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Fablehaven #2

Rise of the Evening Star

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At the end of the school year, Kendra and her brother, Seth, find themselves racing back to Fablehaven, a refuge for mythical and magical creatures. Grandpa Sorenson, the caretaker, invites three specialists — a potion master, a magical relics collector, and a mystical creature trapper — to help protect the property from the Society of the Evening Star, an ancient organization determined to infiltrate the preserve and steal a hidden artifact of great power. Time is running out. The Evening Star is storming the gates. If the artifact falls into the wrong hands, it could mean the downfall of other preserves and possibly the world. Will Kendra learn to use her fairy gifts in time? Will Seth stay out of trouble? Can they overcome paralyzing fear? Find out in book 2 of this bestselling series.

456 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 24, 2007

2019 people are currently reading
30150 people want to read

About the author

Brandon Mull

71 books10.6k followers
BRANDON MULL is the #1 New York Times best-selling author of the Fablehaven, Dragonwatch, Beyonders, and Five Kingdoms series. A kinetic thinker, Brandon enjoys bouncy balls, squeezable stress toys, and popping bubble wrap. He lives in Utah in a happy little valley near the mouth of a canyon with his wife, Erlyn, their eleven children, and three mischievous cats. Brandon loves meeting his readers and hearing about their experiences with his books.

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5 stars
62,503 (46%)
4 stars
43,723 (32%)
3 stars
19,242 (14%)
2 stars
4,332 (3%)
1 star
3,353 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 5,328 reviews
Profile Image for Kimberley doruyter.
893 reviews96 followers
February 6, 2017
if there was ever a person in the world that does not learn for there mistakes it's seth.
Profile Image for Exina.
1,269 reviews413 followers
August 19, 2019
Rise of the Evening Star, the second book of the Fablehaven series is more dynamic and more complex than the first one. More mysteries, more adventures take place, and keep you engaged throughout the story.

While the world-building in the first book was incomplete and unrefined, here the magical world of Fablehaven begins to unfold, as well as Kendra's special abilities.

Colorful and varied magic is created in Rise of the Evening Star: the mystical creatures, the magical items are written with so much imaginary!



Just like in the previous book, the fate of Fablehaven depends on Kendra and Seth’s courage. The story is filled with surprising twists and turns, astonishing adventures, inventive magic, adventures again, more turns, and more adventures!

Recommended!
Profile Image for isia.
89 reviews12 followers
January 28, 2022
Była lepsza od pierwszego tomu, a że wcześniej dałam 5⭐️ tu nie może być inaczej
Profile Image for Aaron Vincent.
96 reviews34 followers
December 30, 2010
My first venture to the magical world of Fablehaven was truly an unforgettable one. I just couldn’t stop raving about it to every bookish person I know. Truth be told, I read Harry Potter series because a number of critics and authors compared Fablehaven to it(and yes, I just read Harry Potter this year. Please, don’t kill me.) I wanted to prolong the pleasure in reading the entire Fablehaven series so I didn’t read the 2nd book immediately after the 1st one. I finally decided to revisit Fablehaven because I wanted to read something magical, just in time for the holiday season.

The Sorenson sibling are on their last days of the the school year, but for Kendra it isn’t as easy as she thought it would be. There’s suddenly a new guy in her class and every girl thinks that he’s uber hot. Kendra thought the joke’s on her because what she sees is a boy with hideous features, someone comparable to a goblin. She realized that it was indeed a goblin and of course, she’s the only one who can see it as she’s the only one who has the ability to see past through the magical veil that deceives the normal human eye, an ability she received from the fairies on her first visit to the Fablehaven.

Kendra, knowing that the goblin is up to something mischivous, seeked the help of her smart-mouthed, drastic younger brother, Seth. As she expected, Seth can offer nothing other than his sarcastic remarks. When a mysterious man named Errol shows up, offering his help to eliminate the goblin, they reluctantly accepts it. Kendra and Seth didn’t know that the eliminating the goblin is only the first in the chain of events that will lead them to spending another summer at Fablehaven. Another summer filled with magic, schemes, betrayals, and Seth messing up with the creatures mainly setting up a C-size battery-to-gold exchange business with the satyrs.

What I love the most about Fablehaven is how easy it is for Brandon Mull to break, crumble, and pound the wall that separates reality and fantasy. Before I know it, I was completely suckied into the land of Fablehaven filled with both colorful and sinister creatures. The rules he set on his fictional land are just wickedly cool. Fablehaven, a magical creatures preserv e, is certainly one of those fictional places – along with Hogwarts, Camp-Half Blood, etc., – that will make you wish that they really exists. Brandon Mull really do tests and expands the boundaries of the reader’s imagination.

