Book Review: "Grip of the Shadow Plague" by Brandon Mul

SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY

A plague is settling over fablehaven, turning everything it touches into creatures of darkness. Kendra goes off with others on a mission, while those at Fablehaven try to learn about what's really going on, and how to stop it.

CHARACTER GROWTH-SPOILERS

Kendra is fairykind, so she gets treated rather special. Even so, she isn't a Mary Sue. She struggles to understand her role, and has to learn that being fairykind doesn't make her strong or wise.

There is a scene between her and Gavin where she comes off as obnoxious. It's clear that Gavin is only worried for her safety, but she takes it as chauvinism. This is reminiscent of book one, when she assumes Coulter is sexist. But unlike in book one, I am glad to say that Kendra learns that she was mistaken. So when she fumes about how she saved Fablehaven before, and should be good enough to go on any mission, we see it's her immaturity, not the author screaming how sexist everyone is. Although one could argue she is on the verge of being a Mary sue, as she does disobey one time and have zero consequences. This is bearable because the others don't worship her nor does Kendra brag about her abilities.

Seth is still up to his old tricks, like trading batteries for gold. Although he has the decency to feel bad afterwards. I understood this had a crucial part of moving the story forward, so I can kind of forgive the fact that Seth still hasn't learned much from his past mistakes. To be fair, there are actual consequences for his disobeying orders.

It's important to note that Seth discovers he has his own set of skills. I think if this wasn't revealed, he would easily get overshadowed by Kendra. I felt in the first two books, she was much more important than him. I am relieved to see this was remedied. There are a few hints throughout the book so you are not too surprised to find out the truth.

Grandpa Sorenson develops in this story as he actually doubts he is fit to be caretaker. So many incidents have happened lately. I thought this was rather realistic, as it is he who decided to let Kendra and Seth stay, and his wisdom should have come under scrutiny before.

NEW CHARACTERS

Gavin is a member of the Knights of the Dawn. He is in the first part of the book. His stuttering can sometimes make him come off as unsure, but often times he shows great passion and certainty.

Dougan is a member of the Knights of the Dawn. He is in the first portion of the book. He didn't really have a distinct personality to me.

LOST MESA

There are a small group of characters we are introduced to in the new preserve. But to be honest, I didn't find them interesting enough to really care about. Only one left a lasting impression.

But the obstacles were interesting, from the Choke pods to the finale. And from these events, more is revealed about both Kendra and Gavin.

A LATE ADDITION

A new character get's thrown into the story rather late. But it worked, mainly because we had learned about this character throughout the first two books. Because of this, it was easy to get invested in the relationships he has. Otherwise, it never would have resounded with me.

SETH'S DISOBEDIENCE

It's no surprise when Seth decides to disobey his grandpa. And for once, he didn't come off as selfish. He decides it's time to risk his own life. My real qualm is after he is spotted and chased by everyone, Grandpa Sorenson forgives him and decides he can come with. It just felt a little far fetched to me. Seth has disobeyed so many times, this reaction might have made sense with Kendra. Because she usually obeys.

Also, he is reckless later on, basically making a deal to help the situation now, so he can die later. I think Mul wanted to use Seth's hot-headedness to his advantage. But I though it just made Seth look foolish. Perhaps he should have done it anther way, like Seth's bluntness and honesty helping to win over new friends instead.

He is saved from this ordeal later on and even from Grandpa finding out about it. I understand a new character appears, so it makes sense to want him to have a purpose. But I don't think Seth ever felt the gravity of the situation he created.

PACING

Because most of the book is divided between two different adventures, the pacing is good. Although Kendra's side is more action packed, while Seth's involves more mysteries that present themselves. This is made obvious because Kendra gets six chapters and Seth only gets four.

CLIMAX

It was interesting to me to see the events of the past came into play regarding the villain. Also the idea of someone dying was planted early on. It's easy to think this will be bypassed. I appreciated Mul's willingness to sacrifice someone that wasn't a background character.

A FALLEN STATE

The affect that the plague has on magical beings, doesn't effect humans. Grandpa Sorenson tries to explain this, discussing his view on it. I thought it was really interesting, how he explained the difference between the two and how some magical beings don't have fallen states, meaning they have more autonomy, similar to humans. It was an interesting philosophical discussion, especially since Coulter disagrees with Sorenson on some of his views.

EXPLICIT CONTENT

A character gets killed by being thrown off a cliff. Not much detail is given. Another is killed but is in a separate room, so no one witnesses it directly.

CONCLUSION

Mul weaves together events from books one and two to create a third story an in impressive way. He never lets you forget past events. Also, he gives Seth some new abilities so he can start to become equal to Kendra. It was nice to see he wasn't afraid to sacrifice important characters. I give “Grip of the Shadow Plague” four stars.