Master of the Phantom Isle

Dragonwatch #3

by Brandon Mull

Cursed by the Key of Forgetting, Seth has lost all memory of his past - his relationships, his experiences, and who he really is. For now he will align with his new mentor, Ronodin, the dark unicorn, who takes him to the Phantom Isle, the secret gateway to the Under Realm. Though Seth is not formally a prisoner, Ronodin wants to use him and his shadow charmer powers for his own dark ends.

Kendra is frantic to find her missing brother, but the quest will take her and her companions, including Warren, Tanu, and Vanessa, far from Wyrmroost to Crescent Lagoon - a recently fallen dragon sanctuary made up of many islands and underwater domains. Its caretaker has regained a foothold on one of the islands. If Kendra and her friends can save that sanctuary, they might uncover the answers they need to rescue Seth.

With each sanctuary the dragons overthrow, Celebrant, the Dragon King, comes closer to the dawn of a new Age of Dragons. With the forces of darkness on the march, can Kendra and her allies gather enough power to win the epic dragon war?




RUNNING TIME => 14hrs. and 16mins.

©2019 Brandon Mull (P)2019 Brandon Mull

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Fiction, Young Adult, Dragons, Audiobook, Adventure

Audible Audio

First published October 1, 2019

About the author

BRANDON MULL is the #1 New York Times best-selling author of the Fablehaven, Dragonwatch, Beyonders, and Five Kingdoms series. A kinetic thinker, Brandon enjoys bouncy balls, squeezable stress toys, and popping bubble wrap. He lives in Utah in a happy little valley near the mouth of a canyon with his wife, Erlyn, their eleven children, and three mischievous cats. Brandon loves meeting his readers and hearing about their experiences with his books.

Reviews

[Niki Hawkes - The Obsessive Bookseller · Rating 2 out of 5]

… I think I’m becoming disenchanted with this series.

Something has changed. I can’t put my finger on precisely what that is (or can I?) but the exciting, evoking sense of wonder this author dazzled me with in his first five books has diminished.

I have a few theories.

1. Plot. Or rather, a lack thereof. It seems to me like there isn’t enough meaningful forward-progression of story to sustain the page count so far. It’s an endless stream of practically identical encounters and hollow “choose your own adventure” formulas that just isn’t giving me enough to sink my teeth into.

2. Telling vs Showing. This book was a strong example of explaining to a reader why this magical island is so cool… why that plant over there is dangerous. Instead of taking a moment to actually explore the island… and letting someone get eaten by that plant, lol. Everything seemed more a means to an end rather than something to be enjoyed for itself.

3. Am I too old? Does this repetitive, surface-level formula appeal to middle grade readers, and I simply cannot appreciate it anymore? I had the same exact issues with Riordan’s Heroes of Olympus series. And yet, I didn’t with the original Percy Jackson books. Which is interesting because both series I’m questioning are continuations. Like the authors needed to keep producing because of demand, but the initial spark and creative vision had already been exhausted, so they’re relying on storytelling formulas instead of passion…

4. Too much explanation!! This goes along with #2. My assessment of this story was that it was about 75% one character explaining how things work to another character, 15% one character negotiating and making specific deals with every monster they come across, and only 10% of exciting plot-advancement. And I’m not even trying to be dramatic with those figures – it’s really how the story read to me.

I’m torn! I love the whole concept of the dragon sanctuary! It was my favorite setting from the original five books. However, the drama between the sanctuary masters and the dragons is losing steam with each encounter and narrow escape. I want to be into this series so much, but I have to admit that something just isn’t clicking for me anymore. I will probably still finish the series because I want to see how it resolves, but I’m not as excited to.

Recommendations: um… okay, so I can’t recommend these at this point. I haven’t found any real sustainable value in continuing on from the original five books. The plot has become too drawn out and formulaic for my tastes. I’d say if you haven’t read the author – read books 1-5 (amazing!), but if you’ve been wondering whether to continue… I can’t recommend these with confidence other than for nostalgia purposes.

Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com

Other books you might like:

[Jerecho · Rating 2 out of 5]

The struggle is real...

I want to...

And I made it...

Because I can't continue if I leave a page unturned...