Seth and Kendra is a very powerful tandem, too. I know we’ve already seen a lot of siblings whose hobby is to bicker in fiction, but Seth and Kendra by far is my favorite. They just compliment each other perfectly. Seth’s naughtiness and immaturity balances well Kendra’s goody good attitude, while Kendra’s doubts and uncertainties balances well Seth’s admirable, daredevilish bravery.

The plot are no less superb. It was a tad bit darker than the first one but definitely more engrossing. The solution to the whoddunit mystery going on isn’t a giveaway. We’re at the same pace on unveiling the culprit as the characters in the book, unlike other fantasy novels in which we’re always two-steps ahead. The surprises hidden on Brandon Mull’s sleeve is seemingly infinite and he just keeps pulling one until the very last page. This careful plotting of the mystery produced a solidly characterized culprit. The culprit was three-dimensional, and being a huge sucker for well-characterized ‘villains’, I am satisfied.

Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star is another highly imaginatve book with the perfect balance of magic, sweetness, innocence, and danger. If you love watching Disney Pixar movies, then this book is for you. I love visiting the magical creatures preserve that is Fablehaven, and I’m already looking forward to my next one.
Profile Image for rachel, x.
1,794 reviews932 followers
August 18, 2024
5.00 ★

People often have a special book or a series that ‘got them into reading’. I am lucky enough that I’ve always been a reader. There’s not a period in my life when I didn’t have a book in my hand! With that being said, there are a few series from my childhood that stand out and played a major role in my love of books. One of those series was Mull’s Fablehaven saga.

God, this series is just gold! For some unseeable reason, it has received a lot of negativity, but this is one of the most cleverly written middle-grade series out there. The characterisation is some of the best that I’ve ever read. Each and every single character - no matter how major or minor they are in the over-arching storyline - are completely fleshed out. They are all complex and three-dimensional with the perfect blend of realistic positive and negative characteristics. They set themselves apart from each other without being oddly distinctive. I love that there is a lot of subtle diversity in ethnicity and nationality. Mull wasn’t scared to write characters who were kind of flawed. Coulter, for example, is caring and funny but also mildly sexist. He grew up in a time when sexism was much more the ‘norm’. While this was frustrating for Kendra (and us readers), it makes him a well-rounded character. He isn’t perfect because perfect people don’t exist, and Mull does this with all his characters. Warren, Dale’s brother, was also introduced into this novel, and I adore him. I love that he treats Kendra and Seth with the respect they earned. Also, Tanu! I wanted to get to know him more. I just… I love how Mull deals with characterisation if you couldn’t tell.

The plot in this sequel was just fantastic too. The first book is a little introductory when you look back on it, but Rise of the Evening Star certainly steps up the game. It introduces us to the major focus of the series (which I won’t say to avoid spoilers) and it is fast-paced and enthralling. The puzzles are realistic but still nail-bitingly paced and exciting. I loved exploring more of Fablehaven and this world.

Overall? This book was everything I remember it being and more. I adore Mulll’s writing. I was enraptured by the plot and fell in love with the cast all over again. I definitely plan on continuing to reread this series. It gets my highest recommendation, and remains an all-time favourites.

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Profile Image for Erica.
256 reviews2 followers
March 15, 2020
Wow! What a sequel! Wasn't expecting that plot twist at the end.
Profile Image for George Jankovic.
Author 2 books74 followers
December 10, 2017
I liked book one in the Fablehaven series and loved this one. The action is nonstop, the story is great, and the are many magical items (who can say no to that). Kendra is still a great character: smart, careful, good. Seth is less annoying than in book 1. He's a year older. And there are some really interesting new characters: both good and bad and good-bad :).

5 stars. Enjoy!
Profile Image for Fatima difarko.
127 reviews
August 30, 2021
پلات توييست اخر كتاب جوري شوكم كرد كه دلم ميخواست پنج بدم🙂
شايدم عوضش كنم و بكنمش پنج!
اين مجموعه سراسر زيبايي و كيوتي و پرازحس خوبه:)
و هرجلدم بهتر ميشه انگار و بيشتر وارد دنياش ميشي:)
ومن واقعا حاضرم تا تهش شير بنوشم:)))
_گولم كيوتم:)
_ونسا و كولتر ببخشيد كه ازتون بدم ميومد:)
_ست با اينكه احمقي هنوز اما بهت افتخار ميكنم كراش ١١ ساله من!
Profile Image for Prabhjot Kaur.
1,112 reviews216 followers
January 4, 2021
I was in for a surprise after reading not so impressive first book in the series, Fablehaven. I was hooked from the beginning with this. The way events took turn at the end of Fablehaven, I expected so much more from this book and I was not disappointed.

