Series Overview: "Peter and the Starcatchers Series" by Ridley Pearson & Dave Barry

SUMMARY

A more in depth look at the series, might be some spoilers.

CHARACTER LIKABILITY

PETER

Peter starts our rather selfish but changes rather fast. He soon realizes the others look up to him and it's his job to look after them.

And although he makes mistakes, getting into arguments (not just with Wendy but the Lost Boys) and disobeying his elders, he usually learns from them and suffers the consequences. Such as when he disobeys Fighting Prawn and gets poisoned.

MOLLY

Molly isn't portrayed as a perfect girl, who can do anything a man can do and more. She is brave, but she is also vulnerable (when it comes to her father, she isn't afraid to cry).

She makes mistakes and has to admit to them. They only part where she suffers is in her last appearance as a child in “The Secret of Rundoon”. She continuously disobeys her father and is shocked by his anger at her. This made her look stupid and selfish.

GEORGE

George is quite smart and although he is judgmental at first, eventually he comes to respect Peter. Even before that, he is likable in his desire to help Molly and put his life on the line for her.

CHARACTER GROWTH

PETER

Peter changes from a rather selfish boy (who was thinking of abandoning his friends) in the first book, to a leader who doesn't just feel like he should protect his friends but protect his new friend Molly, and even a stranger (the mermaid he saves).

Although later on, he lacks in development. He knows he is different than Molly and won't grow, but they never really address it. Even when Peter meets Molly all grown up, as well as Ted, we don't learn much about his feelings. We focus more on his fear of Ombra, which is interesting, but I hoped for more.

MOLLY

Molly doesn't develop as much. We see her become brave but we didn't necessarily see a different version of her before. But we do see her being upset about her father and learning to confide in Peter. But that is only in the first book.

From then one she seems to stay the same, disobeying her father and getting away with it. That is, until "The Secret of Rundoon". She messes up twice, first with sneaking on the ship, and then when she follows her father and gets thrown in jail with him. Unfortunately, we never actually see how this might affect her, as after this she is seen as a grown up.

GEORGE

George starts out as looking down on Peter but eventually learns to respect him. He learns about star stuff and eagerly helps, eventually even risking his own life. His bravery is revealed in the third book, where he and the lost boys go off alone and he leads them to steal a ship. That's why his change in personality was such a disappointment when we see him as an adult.

CHARACTER RELATIONSHIPS

Peter and Molly's relationship does grow and go through struggles in the first book. He gets mad when she won't confide in him about the star stuff, then later when she wants to go get the star stuff instead of going to save the lost boys. Wendy realizes she is wrong and comes back to help save Peter from the alligator.

There isn't really any discussion between them about how Peter will not grow (although Tink mentions it to Peter). Or how Peter is jealous of George and his relationship with Molly.

Wendy and her Father seem to have strains in their relationships, first when Aster forbids her from leaving the house and the second when he scolds her for sneaking on his ship. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any learning done on Wendy's part.

I do think it would have been interesting if we had scene George learn about how Peter will never age. He might had viewed him differently. Perhaps he was told, but there is never any difference in how he seems to view the boy.

USE OF HUMOR

Throughout the books, we repeatedly get scenes between Captain Hook and Smee that are usually funny. Only a very small portion I found skip-worthy.

Tinkerbell is always being rude, so Peter's re-translating of her is usually quite silly. Other uses of humor are more surprising and less predictable. Such as the interaction between George and Peter when they first meet. Or when we see Magill's wild animals.

PACING

The pacing is one of the strong suits. Although the beginnings are often slow, it's not because of bad writing. It's to build suspense. Some chapters are quite small, and are thrown in to build suspense and foreshadowing.

The pacing is fast because there are always at least two different stories going on at once. Actually, there are usually even more.

AWKWARD EXPOSITION

The scene where Ombra reveals the origin of the universe was kind of cheesy. There was no real reason why Ombra would do so, and although it was interesting to discover that Peter might be half alien, the method of it's delivery was bad.

Also, Ombra was far too vague when it came to his motives. And instead of telling them, we should have seen hints of his motives. Maybe learned about his past.

DEATH OF A LOVED ONE

For the majority of the books, only villains and side characters we barely know die. But when Aster sacrifices himself for Wendy and Peter I found it really moving. It made me wonder if perhaps other characters might die in the future. I wanted more stories.