Next stop... The Titan Valley...

[Prabhjot Kaur · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have so many feels, so so many feels. This book was a long one and I worried that it might not be good as Dragonwatch series hasn't been all that good so far as compared to Fablehaven series but this was interesting and explained few things from the previous books.

This starts right after Wrath of the Dragon King and some loose ends are tied right at the beginning. I was on edge the entire time I was reading this and couldn't wait to find out what happens next. And of course, my heart went out to Seth. I kept on feeling sorry, scared and a little frustrated for him. At the end of the previous book, Seth lost his memories then Mendigo takes him to Ronodin, a dark unicorn. Ronodin starts to train him in the under realm and use his powers for their benefits. Sphinx (I always knew he cannot be trusted and needs to be dealt with) also joins Ronodin and Wyrmroost, a dragon sanctuary falls. Kendra and her friends and some family is forced to flee. Poor grandparents are left inside but safe for now.

Some new characters are introduced and I actually liked all these new characters and some old ones returned which made me smile. Kendra discovers that Bracken and Seth both are in the under realm with the under king and she gets help from an old ally to go to under realm and get Bracken and Seth back. We find so many new things about Seth's powers that I was both happy and scared for him. Seth is lost and does a lot of frustrating things but he's so brave that I was still cheering for him. I absolutely loved Tanu, Vanessa, Calvin and Warren. Agad dies and a new wizard comes to town. We briefly meet a giant. What really frustrated me the most was that we never get to find out if the grandparents are okay or are they still stuck in that safe room or what happens and no body even tried to find anything about them. Some more to do with the cousins, at least one of them which was a little less frustrating. We see a lot of little quests which I liked. Kendra saves the day and she saves Bracken and helps Seth. At least Crescent Lagoon is saved for now. A lot of the loose ends have been tied up. That ending was amazing. I am actually interested in the series now and not just because of my love for this world but the way this book piqued my interest. Yes, please.

4 stars

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yeah, that's fine. Just leave me without any resolution. That's great. I'm fine. At least this wasn't as bad as Wrath of the Dragon King with regard to the ending but still not cool. In this book, we saw the return of some old characters from Fablehaven. Some made me smile at the old memories and some made me scream in frustration. After book 2 I became a little concerned that this series would decline but I feel like this book totally redeemed the series. I'm actually really happy with the way this series is going which is virtually unheard of for a sequel series. Mull finally fixed the whole issue around Knox and Tess in this book although it did kind of feel like an afterthought and a little out of place. Anyway, this is a great book and I would highly recommend this series!
Preread:
I just found out this is coming a full 2 weeks earlier than expected! I'm literally screaming right now!!
...
Is it Tuesday yet?
...
Just got delayed to Wednesday which is fine. Totally fine. I'm fine. *forced laugh*
...
It has come! We have a tradition in my house to avoid fighting (or at least try to) over Brandon Mull's books whenever a new one comes out my dad reads it out loud to all the kids. That's why I'll take forever to read this book the first time.

[Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty solid installment, I found. I liked seeing a different area of the Fablehaven world a lot. I liked seeing some new magical being/creatures. I really enjoyed this book's focus on Seth because he has so much room to grow still.
I think the ending was a bit quick and convenient, but I still really enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to the next one!

[Kasia (kasikowykurz) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dzięki ci Borze Szumiący za odzyskanie wiary w Mulla i magiczny świat Baśnioboru! Bo o ile pierwsza seria skradła moje serce w stu procentach, to z jej kontynuacją mamy relację trudną i wyboistą, bowiem drugi tom kompletnie mi się nie podobał, co skutecznie zatrzymało mnie przed sięgnięciem po trzeci. Przy Panie Widmowej Wyspy bawiłam się za to świetnie!

Seth i Kendra w tym tomie są rozdzieleni - Seth próbuje poradzić sobie z konsekwencjami otrzymanych mocy i dowiedzieć się, kim właściwie jest, za to Kendra próbuje odnaleźć brata i nie dopuścić do tego, żeby Smocze Azyle ostatecznie upadły. I tyle w fabule, bo każde kolejne słowo będzie zwyczajnym spoilerem.

