OYENTE

Ari Brodeur

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The Gorgon's Fury Audiolibro Por Brandon Mull arte de portada

A Fun Side Story for Fablehaven Fans

Total
4 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
4 out of 5 stars
Historia
4 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 05-02-25

If there was any set of characters I'd expect a spin off for, it was always Newel and Doren. I'm happy to see the characters we know and love, however small. While I understand the lack of Kendra and Seth, I'm sad they didn't even get cameos, or even just Warren or Tanu! Stan having a moment after being completely written off in Dragonwatch was welcome though!

This story was simple and very fast paced, but I think for what it's worth, it works well as a little nugget of entertainment. I did find myself a bit bored at times, but the changing environments and snack breaks usually had me enjoying myself again. I find Doren's characterization a bit different than what we're used to—I understand focusing on Newel as such a short book would struggle to flip perspectives like the other longer installments in this universe. But it was sad to see less of what usually feels like a duo. I also wish the internal struggles had been a bit more fleshed out, but I like the general idea of this side stories, these two finding meaning in change around mortals is a good angle that Dragonwatch set up. I also like the tiny hints at the lads seemingly interested in something other than themselves and food—it's nice to see a more mature romance in these books as Kendra's love life was a mess in my opinion. The ending was a pleasant surprise and set up some interesting lore as well!

Watt was a bit hit or miss for me. I really like his voice and accent for Newel and Doren themselves. He did great at the magical women we meet throughout the story as well. But his characterization of main characters like Barrett, Hoff, Knox, Tess, and Stan, felt like annoying caricatures most of the time and not real characters. Knox and Tess got a bit better as it went on, and sounded mostly like the versions of them we knew in Dragonwatch, done by Kirby Heyborne. But overall, it felt overt with the cartoonist exaggeration and a bit grating. Especially Stan... I miss Heyborne's very stern version of him, both Stevens and Watt paint him so exaggerated and he just doesn't speak like a person, it's weird for me personally. Also, as other people pointed out, the mispronunctian was wild. Satyr was even that bad, it at least was a believable version of the word for other regions maybe. But ichor was said so strangely at one point—as well as things from the series like Sorenson and Zzyzx being blatantly said wrong is just a wild oversight. I also think Watt sometimes overdid the nervous lilt on the lads and lost some of them confident casualness. But overall, he had a crisp, clean voice that fits the satyrs themselves beautifully!

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Return of the Dragon Slayers Audiolibro Por Brandon Mull arte de portada

A Great Ending (For Now) to the Fablehaven/Dragonwatch Sagas

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
4 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 05-01-25

I saw people saying some negative things about Dragonwatch when I started, and admittedly it made me worried. The first two books really dragged and made me even more worried. But overall, Dragonwatch picked up well at the end of Book 2 and took that energy all the way to the end. I have a lot of mixed feelings about elements of this series in general, but especially Dragonwatch, but overall, I have to say this particular installment in the Fablehaven world was well worth it and an enjoyable time.

I still hate Bracken and Kendra. I don't see how you can say in the same book that Ronodin is too old and creepy for Kendra but Bracken isn't. The retcon of Bracken's "supposed" age also doesn't help make it less incredibly uncomfortable. The lore is also inconsistent as we KNOW unicorns have their third horn in ADULTHOOD and yet somehow he's a seventeen year old (oh and met Kendra when she was at the most fourteen so yeah super normal). Their romance never had depth to begin with and was very uninteresting, so it made the insistence of it despite the literal logistics of the universe making it criminal even worse. I also feel the lore of the Fair Folk and Nipsies was constantly going back and forth, being very confusing about what happened with Graulas and the Ethergem. It just seemed like there were many elements in Dragonwatch that were introduced and then either retconned, or not expanded on. Like, where did Garreth go? What even was the point of Ikabar's debt? Mull has large casts and I understand most not being present, that's a style he's carried through Fablehaven, and it usually works alright. But I just found myself puzzling over plot points and wondering where a quarter of the cast went and why they were introduced at all.

That is all to say, I really enjoyed Kendra and Seth's individual endeavors this book, which is rare as most of the series I tend to find one a drag. This book really had me invested for the middle chunk. The pacing got very fast at the end and I wish the Dragon Storm battle had lasted a bit longer with more stakes and consequences to show the true peril. I also am somehow both surprised and not surprised at Ronodin's end. He was a pretty poor character from start to finish, but the finale with him was laughably pathetic and felt incredibly rushed. I truly wish he had not been a character period, he was so unnecessary and ultimately underutilized.

