Fablehaven

The basics:

1. Fablehaven-356 pages
2. Rise of the Evening Star-456 pages
3. Grip of the Shadow Plague-487 pages
4. Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary-535 pages
5. Keys to the Demon Prison-593 pages

In the Fablehaven series, two siblings join their grandparents at a secret preserve for mythological creatures. Their job as caretakers is to protect the creatures from the world outside, as well as protect the world outside from the sometimes dangerous power of the preserve's inhabitants. A secret society opposes them in their efforts to contain the mythological beings and seeks to free them, regardless of the consequences. Therein lies the drama.

I thoroughly enjoyed these books by Brandon Mull and would recommend them to anyone who likes the fantasy genre. There are elements that are a little darker than some people might like, but there was also a levity present that made some of those same parts almost comical. The writing was clean, the characters were compelling, and I loved the idea of the preserve. It made me wonder if this wasn't the inspiration for the Sanctuary series on SyFy.
Throughout the series, the younger brother, with good intentions, continually goes against his grandparents orders and ends up bringing the world to the brink of disaster. His sister steps in, upstages him and sets things right (in the same way each time). By the end, we've seen a great deal of personal growth and Seth proves his worth...and his sister steps in and upstages him again. My complaint is that Seth was never allowed his place in the sun. The pattern became too predictable.
I also thought that the way the author dealt with the parents was a bit awkward.

Many times, in children's novels, the adults are moved out of the way so that the younger characters can solve problems and be the heroes. This series seemed to have a little trouble with that. Although Seth and Kendra do some amazing things, the answers ultimately come from adults.

I would be interested in hearing what others think after reading these books.