Keys to the Demon Prison (Fablehaven, #5)

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Keys to the Demon Prison (Fablehaven #5)

4.43 of 5 stars 4.43 · rating details · 26,190 ratings · 2,240 reviews

After centuries of plotting, the Sphinx—leader of the Society of the Evening Star—is after the final artifacts needed to open the great demon prison, Zzyxx. If the legendary prison is opened, a tide of evil is certain to usurp control of the world.

In an effort to intercept the final artifacts, Kendra, Seth and the Knights of the Dawn race to strange and exotic preserves ac...more

Hardcover, 593 pages

Published March 23rd 2010 by Shadow Mountain (first published February 4th 2010)

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Dec 03, 2009 Chris rated it 5 of 5 stars

For the record, I'm the publisher. Yes, I've read it. Sorry, I won't be giving anything away. Well, maybe a little something. Chapter 5 in book 5 is the most intense, the most gripping chapter of all the Fablehaven books. Jaw-dropping. I was not prepared for what Brandon Mull pulled out of his sleeve. I doubt anyone will see this coming.

Brandon takes us all over the world, several continents. It's a breathless race to find the remaining artifacts. The artifact vault in Austrailia is a wicked ri...more

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Jun 05, 2010 Angie rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone

Shelves: thought-stimulators, fantasy, ya, lds-authors

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I feel like the last few weeks of my life have been consumed by the Fablehaven series. I get home from work, play with my family, and then I finally get to dedicate a short amount of time to reading. One of the greatest things about summer is that you can read fun books that don't make you think, and Fablehaven gave me the diversion I needed. As I reached the last 20 or so pages of the series, I found myself reading slower, not wanting the ride to end. It was a good ride, but like all good thing...more I feel like the last few weeks of my life have been consumed by the Fablehaven series. I get home from work, play with my family, and then I finally get to dedicate a short amount of time to reading. One of the greatest things about summer is that you can read fun books that don't make you think, and Fablehaven gave me the diversion I needed. As I reached the last 20 or so pages of the series, I found myself reading slower, not wanting the ride to end. It was a good ride, but like all good things, the ride must end at some point. (However, there is no rule that says you can't go on the ride more than once.)

Usually, I get annoyed by happily-ever-after endings. My English major training has done that to me. The only exception I have been able to make is Harry Potter. The Harry Potter books are perfect in every way and the characters paid a steep price to get their happy ending. I didn't feel that the Fablehaven characters paid that steep of a price to get their happy ending; however, the ending didn't annoy me--it was actually quite satisfying. I find myself comparing the book to the battles that we all must face while here in mortality. The fight seems hopeless at times, but there is always a ray of hope that things will be better--eternally better. I think the most strong parallel of this is seen in the Fairy Queen giving up her realm for the good of all of mankind. That was the biggest sacrifice she could have made, and yet, she was rewarded a hundredfold in the end. She got to build up bigger and better kingdom, and this time she had her husband and her son by her side. I am a firm believer that if we are willing to sacrifice now, we will be rewarded an uncountable amount of time in the future. All we have to do is play our part, and we will experience eternal joy in the end.

I really enjoyed the role Doren and Newel played in these books. And Hugo. Hugo has become one of my most favorite characters. He is kind of synonomous with Hurley from Lost. Seth no longer drives me crazy--in fact, his sense of humor had me laughing out loud many times, something that usually only happens when I am reading Harry Potter. I am glad that Warren was able to play such a big part in the books. He is probably my most favorite character. However, I am still not a huge fan of Kendra. Despite the amazing things she has done, she still seems like a little girl to me, a little girl that is too afraid to jump off the high dive. That made the whole romance with Bracken even weirder. I must admit, I didn't see that coming. But alas, romance abounds everywhere. Bracken and Kendra's romance weirded me out less than the whole Warren and Vanessa thing. But maybe that is just because I wanted Warren to myself.