I don't mean to harp so much on the flaws, because I do love a lot of things about this book and series. Seth remains my favorite character and his journey is painful and beautiful. I do think his conclusion felt a bit sanitized and almost naive in how it handled the complex themes he originally represented in Fablehaven, but I don't hate it, just unsure if it feels satisfactory and true to what made him and by extension, Fablehaven, such a complex and interesting exploration of magic and morality. I love that Seth finally gets his main character moment (even if again the last books ends with Kendra and her creepy 1000+ year old unicorn) and his moments with characters like Calvin, Hermo, and others, made me genuinely tear up. I also thought the Dragon Slayers were genuinely really cool and interesting from beginning to end, and I wish we had more time with them. I'm also both like hm about Eve being on the wayside, but also glad, because I desperately need Mull to put down the romance blaster. Seth in my opinion great aroace vibes and I wish he would stay single (worried about going into Tales of Newel and Doren), mostly because I can't stand to watch him be ruined by shallow romance (Warren and Vanessa, also looking at you).

I could go on and on but I really do love this series, it is one of my favorites and that's why I hold it to such a high standard. I critique the things I adore. I'm so glad we got these characters and stories to carry with us, and Mull's author note at the end was so heartwarming.

Heyborne was really good all around. I missed a lot of old voices, but he captured the serious tone of this series beautifully. So thanks to Heyborne for bringing this journey to a close!

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Champion of the Titan Games Audiolibro Por Brandon Mull arte de portada

A Great Penultimate Chapter for Dragonwatch

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
4 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 04-18-25

The first two books in this series really dragged, but Master of the Phantom Isle and now Champion of the Titan Games really feel like true Fablehaven stories! The cast and settings were full and boisterous and constantly engaging. Titan Valley was another really interesting exploration to new sanctuaries and new culture. I do think that because of the constraints of the fast moving plot and ending coming near, we didn't really get to flesh out the dramatic difference in societal hierarchy for the giants and dragons in Titan Valley. I think my biggest gripe for this book is its unusually fast pace. Many things felt like we were whizzing past without getting to know more. I wish perhaps the first two books and these last two books had an even pace throughout, instead achingly slow and jarringly quick. I also feel like there were some real lore inconsistencies, but I could be wrong, I'd have to go back and check. Either way, while I feel like lots of set up continues to be left on the wayside, this book was far more engaging and I was definitely moved emotionally more than ever.

Seth continues to be an amazing protagonist and while I still begrudge his reset, the finale of this book was extremely satisfying and heartbreaking. Kirby Heyborne nailed the emotional delivery. I am disappointed tha since Dragonwatch 1, he hasn't fully shouted and went back to whisper shouting. I just don't like it and find it much less exciting and immersive. And again, his voices for some main characters are lacking, like Vanessa. But side characters got it good this book, and I loved the accents and inflections. I was also very happy to not have to see Ronodin or Bracken in this book, bc I just find them obnoxious and handled poorly everytime they're on screen. Nonetheless, this book has me thrilled for the final novel and feeling much better about my overall opinion on this series!!! (oh and, Seth with wings is iconic and stays permanent in my head because that's too cool to be temporary.)

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Master of the Phantom Isle Audiolibro Por Brandon Mull arte de portada

A Return to Form for Fablehaven

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
4 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 04-10-25

This installment felt like a true return to what made Fablehaven so loveable. Crescent Lagoon brought back the spark of Fablehaven's expansive and diverse worldbuilding, bringing a fresh location that was sorely needed. Wyrmroost was always my favorite sanctuary from the original series, but Fablehaven thrives when it moves and explores folklore. This book did that for me, and I felt thrilled with every new development, compared to the last two books. Dragonwatch 1 and 2 had great moments (especially the climaxes) but the bulk of the books dragged a lot for me, so I was pleasantly surprised when this book felt much better paced and engaging, flying by. I especially loved Grady despite his small role, as I love Irish folklore and didn't expect to see it. Basically, getting a look into sea based fantasy creatures and folklore was super interesting and new for this world and I loved it!

Ronodin is still unlikable, but much more intentionally this book. Thanks to the minimal interactions with Kendra, he felt more like a real, complex character and threat, instead of another grown man for Kendra to be fawning over. His gaslighting and flowery language was repetitive at times, but overall was well done in showcasing how slippery he is. Seth is my favorite character, so while I'm not the biggest fan of this arc for him as he feels majorly subdued and his growth pretty much reset, I found the plot line more tolerable as the book went on.

