Mull, Brandon 1974–

Personal

Born 1974; married; children: two. Education: Graduated from Brigham Young University, 2000.

Addresses

Home—Thousand Oaks, CA. E-mail—fablehaven@shadowmountain.com.

Career

Novelist. Worked variously as a comedian, a filing clerk, a patio installer, a movie promoter, a copywriter, and in the chicken department of a grocery store.

Writings

Fablehaven, Shadow Mountain (Salt Lake City, UT), 2006.

Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star, Shadow Mountain (Salt Lake City, UT), 2007.

Sidelights

After graduating with a degree in public relations, Brandon Mull tried his hand at a variety of jobs in his pursuit of a career as a full-time writer. Fablehaven, his first novel, follows two young siblings, Kendra and Seth, who are sent to their grandparents' estate. In their adventures they uncover a secret sanctuary for mystical creatures and come to realize their grandfather is the haven's caretaker. The children encounter witches, fairies, imps, and trolls, some of whom are evil and pose great danger. In a review for the Hatrack River, Orson Scott Card described the central characters as "quite likable and entertaining—the dialogue snaps and sizzles." Card added: "Fablehaven can be read aloud in a family with as much pleasure for grownups as for children." Bobbi Sinha-Morey commented in a Specusphere review: "Fablehaven transports the reader into a world of fantasy, mystery, and adventure. It would be wonderful if the children could go back again, not only to have more adventures, but also to give us another lively, engaging read." The second title in the series, Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star, was released in 2007.

Mull once commented: "As a kid, I loved to daydream. I naturally created stories in my mind. As those stories became more engaging, I decided that I wanted to write them down so I could share them with others. Books like Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia started me daydreaming about fantasy worlds, and I never stopped. I let stories simmer in my mind for years until I get sufficiently excited about them to express them in writing.

"I've learned that the hardest part is making sure all the assumptions about the story in my mind are revealed or hinted at on the page. My second ‘Fablehaven’ book is my favorite so far because it is more complex and gripping than the first.

"I hope my books take readers on a fun ride. I hope readers meet memorable characters who they care about. And I hope that my books give kids a good reason to read."

Biographical and Critical Sources

PERIODICALS

Kirkus Reviews, August 1, 2006, review of Fablehaven, p. 793; April 1, 2007, review of Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star, p. 340.

ONLINE

BookReview.com,http://www.bookreview.com/ (July 26, 2006), Melissa Brown, interview with Mull.

BYU News Net,http://newsnet.byu.edu/ (November 30, 2005), Chris Graham, "BYU Grad Gets Published."

Fablehaven Home Page,http://www.fablehaven.com (March 27, 2007).

Hatrack River,http://www.hatrack.com/ (July 2, 2006), Orson Scott Card, review of Fablehaven.

Specusphere,http://www.specusphere.com/ (January 3, 2007), Bobbi Sinha-Morey, review of Fablehaven.

Teens Read Too.com,http://teensreadtoo.com/ (June 14, 2006), Jennifer Wardrip, review of Fablehaven.