Book Review: Beyonders: A World Without Heroes
Beyonders: A World Without Heroes, by Brandon Mull
13-year-old Jason loves learning about animals and works part time at a local zoo. Hearing a strange music coming from the hippopotamus exhibit, Jason accidentally falls and finds himself in a strange world called Lyrian. Lyrian is ruled by the harsh and cunning wizard Maldor, who supposedly can only be destroyed by a secret word. Jason soon finds himself on a quest to find the word, and find a way home. Along the way, he meets another lost Beyonder from Earth named Rachel, a blind king, immortals, and several others, who all assist Jason on his journey.
Jason and Rachel are average teenagers, with different home lives, who find an easy camaraderie with friendly, sibling-like teasing. Once again, Mull has created an amazing world with a fascinating history and unexpected creatures.
A World Without Heroes is the first installment in the new Beyonders trilogy, by the author of the fantastic Fablehaven series. Fast-paced, full of adventure, mystery, suspense, and danger – this story is pure fun and excitement from beginning to end. Knowing that this is just the first in a proposed trilogy, unsurprisingly, there are some unresolved plots and major cliffhangers. I had high expectations for this release, being a fan of Mull’s previous novels. And thankfully, I was still impressed and genuinely surprised by the direction the story went. Mull is certainly a master storyteller with an incredibly vivid imagination that he’s able to translate flawlessly into words. His novels are always among the first that I recommend to young readers. With shocking plot twists, dark mysteries, magic, and unique characters, fantasy fans of all ages will enjoy this new adventure.