REPEATING THEMES?

In every book, Peter leaves the Island and there is side story on it. It always involves either the lost boys or the Mollusk tribe. Sometimes both. One of my complaints is that Mr. Grin is used quite a lot. He is often lured and used to trap the enemies. It just gets a little predictable.

A SIDE STORY UNEQUAL TO THE MAIN ONE

One of my complaints is that the side stories don't always seem very important. If fact, it wasn't until the third book when the Scorpions arrived that I generally felt it was an important story. I knew in the second book that the lost boys would not be harmed, and that Peter would save them. So I was always eager to get back to the main plot.

AN ORIGINAL IDEA

Neverland gets an origin story with the crashing of the ship “Neverland” as well as a birth from star stuff. Not to mention the importance of the mermaids, who time and time again remain an ally to Peter and his friends.

Indians become the Mollusk tribe while star stuff gets it's own story. Not from any pixies, but from another planet, it seems. The only part where this suffers is when Ombra tries to tell more than we need to know.

CONCLUSION

The pacing is so fast that I never felt bored, and was always eager to read. The suspense was always there, drawing out my interest in every book. And the story is surprisingly original for one based off a classic. As for the main characters they are all likable for the most part; fleshed out with strengths and weaknesses.

Peter does develop slightly, but Molly not as much. And the relationship between them is interesting and believable.

My criticisms are mostly subjective, such as my distaste for the vague origin story of Ombra and the lack of Hook as anything to be taken seriously (or any development). Although objectively, the side story is never equal to the main one, until the third book. Overall, I would rate the series as a whole four stars.

Book Review: "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" Series overview

SUMMARY

An in depth look at the series full of spoilers. It's quite long, as I don't just explain my criticisms but also give ideas on how the story could have been improved.

CHARACTERS

For the most part, I found the characters two dimensional. Sine Ares is the god of war, he is violent and stupid. Since Zeus is the head god, he is overbearing. Hades got the short end of the stick, so he is vengeful and short tempered. Aphrodite is romantic, emotional and pretty. Artemis is sexist (because: no men allowed). Clarisse is a daughter of Ares, so she is strong but really stupid.

ANNABETH

I was rather indifferent to Annabeth until “The Battle for the Labyrinth” when she became unbearable. She lost her temper with both Percy and Rachel when neither deserved her wrath.

Excuses were constantly made for her as her bad behavior is never addressed. She isn't even allowed to admit to bad judgment as apparently she was never in love with Luke.

She is propped up as someone special and smart all the while she acts inconsistent by being irrational and selfish more often than Clarisse. Also her being smart by adding that she likes architecture is like putting geeky glasses on a model and calling her a genius. It's a lame attempt at character depth.

She actually starts using mathematical terms in the first book, so we can remember she is smart.

LUKE

Ultimately I found Luke obnoxious and sometimes stupid. It was pretty obvious he was a pawn of the Titans (since there were never any hints that anyone was going to abandon the gods' side.)

He barely evolved from pawn to victim when his past was revealed. And even then there was never any real sympathy for him as there isn't much doubt on Percy's side if Luke is right. The reader certainly never wonders if Luke is right about anything all throughout the series.

His visit to Annabeth that's mentioned in "The Last Olympian" was a lame attempt at character development as the real goal was obviously to make Annabeth a victim since she is told she could have saved him, but did not.

RACHEL

One character I actually found interesting and likable. I was curious to know her story as it was obvious there was more than meets the eye.

Unfortunately her only real reason for existing was to cause tension between Percy and Annabeth.

The whole oracle thing felt forced as I didn't really think the dead oracle needed to be replaced with a live one. The set up seemed to work just fine for the first four books and no one hinted at the need for a replacement until we learned of Luke's mom. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

GROVER

Grover basically existed to obsess over Pan. I kind of wanted him to get over it and get a life. Maybe have his relationship with Percy help him grow. But after Pan is found, he is simply referenced as being on the council of Cloven elders. And he is more powerful, or something. And before this, his character wasn't much else. I suppose he was less of a coward near the end but it didn't feel earned.

PERCY

I wish Percy had developed but there was never any chance of him making mistakes and then fixing them.

He never got to misjudge Clarisse and then make it right with her.

