For centuries mystical creatures of all description were gathered into a hidden refuge called Fablehaven to prevent their extinction. The sanctuary survives today as one of the last strongholds of true magic. Enchanting? Absolutely. Exciting? You bet. Safe? Well, actually, quite the opposite.

Kendra and her brother, Seth, have no idea that their grandfather is the current caretaker of Fablehaven. Inside the gated woods, ancient laws keep relative order among greedy trolls, mischievous satyrs, plotting witches, spiteful imps, and jealous fairies. However, when the rules get broken -- Seth is a bit too curious and reckless for his own good -- powerful forces of evil are unleashed, and Kendra and her brother face the greatest challenge of their lives. To save their family, Fablehaven, and perhaps even the world, Kendra and Seth must find the courage to do what they fear most

my rating: 4 stars

what did I think of it:
this is the first time I've ever read this series, while I did like it and in fact enjoyed it , it took a while for me to get into the story, also I didn't really like Seth for much of the book because of how reckless he was. Hopefully i'll like the second book better than this one when I go to pick it up,

Initially, the cover of this book caught my eye. I'd never read the Fablehaven series, which this book is a companion to, but it made me want to learn more about the series. Inside, the book is filled with awesome drawings and amusing little notes "left" by the MC's of the series. It's divided into sections such as "Creatures", "Dragons", and "Artifacts & Items" just to name a few. It took me almost a couple of months to read and review this book because I was so impressed by it, I wanted to begin reading the actual series before I finished the companion book. I'm now on book 2, and I can see this as a handy book to come back to skim over and reread certain passages as needed. This is everything I could want from a companion book!

Won a free copy through Goodreads FirstReads! (After I had read the book)

Very nice illustrations throughout the book. Some of the entries were so short and lacking in any real information that they seem somewhat worthless, but there were some entries long and packed with neat details. I liked the creatures that I could not remembering hearing of, in mythology or otherwise, or that especially intrigued me, such as:

Peryton - Winged stag

Stingbulb - Plant that makes a clone of someone

Alcetaur - Moose centaur The mythological nation animal of Canada

Astrid - Man-owls

Overall, worth paging through, even if you weren't a big fan of the Fablehaven series.

Stoked to have received this in the mail today.  I'd won it in a blog giveaway.  I've just started it, but flipping through it-I'm thinking it looks awesome.  Lots and lots of cool drawings/pics of all mythic animals.  This is (apparently) a type of field guide to the Fablehaven series by Brandon Mull.  It's classified as a children's series, so I'm hoping it's something I can read with my son.  =D

I am continually impressed with this middle grade series. I have to think it was outlined well in advance, as details from past books come into play in this volume. I can also see why my son likes these books so much, even though he is getting old for them (13). His reading skills and speed have improved as we has worked his way through this series over the last couple of years (yes, he reads other things too—for school and for pleasure).

Kendra has been studying Patton Burgess' journal, secretly written in a fairy language. She learns where he has hidden a key to one of the artifacts they are trying to collect to keep them safe from the Sphinx and the Society of the Evening Star. The Knights of the Dawn must send a team to Wyrmroost, a secret dragon sanctuary where humans have no guarantee of safety. They must collect a key from the dragon temple, off limits to all. What skills will be needed? Who will make the trip? Who will survive? How might they succeed in this quest?

I highly recommend this series for grades 3-8—4th-6th is the ideal age range. But these are OK for younger kids who are strong readers, and older kids with a lower reading level won't find them too young.