Fablehaven - Book 5
Fablehaven: Keys to the Demon Prison (Book 5)by Brandon Mull
Since ancient times, the great demon prison Zzyzx has protected the world from the most dangerous servants of darkness, including Gorgrog, the Demon King. After centuries of plotting, the Sphinx is on the verge of recovering the five artifacts necessary to open the legendary prison. Facing the potential of a world-ending calamity, all friends of light must unite in a final effort to thwart the Sphinx s designs and find a safe home for the five artifacts. To this end, Kendra, Seth, and the Knights of the Dawn will venture far beyond the walls of Fablehaven to strange and exotic magical preserves across the globe, where the end of every quest becomes the beginning of another. In this explosive series finale, allegiances will be confirmed and secrets revealed as the forces of light and darkness collide in a desperate struggle to control the keys to the demon prison. (goodreads.com)
This book breaks one of my cardinal rules. The rule that states that all books in one series much match in format and look. It's more than just a rule to be honest, it's like a commandment. It's like, the 13th one or something. And yet, I sit here typing away after just having finished the fifth and final Fablehaven book in hard cover. Why would I do such a thing? HOW could I have done such a thing?Well, I was lucky enough to get a signed copy at BEA in May and although I will admit to slight flutters of hyperventilation when I think of placing this book on the shelf next to the first four, I am happy to be able to have finished the series and got to speak with the author however brief the time was while in that loooong line.A line in which I made a new blog friend, I might add.When I finished reading the fourth book in this series, I was sad to find out that the Canadian distributor only had plans to carry the paperback edition of book 5 which is due in January 2011. I was that desperate to finish the series that I was going to BUY the hard cover edition and then give it away next year when I bought the paperback for my shelf. Looks like Canadian stores are carrying the hard cover now, but I will admit I gave a little fangirl squeal of joy when I saw Brandon Mull's name on that BEA author signing list.** I will not spoil anything. If you are worried that I might inadvertently do so, please stop reading now. **At 7 pages short of 600 pages, Keys to the Demon Prison is action packed from start to finish and concludes the series very well. I would say this series is just as good, or even better than the Harry Potter series, and I am a huge HP fan. Unlike Harry Potter where Harry was pretty much always the only one who would save the day or find the spell or whatever, in Fablehaven the quests are continuously a group effort. Kendra and Seth might be separated and required for different aspects of the story, but they are hardly ever alone and the entire cast of characters are also needed with their own abilities and specialties. As much as I love J.K. Rowling's series, I found Harry to be a whiny brat towards the end of the entire series and that rather than grow up, he regressed and became less of a person than he started.In the 5 books of the Fablehaven series I went from hating the character of Seth so much that I almost did not continue with the series (which would have been such a loss for me) to finding him much more mature and grown-up and even, yes, likable by this last book. The character progression is formidable and well done. He's probably the only character that I even noticed a change in for all 5 books. Kendra, Seth's older sister, seemed to always be the same each and every time. And in all 5 books both kids showed a remarkable courage that I know I never would have had in any of those situations.Also unlike HP, Fablehaven has always had death featured in the stories. I remember the death of a character being such a Big Deal in one of the later HP books and yet I think there has been a death in all 5 of these books (if I remember correctly?). It wasn't a Big Deal. Sure the deaths were mourned and remembered, but it was just a natural part of the story. I think the deaths in Fablehaven helped shape the entire arc of the story and are one of the many aspects that helped the characters grow into who they became.Each book got better and better in my opinion of this series. At the end there is an Author's Note which expressly states that there will be "no more Fablehaven books". You will not find a Book 6 or a prequel or epilogue. The series is over. Which, I have to say is rather sad since there is so much potential for more action and adventure. At the same time, I think Brandon Mull knows when to end a good thing on a high note and not Jump the Shark by trying to make the world more than it already is.Fablehaven will forever more be a series I highly recommend to people searching for books for their kids to read. Or, if I ever end up back in a bookstore of my own, I will make sure that both kids and parents who shop there will know it's one of the best series written in a long time.I think I might even revisit the first few books again and see if I can stomach Seth a little more having seen how he turns out. I don't think I will though. That boy is a Grade A Brat in books 1 & 2!Fablehaven Series