He never got to choose to escape the prophecy forced upon him but escaped from by Thalia. I wish Riordan had just presented him a way to escape that didn't involve abandoning Annabeth and Grover on their quest. That would have been an actual choice. This way, he felt more and more like a victim.

The prophecy could have fallen to Nico and forced Percy into a different role then he ever expected. It could cause him to feel guilty for escaping it. So much more could have developed in his character. This could have set out a new timeline for Rachel and her becoming an oracle.

He never got to choose Rachel over Annabeth and realize he had misjudged their ability to have a relationship (she was too obsessed with Luke and too irrational).

He never got to go against the gods wishes. He never got to defy them and prove a prophecy wrong.

Everything about him felt like it was written out by Riordan in advance, and never once did Percy come to life and surprise his author by leading him somewhere new.

RELATIONSHIPS

PERCY & ANNABETH

Percy is paired up with Annabeth from “The Titan's Curse” as it's hinted he has feelings for her and Aphrodite (AKA Riordan) steps in makes it clear to the reader. It's as if to make up for this that Annabeth and Percy have a hard time simply getting along for the next two books in the series.

But Percy falls in love pretty easy. Not much thought seems put into these relationships anyway. Not with him and Calypso. Not with him and Rachel. Not with him and Annabeth.

In fact because of these relationships, Percy comes off as a jerk. He admits he needed Rachel to relax and have fun. To just be himself. But then he acts annoyed at Rachel later on. Like she is giving Annabeth the wrong impression. He never realizes he was giving Rachel the impression they were dating, or at least that he wanted to. Even though he admits he thinks she is gorgeous, that he thinks about her a lot, ect. It seems obvious he has a crush on her, but then it's like Riordan remembered Annabeth was there first, so he had to bring it back to her. He essentially gives Percy no choice in the matter.

Percy gets a vision of Annabeth that saves him, which is Riordan saying Percy has to be in love with her. Because.

Annabeth magically saves Percy from an attack on his weak spot. Because.

Basically it all feels forced and fake. Relationships should feel natural.

Rachel was the closest thing we got to an actual relationship as the two spend time together for the sake of it, and actually enjoy each others company.

PERCY & RACHEL

Rachel takes note that Annabeth has a crush on Percy in “The Battle of the Labyrinth” so she stays clear of Percy. She doesn't make any attempt to steal him, but it's obvious she has a crush on him, and he hints at the same thing admitting he memorized her phone number (meaning he thought about her a lot).

It's obvious in “The Last Olympus” that Percy has chosen her, not Annabeth. And because of that she has pursued a relationship with him. Even though we only had one book and half of another to get to know her, it's obvious she was rather lonely. The ending of their relationship makes no sense and feels forced.

PERCY & GROVER

I don't understand why Grover and Percy were friends, other then the fact that it was Grover's job to keep him safe.

It's odd how little their relationship progresses, seeing how Grover goes on most quests. He is in the first quest, but not in the second, as he needs to be rescued. He goes on the quest with the hunters but still only ever seems to be there so when can get a hint of Pan. Nothing else. In the fourth, he finds Pan, and in the last, he shows up twice in the book. He just points out about Morpheus, so when mortals fall asleep later, we can know why. So he is just used for some exposition.

They make him help Percy defeat a titan so they can show that he has gotten stronger. But it felt kind of out of the blue and unearned. Did finding Pan make him stronger somehow?

PERCY & CHIRON

I wish there were a mentor/student relationship with these two. But Chiron is barely in the books, and he never seems to be a guide or any comfort for Percy. There were obviously secrets kept from Percy so some tension and trust issues should have developed.

PLOT HOLES & INCONSISTENCIES

The story itself is not bad. But there is just so many holes. So many times where a character doesn't do something that we know they should have. Or it's obvious they are being manipulated by the author, simply so a certain plot point can work. Often times characters just act inconsistent with their previous behavior or they act like idiots to further the story. I noticed that in the first book, when Percy doesn't freak out and demand to know about his mom and if she is dead. It made no sense. He should have done so, and then schemed about rescuing her.

Clarisse in “the Sea of Monsters” seemed to be made stupid just so Percy and Tyson could be separated and to make Annabeth look smart. Thalia becoming a hunter in “The Titan's Curse” seemed out of character, just so Annabeth could be protected.