Kirby Heyborne is still overall preferable to E.B. Stevens for me, as his voices for the integral main cast is a lot less grating. But I was majorly disappointed by his interpretations of Warren, Vanessa, and the Sphinx. I understand avoiding accents if you can't do them well, but Vanessa and the Sphinx especially lost a lot of their charm and wit in Heyborne's portrayal. And while I understand Seth is going through A LOT and would be more relaxed and even melancholy, Heyborne's delivery of what should be more sarcastic, funny, and upbeat moments was regularly dry and dull. I liked it in the first book, as sometimes E.B. Stevens missed out on chances for dry humor that I think Mull intended, but Heyborne has gone too far in the opposite direction now. I can see why some people don't love his performance as it can be very monotone at times when doing Seth and Kendra specifically. So overall, I still like his more mature approach to the material, but his lack of variation is a bit telling when the cast grows.

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Wrath of the Dragon King Audiolibro Por Brandon Mull arte de portada

Good and Bad Aspects, But Getting Interesting

Total
4 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
4 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 03-27-25

The first half of this sequel had me bored, I'm not going to lie. So far Dragonwatch has felt like a lot of new characters and new lore being constantly informed on your head. Fablehaven always balanced the lore and worldbuilding with actual action and adventure, stuff happening. This book felt like a lot of sitting around and talking while not much actually transpired. At least for the first half. But I really enjoyed the last third. The entire cursed castle and it's puzzles felt very true to Fablehaven in a way we hadn't had in a bit. Kirby Heyborne also did wonderfully with the the princes voices, really enhancing the ambience of the entire section. I love a lot of the new characters we have been getting, but this book got me already questioning that opinion with the appearance of Ronodin.

I'm sorry, but Kendra has had enough grown men that she's explicably attracted to. After Bracken, Garreth already felt a little random but I was okay with him as I much prefer the idea of Kendra with a boy ACTUALLY HER AGE magical or not. But introducing Ronodin as this hot dark version of Bracken pushed it for me. I already don't like Bracken as the author and book itself in the voice of Kendra and other characters acknowledge the extremely uncomfortable and weird age gap between them, but to introduce the SAME KIND OF UNCOMFORTABLE SCENARIO A N D HES AN AWFUL PERSON? I can see where we're going, Ronodin's morally gray and dangerous and mysterious and that's supposed to be attractive and make us wonder if he could be redeemed. But how are we supposed to think Kendra is valid in being attracted to him when he has her CURRENT LOVE HELD HOSTAGE. It's absurd to me and completely not like Kendra! Enemies to Lovers dynamics work with very specific kinds of characters and a goody two shoes like Kendra would not let Ronodin's stupid handsomeness distract her from what he's doing so why is that how she's being portrayed?! I really find it uncomfortable and strange.

This trend of Kendra being interested in men far older than her (Warren, Bracken, Ronodin, TECHNICALLY Gavin she thought was 16 but he was also a grown ass magical man) is just too much back to back to back like this. I really don't like this and therefore I don't like Ronodin. He has the opposite problem of Bracken. Instead of being so perfect and flawless he's boring, he's a try hard to be different and cheeky and charming and it feels so forced and ultimately uncharismatic. After the ending of this book, I also cannot believe that there will be any further romantic tension between Ronodin and Kendra like are you kidding?? There better not be but what I see online suggests otherwise and I simply detest that Kendra's already paper thin character is being assassinated for ANOTHER completely unnecessary romance.

Regardless, this book had some really good moments and once again, the castle and climax was the best part of the book. I don't love the ending mostly because I find Ronodin obnoxious but as Seth is my favorite character I am on the edge of my seat for him and am very interested to see what happens so, I certainly look forward to book 3.

As for Heyborne, I didn't love his Patton voice, to be frank. It sounded too modern and lost a lot of the old timey charm that E.B. Stevens gave him. Another small instance where Stevens's characterization worked better. But otherwise, like I said, I loved how he voiced the princes, and overall, I still prefer him to Stevens. His shouting and screaming really does impress me everytime as I've never listened to another book on here where the narrator actually dares to raise their voice! Genuinely great vocal performance overall.

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Dragonwatch Audiolibro Por Brandon Mull arte de portada

A Very Anticipated Sequel

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
4 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 03-18-25

As a kid, my favorite book of the original Fablehaven was always Book 4, Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary, and I think a lot of fans can agree. Mull's lore for dragons is simply so unique and fascinating. This concept for a sequel series works really well imo and flawlessly follows the first. I will, I'm disappointed that it isn't further in the future to allow for more interesting dynamics. Following so soon after the first series is not my favorite, but I understand how it functions plot wise.

