Tag archives for Brandon Mull
Posted by BOOK NAME: Beyonders: Seeds of Rebellion
AUTHORS: Brandon Mull
Jason has been forcefully shoved home, trying to stay in Lyrian to stay with his friends. He manages to steal Ferrin’s (his displacer “friend”) hand and uses it to get information out of him. He tries to make it back to Lyrian, and eventually succeeds. However, things are much worse than he was lead to believe. Creatures that he didn’t even know existed are trying to hunt him down, he cannot locate his friends, and Maldor has started killing the people who hold syllables of the word. His goal is simple; find his friends, escape these mysterious creatures alive, and unite a completely neutral, but powerful, nation against Maldor. No big deal, right?
Surprisingly, I liked this book even more than the first book in the trilogy. I was pleased that it did not end suddenly like the first book. In the first book, I felt that something more should have commenced, but it just ended really abruptly. Second, Brandon Mull didn’t use the same creatures in the first book over and over. He created completely new, and even more deadly, creatures. I also really liked how well he developed the Blind King, or Galloran. He was so mysterious in the first book, but his personality really begins to develop. I will admit that I was surprised at how good of a swordsman Galloran was, and even more surprised at why. I feel the most sympathy for Nedwin. He suffered eleven years of torture in Felrook, and that is what left him to feel no pain. I can’t even begin to imagine how much pain someone would have to go through to stop feeling it. Overall, I thought that this book was amazing, and recommend it to anyone who even remotely enjoyed the first book.
Posted by BOOK NAME: Beyonders: A World Without Heroes
AUTHOR: Brandon Mull
How would you feel if you were swallowed by a hippopotamus and suddenly found yourself in a parallel world where heroes are nonexistent and almost no hope is left? Would you have the courage to embark on a dangerous journey to save the world you only just entered?
Thirteen-year-old Jason’s life changes forever when his routine day at the zoo ends with him transporting to another world via hippopotamus. Upon his arrival, he witnesses the demise of a group of musicians as they tumble over a waterfall. No one tries to save them.
Jason eventually learns this strange world is called Lyrian, and it is ruled by a tyrant wizard emperor named Maldor. Maldor has broken the spirits of all the heroes who dare oppose him. The musicians that fell over the falls were trying to summon a hero from another world as a last hope. Jason accidentally stumbles upon information about a magic word that can destroy Maldor, making him a mortal enemy of the powerful monarch. Now, his only hope to ever return home is to embark on a perilous quest to piece together the Word, defeat Maldor, and become a hero.
Along the way, Jason meets Rachel, who was also transported to Lyrian from Earth. She decides to assist him in his search for the Word. How can two teenagers ever hope to destroy a mighty ruler and his legions of followers?
A World Without Heroes was an excellently written fantasy novel that I took great pleasure in reading. The storyline was suspenseful and exciting. Jason and Rachel’s near brushes with death and close encounters with Maldor’s deadly minions were enough to keep me engrossed. I also liked that the book had dashes of humor in some portions. Jason and Rachel both use a fair amount of sarcasm to add a happier outlook to their otherwise bleak situation. Maldor is a perfect villain because he weaves complex schemes and is despicably evil. Instead of just killing his strongest adversaries, he chooses to toy with them and give them false hope before crushing their spirit and any resistance they may create. The only thing I did not like about the book was that the ending was very abrupt. I know that the Beyonders will be a series, but I would have preferred the book to tie up a few more loose ends before it finished.