We get few new characters, Vanessa and Tanu are my favourites. Characters from Fablehaven have started to grow on me too but Seth still doesn't learn and Kendra still has a long way to go before I can really care about her, I mean these two have grown on me but not as much as the other characters.

I love where the whole story is going, it's keeping me on an edge. It's one amazing thing after the other. Kendra is discovering new powers and how dangerous yet amazing they are. Mendigo and Hugo are the greatest duo in this one. The whole betrayal was thrilling and we are left on a cliffhanger.

I can officially say that I have become a fan of this series.

4.5 stars
Profile Image for Kimberley doruyter.
893 reviews96 followers
June 29, 2020
in the first book it's meet and great to all the wonders of the world.
in this book we see the villian arise.
Profile Image for tiffany.
541 reviews219 followers
September 13, 2023
definitely better than the first, but still just an okay read overall. also i'm getting tired of the 'every adult somehow falls for an obvious trick and becomes incapacitated while the kids in the most unbelievably luckiest way possible manage to get away and then proceed to save the day without actually doing that much ' because how can 5 adults not do what 2 kids can!

there are too many plot conveniences and mull likes to clean everything up in the easiest and most convenient way possible. this, combined with the fact that 2 kids are saving the day, makes the whole book feel very low-stakes, and because of that, i'm just not invested (yet!).

hopefully mull does some research before writing the next book because his understanding of a teenage girl's mind is very stereotypical and so hard to read. and the casual sexism and animal cruelty in this book is so weird, especially because it's so unnecessary and feels out-of-place.
Profile Image for gaba.
151 reviews14 followers
May 4, 2023
not me crying na ksiazce ktora czytalam z osiem razy
Profile Image for Victoria.
225 reviews53 followers
March 11, 2021
3,5⭐
Początek bardzo mi się podobał. Później też było dobrze, ale według mnie pierwszy tom był lepszy. Dodatkowo nie wiem dlaczego, ale przez całą książkę podejrzewałam takie zakończenie😅
Profile Image for Zena.
725 reviews6 followers
January 11, 2025
Kapitalny pomysł i świetna realizacja! Historię się pochłania, chociaż może to jednak ona pochłania czytelnika... Nowi znajomi trochę przypominają profesorów z Hogwartu😉 Ktoś napisał, że sprawdzi się jako audiobook gdy dziecko choruje - zgadzam się w 100%, bo faktycznie zajmuje głowę małego pacjenta.
Profile Image for P .
692 reviews345 followers
August 21, 2015
เป็นหนังสือที่เอามาอ่านก่อนนอนได้สนุกมาก เนื้อเรื่องน่าสนใจขึ้นกว่าเล่มที่แล้ว แต่ยังไม่พีคถึงขนาดที่ว่า...อ่านแล้วจะวางไม่ลง เพราะเราหยิบๆวางๆหนังสือเล่มนี้หลายครั้งมากกว่าจะอ่านจบ เนื้อเรื่องตามสไตล์แบรนดอนเขาแหละ คือไม่เน้นความหวือหวา แต่เน้นบรรยากาศที่เรื่อยๆ อ่านเพลินๆ ไม่เร่งในการคลายปมปัญหา ซึ่งมีทั้งข้อดีและข้อเสีย ข้อดีคือ...มันจะค่อยๆบิวท์อารมณ์เราไปเรื่อยๆแบบไม่มีสะดุด ข้อเสียก็คือ...มันง่วงจนเราหลับไปหลายรอบเลยน่ะสิ

จะว่าก็ว่านะ ... เซธน่ารำคาญน้อยกว่าเล่มที่แล้ว แต่ก็ยังมีมุมให้น่าตบกะโหลกอยู่อีกเหมือนกัน ส่วนเคนดร้าฉายเดี่ยวในตอนท้ายแบบเล่มก่อนอีกแล้ว สงสารเซธเลยงานนี้ ชวดบทสนุกส่งท้ายอีกตามเคย 555 รอดูว่าเล่มหน้าเซธจะได้ฉายเดี่ยวตอนท้ายเล่มบ้างมั้ย ภาพรวมแล้วหนังสือเล่มนี้สนุกขึ้นนะ แต่ยังไม่สามารถแตะถึงอารมณ์เราได้ คงอาจจะเป็นเพราะหนังสือเด็กหรือเปล่า ผู้แต่งเลยไม่ได้ลงลึกตรงส่วนนี้มากนัก ?

