly pursues new talismans. Reading in Patton’s Journal of Secrets, Kendra learns the location of the key to a vault housing one of the artifacts. In order to retrieve it, the Knights of the Dawn must enter a death trap — a dragon sanctuary called Wyrmroost. The mission cannot proceed without stealing a sacred object zealously guarded by the centaurs. Has anyone seen Seth?

The race is on to acquire all five of the artifact keys to the great demon prison. Will the Knights of the Dawn conquer Wyrmroost? Who can stop the Sphinx? Can Vanessa be trusted to help? What artifact will be found next?

Plot:

It was Kendra’s first winter break as a high schooler, and although she loved school, she was also excited to spend the holidays with her family. Not that she and Seth were talking much. Despite growing close at Fablehaven, Seth is bitter that Kendra is keeping parts of Patton’s journal away from him, but what he does not understand is that she is trying to keep him safe. With the threat of the Society of the Evening Star growing closer, Kendra knows they are safe because they have Warren as well as other Knights watching out for them. Thus, Kendra thought nothing was wrong as she stopped at the daycare where she worked, until her boss, Rex, kidnapped her. Except it was not Rex, but a clone, ordered by the society to take Kendra and leave a Kendra clone to fool her family. Which would have worked, if Seth had not figured it out. Exposing the Kendra clone, whose body they buried in a graveyard for Kendra, Seth spends his mourning period in Fablehaven, desperately hoping the real Kendra is alive. Kendra meanwhile is a guest of Torina, who is keeping Kendra captive for the Sphinx who wants to use her to find the remaining hidden artifacts. Planning her escape, Kendra knows the location of a key that will help them get an artifact. The only problem is that the artifact leads them to Wyrmroost, a dragon sanctuary where no one escapes alive. Gathering the best team of knights they can, our heroes find themselves entering the dragon’s lair with the rare hope of coming out alive. 

Thoughts: 

Brandon Mull is really picking up with this series as this novel gave us death, danger, and dragons. Still taken from the point of view of following Kendra and Seth around, this time exploring a multitude of locations as our sibling pair spend the novel both separated and together. Seth is finally learning, understanding where he made mistakes in the past, he is still ready to take risks but in a more calculated way. Gaining clarity on some of the new power he possesses, Seth really becomes someone to root for, and dare I say it, a hero that can rival other Knights of Dawn like Warren and Gavin. Kendra on the other hand still got her stuff together and is a top-notch character who is also excelling in her bravery (now that she keeps it) and her kindness. Mull, despite the rocky start with our siblings, really begins forming their bond as a pair much more than they have in the previous novel. Almost painting Seth and Kendra as two sides of the same coin, one light and one dark, or one blessed and one cursed; Mull made them depend on each other and fight with each other, instead of them going off to separate battles. Mull also pulled at the heartstrings with this one with the death of Kendra. Well, the Kendra clone, not that her parents know that. With a casual mention here and there of how the world sees Kendra as dead, it makes Fablehaven seem more real somehow and brings in the true danger of the Society of the Evening Star as we near the final novel. With a fast pace and exciting adventures, this novel really flies through your hand as MUll add not only fantastic battle scenes, but character development, giving away some shocking secrets and making some final move plays that really make you want to read the next novel and figure out the concussion to this fantastical series.

Read more reviews: Goodreads

Buy the book: Amazon

[hazelthewriter]

Warning- Fablehaven Spoilers without context.

Brandon Mull really pulled the fake-out death thing multiple times throughout the books. And it works each time for some angsty narrative.

[mercutiotakethewheel]

Spoilers Without Context: KTDP edition

[theplastictictacs]

And like that, I’ve finished the Fablehaven series. It’s kind of emotional completing this ride I started a couple months ago. I started it as payment for making my partner watch The Clone Wars with me, but now it’s become one of my favourite franchises. Not only because it’s just so fantastic, but because it gives me another thing in common with the woman I love more than anything in the world :). (I’m a bit lovestruck if you haven’t noticed lol). But anyways, I’ve heard mixed reviews about Dragonwatch but even though they’re apparently not as good (and let’s be real, how can you top Fablehaven?) I look forward to reading those stories! Thank you to everyone who has followed along with my initial reading of these books. Seeing how y’all have been interacting with my posts brings a smile to my face with every note and makes me love these books even more. This has been such a fun and unique experience, and I’m so glad I had all of you along for the ride.

~Joanna