Fakt, że gdzieś tam w połowie moje zainteresowanie trochę umarło, ale ogólnie z fantastyką mam dosyć wyboistą relację i w żadnym wypadku nie jest to wina książki. Uwielbiam ten mrok, który wisi nad tą częścią, tą niepewność, która towarzyszy bohaterom, zamieszanie, jakie nastało. W końcu się dzieje i to dzieje się dobrze! Zakończenie również pozostawia nas w ogromnej niepewności, ale też chęci by już teraz, zaraz siegnąć po kolejny tom i dowiedzieć się, gdzie zawędrują nasi młodzi bohaterowie.

Ja jestem fanką pióra Mulla już od pierwszej książki, przede mną jeszcze dwa tomy Smoczej Straży, więc panie autorze, proszę mnie nie rozczarować i dać finał, na jaki ta historia zasługuje!

[Książkomanka · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/ 5 ⭐

nie mogę uwierzyć, że zostały mi już tylko 2 tomy :((

[Lady Tea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pre-Read



I do not question. I. Just. WANT!

Post-Read

2nd Rating: 4.5 / 5

It was much harder getting through this book the second time around, in part because I KNEW what to expect with Ronodin's treatment of Seth. That was just so much more painful when I was expecting it, y'know?

Anyway, I won't be re-reading the 4th book of Dragonwatch or anything, since I read that just last year and all the info's still in my mind, please and thank you. Anywho, on to the fifth book when it comes out! (So excited to read how this all ends!)

Rating: 5 / 5

Now, just to be clear, this is still a five stars read; however, I would be hard-pressed to say that I loved it as much as I've loved...well, pretty much every other book in this and the Fablehaven series. PLEASE hear me out!

Okay, so, first for the plot. We start off almost immediately where we left off in Wrath of the Dragon King, with Seth newly kidnapped by Ronodin following the loss of his memories at the end of the second book. This indicates that the paths between him and Kendra will be quite divergent in this book, but that's okay, because having them solve their own individual quests makes a good point of shifting focus, such that you won't get too bored or stagnant in one quest. I'll admit that I found it harder to get invested in Seth's quests because I knew he was doing bad things on and on the wrong side, but we'll get to that later, as the whole memory loss thing is something unto itself that I must describe.

Anyway, the journey of the brother and sister take them each to Crescent Lagoon, yet another dragon sanctuary, and eventually into confrontations with an enemy perhaps even more formidable than Ronodin himself. What's interesting is that most of Ronodin's power is subtle, more a puppet-master of sorts behind Seth's actions than the "might is right" kind of power we know of only too well from Celebrant.

That is the general non-spoiler outline, anyway, and it's quite good for an overall story, but then...we get into the more specific aspects of the plot that I had problems with (much as I tried not to) and this will very much be going into spoiler territory, so you have been warned.

SPOILERS AHEAD

Now, let's start first with the memory-loss plot, since that's the one we first encounter in the book that remains consistent throughout. Personally, I'm not really a fan of the memory loss plot, because it's already been used countless times, makes things more heartbreaking for the reader/viewer as they see beloved characters have strained relationships with their loved ones and even end up doing bad things, and besides which, in an "end of the world" plot that's already taking place, it's an unnecessary add-on. I won't say that it doesn't work in the book though and that Mull doesn't handle it well (considering that he admits this is his first time working with such a trope), and there is the added advantage of emotional stakes as well as physical ones in the plot; BUT, I still found many things to question about it.

For one thing, the personality of Seth, though still Seth-like, is kind of changed. True, he remembers things like the names of states and how things work, but any personal element of who he himself is, his opinions and whatnot, is completely erased. Now, one of the common rules of amnesia is that in any situation, one who has suffered amnesia would not act any differently than they would with a complete memory--that is to say, their personality would still be the same. And it's definitely Seth in there alright, except that he's smarter, in a way--constantly asking the right questions and being suspicious of the information that he's given. Previously, Seth was easy to trust, and while we could argue that he's learned from his mistakes, having this blatantly displayed after he's lost his memory is kind of disconcerting. Of course, it helps that he doesn't get any of the answers he seeks, which prompts more questions and gets him to do some soul-searching, but to see him completely distrust everything is just extremely un-Seth-like.

