The Knights of the Dawn are in trouble.
Betrayals and treachery have taken their toll.
Vital artifacts have fallen into the hands of the Society of the Evening Star.
Family members have been kidnapped.
The demon prison Zzyzx is close to being opened, which will pretty much mean the end of the world as we know it — and poor Seth still can't seem to get it quite right.
Get ready for the biggest roller-coaster ride of the Fablehaven series, author Brandon Mull says.
"Fablehaven: Keys to the Demon Prison," the final installment in the best-selling series, will be released nationwide by Shadow Mountain on Tuesday. In Salt Lake City, a special free launch party will be held at Cottonwood High School that will include entertainment by a comedy troupe, dancers and Fablehaven characters. There will be face painting and other activities. And there will be a chance for fans to meet Mull and get his autograph.
Fablehaven, one of several secret preserves for all the magical creatures in the world, was first introduced in 2006, when Seth and Kendra discovered that their grandparents were keepers of this world.
As the series has progressed, dark forces have threatened not only the existence of the magical preserves but the very world itself. Seth, Kendra and the Knights of the Dawn have been called upon to battle demons, dragons and other evils. Friends have turned out to be foes; foes have turned into friends; good intentions have had disastrous results.
And now the forces are set for the final showdown.
"I'm very content with how it ended, and I hope readers will be, too," Mull says. "I think it ended well, and that's a huge relief."
Although he started with the general outline in his head, putting it all down on paper is another thing altogether, he says. In fact, he has so much in his head, "I have to make sure I haven't left anything out, that it all connects. That's why I have editors."
But over the course of the series, "the characters get easier to write. They become so familiar, they almost write themselves."
That's comforting, he says, but can't be taken for granted. "The characters are what brings the story to life; they are the heart of the story. The relationship between Seth and Kendra, that's what matters most, what makes the story believable."
The books have sold more than a million copies to date. The other four volumes have sat atop the New York Times Bestseller Children's Book List. They have received numerous awards and are on the master reading list in 10 states.
What has pleased Mull even more are the many letters and e-mails he's gotten from parents of children who didn't like to read until they picked up the Fablehaven books and were hooked — and from families who have read the books together.
"That's my highest goal," Mull says, "to write something that parents and children can read together and everyone likes. When I get those letters, deep down inside I high-5 myself."
Fantasy, he says, "is an amazing gateway to literacy. The big, epic magical stories can compete with movies and video games. In young adult fantasy, kids are heroes, and other kids like that. They like to see themselves as mattering. Adults can relate because we were all kids once."
Mull knows the value of fantasy because he was one of those reluctant readers. "Then I read 'The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe' and my world changed. That was my gateway to reading."
There was less variety in those days, "but I read everything I could find. Now there is so much. Harry Potter really opened the floodgates."
Mull has traveled around the country and even to other parts of the world to talk to children about Fablehaven and about reading. The books have been translated into 20 languages. "This year I will even go to Russia," he says. "It's been gratifying to see such interest."
He loves going into the schools. "Writing is a solitary activity. You live in your head, and it's easy to go into hermit mode. So it's nice to get out occasionally to keep the owls out of the beard."
Mull's favorite thing about Fablehaven has been bringing such a variety of magical creatures to life. "Some have been funny, some scary, some aloof. I like the satyrs because they are so funny. I liked making the centaurs into such jerks. Writing Graulas, the demon, was a lot of fun. In this last book, we even finally get a leprechaun."
So, in many ways, Mull will miss Fablehaven now that everything has been resolved. He doesn't totally rule out going back there someday, "but if I do, it won't be a continuation of the story; it would be something new."
As for now, he's already onto new projects. He is starting a new three-part series called "The Beyonders," which he thinks will delight his fans. But it will be very different.
"Fablehaven was my homage to all the magical creatures I grew up with. In 'Beyonders,' I build my own world, and I think it's really cool."
The first book, which will be published by Simon Schuster, is scheduled for next spring. He also plans a sequel to "The Candy Shop War."
"I wrote that as a stand-alone book, but so many people have asked for more, I've finally come up with an idea for a sequel that stays true to the story but will add new things to it," he said.
Talks about a Fablehaven movie are going on. "It's slower than I would like, but there's so much involved. The special effects are the strength of the story, but they are also very expensive. Cinematic action and time limits add different constraints, so it will always be an adaptation, but we want to stay true to the spirit."
Mull has also written a children's book called "Pingo."
"I wrote that for my oldest daughter, who is 6. My kids will grow into the Fablehaven books, but I wanted something for them now. The highlight of my life as an author was reading 'Pingo' in my daughter's class. Anything you can do to make yourself cool in your kids' eyes is good, right?"
And so is writing a book that will keep kids and adults entertained and engrossed as it takes them on a wild and imaginative ride to the world of Fablehaven.
If you go
What: "Fablehaven: Keys to the Demon Prison" launch party
Where: Cottonwood High School, 5715 S. 1300 East
When: March 23, 6:30 p.m.
How much: Free
e-mail: carma@desnews.com