การผจญภัยตอนจบให้อารมณ์ Indiana Jones ภาคสามมากๆ ตื่นเต้น ระทึก บรรยายเห็นภาพชัด ที่แจ๋วที่สุดคือข้อความสุดท้ายของวาเนสซ่า ทิ้งระเบิดลูกใหญ่ให้คนอ่านหงายเงิบกัน แต่ก็เชื่อว่าเล่มต่อๆไปคงเข้มข้นขึ้นเรื่อยๆ

Profile Image for DeLaina.
98 reviews230 followers
February 3, 2008
I liked the sequel to Fablehaven even better than Fablehaven itself. The author was able to flesh out the characters and each gained a lot of depth.

I read Fablehaven last night, and the sequel, Rise of the Evening Star, tonight, so they're quick reads at 3-4 hours each. (Thank you writer's strike and sick, clingy kids who INSIST on me holding them and not minding me reading at the same time!!!)

They’re fantasy, not unlike Harry Potter but more infused with value of the family. No Dudley or mean aunts and uncles to contend with. And, I LOVE the reading guide at the end of the book where the author (Brandon Mull) probes the depths of reading comprehension with thought-provoking questions.

The themes in the book are excellent too. For example, the girl is a rule-keeper and the boy is a curious mischief-maker, and one of the central themes is obedience. At the end you figure out that a measure of disobedience was necessary to set in motion the events that eventually lead to the ultimate demise of evil, which could not have happened otherwise. Fascinating!!! Book 3 comes out on my bday in April.
Profile Image for Tyler.
475 reviews22 followers
March 27, 2009
Kendra and Seth can't wait for the end of the school year so that they can return to visit their grandparents at Fablehaven. A few days before the school year ends, a scabby kobold appears in her class. The kobold appears normal to everybody except Kendra. With the aid of a kobold exterminator they get rid of him and are then swiftly evacuated to Fablehaven for their own safety. Once there, they find out that the Society of the Evening Star (which opposes preserves such as Fablehaven) has gotten stronger and may have even breached Fablehaven itself.

My Review: My goal is to read 4 books between each book of a single author that I read (does that even make sense?). With these Fablehaven books I just couldn't stop myself. In fact, Alison probably resents the books as well because I read most of the book yesterday evening. I wasn't going to go to bed until I finished it. Now onto the book, this book is once again like Harry Potter with adventures and fights against magical creatures. Of course, the kids are always more clever and tougher than the adults. There are unexpected twists and surprises, giving a very enjoyable book.
Profile Image for Blondynka o książkach .
270 reviews46 followers
December 12, 2021
Drugi tom podobał mi się nawet bardziej niż pierwszy 👌 Duży plus za większą ilość akcji i nowych bohaterów.
Profile Image for Kells Next Read .
574 reviews585 followers
November 14, 2015
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Satyrs, Narcoblix, Brownies, fairies, Weird Puppet intertwine with deceit, betrayals and non stop action makes this second installment even better than the first. I can't wait to move unto book three.

Love It
Profile Image for Jonathan Koan.
823 reviews752 followers
August 4, 2024
Brandon Mull just has a way with his writing that just works really well for me. He gets the whimsical, creature heavy fantasy story geared for kids that is also really enjoyable for adults. It's the fomula that worked for Harry Potter and hasn't worked for that many other series, but absolutely works here!

I loved the overall story, and think that the Society of the Evening Star is really interesting. They are incredibly savvy villians, while also being simple enough to outwit by the kids.

Seth's bravery in the book is just really admirable, and his willingness to try to help protect his sister, even if it might lead to harm to him, is just so refreshing. His dynamic and banter with Kendra is also really sweet.

Brandon Mull is not afraid to veer into dark and weird territory, but it never feels too much for a kids book. The Demons in this book are both scary and kind of goofy in their worldbuilding design, and the scary creatures that pop up throughout the book do enough to convey the terror without freaking out children reading the book.

I personally liked the climax and resolution of book 1 more, and felt that it had more freshness and uniqueness than this one did, so it will rank/rate higher than this one for me. But I still loved it!