Now the books have come to an end, and it is time for me to start thinking about a new series to keep me occupied. However, whenever I think back on Doren and Newel's fondness for television, on Seth's and Warren's boyish fantasies, on the magical beauty of Fablehaven, I don't think I'll be able to stop the smile. Even in the world that I live in, Fablehaven can still work its magic.(less)

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Sep 26, 2010 Hollie Robb rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, favorites

I had to stay up until 4 A.M. it was way too exciting to put it down. I even loved the end of the book, end of the series. I didn't think "thank heaven's it's over," like I have with others. Their was a lot of comic relief.

At the every end of the book, Brandon mentions that he might do more with the characters, but it will be with a complete different series. I would like to see that happen. The Characters are fun and very likable. It would be smart to start a completely different series if he...more

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Apr 09, 2009 Maryruth rated it 5 of 5 stars

Very exciting. I liked meeting new people and traveling to another preserve. The dragons were amazing. And whether or not it was intentional, Raxtus made me laugh. It's interesting to see Kendra's relationship with the Fairy Queen develop. I'm glad Seth's character is growing up; he's a lot like Warren now. Unfortunately, Warren has the worst luck of anyone.

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Jun 10, 2012 Turtle rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: I would not recommend this book

Recommended to Turtle by: My Uncle

Shelves: children-s, wish-i-never-read, fantasy, reviewed

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Ugh. Where to start with this one?

It wasn't as hard to read as Breaking Dawn. But it wasn't easy. Most of the time I would be in the middle of reading the book... wishing I was doing something else. That's never a good sign by the way. You don't want your readers to be wishing they were not reading your story.

This book had a major strike against it. I just didn't give a crap anymore. All these bad things are happening to the characters, but I really couldn't care less.

Seth gets kidnapped... b...more

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Nov 18, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: trt-gold-star-award-winner, trt-posted-reviews

Reviewed by Joan Stradling for TeensReadToo.com

After centuries of plotting, the Sphinx has all five KEYS TO THE DEMON PRISON within his grasp. He's preparing to open Zzyzx and release the most monstrous evil ever created. Kendra, Seth, and the Knights of the Dawn must travel to far-off preserves as they attempt to save the world from the Sphinx and his followers.

All creatures of light must join together if they want a future free of demons.

Alliances are confirmed, secrets are revealed, new chara...more

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Sep 19, 2010 Maxy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: love-it-with-all-my-heart

At the risk of sounding redundant, I'd just like to say that Brandon Mull is my hero.

This book was very intense, and I loved every minute of it. I cried a few times, and I'm not at all ashamed of that. I still can't get over how thought-through everything was. Fablehaven inspires my dreams of being a great writer, yet crushes them at the same time... If I can write a book like this, I can die in complete bliss. Or something like that.

Know what? I think I'll write a review later. This book deserv...more

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Mar 25, 2013 Karen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens-or-ya-lit

This was a good end to a good series. While I think I referred to Seth as an "incurable bonehead" in reviewing the first book, having read them all, I can appreciate the long trajectory of Seth's growth across the 5 books--the contrast between his mistakes in the first book and his one mistake in the last (and along the series) are impressive. I also liked that the growth in the "child hero scenario" continued across the five books. It's always irked me in kids' stories that the children jump in...more

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Feb 10, 2013 Maythavee rated it 4 of 5 stars

Keys to the Demon Prison was a great ending to an awesome series, I will miss Fablehaven and its inhabitants very much.

It was bittersweet to look back on Kendra and Seth’s journey. They have grown up so much. Yes, they make mistakes but that is part of growing up. I understand what Seth was feeling when he decided to help Graulas because I would have done the same if I was in his place. I also admire their bravery and courage to help protect Fablehaven and their loved ones. Every single characte...more

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Jan 23, 2013 Kristin Mchenry rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Fablehaven series was, in my opinion, the best fantasy series since Harry Potter. This underlooked series began with an unlikely pair of protagonists, a sister and a nosy younger brother who won't follow the rules. The magic of this story unfolds slowly, as Kendra and Seth discover things for themselves, and that heightens the excitement. The series progresses with switchbacks, reroutes, and changed alliances. Mull does an amazing job of character development, and when characters switch alle...more

