A World Without Heroes by Brandon Mull

A World Without Heroes (Beyonders Series #1) by Brandon Mull — 9781416997924 — ****

Genre: Young Fiction Fantasy
Time to Read: 12 Days

Short Summary:
Jason Walker is a relatively ordinary thirteen-year-old boy. He works hard in school, he plays baseball and he likes animals. He even has a job at the local zoo. One day, while cleaning the hippo tank, something strange happens and he finds himself crawling out a hollowed-out tree into a world that looks nothing like Vista, Colorado.

Before long, he learns that he has fallen into a world called Lyrian: A world that is resided by an evil emperor who happens to be the last know wizard. In an attempt to find a way home, Jason stumbles on a secret that will bring about the destruction of Lyrian’s evil emperor, and he finds himself thrust into the role of a hero. Along the way, he meets Rachel, a girl who fell into Lyrian from Olympia, Washington, who is tasked to help him by a blind, defunct king who was Lyrian’s last failed hero. As they quest to find the secret that will be the emperor’s undoing, Jason and Rachel face dangers that are literally out of this world making enemies and friends along the way.

Although A World Without Heroes is written for younger readers, it is a fun story for grown-ups, as well. Personally, I found it to be a fun, light read. Something that would be ideal to take on vacation and relax with. I can also see my 10-year-old niece reading this one with abandon. Brandon Mull is truly a skilled author.

The characters are very compelling. I definitely feel they would be good role models to young readers, because they are smart, hard-working, and they try to do what is right, even if that means taking the harder way. They also respect their elders, but show initiative and independence. Jason, for example loves baseball, but he is careful to balance studying with sports, even when his friends gently tease him for having his biology book with him during practice.

Aside from the great examples Jason and Rachel display throughout, this is just plain fun. It you’re looking for a good book for a child who likes Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and the Olympians and Fablehaven (also by Brandon Mull) that is age-appropriate but not “too easy,” this one is a perfect fit. If you’re a grown-up who likes to pick up a young reader book every now and then, this one is too good to be referred to as a “guilty pleasure.” Read it, and enjoy! Then look forward to the sequel, coming in the spring of 2012.

Check out Brandon Mull’s website!

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Fablehaven Series by Brandon Mull

One more series before I get into the summer reading books. Again, instead of a book-by-book review, I’m going to cover the entire series in this one review.

The Books:

1. Fablehaven — ISBN 9781590385814 — *****
2. Rise of the Evening Star — ISBN 9781590387429 — *****
3. Grip of the Shadow Plague — ISBN 9781590388983 — *****
4. Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary — ISBN 9781606410424 — *****
5. Keys to the Demon Prison — ISBN 9781606412381 — *****

Genre: Young Fiction (Fantasy)
Time to read: About a week.

So, first, a quick summary (avoiding spoilers at all costs). The Fablehaven series tells the story of Kendra Sorenson–who is  about 14 years old in the first book–and her younger brother Seth who are on a forced vacation at the home of their estranged grandparents in Connecticut while their parents go on a cruise to fulfill the dying wish of their other grandparents who were killed in an accident. While there, they discover a magical world that is hidden in our own and known only to a very small number of people. The children’s grandparents are the caretakers of Fablehaven, a preserve that provides haven for magical beings such as fairies, satyrs, centaurs and even demons. As the series progresses, Kendra and Seth learn all about Fablehaven and the other magical preserves that are hidden all over the world and discover a little magic in themselves that allows them to help protect the world from dark magic that is trying to escape. It is a series full of magic, adventure, laughter and darkness.

This series is made up of what I like to call popcorn books: They’re light, fun, easy to read and hard to put down before they’re done. It is recommended for ages 8-12, but 8+ would be a more appropriate age range, because there is something in these books for readers of any age (though they may be a little scary for the younger crowd, so 8 sticks as the base age). The Fablehaven series just gets better with each book, and it starts off amazingly. The adventure builds to a wonderful ending, and I couldn’t help but laugh at Seth’s antics as he provides comic relief (and some lessons in caution) along the way. The characters are all wonderfully developed so that it’s easy to forget that they’re characters, and the magical creatures are masterfully rendered. A friend of mine said to me once that fairies (in a book) are hard to pull off. She was right, but Brandon Mull makes it look easy. What an amazing series! I very highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys the fantasy genre and is looking for an awesome adventure (for the 8-12) or a quick fun read (for the 13+). Don’t let its placement in the children’s section turn you away (Harry Potter is a children’s series, after all). Read and enjoy!

Check out Brandon Mull’s website and the Fablehaven website!

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