Next in the memory-loss plot is Ronodin, for all intents and purposes the main villain of this one. Before, in WotDK, I was unsure how to feel about him because he was charming, obviously an agent of chaos, but with just the right amount of finesse. That's still here, except that he's gone from "charming" to "complete jerk" really quickly in how he treats Seth and what kinds of answers he gives. It just ticked me off how easily he was divulging truthful information, but then switching it around by harping on and on about Seth being a shadow charmer and how "the good side" only had an interest in trapping him. He was full of contradictions but overall unpleasant, which I guess is better for the reader since it makes Ronodin easier to hate, but, by the end of the book, I was just annoyed with him and wanted him out of the picture.

Now, adventure-plot-wise, which story was all over the place, and, again, I was never fully on-board with Seth's adventures--not until, of course, he got away from Ronodin. For Kendra's adventure though, it's also kind of a startling mix. At the beginning, she starts off as being very brooding and passive, just sulking around and looking to find someone to share her grief with regarding Seth. This makes sense since obviously she'd be torn up about losing her brother, but it doesn't fully match up with Kendra's character, in my opinion. Yes, she's a caring person and loves Seth dearly, and yes his loss is a great one, but when you've got a worldwide dragon rebellion happening right at your doorstep, I think Kendra's responsible enough to get past that and do something active! I mean, after finding out that Bracken got captured at the end of Dragonwatch, she didn't go all to pieces! No, she focused on being a good caretaker and trusted that eventually they would meet again and she'd get him back! I get it, I get it, Mull had to do something to compromise Wrymroost and get everyone started on a new adventure and location so that it wouldn't get boring, but I think that could easily have been accomplished without Kendra being so whiny and ignorant for the few couple of chapters.

Writing-wise, this book was also a bit choppy, and here's how: an imbalance of dialogue and description for the between-action scenes. Don't get me wrong, a LOT happens in this book, but at the same time, a lot of it feels like filler. Throughout most of the adventure, we get new locations, and I get that Mull has to describe these, but sometimes it feels a bit much to know specifically where the hammocks are in a Monkey Maze tree house if they serve no other purpose than being sleep bunks. As for the dialogue, it's a question-answer session of pretty much everyone the group encounters. For the Seth-Ronodin component, this makes sense, annoying though it may be. For Kendra's story arc though, the questions are mostly from Knox, who comes along and seems to now be an integrated member of the group. He's literally shooting questions left and right at everyone they encounter, and everyone seems fine divulging information willy-nilly, some even praising Knox for asking the questions. I understand that some of the lore has to be explained to us readers as well as to Knox, but some questions just really don't seem all that important, and to use up space just to point out that a character says "Yes" or "No" is really unnecessary. Of the 481 page count of this book, I'd wager that around 60-90 page is just this kind of dribble alone.

Putting all that together, by this point it may seem like I don't like this book at all, so why give it five stars. Well, that's not true--I like it a LOT, enough to have it go up on my "favourites" shelf next to the other Dragonwatch books--but at the same time it is true that I like it the LEAST out of everything I've read from the Fablehaven-related universe.

With that all out of my system now though, let's end this review with a positive note by mentioning the stuff that I DID like. It's quite a long list, so let's get started:

+ the fact that Seth is developing his powers (Because, for all that I'm whining about his memory-loss thing, one thing that I think should be given proper attention and be applauded is how Mull is finally developing Seth's powers. Most of the series thus far has given attention to Kendra's powers--almost to the point that she sometimes feels overpowered, actually--and it's about time that we got more in-depth with what Seth is and can do. Granted, the means through which he's learning are under the wing of Ronodin, but it's Seth himself who's experimenting and making steps forward, and by the end of the novel, I'm really interested to see where his story will go from now on, so that's a huge step forward for him.)

+ that Wrymroost has finally fallen (I know this may sound bad and be confusing, but I truly think that it was inevitable from the beginning, because the point of a good adventure story is badly causing disorder because you can bring things back to order, and the "healing" process, if you will, is what makes the journey truly worthwhile. It takes a lot to get to a happy-ending, so it must feel well-deserved, and for that, we need to get to a low point before we can climb back up. This fact alone was what finally brought things to that low point, and, since it's the middle book in a 5-book series, I think it only fitting that things go wrong before they can go right.)