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Jan 08, 2013 03katies rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-reports

I have to say, I loved this book. Brandon Mull does a very good job at giving personality to the characters, and keeping it interesting and exciting thru the whole thing. It picked up right where it left off. The Society of the Evening Star is starting to really make it's move on opening Zzyx, the demon prison. Kendra and Seth are working with their grandparents, who are the caretakers of Fablehaven, and their friends to keep Zzyx closed because if it opens, it is practically the end of the worl...more

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Dec 15, 2012 Morgan Santamoor rated it 5 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book very much. Having not read the other books in the series, I was unfamiliar with the strange environments and characters, which was quite fascinating. The characters are very likeable, and I cared about them even without knowing them for very long. It has quite good humor and is also very serious at some points. The action scenes are amazing, especially the climax, it was actually hard to imagine all that was going on with such a massive scale battle. The story was great with...more I enjoyed this book very much. Having not read the other books in the series, I was unfamiliar with the strange environments and characters, which was quite fascinating. The characters are very likeable, and I cared about them even without knowing them for very long. It has quite good humor and is also very serious at some points. The action scenes are amazing, especially the climax, it was actually hard to imagine all that was going on with such a massive scale battle. The story was great with many interesting plot twists and unexpected events. The whole time I was wondering how it was going to end.
One thing that bothered me was that they never really used much modern technology despite the fact they are living in the modern world. Everyone just uses swords, bows, and magic. Whenever they're in a bad situation I can't help thinking about how easily the problem could be solved if one of the protagonists was simply smart enough to carry a gun. It just doesn't make sense, they use airplanes and cars to travel so why not use modern weapons too? Although I can't really say that's a bad thing since modern weapons would make the action scenes end quickly and it wouldn't be as interesting, it's unrealistic and it annoyed me. Another problem is that the climax is very hard to imagine. The environment in which the final battle takes place is described as steep mountain, and the battle doesn't seem to be possible on such a location. The size of the mountain was not properly explained either. The scale of the battle keeps getting bigger, so I had to keep imagining the mountain bigger than I thought it was originally. I would've liked there to be an illustration of the mountain, that would've straightened things out.
Besides those two issues the book was fantastic. I couldn't put it down, unlike most other books where I would rather be doing something else. There were always plenty of descriptive details (except for the environment of the climax of course) so I always could tell what was going on, the characters and environments were fascinating, the action scenes were exciting, and the dialogue and humor were great. I give this book a rating of 9 out of 10. (less)

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Sep 23, 2012 Jessica Harrison rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed, middle-reader

Full review at Cracking the Cover
As with "Dragon Sanctuary," most of the story this time around takes place outside of Fablehaven — though some of the preserve's colorful characters make an appearance and some key action does occur there. Again, this is a smart choice by Mull. His universe has become too expansive for one location.

And the expansiveness isn't just limited to the scope of the story. Mull's characters have developed way beyond what one thought possible at the beginning of the serie...more

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Jun 09, 2012 Allison rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was pretty impressed with this book. I kept wondering over and over, how is this going to end? What in the world is going to happen? Are they going to be able to stop the demon prison opening at the last second? What about the Sphinx? And Seth and Graulas totally threw me for a loop. I like not being able to guess the ending of books. It makes reading the ending much more rewarding (you're not just looking for how the ending you expected comes to pass, but you're actually curious as each chapt...more

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Jun 09, 2012 Von Sowards rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: lds-author, fantasy

I have mixed feelings about the turn out of this book. This is the final book in a five part series. The over arching conflict of this series is that there is a society sworn to opening an ancient prison of the worst demons ever and our heroes are part of a colt sworn to stop them. The leader of the evil society, The Sphinx, uses devious plots to trick the heroes into retrieving the five artifacts that act as the keys to opening the demon prison. Each key holds a distinct power. Brandon Mull was...more

