Brandon Mull Discusses the Past and Future of Fablehaven

Brandon Mull was a child who rarely opened a book until he encountered C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. That story changed how he saw reading, sparking an imagination that eventually launched his career as the author of Fablehaven.

“It would mean a lot to me,” Mull says, “to be able to thank C.S. Lewis for what he gave to me.”

More than two decades after the first novel appeared, Mull regularly hears from young readers who say his books did the same for them. The milestone is being marked by a new illustrated edition of the debut volume featuring artwork by Brandon Dorman. Dorman illustrated the original 2006 cover of Fablehaven, Mull’s first published work, and the two have collaborated ever since.

Dorman’s visual style has become deeply intertwined with how Mull pictures his young protagonists, Kendra and Seth. Mull notes that Dorman’s full-color painting of Seth seeing fairies for the first time offered fresh insight into his own world.

“The wonder in the expression was so good,” Mull says. “It helped me see it a little better, just seeing the wonder on that face.”

Grounding Magic Close to Home

The core appeal of the preserve is its grounded setting. Kendra and Seth are not chosen heroes. They are ordinary children visiting their grandparents, discovering that the family farm is a secret sanctuary for mythical creatures. When the demon Bahamut threatens the preserve, the siblings remain children who are out of their depth. While adult readers sometimes feel frustrated by Seth’s impulsive mistakes, younger readers relate to his curiosity and confusion.

“That it bothers some adults and makes them want to punish him, and also makes kids kind of cheer for him means something’s working there,” Mull says.

The series has created lasting bonds among families. In one memorable case, the Make-A-Wish Foundation reached out to Mull about a terminally ill boy whose wish was to learn the conclusion of the story because he was afraid he would not live to see the fifth book published. Mull shared the ending with him.

“The fact that I hear that sometimes makes my life feel worthwhile,” Mull says.

Faith, Mystery, and Family Fantasy

Mull grew up in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and graduated from Brigham Young University, joining a notable group of LDS speculative fiction authors that includes Brandon Sanderson, Stephenie Meyer, and Orson Scott Card. Mull believes that religious background fosters an openness to fantasy by asking believers to accept things beyond ordinary perception, such as angels and miracles.

“I think there’s some space to believe things that are unbelievable,” Mull says. He adds that strict lifestyle habits also leave plenty of free time for reading fantasy books.

Some conservative readers have questioned the presence of demons and monsters in the series, but Mull intentionally avoided sanitizing his world. As a boy, he wanted stories with genuine tension and real danger, including the possibility of death, while remaining appropriate for young readers.

That perspective extends to how his characters view knowledge and belief. In the first book, the former naiad Lena explains to Kendra and Seth that no religion or mythology possesses all the answers, as human philosophies complicate spiritual truths. Mull shares that view.

“I love any message that says we know some things, not all things,” Mull says. “Because I think if you think some other way, then you’re not gonna keep learning.”

The Origins of Fablehaven’s Magical Milk

Drinking milk from a giant cow gives humans the ability to see fairies and magical creatures throughout the preserve. That detail comes from Mull’s own life and a trip to a Utah farm. Mull has always been an avid milk drinker, which he jokingly credits for making him the tallest member of his family.

During the farm visit, Mull noticed a massive barn and wondered what it would look like if the structure housed a single cow of matching proportions. Once he placed a giant cow in the story, he decided its milk needed to have a magical purpose, giving rise to the rule that drinking it reveals the supernatural realm.

New Series, Prequels, and a Film Adaptation

Writing for middle-grade readers was not Mull’s original plan. An earlier, more adult novel titled The Other End of the Hippo failed to find a publisher. When Shadow Mountain Publishing suggested focusing on younger protagonists, Mull discovered that the category fit his natural storytelling voice.

“I’m glad Sanderson’s Sanderson, and I’m glad Mull’s Mull,” Mull says. “I like the lane I found. It really is a good fit.”

Mull explores larger storytelling bounds with his Guardians series, a trilogy that blends epic scale with middle-grade storytelling. After reading it, Sanderson told Mull that he had written an epic fantasy. Mull considers the trilogy an artistic milestone, noting that those three books together will probably be his masterpiece.

Even with other projects underway, Mull continues to return to his signature preserve. After completing the original five books and the five-book sequel series Dragonwatch, Mull is developing ideas for a prequel about Patton Burgess, an ancestor of Kendra and Seth, set roughly a century earlier. In Mull’s view, Patton shows how a reckless child like Seth can mature into a courageous adult.

A feature film adaptation is also moving forward. Following a $1.1 million crowdfunding campaign on BackerKit, the project is aiming for a 2027 release with Angel Studios. Mull is enthusiastic about the script, noting that the first book benefits from a contained scale focused on key sequences such as the initial fairy discovery, Midsummer’s Eve, Seth’s transformation, the golem Hugo, and the final battle.

“I’m excited about the world. I’m excited about the books. I’m excited about the movie. I’m excited about seeing what other people do with it,” Mull says. “I get to do for somebody else what C.S. Lewis did for me.”

Source: Polygon