Percy's treatment of Rachel seems out of character too from their second meeting at his new school in “The Battle for the Labyrinth”. He is portrayed as so kind with Tyson, and yet he runs and hides from Rachel for no reason. Then treats her like crap whenever Annabeth shows up. He spends all summer with Rachel but thinks Annabeth should still love him. Because...why? It was all so inconsistent and made Percy look like a jerk.

BAD HUMOR

It's all a matter of taste, but whenever I came across something really stupid, I realizes it was supposed to be funny. Evil franchise stores. Space food killing a massive monster.

It got to a point when I had a hard time taking things seriously. This was a book series where people could die, and yet comical scenes were shoved in weird spots. I like when comedic scenes are sparsely added in a book or movie. It helps in a serious story. And there were a few occasions that made me smile. But those were little scenes, like funny moments of dialogue. If those had been the only points of comedy, it would have been fine. But Riordan just likes to go overboard.

BAD LOGIC

There are a few awkward moments where Riordan steps in to explain something....that just doesn't need explaining. It completely takes you out of the story. I kept thinking, why are you explaining something that has no real importance to the plot?

REWRITE

One obvious sign that a series or story is written badly is that I constantly have the desire to rewrite scenes, add scenes, or change major plot points. I think, if they added “this” then what they wrote would actually make sense.

I had a lot of things I wished to rewrite...

THE LIGHTNING THIEF

Percy could have asked about his mom dying and Chiron would have had to explain she probably wasn't dead. That she was a trap from Hades. Chiron could warn him against confronting Hades so when he disobeyed there could be tension between the two. And Chiron would wish to teach him that he won't always be lucky and he shouldn't be so reckless.

Luke could have gone along on the quest and Percy could have gotten to know him (as well as the reader). This way his betrayal would mean something.

THE SEA OF MONSTERS

Clarisse could have developed a relationship with Percy after “The Sea of Monsters”.

THE TITAN'S CURSE

Annabeth could have chosen to become a hunter, instead of Thalia. With her being estranged from her family and not really close to anyone at camp (except maybe Percy) and losing Luke and perhaps not feeling close to this new Thalia it would make sense for her to try to find a new home.

She could have later fallen in love (with Luke or Percy) and no longer been a hunter and decided how to stop Luke on her own. This could have caused conflict as no one would know just why Annabeth lost her hunter status. I mean good conflict, as Percy was growing a relationship with Rachel and not pursuing Annabeth.

Bianca could have waited longer to be a hunter so we get to know her then understood why she chose to do so. Also then her death would have mattered to the reader.

Also, Percy could have had longer to convince her to go to the camp, so when he failed it made sense that Nico would blame him. And then he would feel guilt because he actually failed, as opposed to how he had two seconds with her before she chose to become a hunter and go on a quest that would get herself killed.

This also may have hit home if Nico had been allowed on the quest and witnessed her death near the end of the book.

I don't think Zoe should have been important. There were too many characters introduced in “The Titan's Curse”.

BATTLE FOR THE LABYRINTH

Thalia could mature, become friends with Percy. The prophecy could have fallen on her or maybe have it pass her. Could be seen as defying a prophecy.

Characters come come and go, but not go away completely. Annabeth could still secretly see Percy and Grover when they need help. Thalia and Clarisse could come in and help on a quest.

Or if they don't go on a quest then they at least help Percy and aid him from afar while other campers become friends with Percy. At least then when the final battle came up we could have some familiarity with other campers besides Annabeth.

THE LAST OLYMPIAN

Rachel could have debated if she really wanted to become an oracle. Or maybe even defied the rules (like Percy when he makes demands of the gods) and pursued a relationship with Percy while still being an oracle. She could have taken him aside and said she would still pursue a relationship in secret. After all, it's never explained why an Oracle cannot marry, it's merely stated by Hermes.

If the gods were right, there relationship could deteriorate later. At least that would have been more true to her character then her just giving up on having any relationships out of the blue and being completely out of character.

Luke could have been spared and have to redeem himself by living. Maybe have Hermes come in and show his son how much he loves them. (The never explain why the gods cannot interfere with there kids, maybe there is a punishment that Hermes is willing to bear).

Nico could have earned the respect of the other campers and been welcomed without Percy having to request it from the gods. That would have been more development then just convincing Hades to join the fight (which may have been crucial to the plot, but felt more like Riordan trying to make Nico finally seem important and redeem himself from being a selfish brat.)