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May 25, 2012 Dion Yulianto rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: wish-list, free-ebook

Seri yang benar-benar memuaskan, begitulah pendapat saya ttg 5 seri fablehaven ini. Plotnya begitu meliuk-liuk, penuh dengan aksi dan mahkluk2 fantastis, susah sekali menebak plotnya. Bahkan, dengan mengutip sinopsisnya sendiri akan menghasilkan spoiler kejam yang pasti akan dikritik habis-habisan oleh para penggemar yg belum membacanya. Seri terakhir ini belum diterjemahkan ke B indo (saat saya menulis review ini) sehingga jika diceritakan alur ceritanya, pasti pada mencak-mencak. Karena twist...more Seri yang benar-benar memuaskan, begitulah pendapat saya ttg 5 seri fablehaven ini. Plotnya begitu meliuk-liuk, penuh dengan aksi dan mahkluk2 fantastis, susah sekali menebak plotnya. Bahkan, dengan mengutip sinopsisnya sendiri akan menghasilkan spoiler kejam yang pasti akan dikritik habis-habisan oleh para penggemar yg belum membacanya. Seri terakhir ini belum diterjemahkan ke B indo (saat saya menulis review ini) sehingga jika diceritakan alur ceritanya, pasti pada mencak-mencak. Karena twist dan belokan mendadak pun sudah muncul di awal-awal cerita. Musuh jadi teman dan teman jadi musuh, yang dikira sudah mati ternyata masih hidup, dan yang dikira musuh tersulit ternyata adalah kawan paling karib.

Dari segi cerita, tampaknya seri kelima ini akan menjadi yg paling tebal mengingat ceritanya yang begitu padat. Dari halaman ke halaman, penuh dengan aksi dan pertarungan, perebutan kelima artefak antara Ksatria Bintang Fajar dan Perhimpunan Bintang Malam. Pembaca juga akan dipuaskan dengan penggunaan kelima artefak yang benar-benar diobral habis-habisan dari seri ini.

Sedikit plotnya saja, Seth, Kendra, Mara, tanu, Trask, dan Vincent pergi ke suaka rahasia di Australia, di mana pusaka keempat disimpan. Mereja menjelajahi batu obsidian raksasa yg byk dipuja suku aborigin. Ternyata, suaka itu juga telah jatuh ke tangan musuh karena mereka langsung disambut serangan dari Mirav dan Torina. Pertempuran berlangsung sangat seru, dan ini baru yang pertama. masih akan ada banyak lagi pertempuran di halaman2 berikutnya.

di seri kelima ini, artefak terakhir juga ketemu, yakni ****** yg ternyata sudah dikuasai oleh Sphinx ... dia rupanya bersembunyi di suaka rahasia kelima. Aduh, mau bikin reviewnya susah ...banyak spoiler pasti hahaha

Membaca Fablehaven mungkin akan menimbulkan banyak pertanyaan bagi para pembaca yang kritis, mengapa penyihir bisa menciptakan Chronometer yang dpt memanipulasi waktu, mengapa Translocator yang bisa memindahkan max 3 orang itu hanya bisa memindahkan orang ke tempat yang ia kunjungi, mengapa mantra perlindungan itu bisa tetap bertahan walaopun ribuan tahun berlalu ...bla bla bla banyak sekali pokoknya. Tapi, mending jgn jd pembaca yang cerewet saat membaca seri ini. Just enjoy, relaks dan nikmati keseruan yang ditawarkan.

Buku ini menawarkan perjuangan yang berat, tapi dengan imbalan yang memuaskan. Awalnya, mungkin agak suram dan Ksatria Fajar seolah hampir runtuh, tp percayalah ... dalam perang epik di bab-bab terakhir, seluruh tokoh akan menampilkan perjuangan yang luar biasa, bahkan Doren dan Newwel pun ikut berperang.

Mengakhiri membaca seri fablehaven seperti memberikan kepuasan tersendiri bagi benak, terutama kepuasan karena telah membaca satu cerita yang utuh sekaligus menghibur.