+ all of Crescent Lagoon as a setting, including the Phantom Isle (Again, perhaps I didn't need as much detail as Mull gave us on everything, especially not in the action scenes, but an archipelago is a fascinating location to work with--as evidenced in Abarat, for example--and I'm really thrilled that Mull experimented with underwater dragons as well. It feels like a well-used addition to an already fascinating species and the roles of dragon sanctuaries.)

+ that we finally get Bracken back (Good golly God, I missed our unicorn! And while I wish that his reunion with Kendra was more affectionate and personal--though I guess that in an adventure book it's okay for the romance elements to be more restrained-- I did like finally having him back on the scene and I really hope that we get to see him play a bigger role in the next book of Dragonwatch. Seriously, this is such a great character that could really be put to better use in Mull's story, so I hope he keeps Bracken at the forefront more than he has so far in the series.)

+ Knox and the demon octopus scene (I was truly surprised by this, but in a BOO-YAH kind of way. I honestly didn't expect much and I'm pretty sure that no one did, but that's how Mull works in turning the tables around on expectations. All I can say is HELL YEAH, LET'S GO TEXAS!)

+ the cyclopes (They technically don't do much, but they were such chill, calm figures, that I found I could relate to them that way, and of course I love how they treated Kendra.)

+ that fight at the end between unicorns (Enough said.)

+ the "cliffhanger not really cliffhanger" ending (Much better than the devastating finishes to both Books 1 and 2 of this series, the ending to this one is still pretty open, but it seems to be moving on an upward and hopeful trajectory as compared to before. I think it's a suitable marking point for the middle of the series, which hopefully also means that we've gotten past our "low point" in the story arc and will be moving upwards from now on. Sure, there are still many things unresolved and many things that could go wrong since our villains are still out there, but at least now we have a place to start. It's kind of reminiscent of the ending to "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" in that there's a chance for anything to happen and the story could go anywhere. We have all we need, so all that's left to do is wait.)

And that, *sigh*, is what I will do: wait another year until the next book of awesomeness comes out. Keep writing, Mull--keep writing.

[Biz]

well that was certainly A Book! Review and rating to come! I have several thoughts

[gaba · Rating 5 out of 5]

wielbie

[mroz_onka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Myślałam, że 2 tom był świetny, ale ten był jeszcze lepszy. Rozdziały z Sethem i Ronodinem>>>
Od razu sięgam po 4 część!

[Harper Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yep. I blew it. I dreamt up my own idea of this book, you know, in this year of waiting, *glares at Brandon*, and I was WAY off. Okay, maybe not WAY off. But way off. Who cares...

I'M IN LOVE! With two things. Bracken, and this book. I could, through Kendra, talk to Bracken all day. No joke. Yes, I'm gonna be that person that screams at the book, telling everyone to move on with their lives, and just to skip to the parts with Bracken in it. But, you know, Seth's story is interesting too, I guess... Anyway, aside from all that, this book was just fantastic. I got my old characters back, I got funny. I think I underlined something funny in every chapter; some things, even, that weren't supposed to be funny. But, I also got seriousness. In the past, I've complained about Kendra seeming a little too immature. I don't know if Mull read my review or what, but he totally crushed her in this one. And not in a bad way. She took her position so well! I loved her! I love her leadership shown in this one! But, again, Seth. Seth has always been one of Brandon's best-done characters. ((If you've not read all previous books, do not read the spoiler, though it does not spoil this book)) And even after the memory loss, he's still so well done. Brandon did the character build to someone without memory so so well! This series is so good. So intriguing, and every book gets better, which is hard to do. Thanks, Brandon, for an action-pact story with big character build that blew the roof off!

+12? I guess? But, I mean, it's perfectly clean. It's just that the age of the characters are older.

As I said, the book is perfectly clean. The bravery shown in this book is inspiring, and I love that this series takes you to a totally different world and doesn't try to compare it to our own, but makes its own statement. Thanks, again, Mull! This is a MUST READ for ALL PEOPLE!

