Twenty years after Fablehaven changed his life, Brandon Mull reflects on the readers, beliefs and creative partnerships behind the fantasy series — and its planned film adaptation.
Before Brandon Mull imagined a hidden preserve populated by fairies, demons, satyrs and rock golems, he was a child who rarely read. C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe changed that. Discovering Narnia showed Mull how powerful an invitation to imagination could be, and helped set him on the path to becoming an author.
Two decades later, Mull still hears from young readers who say the Fablehaven series made them enjoy books. For him, that connection is a way of passing forward what Lewis gave him. A new illustrated edition of the first novel has prompted fresh discussion, but Mull says he never runs out of reasons to return to the world.
A partnership that shaped Fablehaven
The illustrated edition brings together two collaborators whose work has been connected since the beginning. Brandon Dorman created the cover for Fablehaven in 2006, Mull’s first published book, and has gone on to design hundreds of covers.
Over 20 years, Dorman’s visual interpretation of the preserve and its young heroes, Kendra and Seth, has become closely associated with the series. Mull does not picture every creature or scene exactly as Dorman does, but that difference has proved valuable. The consistency of Dorman’s style has helped establish what Mull regards as the visual identity of Fablehaven.
Mull now sees Dorman as an influence on his own imagination. The full-colour illustrations have even helped him understand moments he originally created in words, including Seth’s first view of the fairies and the sense of wonder on his face.
Why the hidden preserve still works
Mull describes himself as someone with a short attention span, yet the farmland surrounding Fablehaven and the wider magical world have held his interest for years. Part of the appeal is the possibility that magic might exist near an ordinary home, hidden in a place people have simply failed to notice.
Kendra and Seth are not traditional chosen ones. Their defining quality is their capacity for awe, which helps them uncover their grandparents’ secret work as caretakers. They remain children who are out of their depth, even as the demonic Bahamut emerges in the first book.
Seth’s impulsive decisions can frustrate adult readers, while younger readers often recognise the confusion and daring behind them. Mull sees that split reaction as a sign the character is doing his job: adults want consequences for Seth’s recklessness, while children are more likely to cheer when he takes a risk.
The books have also become a shared family experience. Adults return to the series with their own children, and Mull has heard deeply personal stories about its impact. In one case, the Make-A-Wish Foundation told him about a seriously ill child whose wish was to learn what happened in the fifth book before they died. Experiences like that have made the author feel his work has genuine purpose.
Faith, fear and family-friendly fantasy
Mull is a member of the LDS church and studied at Brigham Young University, part of a tradition that has also produced fantasy and science-fiction writers including Orson Scott Card, Brandon Sanderson and Stephenie Meyer. He believes the connection may partly come from a willingness to consider angels, revelation and miracles — ideas that sit beyond ordinary sensory experience.
That outlook does not mean Fablehaven avoids uncertainty. Some LDS readers have objected to the books’ monsters, demons and the behaviour of their young protagonists. Mull expected that response. His aim was to write for families without removing danger or making the story overly soft. He remembers wanting frightening stories as a child, including the possibility that characters might die.
The series also treats knowledge and belief as open questions. Lena, a former naiad who works as a housekeeper, tells Kendra and Seth that neither mythology nor religion provides every answer. Mull identifies strongly with that idea. For him, faith is compatible with curiosity, because believing that some things remain unknown leaves room for continued learning.
The strange logic of Fablehaven’s giant cow
Milk has an important role in the fictional preserve: drinking it allows people to see supernatural beings. The idea began with Mull’s personal fondness for milk, which he says has been his favourite drink since childhood. He also jokingly credits his unusually tall height to drinking large quantities of milk and the hormones used with cows.
The giant cow itself came from a family visit to a Utah farm. Mull saw an enormous barn and wondered what it would look like if the cow inside were equally enormous. Once the creature entered the story, its special milk supplied the reason for its existence — a small example of the playful cause-and-effect that drives the setting.
From rejected novel to an expanding universe
Fablehaven grew out of an earlier, more adult novel, The Other End of the Hippo, which failed to find a publisher. Shadow Mountain Publishing suggested making the protagonist younger, at a time when the success of Harry Potter was helping define modern middle-grade fantasy.
Mull accepted the change and discovered that the younger format matched his natural pacing. He is comfortable in that space, even while his current Guardians series moves closer to epic fantasy. Brandon Sanderson described the books as an epic fantasy, and Mull’s response is that they can be both epic and middle grade. He considers the trilogy a possible masterpiece.
Fablehaven, however, remains difficult to leave behind. After completing the original five-book story, Mull continued with the five-book Dragonwatch sequel series. He now says new possibilities keep appearing, including a potential prequel about Patton Burgess, Kendra and Seth’s ancestor, set approximately a century before the original books.
Patton could offer a new entry point into a familiar world. Mull also sees a connection between Patton and Seth: both are carefree, curious children whose qualities may eventually develop into courage.
What the Fablehaven film must capture
The planned Fablehaven film is another return to the beginning. The project launched with a $1.1 million crowdfunding effort ahead of a proposed 2027 release. Mull says the screenplay feels like a dream come true because it understands the humour and heart of the first book.
He is also realistic about the challenge. A smaller-budget fantasy production must make a secret magical preserve believable without the resources of a major studio franchise. Angel Studios, the production company and distributor, may nevertheless be well suited to the story’s modest scale.
The first book begins in a backyard and relies on a limited number of essential effects moments: the first fairy encounter, Midsummer’s Eve, Seth’s transformation, Hugo and the climactic battle. Mull is not looking for a film that competes with The Lord of the Rings. He wants an adaptation that preserves the original book’s sense of discovery, rather than turning it into something it was never intended to be.
A world that keeps opening new doors
Whether the prequel or film becomes reality, Mull remains enthusiastic about the setting and about seeing other people interpret it. His interest in Fablehaven has lasted because the world still offers new routes into its mysteries.
For Mull, the most meaningful outcome is simple: giving another reader the same kind of imaginative spark that C.S. Lewis gave him. That exchange between author and audience is what has carried Fablehaven from its first publication into its next chapter.
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