By Ashley Walton
With a shy disposition, Brandon Mull is one of the most unassuming people. One wouldn”t imagine that behind his serene face there is a world of fantastical adventures, wonderfully interesting creatures and an endless array of witty remarks, but that”s exactly what awaits readers in his novel “Fablehaven.”
It”s been just six years since Mull graduated in public relations from BYU, where he said he received some excellent advisement and experience. In fact, one of his English professors, Douglas Thayer, gave him a gem of advice.
“Years after I graduated, I was contemplating grad school and he said, ”If your end goal is to teach, go to grad school, but if your end goal is to write books, all you have to do is write because it will all depend on your portfolio and your work,”” Mull said. “I took that to heart and three years later I got my first big break.”
In “Fablehaven,” a brother and sister visit their estranged grandfather and discover he is the caretaker of a secret preserve for magical creatures. In the preserve there are different laws in place to keep the creatures in check. As the children explore, they discover if they aren”t careful and obedient to the laws there are consequences. But Mull said he wasn”t deliberately writing a moralistic novel.
“I feel like moral themes arise naturally out of stories when you have conscientious characters who are coping with making decisions,” Mull said.
One reason “Fablehaven” stands out among other fantasy is its firm foundation in reality, according to critics such as the science-fiction writer Orson Scott Card.
“Stories in which magic and fairy realms intersect with the real world are devilishly hard to write,” Card said, “J. K. Rowling handles it by barely touching on the real world at all. In his debut novel ”Fablehaven,” Brandon Mull keeps the two worlds fully balanced, crossing over the boundary as simply and easily as drinking a glass of milk.”
Mull”s method of making his writing seem real is cohesiveness.
“A big part of making fantasy plausible is making it consistent with the rules in its own system. I would always get frustrated when I read a fantasy novel and I couldn”t clearly see how the characters were able to get out of their problems,” Mull said.
Perhaps another reason for the life-like quality of his writing is his ability to believe it.
“I believe that a writer”s job is to believe what he”s writing so sincerely that it almost becomes true,” he said, “So when I”m writing about witches and ogres I believe it and try to treat it like it”s very real to make it real for the reader as well.”
Mull has also been noted for the sincerity of his characters and his witty dialogue.
“Mull”s characters are real – Kendra and Seth interact like real siblings and their acts of heroism and foolishness are always kept in proportion,” Card said. “They are also quite likable and entertaining. The dialogue snaps and sizzles”
Mull attributes much of his skill for comedic dialogue to writing for the BYU comedy troupe Divine Comedy.
“It really helped in tightening up my dialogue and in learning to write for an audience,” he said.
Mull has come a long way from writing for Divine Comedy. He currently lives in Draper with his wife and two children. He has just finished writing a sequel and is currently on a book tour in the United States. “Fablehaven” is available at Barnes & Noble, Borders, Amazon.com and Deseret Book nationwide, but is also at the BYU bookstore. For details on upcoming book signings, visit fablehaven.com.