Now. Another year is yet to come without any news, and I'm gonna dread every minute of it.

[Aimee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dragonwatch, Master of the Phantom Isle doesn’t miss a beat, picking up right where the last book left off. The dragons are still at it, seeking domination, and it’s hard to imagine a greater threat. Though in this adventure a greater threat does reveals itself. Can Kendra stand against this dark threat without the help of Seth?

For Seth, life is hard when dealing with memory loss and the choices one makes under those circumstances gets to the heart of the character. It is fun exploring Seth’s character more in depth when past choices can no longer influence the present ones. The true desires of Seth’s heart manifest themselves.

The book takes the reader to tropical places with beaches and palm trees but it’s certainly no vacation with peril everywhere ranging from plants that want to eat you, to the undead and a raging triclops. Yet in the midst of all the trials Kendra is still willing to give her all for her brother.

From underwater adventures, to deep and dark places from your worst nightmares, this book provides another fun read from Brandon Mull. There are even a few surprise twists! This is a great series and adds another prized addition to the Fablehaven / Dragonwatch series. I look forward to reading the series again; Master of the Phantom Isle gets an A+. (review by Brandon)

This is a series you must read in order as each book builds on the previous book.

Content: peril, mild violence

- I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Lover of books · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing!!! Sad about one characters demise but such things happen in war. So excited to start the next one!

[Brynne Wisner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was great. While the formula of this book was similar to the other Fablehaven/Dragonwatch books (it is a middle grade book after all). There was something very different with this one that made it even better.

[Martyna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kocham tą serię całym sercem 🤍

[phoenix_of_culture · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE IT!! No kocham tę serię, a co kolejny tom to lepszy!

[One Man Book Club · Rating 5 out of 5]

Check out my blog, One Man Book Club

The Value of a Star: Ratings Explained

Dragonwatch (Dragonwatch #1)
Wrath of the Dragon King (Dragonwatch #2)
Master of the Phantom Isle (Dragonwatch #3)
Champion of the Titan Games (Dragonwatch #4)
Return of the Dragon Slayer (Dragonwatch #5) (*Haven't read this one yet! Releases in 3 more weeks!)
My Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS!
Best for: All ages! Independent readers 10 and up

And you though Fablehaven was exciting...

I loved Fablehaven in every way--except for one thing: That main character who kept making terrible decisions over and over (and over) again. Seriously, it was bad enough it almost ruined the story for me, and I was SUPER worried Dragonwatch was going to be more of the same. In fact, the first couple chapters of book 1 gave me reason for concern...and I nearly gave up before I even got going. But I pushed on, and thank the book gods I did--Dragonwatch was awesome!

This series picks up right where Fablehaven left off. Same characters, same world, same chronology. There are new bad guys, some old bad guys, and a few new characters, but everything feels comfortable and familiar. This time, sister and brother Kendra and Seth have to work with all our old friends to fight against an even deadlier foe than before: the Dragons of Wyrmroost and the other dragon sanctuaries across the globe that are rising up to revolution. Their goal? Destroy the humans who have imprisoned them for centuries and take their rightful place as the alpha predators of the magical (and non-magical) world.

Sooo...you like books about Dragons? Do you agree Dragons are the bacon of books because they make everything better? Then you're going to love Dragonwatch too!

Kendra and Seth are excellent as teenage heroes. They're the ying and yang of the magical world--one with powers of light, one with powers of dark. There's really great contrast in their relationship and outlook, and I loved watching their imperfect, teenage selves scale their figurative mountains and save the day.

The personal stakes are higher for Kendra and Seth in Dragonwatch then they ever were, and that conflict forces the personal growth I kept hoping to see in Fablehaven but never got. There's a really great twist at the end of book two that changes everything, so get ready to even feel an emotional response that will endear you to the story...eventually.

No content issues. This is some really, really great middle grade that will be perfect to read aloud to kids of all ages or for independent, adventure seeking readers 10 and up.

Book 5 releases 10/26/2021, and I'll be first in line on that day! Look for an update to this series review soon!

Happy Reading!