Overall, an excellent book and I am just enthralled by Brandon Mull's writing style. Really works well for me. 9 out of 10.
Profile Image for Donna.
4,479 reviews154 followers
January 10, 2019
This is youth fantasy fiction. I'm not the target audience for this book, but I am giving this 5 stars for several reasons:

1. it was 100% age appropriate
2. it was written with kids in mind and it addressed "real kid" problems and thoughts
3. the characters were children and the best thing about that was that they actually acted like children. They weren't portrayed as wiser beyond their years
4. my kids would have loved this.
5. it had great messages for kids of all ages

So 5 stars.
Profile Image for Pepperoni.
400 reviews37 followers
January 18, 2022
4,25
To było świetne i podobało mi się bardziej niż pierwsza część
Profile Image for Zksiazkazapanbrat.
146 reviews14 followers
April 18, 2022
Baardzo mi się podobało.😍😍 Czuję że ta seria to będa takie moje comfort books. Naprawdę bardzo dobrze sie bawiłam podczas czytania baśnioboru - zarówno pierwszej jak i drugiej części. Pomimo tego, że są to książki dla młodszych, absolutnie tego nie czuć i wogóle nie są infantylne. Miałam ostatnio trochę zastój czytelniczy plus byłam chora więc bardzo mało czytałam, a po przeczytaniu tej książki mam bardzo duża ochotę na czytanie.❤️ Czytajcieee koniecznie basbiobor! 😜
Profile Image for Mary ♥.
458 reviews113 followers
December 24, 2017
5/5 stars

Running toward danger is foolhardy. ... But so is closing your eyes to it. Many perils become less dangerous once you understand their potential hazards.

description

If there was something I missed, it was diving back to the wonderful world of Fablehaven. And thankfully, this time, it brought more surprises than the first one. This, friends, is one of the greatest middle grade series I've ever read, partly because it contains every single mythological creature someone can hear about and partly because the plot is so clever and well spun that it can keep you at the edge of your seat.

Rise of The Evening Star was the kind of book I wanted to close 2017 with. It contained unlimited adventure, brought new characters into my life, answered lots of questions the previous book had left, freaked me out a little (something I honestly didn't expect but loved) and most of all, made me savor the warmth and happiness middle grade books can bring for some reason.

First of all, I adored how the artifact plot point started to unfold bit by bit, with many possibilities and new adventures rising, and wonderful new parts of the beloved magical preserve to roam through. The writing was as always incredible, with lots of jokes to lighten the mood but also a great description of everything, and voices of characters as unique as themselves.

This book was darker than the first one, and there were a lot of moments when my jaw dropped and my heart started beating faster. I missed the innocence and whimsy of the first one, but this one was more adventurous and breathtaking and I loved that as well. I also noticed that Kendra and Seth, my children and my guides through this wonderful ongoing journey, are growing more and more accustomed to the way the preserve works, and are both growing, physically and mentally.

The new characters, most of them trainers, were a breath of fresh air as well. I am excited to get to know them all better and learn more about their pasts, their motives and their strengths and weaknesses. I also loved the appearance of new dangers to focus on, secret pathways, groves, plenty of magical artifacts and potions and the role fear and courage played in this book.

For some reason, every time I find myself talking about Fablehaven, I start blurting out how incredible it is and how much it is leaking fantastical adventures and journeys through magical forests at night, because that's just the truth.

If you want to read something that will make you smile but will also give you a ton of other emotions, will keep you busy and will also be quick and 'unputdownable', this is for you ♥ If you are a fan of good world buildings and fantasy creatures of all kinds, be sure to give this one a look.

I am excited to read the rest of the series, and I honestly wish I could have read this as a child because I would have been truly mersmerized.

Until the next review...

description

~Mary ♥

Profile Image for thebooksthief_ Ania ✨.
399 reviews106 followers
April 14, 2021
3,75⭐️/5
Książka zaczyna się od ciekawego momentu i potem jest do końca wciągająca oprócz kilku nudnych momentów. Kendra stała się moją ulubioną bohaterką.
Seth mnie trochę denerwuje i ogólnie rodzeństwo nadal podejmuje głupie decyzje. Widać jednak, że są bardziej dorośli.
Sam pomysł na fabułę przypadł mi do gustu i uważam, że jest to idealna książka do odpoczynku. Taka lekka i przyjemna.
Tak samo jak 1 tom za cudowny klimat.
Książka z wydawnictwa Wilga. Kupiona na taniej książce.
Profile Image for PBartist.
83 reviews
August 19, 2024
2023:
4 ⭐️
I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a lot more interesting than the first of the series and the new characters are great!
It is really nice when I can read a faster paced fiction books amongst all the slower books I am reading

2024:
3⭐️
Again, I just didn’t enjoy this book as much the second time, a lot of things seemed more immature. But still a pretty good book for younger kids
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