Bacalah, you will like it, hopely.

Testimoni para pembaca luar:

Fablehaven is exquisitely plotted. Mull left no questions unanswered.

This is the best novel of the series

Ayo Penerbit Mizan segera terbitkan versi bahasa Indonesianya (less)

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May 21, 2012 Karlie Bliss added it

This is the very last book of this series. In this book, Kendra and Seth race against the Society of The Evening Star for the keys to the demon prison. However, during all the chaos, Seth is taken captive and held as prisoner in a preserve that no one knows about. Here he learns the plans of the leader of the Society of the Evening Star, and makes an alliance with an unlikely character.
Although Seth is missing, Kendra tries to beat the Society to the last safeguards of the demon prison. She i...more

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Apr 26, 2012 Pmhagerty rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this series. Simple to read, good fantasy series for kids and adults. One way I judge a series is by how I feel after reading it or how I feel when reading it. Sometimes when I'm reading a series (and i'm looking at YOU Robert Jordan!) I get the feeling that the author probably should have stopped writing long before they actually stopped. IE the story is bogged down in details. The best series leave you wanting for more without feeling as if the story isn't complete. In books I...more

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Mar 06, 2012 IndyPL Kids Book Blog rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, adventure

•This is book 5 and the last in the Fablehaven series. The battle between the Knights of the Dawn (Kendra and Seth, their Grandparents & other Knights) and The Society of the Evening Star (The Sphinx, demons & other bad guys) continues. The Sphinx has taken control of The Society and threatens to open the legendary demon prison ZZyxx by collecting its five keys. If The Sphinx manages to do this it isn’t just the magical creatures whose lives are at stake, it’s everyone.
Kendra is still em...more

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Feb 24, 2012 Adamjdeden rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fablehaven

In the final chapter of the Fablehaven series, Kendra and Seth must try to stop the Demon Prison from opening. Kendra and Seth find themselve going all over the glode to try to achieve their goal. This 3rd person story, with a theme of young people can achomplish big things, has a style of race agaisnt the clock makes up the desgin of this book. The plot was well constructed. Sometimes it built off earlier things that had happen, not just in the book itself but in the entire series. Some of the...more

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Feb 20, 2012 Petit-lips rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

~ Après un quatrième tome excellent, j'étais impatiente de lire l'ultime volet de cette fabuleuse saga. J'ai beaucoup apprécié ma lecture, même si j'y ai trouvé quelques défauts.

~ L'histoire est vraiment très prenante. La tension est bien présente tout le long du récit, une véritable course contre la montre s'est engagée. Seth, Kendra et leurs amis doivent à tout prix libérer leurs parents et empêcher le Sphinx de provoquer un véritable chaos.
Même si j'ai trouvé le début du livre un peu long, il...more ~ Après un quatrième tome excellent, j'étais impatiente de lire l'ultime volet de cette fabuleuse saga. J'ai beaucoup apprécié ma lecture, même si j'y ai trouvé quelques défauts.

~ L'histoire est vraiment très prenante. La tension est bien présente tout le long du récit, une véritable course contre la montre s'est engagée. Seth, Kendra et leurs amis doivent à tout prix libérer leurs parents et empêcher le Sphinx de provoquer un véritable chaos.
Même si j'ai trouvé le début du livre un peu long, il m'a été difficile de lâcher l'histoire à partir de la seconde moitié du roman. A partir de là tout s'enchaîne à une vitesse vertigineuse.

~ J'ai aimé en savoir plus sur le Sphinx. Il dévoile sa petite part d'humanité, et même s'il utilise de viles méthodes pour arriver à ses fins, on peut comprendre le cheminement de sa pensée, son but. Son châtiment final m'a paru assez juste.

Par contre, j'ai été un petit peu déçue de voir que Seth retombait un peu dans ses anciennes habitudes. Il fonce tête baissée et cela va, une fois de plus, avoir de fâcheuses conséquences. C'est dommage car Seth avait beaucoup mûri dans le tome précédent. En revanche, il est vraiment au coeur de l'action et fera tout pour rattraper sa terrible erreur.

