In a world of dragons, fairies, unicorns and demons, “Fablehaven” tells the story of two children who discover that fairytale creatures are more than just bedtime story characters.
The fantasy novelist and author of the Fablehaven series, Brandon Mull, sported the casual look of sandals, grey shorts and a white polo shirt when addressing his fans for a book signing at the Orem Library on Friday.
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Mull said the writers that most inspired him were extremely imaginative.
“J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis and J. K. Rowling were some of the most influential authors to me,” Mull said. “Their stories taught me the importance of imagination, and they took me for a fun ride.”
As the author of “Fablehaven,” “Candy Shop Wars,” “Pingo” and “Beyonders,” Mull grasped the attention of a room filled with high spirited children, teens and adults. Mull said his newest release, “Beyonders,” took about 10 years to work the idea and story.
“I wanted a book that was a bit more ‘epic’ and ‘thick,’ ” Mull said. “The idea is a bit more advanced, in that the characters leave our world into an alternate reality.”
When coming up with the gateway to transverse to the other reality, Mull said he was inspired by the most unusual of ideas.
“I was at the Hogle Zoo near the hippo tank,” Mull said. “When the idea came to me to use the hippo’s jaws as the ‘Gateway to Lyran.’ ”
With more than a wide-mouth mammal to start off the story, the Beyonders series is designed to be a bit more in-depth in nature and content, but still digestable for young readers.
Mull also spoke about the importance of reading, and how he related to the younger generation because of his love for video games and movies as well.
“Read together with your kids to get them going,” Mull said. “Things will take off from there.”
Most readers, like Ian Sommer, 15, from Moorcroft, Wyo., start reading Mull’s books because of a friend referral.
“I started because people around me said it was good,” Sommer said. “Once I started, I got hooked.”
Mothers also enjoy taking time to sit down and read a good fantasy novel with their kids. Camille Rollins, a mother of five from Lehi, said it was her kids that started the craze.
“My kids picked up the series,” Rollins said. “And soon enough, the whole family was involved.”
Other mothers, like Katya Kadomtsev of Spanish Fork, said they enjoyed how any age could read the novels and enjoy them.
“I like how it is really clean, and it has some good themes in it,” Kadomtsev said. “They are very enjoyable to read.”
So if the idea of fairytale creatures and demons kept hidden on a ranch guarded only by an elderly couple and a bit of magic doesn’t interest you, or if jumping into an alternate reality where heroism is a thing of the past, Mull said he has just the right remedy.
