New!
The Caretaker's Guide to Fablehaven
"Little-Known Facts about Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
9781629720913/$24.99/HC /Fantasy, Dragons, magic/All Ages (October 2015)
The Caretaker’s Guide to Fablehaven is
the first visual
discovery of
the creatures in the series and is written as if YOU were the new caretaker of
the Fablehaven
preserve.
It has all sorts of insider’s knowledge
the caretaker of Fablehaven
would have to
know, such as:
• Dragon tears are very powerful for making potions but they are extremely
difficult to come by as dragons weep only when in deep mourning or if they have
committed a terrible betrayal.
•Dragon tears cannot be forced or faked, so cruel people have been known to capture a
young dragon and murder his family just to collect tears! Okay, so don't YOU want to be their caretaker?
This new book is partly an homage to the
series, but it’s also the springboard to the sequel to Fablehaven.
Author Brandon Mull will embed secret clues in this book to introduce readers to an entirely
new cast of creatures who will be introduced in the Fablehaven
sequel called: Dragonwatch coming in Fall 2016!
Little-Known Facts About Fablehaven by Brandon Mull
When I
was writing Fablehaven about ten years ago, I hoped it would be my first
published novel. I had already failed to publish several short stories
and a different novel (that eventually evolved into Beyonders), and I
had no assurance that my tale about a brother and sister discovering a secret
wildlife park for magical creatures would ever be read by anyone besides
friends and family. I had no way to foresee that Fablehaven would
eventually reach millions of readers in thirty different languages. At
the time, I just hoped it would make it to bookstore shelves.
I’ve now
published fourteen novels, including those in my latest series, Five
Kingdoms. I’m currently working on a sequel series to Fablehaven
called Dragonwatch, set to release in fall 2016. Here are five
facts you may not know about my original Fablehaven series:
Fablehaven Fact One:
I
didn’t have a title for Fablehaven until after I completed the first
book. I had been calling the story The Fairy Preserve, but I knew
the title would need to change because the preserve housed so much more than
fairies, including giants, ogres, goblins, centaurs, satyrs, naiads, trolls,
witches, and demons. Other titles in contention included Grimhollow,
The Sundered Treaty, and Keepers of the Forbidden Shrine.
I’m so happy that Fablehaven became the name of the preserve, the book, and the
series!
Fablehaven Fact Two:
Fablehaven
contains a few autobiographical aspects. The main characters of Fablehaven
share some attributes with my siblings. Growing up, my brother Bryson had
a tendency to get into mischief like Seth, and my sister Summer was more of a
peacemaker. I have a Samoan uncle, which is why I included a Samoan
potion master and named him after my cousin Tanu. And the general layout
of Fablehaven, with a house in the center of a large yard surrounded by forest
in Connecticut, matches the house I lived in from eighth grade to my junior
year. We didn’t have a golem though.
Fablehaven Fact Three:
The
illustrations were always an important ingredient of Fablehaven. A
lot of planning went into what scenes should be visually represented in the
novel. Even the chapter icons got some special treatment. In
chapter 11 of Book 1, after the house is ransacked, the previously undamaged
chapter icon of the house looks vandalized. The picture of the undamaged
house is not restored until chapter 19. With dozens of original images
from Fablehaven artist Brandon Dorman, the new Caretaker’s Guide to
Fablehaven provides a comprehensive visual tour of Fablehaven
characters, creatures, places, and items. I was excited to finally see a
full-color rendering of Hugo the golem.
Fablehaven Fact Four:
Most
of the creatures in Fablehaven are based on species from various myths
and legends ranging from Greek, German, and Scandinavian traditions to Native
American folklore. One character in Book 5 comes from a ghost story I
heard on Hatteras Island off the coast of North Carolina. The story tells
of a gray man who sometimes appeared on the beach to warn people before storms,
so I included a similar apparition when I had my characters embark on a journey
from the Outer Banks.
Fablehaven Fact Five:
I always suspected I might write a sequel series to Fablehaven. At
the time I finished Book 5, I didn’t know what adventures the sequel would
explore, but I left a few loose ends in case I wanted to pick up the story
again, including an unresolved deal Seth makes with the Singing Sisters.
I now know that the sequel series, Dragonwatch, will contain five new
books full of adventures for Kendra, Seth, the other main characters, and some
new characters as well. The Caretaker’s Guide to Fablehaven shares
a few hints about some of the characters and problems in Dragonwatch,
including a guardian named the Somber Knight who lives beneath Wyrmroost.
I’m excited to return to writing some of my favorite characters!
Take the quiz: How Long Would You Survive at Fablehaven?
9781629720913/$24.99/HC and ebook/Fantasy, Dragons, magic/All Ages (October 2015)
For more information contact: Ilise Levine
ilevine@shadowmountain.com
Buy now!
Take the quiz: How Long Would You Survive at Fablehaven?
9781629720913/$24.99/HC and ebook/Fantasy, Dragons, magic/All Ages (October 2015)
For more information contact: Ilise Levine
ilevine@shadowmountain.com
Buy now!
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Beautiful cover!
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