Quant à Kendra, je l'ai trouvé très effacée. Elle se retrouve certes au coeur de l'action, mais elle ne joue pas un très grand rôle dans toute cette histoire.

De nouveaux personnages font leur apparition. J'ai tout de suite été séduite par Bracken.
Nous retrouvons également tous les "anciens" protagonistes. On les connaît maintenant, c'est un peu comme une famille lol. C'était, entre autres, très sympa de revoir Raxtus.

~ Pour conclure, j'ai passé un très bon moment avec ce tome 5. Néanmoins, je dois avouer que certaines choses m'ont paru un peu trop faciles et un peu trop rapide ; surtout vers la fin.
La prison des démons est un dernier tome qui clôture parfaitement cette magnifique saga. C'est avec nostalgie que j'ai refermé ce livre.
C'est une saga jeunesse que je vous conseille vivement. Le premier tome n'est pas le meilleur, mais les choses deviennent vraiment prenantes à partir du second. On devient vite accro.

http://lectures-petit-lips.blogspot.c...(less)

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Jan 20, 2012 Leilani rated it 4 of 5 stars

I loved this whole series; honestly, it was like a grown up version of 'Spiderwick' to me. It had more depth than 'Spiderwick' and Brandon Mull took time to develop personalities and races. What really got my attention was his new take on magical creatures. There are so many books with the the normal range of fantasy creatures such as elves, dwarfs, pixies, fairies and such, but Mull added new creatures and gave them personalities. The characters were well developed and had spunk. ( especially S...more

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Oct 19, 2011 Adam Lovell rated it 5 of 5 stars

This story is about the Knights of Dawn trying to stop the Sphinx from opening Zzyzx (the Demon Prison). The main characters are Kendra, Seth, Bracken, Warren, and the Sphinx. They ran into a ton of problems getting captured, battling demons, trying to find places, and a lot of other things. My favorite character is Seth. He can Shade Walk. It is when you can make yourself invisible to other things and people. He is also the most like me, in a lot of ways.
I can relate to a lot of the character...more

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Aug 30, 2011 Samuel Loveland rated it 5 of 5 stars

There seems to be a generation of Harry Potter fans who are looking for the fun, adventure, and growth that we experienced in that series. When cop-outs like Percy Jackson came out, we snatched them up in order to quench our thirst for more. What we got from these wanna-be stories is a sense of fun and adventure, but a lack of something deeper.

Don’t get me wrong. I both read and enjoyed the Percy Jackson books. They were adventurous and a whole lot of fun. However, I think most people would agre...more There seems to be a generation of Harry Potter fans who are looking for the fun, adventure, and growth that we experienced in that series. When cop-outs like Percy Jackson came out, we snatched them up in order to quench our thirst for more. What we got from these wanna-be stories is a sense of fun and adventure, but a lack of something deeper.

Don’t get me wrong. I both read and enjoyed the Percy Jackson books. They were adventurous and a whole lot of fun. However, I think most people would agree with my assessment that held up to Harry Potter, it was missing something.

Fablehaven is no cop-out. It’s a fantastic story that bows to no cliche’s without stretching them. It is a story about kids thrown into a world of magic, kids that still have families. (I know right? For awhile there we began to think that kids HAD to be orphans in order to have adventures.) It has the fun. It has the family-friendly appropriateness for all ages. It has the depth of character and theme. One of the strongest themes of the series is in the different types of heroism displayed by the two main characters.

Kendra vs. Seth

Kendra appeals to the sense that purity wins. She has her stuff together, she thinks things through, and she follows the rules (unless it would be more prudent not to). Throughout the series, this attribute, combined with her pure intentions, have won the day several times over.

