In the explosive fifth and final volume of the New York Times bestselling Fablehaven series, author Brandon Mull says secrets will be revealed as the forces of light and darkness fight to control the keys of the demon prison.
In the explosive fifth and final volume of the New York Times bestselling Fablehaven series, author Brandon Mull says secrets will be revealed as the forces of light and darkness fight to control the keys of the demon prison.“The Fablehaven series has gotten cooler and more complex as it’s gone on,” he said. “Book five, Keys to the Demon Prison, will tie up all the loose ends, and all the mysteries will be solved. I tried to design the series so that the adventures got bigger with each book, and I feel like this is the best roller coaster that I’ve designed. I think readers will find it wraps up the story in cool and unpredictable ways.”
Fablehaven 5: Keys to the Demon Prison releases nationwide on March 23. “If you haven’t read the books, now is a great time to get into the Fablehaven series,” said Mull.
Mull, a BYU graduate who served a mission in Chile, says growing up in Connecticut surrounded by forest provided inspiration for the fantasy series.
“For as long as I can remember, I’ve spent a lot of my free time daydreaming and making up stories,” he said. “Sometimes I would daydream about strange creatures in the woods. The idea of secret wildlife refuges for magical creatures came to mind, and a story gradually took shape.”
While the series is not meant to be allegorical, Mull says there are definitely themes that LDS audiences might pick up on.
“There are a lot of moral dilemmas,” he said. “There are characters who deal with choice and consequence, and light and darkness, but my first goal is for the reader to have a good time. I try really hard to make my stories family friendly, but there are some twists and scary things to keep it interesting.”
The Fablehaven series has sold more than one million books since its 2006 release, and each volume has appeared on the New York Times bestselling children’s book list. Mull says that by the end of the year, the series will be available in 20 languages. The remarkable success of Fablehaven has captured the attention of Hollywood, with Avi Arad, producer of Spiderman and Iron Man, purchasing the rights to make a Fablehaven movie.
Movie rights have also been purchased for another of Mull’s books, The Candy Shop War. The book was originally meant to stand alone, but because so many fans have been asking for more, there are now plans to release a sequel in the second half of 2011.
“There’s a chunk of my readers for whom The Candy Shop War is their favorite book,” said Mull. “What the fans want does influence me. It got my wheels turning, and I think I have another great story.”
In the spring of 2011, Mull will also be releasing the first book in his new three-part series, The Beyonders. “This is a series where the kids cross over into another world,” he said. “I’m creating all of my own creatures and races. I’ve tried to make a world that is cool and different and relatable.”
“I feel like I’m getting better at what I do,” said Mull. “I love the challenge of creating interesting characters with interesting problems, and I feel confident that my best work is yet to come.”
A free launch party for Fablehaven: Keys to the Demon Prison will be held Tuesday, March 23, at Cottonwood High School auditorium, 5715 S. 1300 E., in Salt Lake City. The event will feature a comedy troupe, face painting, dancers, Fablehaven characters in costume, and Brandon Mull, who will be doing book signings. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the program starts at 6:30 p.m.
Mull will also go on a nationwide book tour following the launch party. For a complete list of tour dates and locations, visit http://brandonmull.com/site/tour.