Blake Schwendiman's Blog and Blook

There have been plenty of sequels this summer -- both in movies and in books. Right now, it's time to talk books. I finished reading the sequel to Fablehaven while I was on vacation a few weeks ago. The book has been out for a while, but I've been so busy with other things, that I failed to stay on top of my fiction reading list.

As you may remember, I really enjoyed Fablehaven. It's a fun story that introduces a world of unique characters and fantastical creatures. There's a lot of familiarity in Fablehaven, but so much that's new and so craftily re-engineered that you get to reconsider all of the fairy-tales you've ever encountered.

The sequel, called Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star is better than the original. It jumps right back into the Fablehaven world and really runs. The main characters are back and there's so much new that you can't help but speed through the pages to find the resolution. I have to admit that I love fiction like this. It's fast-paced and it's written to a younger audience (like Harry Potter) so it's like watching a fun movie. You don't have to analyze or really assert yourself much, you just get to ride along and enjoy the scenery. If you haven't read either, you need to start with the first book, but they're both so much fun that you'll thank me later!

The next book in my review should be obvious to anyone who has followed my blog for very long. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows arrived on store shelves this past Saturday. I finished reading at 2:00am Sunday morning. I hadn't actually planned on reading it that quickly, but I got to the "good parts" by about 11 and couldn't stop.

I'm obviously not going to spoil this book for anyone, but I will say that it took the #2 spot in the series for me. I still like book 3 (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) best, but this final installment displaced everything else. I am glad that I stuck with the series and I think that Rowling did the whole series justice with in the final book. Like the Fablehaven books, reading Harry Potter for me is just plain fun. Just enjoy the fun! Maybe later I'll do a more in-depth review of the Harry Potter series when there's no chance I'll spoil the fun for anyone, but until then just get it and read it -- then you can comment on my comments.