Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary

by Brandon Mull

Well I have now reached that dreaded moment: after months of anticipation, I finally have my hands on Fablehaven: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary, and I finished reading it! Now I have probably about a year to wait for the final installment in what has become one of my all-time favorite series. On the scale of adoration for a book this one is right up on the pinnacle with the likes of Harry Potter and the Twilight series. I love it that much.

Fablehaven is just littered with interesting characters and creatures. The characters are each unique and believable. The creatures found on the preserves are a perfect mixture of traditional legends and lore as well as new beings and traits unique to Mull's universe.

I am having a terrible time writing this blog without spoilers, but I really hate to give away the ending or twist to a book. Usually, (especially with books written for children) I can spot the plot "twist" a mile away. Sometimes, I have an inkling of what type of event might occur, but rarely am I caught by surprise. However, this book provided a plot twist near the end that I NEVER saw coming. I literally felt jolted by the shock of what I had just read. And as much as I want to type of just what happened and exactly how I feel about this surprise, it is just too fabulously shocking for me to even think about giving it away.

Besides that point Mull continues to be fabulous at character development. Seth continues to be a risk-taker, but no longer does he thoughtless jump into danger. Kendra has grown up as well, and while she's still the thoughtful, careful one, she finds bravery and courage to stand up to all she is faced with. Other characters are varied, some comedic, some protective, some evil, some enigmatic, all entertaining. You'll probably laugh out loud when Verl proclaims his love, read suspiciously as Vanessa claims her loyalty, and mourn alongside the group as devastating events occur.

Each book in this series has release approximately 11 months after the previous. So here's hoping that many more will discover this fabulous series (that truly deserves more hype than it has been given) and that February 2010 will bring the conclusion of this amazing story.