Seth, on the other hand, is headstrong, rambunctious, and a little bit of a troublemaker – a man after my heart. In another world, he might have been named Calvin. Seth is consistently breaking rules, with the best of intentions, and making a mess of things. His mistakes needlessly throw others into danger, and though Seth does care, he doesn’t ever seem to gain his sister’s cool head.

Both are heroes. We have the pure hero, and the one who screwed up and has to fix it. Thematically, we have two lessons; first, that it is better not to screw up in the first place and second, that if you’ve already screwed up, you can learn from this by doing what you can to make it better.

But theme isn’t the only thing the book has going for it. With a world full of fairies, demons, Eternals, powerful artifacts and satyrs who are addicted to TV and junk food… well, to quote a certain Star Trek character,

“You don’t have to take my word for it”

Go pick one up for yourself. Or better yet, for us students, borrow from a friend – this is a series worth discussing with buddies.
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May 18, 2011 Mormonhermitmom rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Evening Star society has all the artifacts, but before their leader, The Sphinx, can go forward with his plan to open a demon prison, Seth unwittingly heals a dangerous demon at Fablehaven and this demon has plans of his own. The Knights of the Dawn are weakened by repeated betrayals and losses. Kendra, with fairy powers, and Seth, with shadow powers, split up to try to find a way to stop the inevitable horde from wreaking havoc.

I liked this series and I can recommend it for fantasy readers...more

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May 09, 2011 Marci rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The book jacket wasn't kidding when it mentioned explosive action. Good heavens! Every page there was a new twist to the story or some impossible mission that had to be accomplished before the demon prisoned was opened and the earth was doomed forever. There was a part in the beginning with Laura coming out the the jeep that I had to reread several times before just going on and realizing later that if I had just kept reading all would have been explained. Many of the characters went undeveloped...more

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Jan 12, 2011 Ithlilian rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

Keys to the Demon Prison is full of action, but that is about all there is to it. The book picks up right in the midst of things and never lets up. I personally didn't enjoy it. There are about 20 tasks that need to be completed and the characters systematically go through them. Traveling to each event takes 20 or so pages, the actual event takes a page, and then it is on to the next thing. There is no flow here, and no elegance. I loved the whimsical nature of the first Fablehaven book. It's a...more Keys to the Demon Prison is full of action, but that is about all there is to it. The book picks up right in the midst of things and never lets up. I personally didn't enjoy it. There are about 20 tasks that need to be completed and the characters systematically go through them. Traveling to each event takes 20 or so pages, the actual event takes a page, and then it is on to the next thing. There is no flow here, and no elegance. I loved the whimsical nature of the first Fablehaven book. It's a book that really made me want to live the lives of the characters. What could be more fun and interesting than exploring a place full of mystical creatures and uncovering secrets? Now these books feel like chores, as if each character is presented with a list of things to do, and they go do them. It is just not enough. I really didn't care what person or place was coming up next. In fact, throughout this entire book all I wanted was for it to be over. I felt the same way about the last Percy Jackson book. Running around from place to place does not make an interesting novel. It's extremely repetitious and boring, no matter how much action you want to throw in there. The characters don't help the book much either. The book is so focused on events that the characters feel like bystanders. You could insert any character in the novel and they would do just fine. The personalities aren't really as present in this book as in others, and no one has matured or changed much from book one. Throwing in many additional characters in each book does not help improve the series, it just adds to the short choppy nature of each book. Each character gets a few sentences of explanation, then off they go to complete their tasks. The only interesting part of this book was the beginning. I did enjoy exploring the first dungeon, but once I realized that running through dangerous areas was all the book was about, my interest took a nose dive. Keys to the Demon Prison felt more like a video game than an exciting novel with specific tasks to complete, objects to retrieve and places to go. Fans of the series should read it for closure alone, but I was very disappointed and struggled to finish it. (less)

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Dec 30, 2010 Karissa rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the fifth (and final) novel in the Fablehaven series by Brandon Mull. A ton happens in this book and it is a wonderful conclusion to the series tying everything up nicely.

