Master of the Phantom Isle by Brandon Mull
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
**WARNING: Some Spoilers for Previous Books Ahead**
After the heart-pounding ending of Wrath of the Dragon King, Brandon Mull does not disappoint with the third entry in the Dragonwatch series: Master of the Phantom Isle. Kendra and Seth will explore new places, go deeper than they ever have before, and face foes they never imagined could exist.
I don’t want to say too much about the plot here, but I will say for the eighth book in the Fablehaven saga, Mull manages to keep things fresh. Seth lost his memories at the end of the last book, and the ramifications of that event play throughout the novel. Mull is on the top of his writing game in creating a character we know well who doesn’t know who he is at all.
As usual, Mull takes us into some uncharted territories as Kendra and Seth explore new worlds within the world of Fablehaven, and there are more rare objects, mysteries, and puzzles to find, explore, and solve. It might help a reader to go back and glance through the previous two novels to refresh before reading this one, as I had forgotten a couple of key details that became major plot points in this book. Coming into this series with this book would definitely be confusing, so go back and read the others before diving in on this one.
All said, Mull keeps giving us more of what we’re looking for, and now 18 novels into his writing career, each story is as fresh, exciting, and fun as ever.