[Haven B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic third book in the Dragonwatch series!
I’m really liking these books so far, and this one had some significant character growth and exploration of characters. Last book ended with a pretty big cliffhanger/twist, so seeing that develop and seeing Seth go on a journey of his own really was interesting, and seeing how Mull has improved with his writing. I think this is one of the books with the most focus on Seth, without Kendra by his side as well. Often I feel like he falls in her shadow, even though they are equally supposed to be MCs.
Again, I don’t like Bracken as previously stated, snd despite some moments where I liked something he said or whatever, that stays the same. He doesn’t do a lot, other than this one glorious moment where he uses his pretty boy power once.
Something that was kind of annoying with this book is the fact that, as with others, the dialogue of the characters can feel a bit cheesy at times. It’s a mixed bag with Mull when it comes to the dialogue of the characters, I feel. It’s either really good, humorous, and/or realistic, or it’s bad and falls flat.
Another thing that continues to be a problem is simply the lack of dragons or lack of seeing any dragon conflict in the forefront, as it should be in a series revolving around the plot of dragons and their conflict with our heroes. But Celebrant and his dragons are completely missing from this one. The entire book feels like one large side mission I suppose you could say.
Overall though, great read, as entertaining as ever

[dzessika (lola) · Rating 5 out of 5]

oszalalam

zapomnialam jak bardzo kocham obie te serie i ile szczescia sprawia mi czytanie ich

i ja wiem ze absolutnie nie jestem obiektywna a nawet to ze one nie wszystkie zasluguja na 5 gwiazdek bo tez mialam tutaj jakies zarzuty ale to co te ksiazki ze mna robia + sentyment ktory do nich mam nie pozwala mi myslec logicznie
wiec bede dawala kazdej 5 gwiazdek bo moge 😘😘🤞🥰

[Mindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Master of the Phantom Isles is another wild ride by one of my favorite authors. With the turn of every page, I was waiting to see what could possibly happen next! I was always at the edge of my seat in anticipation. Those pesky dragons, wow! And poor Seth. Beloved characters in peril, new and old characters causing trouble, reliable characters with their usual fun and witty comic relief. This book was awesome, and I haven't missed a book from this author.

[Christine Woods · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seth has gone “DARK”, pun intended. The story picks up right where the last books nasty cliffhanger left us. Seth was kidnapped and has truly lost his memory. He is now being manipulated and tutored by the dark side.
Wyrmroost has fallen and Kendra is left with the aftermath not knowing what has happened to Seth but not without unexpected help.

This adventure lets us see more of the magical places, beings and creatures associated with our beloved Fablehaven. You will visit some of the nightmares of the under-realm, the sunny tropical Crescent Lagoon where even the plants can harm you and even the mer-folk.

Brandon Mull continues to not disappoint us with many twists and turns and no lack of excitement. You never know where you may end up next.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love all of Brandon Mull’s books but this story just seemed... extra funny and even more adventurous than usual. Seth has no memory of his identity and is with Ronodin in the Phantom Isle. Kendra and her friends travel from Wyrmroost to the Crescent Lagoon, both for protection and to help the fallen sanctuary of Crescent Lagoon. We’re introduced to new characters, like a giant, a new wizard, selkie, and mer folk. This book is an all-around good time. The characters are brave and interesting and the world-building is absolutely amazing- we learn about underwater colonies and more about the Under Realm. I can’t recommend this book or any in the Fablehaven/Dragonwatch series enough.

[Deborah Clipp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haven’t read this yet but it’s easily one of most anticipated books of this year and HOLY SMOKES the description sounds freakin’ EPIC!!! I predict that this will be my favorite Fablehaven book yet.

[Następcy Książeki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mooore
I want moooore

[sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Calvin i Paprot <3

[✰ Natalia ✰ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,75.
Przykro mi, ale musiałam coś odjąć za ten pojedynek Paprota i Ronodina XD

[Lurva · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was not as good as the FableHaven series, that's for sure. A lot of info dumping, stiff dialogues and telling without showing. But I will still read the next book because it's FableHaven sequel what else can I do

Drat there are two books left? I kinda hoped the fourth one is the last... I'm sure I would forget everything that happens when the fifth book comes out ORZ

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,25⭐

[Startlaughing · Rating 4 out of 5]

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