This has been on the TBR for a while and like many of the TBR books, it has been languishing on the list until I decided I was finally in the mood for MG fantasy.

Fablehaven starts when Kendra and her younger brother Seth are shipped off to their grandparents because their parents have to fulfil this will that stipulates they go on a cruise. I’m quite sure the “leave our kids at their grandparents magical place” is something I’ve seen before but the cruise part cracks me up. Anyway, since kids are kids, and despite Kendra being a stickler for the rules, they soon discover that their grandparents’ home is actually a haven for magical creatures. However, these creatures don’t see good and bad the way humans do, and if you mess with them, they’ll mess with you.

Which actually leads to the first conflict of the book. It was also pretty satisfying because Seth is quite annoying and I was hoping that he would learn a lesson. Well, he did and did not because Seth is exactly the kind of pre-teen that doesn’t listen to instructions. It’s realistic, but also annoying and I can’t decide if I would prefer a version of the story without him.

Kendra, on the other hand, is clearly an older sister and therefore someone that I can empathise with. She’s a lot more careful and follows the rules, but she also loves her family and is willing to fight for them. I enjoyed Kendra’s journey immensely and was rooting for her all the way.

As for the world of Fablehaven, I found it to be enchanting. It’s dark, the way the original Grimm tales are, but it’s also magical. I definitely enjoyed the fact that the magic was balanced with the danger because it made the world feel more realistic – MG doesn’t mean you have to cotton the characters, after all.

Overall, Fablehaven was a fun adventure into an exciting world. The story was interspersed with some drawings which I didn’t need because the drawings seemed less vivid than the descriptions, but I can imagine younger readers would enjoy them. What I enjoyed about this was the world, Kendra, and the adventure; I’m very tempted to read the next book!