Luke's history could have been hinted at or revealed much earlier, in a different book. By now I really didn't care about him. He had been far too obnoxious and selfish. There was just no justifying his behavior (unless the gods really were not worth defending).

CONCLUSION

The world Riordan created could have been great (you can tell with all of my ideas on rewrites). But the relationship between Annabeth and Percy ends up being forced in the last two books; Most characters are unlikable or two dimensional at best.

Sometimes the author steps in to explain something that does not need to be explained.

The plot is often full of holes and the characters are routinely manipulated to serve an end to the plot.

On the plus side the pacing is good and some people might like Riordan's brand of humor. I give “Percy Jackson & the Olympians” one a half stars.

Book Review: Artemis Fowl Series Overview

SUMMARY

The Artemis Fowl series has both strength and weaknesses. I know it looks like it has far more weaknesses than strengths, but I just write more about the aspects I dislike. Perhaps because I had such high hopes and really loved the character of Artemis Fowl. This is full of spoilers throughout.

STRENGTHS:

LIKABLE CHARACTERS

One of the strongest points for the series are the likable characters that are distinct and often humorous. Artemis Fowl is still one of my favorite characters. He is smart but often lacking common sense. Sarcastic but also awkward in a charming way. He has a desire to be loved by his parents and have a normal relationship with them.

Holly was likable when she wasn't preaching or her victimhood wasn't being touted. She was a good contrast to Artemis as she is physical and action orientated. And unlike Butler, she doesn't have a hard time disagreeing with Artemis.

RELATIONSHIPS

There are interesting relationships. Mostly between Holly and Artemis. Holly learns to respect Artemis as well as he her. And they eventually become friends and Holly even evolves into a mentor figure.

I liked the relationship between Root and Holly as well. I thought upon introducing Root he was going to be portrayed as a sexist (since Colfer paints the LEP as sexist) but he is much more experienced than Holly and very much like a father figure.

GOOD HUMOR

I found many characters amusing, such as Foaly and Mulch. Even Artemis and Butler on occasion. I loved the scene in “The Arctic Incident” where Artemis is talking to his shrink and pretends to be confiding in him, only to end up mocking him in the end.

Or the story that Butler gives to the police about sun bathing and falling off the roof, but managing to grab a mattress before he went over.

ORIGINAL WORLD

I liked the Original and detailed world, specifically the technology that was presented. Magic is very much like science in the series. It was this aspect that made the world feel real. The only thing missing was a more detailed history of fairy kind, including their sins.

PACING

Well paced plots thanks to switches in perspective. There was always at least Holly and Artemis' perspectives going on. And when they were together, we always had others, like Mulch.

PLOT TWISTS

Some unique twists and well placed foreshadowing. There were often moments where Colfer hinted that something was up, but wouldn't reveal anything. This definitely kept me interested. Often times the climax was clever and not revealed until the last minute.

ORIGINALITY

Original idea, to have the main character originally be the villain in the story. Artemis was always the bad guy, but he was sympathetic. This was what kept me rooting for him even through his many moral failures. There was a promise by Colfer that Artemis could be something more, something amazing. But being neglected by his parents he had rotted away on the inside.

WEAKNESSES:

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT

Characters don't ever really develop. Colfer's attempt at making Artemis become more moral is cold and impersonal. Instead of saving the planet from it's fluctuating climate, he should have just made Artemis learn to be more kind. But Artemis is simply never presented with the chance.

Holly stays stagnate as well. She is still blaming mankind for every problem, and never seeing past the end of her nose. All of this, well halfway though the series. It was tolerable at first (because I expected her to change) but her constant self righteous lectures to Arty get old pretty fast.

Juliet reveals her feelings of inferiority but then never addresses it again. It isn't just left open ended. It is as if it never happened.

Artemis' mother never develops when she learns the truth about Artemis. This should be an earth shattering truth, but it doesn't change anything.

FAMILY TIES

Artemis' never feels as close to his family as he is supposed to be. We see him become emotional about them, but don't really get any scenes with any meaningful interactions. This is understandable, as they are initially presented as a mentally ill mother and missing father.

After his father was rescued at the end of “The Arctic Incident” we finally start to see a relationship develop in “The Eternity Code”. An unsure one, where Artemis isn't sure about the change in his father, if it's sincere, and how it will affect him. But it seemed promising. Colfer devoted a good portion of the book to it, causing me to believe this was important to him.

