"FABLEHAVEN: SECRETS OF THE DRAGON SANCTUARY," by Brandon Mull, Shadow Mountain, 528 pages, $19.95
It's a challenge to keep any series fresh and exciting for readers. Instead of shiny and new, authors often fall into the trap of repetition, stagnating the action and story line.
Luckily for fans of the Fablehaven series, author Brandon Mull has avoided this pitfall with "Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary," the fourth of five planned books featuring the Sorenson family.
With "Dragon Sanctuary," Mull continues along the path he created in book three, "Grip of the Shadow Plague," creating an enticing story with evolving characters and plenty of action.
The book hits stores on Tuesday.
It's been a couple of months since siblings Kendra and Seth Sorenson helped stave off evil at Fablehaven, one of five disguised preserves for fairies, satyrs and other magical creatures. They've returned home for school, but life is anything but "normal."
Though Kendra, Seth, their grandparents and the Knights of the Dawn were able to slow down the Society of the Evening Star, the society remains an enormous threat.
With the Sphinx revealed as their leader, the society is openly searching for the five keys to the demon prison. Two keys have been found.
Reading Patton Burgess' Journal of Secrets, Kendra learns the location of one of the three missing keys. But in order to recover it, the Knights of the Dawn must take on their biggest and most dangerous task to date: dragons.
A handpicked group travels to the dragon sanctuary Wyrmoost — a certain death trap where dragons aren't the only creatures out to kill them. Griffons, giants and wizards all come into play.
The majority of "Dragon Sanctuary" takes place outside of the Fablehaven preserve, which is a smart move by Mull. Though expansive, there's only so much that can feasibly happen there.
Mull expands the scope, and in doing so, expands the possibilities.
Another thing that expands is the relationship between Kendra and Seth. Here we see the depth of their familial love for each other, especially on Seth's part. It's a refreshing twist that takes the story beyond teenage bickering.
No, Seth has not had a personality change. He's still an annoying little brother who has crazy ideas and no respect for authority, but the motives behind his actions have changed. He's maturing with age and experience.
Kendra, too, is growing. She's been placed in a position of responsibility, facing things most teenagers would never dream about. She is forced into deadly situations and faces them with a new courage.
Mull doesn't waste time with a lot of recap, which is an asset, as opposed to a hindrance. As with "Shadow Plague," he jumps right into the story. Each book builds upon the previous one, and at this point, readers should be well aware of what's going on.
From the title, it should come as no surprise that "Dragon Sanctuary" features fantasy elements, including magical spells, potions, possession and evil creatures. And like the previous novel, death again plays an important role.
"Dragon Sanctuary" sets up what is sure to be an exciting end to the Fablehaven series in "Keys to the Demon Prison," which is set for release in 2010.
Fast-paced and easy to read, Mull's writing is a pleasure for youths and adults alike. It's the perfect antidote for Harry Potter fans looking for their next fix.
E-mail: jharrison@desnews.com