Overall, I really liked this first installment. I don't think it lives up to Fablehaven so far, but the first Fablehaven Book was also slow and not the best. Still, there were very few times in the original five books I felt the story dragged and the middle of this book felt like a chore at times. Fablehaven has always been an exposition heavy series but it balanced it well with its other elements of adventure and danger. This book felt much more like meeting people and learning things while not actually doing much. However I will say, my favorite part has to be the new characters. While I miss Tanu and Warren, Henrick and Calvin quickly won my heart. The Fairfolk seem exceptionally interesting and I assume we will see them again (if we don't I'll lose my mind because I am a Bracken and Kendra hater and Kendra and Garreth make far more sense). I am also super intrigued by Talizar and Jubaya. This book set up a lot of things I'm very excited for. The ending while not my favorite thing certainly felt very Fablehaven and was absolutely mind-boggling to go into blind. I was gasping all the way through. Seth once again secured himself as my favorite character, the kid is a legend.

And oh my goodness, Kirby Heyborne! I loved him. I definitely felt the jarring sensation everyone else has complained about going from E.B. Stevens to Heyborne, but I got to say, I adjusted in a chapter or two and only loved it more as we went. Heyborne gave the series the maturity and respect I think we often lacked in Stevens's narration. Don't get me wrong, in the end I loved Stevens and many of his voices will remain iconic. I think his Newel and Doren for example are peak. but Kirby made Kendra a lot more bearable to listen to, not opting for obnoxious high voices just because he was reading for women. His read on Stan also captured the grim reality the poor man has been facing which we saw with the intro journel entry in a way Stevens often made him some comical, my respect for Stan massively grew seeing him in a much more serious light. And my favorite part HAS to be the shouting. No fantasy novel I have listened to in the last couple of years has had a narrator dare to actually raise their voice, it's always whisper shouting. Heyborne makes action and danger feel real and intense and I got genuinely sweaty multiple times. His read of Celebrant and Seth's shouts in many scenes had me tensing up and eyes wide! Just a great narrator with subtle but still pleasantly surprising range. I look forward to more of his narration!

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Fablehaven, Book 4 Audiolibro Por Brandon Mull arte de portada

My Favorite Entry in Fablehaven!

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
4 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 02-10-25

Well, it's a tie with book 2, Rise of The Evening Star. But I adore what Mull does with the dragons in this series, it has always been one of my favorite series with dragons I've ever read. The lore and world building just gets better and better. I will say, this book is crazy dark. The others were rough, but this one is wild. It's crazy to imagine children reading it. Frankly, bc of it's demographic, I think it sometimes glosses over the events a little too much, but I do appreciate how Kendra is written, her trauma is much more evident than Seth's, which I think is fair and overall well done. This book also started kinda slow, the only one I felt that way about, but otherwise, loved it. Heartbroken, devastated, flabbergasted, but loved it. E.B. Stevens got a lot better with the emotional reading once again, but even though I still don't love his voice for Kendra, it also improved notably by the end! I will say however, Raxtus' voice was kinda grating. I get what they were going for, but I really didn't like the overly comedic vibe in some scenes, he was like Seth in Book 1 x100 and it was just a little much, especially at the pivotal climactic scene in the second to last chapter... I think he could have been a bit more serious considering the insane context of what transpired. Either way, amazing per usual and I gotta say, as expected Steven's has grown on me. 10/10, can't recommend enough, this book only excites me more to finally get to Dragonwatch

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Fablehaven, Book 3 Audiolibro Por Brandon Mull arte de portada

Another Amazing Installment

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
4 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 01-31-25

I love the way the story is split up in this book, and how much more of the world we get to see! The world building and diverse people and cultures we see in this series is one of its biggest strengths—Lost Mesa is an amazing setting. Seth's character arc really gets started in this book and only gets better, so I love that aspect. The new characters also once again really flesh out the story and set us up for the future which I can't wait to get to. Once again though, I have mixed feelings about E.B. Stevens. He's great with diverse accents and voices, and has gotten better with showing more emotion than the last book, but I still don't love the way he does female voices, to no real fault of his own, I just wish they had cast a woman to narrate the book as it is primarily from Kendra's POV. His Seth is good but per usual he loses both his and Kendra's dry sense of humor and sarcasm with too outdated inflections, like making Kendra sound haughty when I never really got that vibe from her. I also don't understand the accent on Gavin, it's interesting just never how I pictured him. Either way though, great story and great narration. Next book is my favorite!