Unfortunately, what I expected to be an ongoing development vanished after that. The parents become a foot note, having little impact on Artemis. They are a nuisance at the best of times. At the worst, they are non existent.

A FRIEND FOR ARTY

We stay with the same main characters and don't really add new ones. Or if we do, they are not all that important in later books (I am thinking of N°1). Artemis never gets a peer, someone to keep him tethered to the human world and keep him grounded. Someone to show him how normal people think. It was such a crucial aspect that needed to be developed, I thought perhaps even Colfer recognized this. But when he invented Minerva, a twin to Artemis, I realized he didn't see the need at all.

BAD VILLAINS

quite likable. But I never hated his villains, only found them annoying. The only reason they didn't bother me was often because they were not even revealed until the book is halfway through..

POLITICS

Colfer's politics can make for self righteous lectures on how evil humans are. Usually he does this through Holly, and her character suffers because of it. But this starts to effect the actual story in “The Atlantis Paradox” and rears its ugly head in the ending of “The Last Guardian”.

BAD HUMOR

Some of the humor is really bad. Often times, we get adults that are cartoonishly stupid (like in a childrens' cartoon). Most of the time, that's the only sin Colfer is guilty of. Although he can come off mean spirited sometimes, as in the case of making fun of someone he perceives as pathetic (see Billy Kong). Colfer just tends to go overboard, not realizing when a comic element takes away any levity previously attained. This is a series where people can die.

CONSISTENCY

Lacking consistency. In the last two books, Arty keeps getting demonized as though he has never done anything moral in his life. If that were so, why do they keep going to him for help?

Also, Runes are mentioned in “The Atlantis Paradox” as the villain uses them on Holly to control her. But it's never explained why Arty has never learned about them or why he has never been told in all of the other books.

Holly even puts a Rune on Arty to protect him in “the Last Guardian”. Why did she never do this before? Artemis has always been helpless when it comes to his physical abilities.

Early one it's mentioned that the pressure underground would Kill any human, but in later books, Arty and Butler both get to go to Haven.

After Butler is injured in “The Eternity Code” we are told he will never be Arty's body guard again. And then we forget that, and in every book afterwards...he is still Arty's body guard.

JULIUS ROOT-SPOILERS

There was never a replacement for Julius Root. The woman who replaces him is barely in one book, then she is unceremoniously killed off in “The Atlantis Complex”. Trouble Kelp is in the book some, but never with any real authority.

CONCLUSION

Colfer created an original world with distinct and likable characters. Not to mention good paced stories and some unique plot twists. And although the series starts great, it never fills its potential. The reason I enjoyed the first four books so much was because I still thought Arty would develop, as well as Holly. But they never do. If anything, the same lessons get learned over and over. By the fifth book, I was still hanging on.

By the time the “The Time Paradox” came around and Arty still didn't trust Holly, I was fed up. We had already dealt with the trust issue in “The Eternity Code” with the cutting off of the hand.

I still love the character of Artemis Fowl for what he could have been. He had so much potential. I give the Artemis Fowl Series “three stars”.

Book Review: Fablehaven Series Overview

OVERVIEW

What I did and didn't like about the series as a whole. More spoilers, and less vague criticisms (so if you haven't read the whole series yet then skip this). What I wished would have been different. I tried to start out with what I liked first, then what I didn't like, although it kind of got all mixed up.

CHARACTER LIKABILITY

Both Soren and Kendra and likable and distinct. They were a good contrast to each other. Seth was goofy, sarcastic, naive and reckless. Kendra was patient, hesitant, serious and studious.

It was easier to like Kendra than Seth many times, mainly because Seth kept ignoring everyone, somehow forgetting that he could get himself and others killed. The scene where he saw a baby on the roof in book one was so bad.

Kendra manages to stay out of the Mary Sue trope because she constantly doubts herself and hesitates. Although it would have been nice if she had made a big mistake, so as to even her and Seth out a bit. Although I don't think she should have been able to wield Vasilis like Seth did.

THE WORLD OF FABLEHAVEN

The world is essentially my favorite aspect. It is the main reason I like the series. I forgave the lack of growth and personality in so many characters, because of it.

I loved the pond of naiads and the boardwalk. I loved the stubborn pride of the centaurs (which I wish developed by the way). And I loved the arrogance and beauty of the dragons.

