Middle Grade Fantasy--Fablehaven series

I've never been a fantasy fan--too many elves and unicorns and secret quests that involved characters in Renaissance Faire-wear with names that contain no vowels. But I was waiting for my 11-year old son in the soccer field parking lot a week or so ago, and picked up the first Fablehaven book by Brandon Mull. After 15 minutes, I was completely hooked. The premise of the 5-book series is intriguing: Seth and Kendra are squabbling siblings who are sent to visit their grandparents at Fablehaven, the game preserve Grandma and Grandpa caretake in Connecticut (the unlikelihood of a game preserve in southern Connecticut aside, it's a compelling start). Kendra and Seth soon realize that all is not as it seems at Fablehaven: the game preserve harbors a lot more than a bunch of tick-infested deer. In fact, it is a centuries-old refuge for mystical creatures of all kinds, with complicated and ancient laws governing its inhabitants. When Seth accidentally breaks one of the rules, he unleashes the forces of evil magic and he and Kendra must help their grandparents restore order not only to Fablehaven, but potentially the world.

Sounds a little Dungeons and Dragons-y, I know, but it's a terrific adventure, and author Brandon Mull has made the characters both believable and really fun. Kendra and Seth bicker constantly, Seth is naughty as hell but really funny, and the premise of a magical sanctuary is really compelling. Each book in the series carries the plot arc slightly farther while providing satisfying conclusions to various plot threads. I'm on the fifth and final book in the series, and will be sad when it all ends.

I hadn't heard much buzz about the Fablehaven series--it has been completely overshadowed by the wizard who shall not be named--but this is a particularly good choice for readers who like adventure, enjoy fantasy that is centered in a modern, if alternate, reality, and like a continuing series. My reluctant-reader son couldn't get enough of the Fablehaven books, and neither can I. All hail, Brandon Mull!

And if you like Fablehaven, try this throwback: The Chronicles of Prydain series by Lloyd Alexander.