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Fablehaven, Book 2 Audiolibro Por Brandon Mull arte de portada

A Full and Fascinating Sequel

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
4 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 01-17-25

I always remembered this book as one of my favorites in the series, and for good reason! The cast is unique and varied, and the story, action and fantasy are all so well conceived! This book is pivotal in setting up the majority of the story for the rest of the series and it does a fantastic job. I love characters like Tanu and Warren, and characters like Coulter and Vanessa are wonderfully written to be complex and unlikable at times and yet you can understand them as layered individuals. The amount of locations in this book as well as creatures encountered really expanded the Fablehaven world and its only getting started! I have to say, as a kid, this was one of the first novels I came across that took the time to have people of multiple ethnicities. The first book already did set the groundwork for that, but I will always really appreciate Mull for characters like Vanessa and especially Tanu. Tanu remains one of my favorites in the whole series, he's just a real good, sweet guy and I really appreciate the realistic representation of poc in the US, as well as in general not trying to make everyone some conventionally attractive hunk. The variation in characters body types and ethnicities is so rare to find in fantasy. And my favorite character, Seth, gets one of his best moments in this novel. I won't spoil it, but it's a scene I always remember as genuinely impressive for a twelve year old boy. I just love Seth as a complex and flawed hero, he messes up a lot, and so when he comes through it's really emotional because not only can you understand his desire to prove himself, but displays the true selfless heart he has. I relate to him and adore him, and I just love his quiet victories throughout the series. Kendra is a sweetheart and I love that as a girl she is the main hero in Fablehaven, especially while never damning femininity—she's a badass and blessed by fairies and its cool as hell. But the role Seth plays in Fablehaven as this hero in the background who has as many mistakes as he does heroic moments makes him compelling to me in a way that has stuck with me since childhood. So all in all, an amazing sequel that always has me excited for the next installment and also wanting to go back and read it all again!
E.B. Stevens really pulls through with the accents this book, but I couldn't give him a full 5 stars because frankly, his reading style is very emphatic in only two sort of registers. He can do suspenseful and worried (sometimes) but overall there were many emotional scenes he read as if it the same atmosphere as a sunny walk in the park! I was like dude that person was just described as distressed and upset and you read it like they were being sarcastic. It really dampened some otherwise harrowing or sorrowful moments. In general, I also find his read of the siblings losing some of the sarcastic charm I always loved about them. I always took Seth as a much drier comedian and Stevens sometimes reads like he's a Stooge and it dumbs down the actual comedy for me. I realize this book is accessible for kids on purpose, but this series is grim! The narration should take its contents more seriously in my opinion. So 4 stars—great accents, extremely weak emotion. Regardless, Fablehaven is great and everyone should sit down and read it on paper for themselves if they can!

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Fablehaven, Book 1 Audiolibro Por Brandon Mull arte de portada

A Masterpiece Fantasy for Children and Adults

Total
4 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
4 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 12-31-24

I read this series as a child and loved it. Even now, at 22 going on 23, it is still in my top 3 favorite book series and I regularly revisit it. When I got into audible, I was really excited to experience in a new way. However I have to agree with others, I have a mixed opinion on E.B. Stevens. I think he has great range and the deep voices and accents he pulled out were really engaging and believable. However his reading style has sometimes engaging and other times patronizing. Mostly, his reading of dialogue lost a lot of the spunk it has when I read it in my head. Seth's and Kendra's sarcasm is almost entirely lost and makes them seem much more stupid than they actually are, making them feel more like 7 year olds instead of tweens in middle school. I personally believe even in third person novels that the main character should be the driving force for the narration, and I think a woman would have been better as we all know Kendra is the main character here (and that Seth gets his true spotlight in Dragonwatch). I just could not get into E.B. Stevens high pitched girl voice, it was not believable most of the time and I just find that sort of thing grating. But that's me being extremely picky. I think overall he did good, and I appreciate the lengths he went to differentiate characters and give life to non dialogue, because I've seen a LOT of narrators who read these books like it's a newspaper. Anyway, this book is a CLASSIC and is genuinely the best thing for any age if you love fantasy! the World building is next level and takes classic folklore to a really unique concept I've never seen done before. Can't recommend it enough—if you don't listen, absolutely get a physical copy!

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