Ephira was one big disappointment of mine, as I really wanted to know more about her, maybe even see her redeemed.

The revenant was on of the creepiest monsters I have ever read. That and the scene with Seth and all of the undead were two of my favorites. I also loved the wall of totem poles and the giant frog. The scene in book two at the mortuary is also on my favorites.

HUMOR

Another area where Mul shines is his sense of humor. Seth has more one liners that I can count. The two satrys are often great comic relief. Even Hugo can be unintentionally funny. When Seth tries to make excuses for the fact that he actually read a book, I found it hilarious.

LENA & PATTON-SPOILERS

The romantic relationship between these two was one of my favorite aspects of the series. Not that was super deep, but it was sweet. It showed how sacrifices had to be made for relationships, like how Lena had to watch Patton age and die while she still lived. As well as Lena sacrificing herself and Patton knowing about it, yet still having to go back in time to live out the rest of their relationship.

GOOD AND EVIL

I liked how Mul tried to explain how magical creatures are different than humans in book three. I found it very original and I wish there had been more discussion about it. Specifically the disagreement between Grandpa Sorenson and Coulter regarding if they had real free will. It showed hints of depth that was never fulfilled.

CHARACTER GROWTH-SPOILERS

The problem when it comes to Seth is simply that he never develops. He keeps making huge mistakes that involve ignoring warnings and rules. And the constant push that it's not his fault, so that he never faces any real consequences, gets maddening. It's as if the only way to move the story along and face new problems, was for him to be stupid. One real part where he shines though is when he thinks that Kendra is dead, but it's just her stingbulb that died. I wish there were more scenes that like, and I wish it had effected him longer.

Perhaps if the story had taken places with months or years in between each book, instead of a matter of weeks as it usually did. But even without time to help him grow, how many near death experiences does it take for one kid to grow up?

When it comes to Kendra, I suppose she does grow, but I felt she had less things to overcome. She felt the most vulnerable in the first book to me. Even when she finds out the truth about Gavin being a liar, her reaction is more amusing than moving. I would have preferred a horrified and broken spirit, like she had in the first book when Mendigo was chasing her. And although there was a supposed affect to Gavin lying to her, basically that she no longer trusts people, it's only mentioned in the beginning of the last book. So it doesn't feel important. After all, she falls head over heels for Bracken almost instantly.

TOO MANY CHARACTERS?

I found it odd that Kendra and Seth both had such strong personalities, and yet everyone else is basically a cardboard cut-out of a character. At first this didn't bother me, mainly for two reasons. The first, the world was so detailed and unique. The second was that in the first two books, there just isn't that many side characters. It didn't bother me that Tanu, Coulter and Dale didn't much have personality, because it was just the three of them. After all, Vanessa has a strong personality. And so did the Sphinx. They kind of made up for it. Not to mention Patton and Lena.

I kept waiting for Gavin to progress but he never did. Because of this, the relationship between him and Kendra never felt like an actual relationship. Just a slight crush.

In the end, I think there should have been less mentor-like characters (who were never really mentors) and more characters that were equals to Seth and Kendra. I would have loved to see Kendra in a friendship with someone of her own sex. She is obvious kinda geeky and it would be nice to see how she would react to a girly girl. We get a small hint of that with Vanessa, but only at the first meeting.

And to see Seth with a friend his age would be nice as well. Even an older, big brother figure. Vanessa almost played that for Kendra (but not really). I wish Warren had played some sort of big brother role, but it just wasn't there.

DEATHS

I liked how Mul wasn't afraid to show there were consequences in this world and that it was dangerous (unless you were Seth, I mean). Lots of characters die. My only problem was I never felt much simply because I barely knew the character, or the character had spent enough time around, I just didn't care about them. Again, the other problem was that Seth never seemed to grasp this, even if the reader did. So his constant recklessness contradicted everything else the author was trying to tell us about the world.

WORTH READING?

In the end, I do think the whole series is worth reading. The last two books are not so bad as to make you wish you never read the series.

What I liked: Seth and Kendra were distinct characters, the world and creatures of Fablehaven's originality, the use of humor and Lena and Patton's relationship.

What I disliked: Seth never developing or facing real consequences for his actions and too many characters that I didn't care about (no personalities).

I give the Fablehaven series three stars.