The book starts with Seth, Kendra and the other Knights of Dawn leaving on a quest to obtain the Translocator. Things, of course, go horribly wrong and our heroes end up on a desparate quest to prevent the opening of great demon prison Zzyzx. Some heroes perish, while new heroes join the story. Many of the events still...more

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Aug 24, 2010 Brooke rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-own

SInce this is the final book in the series I will briefly review the whole series here.
Enjoyable? definitely. Gripping? Frequently. Would I read it again? Surely.
Here's the thing. I am convinced that a lot of contemporary Male authors can't truly write a love story. I realize that this series is sort of a children's series, but it is also a YA series in my eyes. I don't know what it would really be classified as. I was as disappointed with the love story in the Pretties and Uglies series.
At time...more SInce this is the final book in the series I will briefly review the whole series here.
Enjoyable? definitely. Gripping? Frequently. Would I read it again? Surely.
Here's the thing. I am convinced that a lot of contemporary Male authors can't truly write a love story. I realize that this series is sort of a children's series, but it is also a YA series in my eyes. I don't know what it would really be classified as. I was as disappointed with the love story in the Pretties and Uglies series.
At times I got very hopeful to see Kendra find love. I know, I know. Idealistic and irrelevant. Butnot in my eyes. I am a romantic TO THE CORE and love a good love story. Overvcoming challenges, loving someone no matter the difference (expect for like more than 10 years apart in real life)... etc. I love it. I eat it up. I gobble it and want more. So after a few potential interests were added to the story starting in the 2nd book I got very hopeful. It was sad when Kendra was betrayed but really I was not attached seeing as no time was spent on the development of the realtionship. Whenever Kendra was having something develop with a character it was usually seen through Seth's eyes so there was no deatail, no excitment, no will he won't he... And in the end there was sort of a love story, lacking many details and excruciating bits, and it was left on a note of friendship that Kendra felt deep down would grow into something more and remain. I am glad he said it... at least it offers some closure... but not enough.
That being said for the romantic in me...
The action was awesome. The book well writeen except for a few parts where the larger words seemed forced into the book. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing since I am all for getting kids to read books with big words so they'll understand them and incorporate them into their vocabulary.
It just... read awkwardly at some points. But that's okay.
I stayed up too late multiple nights to finish the series. With every book I was draw in, nervous, excited, and definitely entertained.
Very glad I gave the series a chance. It was surely worth the time it took to read.(less)

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Aug 09, 2010 Angie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: juvenile-fic

Great ending to a fun series.

A couple of quotes I liked:

"Making mistakes is part of learning to choose well. No way around it. Choices are thrust upon us, and we don't always get things right. Even postponing or avoiding a decision can become a choice that carries heavy consequences. Mistakes can be painful--sometimes they cause irrevocable harm. But welcome to Earth. Poor choices are part of growing up, and part of life. You will make bad choices, and you will be affected by the poor choices of...more

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About Brandon Mull

"Brandon Mull resides in a happy little valley near the mouth of a canyon with his wife and three children. He spent two years living in the Atacama Desert of Northern Chile where he learned Spanish and juggling. He once won a pudding eating contest in the park behind his grandma’s house, earning a gold medal. Brandon is the author of the New York Times bestselling Fablehaven series and The Candy...more

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Books by Brandon Mull

Grip of the Shadow Plague (Fablehaven, #3)

Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary (Fablehaven, #4)

Rise of the Evening Star (Fablehaven, #2)

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Quotes from Keys to the Demon Prison

“Luck has a way of evaporating when you lean on it.” — 93 people liked it

“Making mistakes is part of learning to choose well. No way around it. Choices are thrust upon us, and we don't always get things right. Even postponing or avoiding a decision can become a choice that carries heavy consequences. Mistakes can be painful-sometimes they cause irrevocable harm-but welcome to Earth. Poor choices are part of growing up, and part of life. You will make bad choices, and you will be affected by the poor choices of others. We must rise above such things.” — 84 people liked it

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Keys to the Demon Prison (Fablehaven #5)

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