A World Without Heroes (Beyonders)

Another good book by Brandon Mull. It was entertaining, suspenseful, funny, creative, and an all around good book to listen to. Our children enjoy it on our long trips this summer as well as my husband. Enjoy!

I read the entire Fablehaven series and couldn't get enough. Brandon Mull transformed me to a whimsical fantasy world and I never wanted it to end. But alas....all good things come to an end. WELL then I picked up this series. I read the 1st 2 books of the Beyonders trilogy this past week. Brandon did it again!!! I am so invested in every single one of these characters I don't know how I'm going to wait until March for the next installment. I highly recommend this series as well as the Fablehaven series. LOVE THEM!! thanks

This is a great book! The creativity is exciting and completely different from anybody else's work. The relationship between Jason and Rachel is right on for kids of this age. Brandon's mind is a fantasy wonderland of new places, creatures and characters. If you love adventure and enjoy discovering new worlds this is the book. I encourage parents to read it as well as kids! It's fun, a quick read, and truly his best stuff yet. I can't wait for book two to see where we all get to go. My bags are packed and I'm ready for our next adventure! Buy this book and buy it for a friend. It's a great birthday gift for any reader!

I have read all three books already (don't worry, no spoilers) and I have NEVER come across a better series. This is the ultimate story. You just can't put how amazing this book is into words. You have to read it. It's full of unexpected twists, perfectly timed revelations, and even some tragedies. I cried when I finished this series, so I reread it. I'm almost done with number three AGAIN. Get. This. Book. It is the best series ever!
Thank you Brandon Mull!

Originally bought for my son, but read them myself. I love each one of these in the series. Fantastic writing, story, plot, twists, etc. Brandon Mull is a great writer. I also loved the Fablehaven series. Those were excellent!

Brandon Mull is an author categorized for young adults, but I started reading his Fablehaven series several years ago when I was in my 50's, and enjoyed those books immensely. Last summer before I left on a trip, I downloaded the Beyonders series, and couldn't put it down until I'd read all three books. This is the 1st book in the series.

Became a fan of Mull through Fablehaven and this is at least as good as that series. He does a good job of blending realistic reactions from the characters with a fantasy world. The plot is surpirsingly sophisticated for a Tweener fantasy novel. If your looking for some good escapist fantasy that will get you thiking a little without the author having to resort to gross immorality for shock value this is a great book.

Brandon has done it again. Great new series!!! If you liked Fablehaven, then you will love this book.

Very exciting book, and you don't have to worry about the content for children. Kids can relate to the characters. This book will keep their attention for hours.

Wonderful way of making a kid today go to a new world. I always dreamed of things like this.

The storyline of Beyonders is complex and fascinating, with a compelling and original new world for us and a challenging goal for the main characters. Without question, if you enjoy good fantasy, you'll enjoy this one!

I'm thrilled that we finally have a new series by Brandon Mull. My 8th grade son and I waited for what seemed like forever for this book. If he were awarding the stars, it would have 5 stars--no question. He loved it even more than Fablehaven! I enjoyed it and highly recommend it, but my heart still belongs to the Fablehaven series.

I loved his Fablehaven Series. It was a flawed, but enjoyable read that appeared to have hours of research and planning behind it. The Beyonders? Not so much. Forgettable characters, a boring world and to much telling instead of showing plague this book. A few times I woke my wife while reading in bed after expressing incredulity audibly at the laughable plot. The magic that Mull worked in Fablehaven is lacking in the World of Lyrian; do yourself a favor and just pick this one up at the library is you want to give it a chance.

Excellent read. It would be difficult for any writer to put together a new society with as many different kinds of characters as are in this other-dimensional tale of a young man and young woman thrown into the adventure of, and battle for, their lives as Brandon Mull did in this one. It may be a youth novel, but I always have loved Sci-fi and Fantasy and this one is a great one! I am starting book two right away - it just arrived!

Fun read, though author Mull tends to have characters spew important information to the main characters without any subtlety whatsoever. I mean, seriously, they just spill their guts about anything without any prompting. Hopefully Brandon will grow past that lazy storytelling trick.

This book was very interesting! This series has A LOT of potential. Displacers, Seed people, Titan Crabs, An evil wizard, and a nice twist for the ending. I remembered reading the first Fablehaven book; at the time I thought it was a fair to decent beginning for a book series. Next thing I know, Rise of the Evening Star came out and crushed the first book! Grip of the Shadow Plague and The Secret of the Dragon Sanctuary did the same thing as well! The Keys to the Demon Prison was AMAZING and was better then all the rest! This first book reminds me of Fablehaven's first book: a fair to decent story so far. I have a feeling that book 2, Seeds of Rebellion, will be WAY better as well and so on with the final book in the trilogy. Way to go Brandon Mull and keep these books coming!

The Genre is excellent and the story is way beyond what you would imagine. The Torivors are an amazing group of futuristic beings. Galloran the fallen blind King helps Jason, the Displacer in this book is interesting. I am an adult, my son and I read these for his reading homework for school. Its a fabulous series and we can't wait to start book #3. Brandon Mull does an excellent job, his characters are well thought out, the changing emotions in the book draw at your own emotions, you can feel yourself in the book as you read through it. Amazing, simply amazing.

Bought the kindle version because we lost our paper copy. Brandon Mull is one of my favorite authors and this is my favorite book so far. I really like the Beyonders series and the way he adds new races to the usual fantasy stock of elves, dwarves, and such. A breath of fresh air, so to speak.

My daughter (age 11) and I both LOVED the Fablehaven series and flew through each book in a matter of days, so we both were really looking forward to reading this book. And we were both disappointed. My daughter got further than I did (about 70 pages worth) before putting the book down in boredom. So I had to try reading myself as I found it hard to believe that a writer as inventive and creative as Mull was in all of the Fablehaven books could be that different in a new series. Unfortunately, my daughter was right. The plot started off slow and felt contrived, and I gave up faster than she did by about the second chapter or so.

SUMMARY
I am finally getting around to reading some of the books my teenage son has read. But about this book - a regular teenager, Jason Walker, is suddenly transported from a zoo to another world called Lyrian. He is a “Beyonder” in Lyrian and learns that there is an evil emperor who could be destroyed by a magical word of power. In Lyrian, he meets Rachel, another Beyonder who has been transported there and they begin a quest to find the word of power and find their way back home.

THE GOOD
Swords, maces, magic, fantastical creatures in a fantastical world and a quest. This book is full of action and danger. I liked the premise of the book and I was totally sucked in from the first pages where I felt the buildup and the fall as the Blind Prince tried to destroy the Emperor with the word of power, and failed. The Displacers are yet another of the creatures that I found innovative and entertaining. Finally, this may be just me, but I found the naming of the musical group, the Giddy Nine superb!

THE BAD
I was a little bit put out that because of the world Mull created, Rachel though also on the quest with Jason, was relegated to a less active role than I would have liked. There was one instance where she took the lead, but to my mind, she did not share equally in the quest.

THE MMMM...
I found the concept of Harthenham similar to the Lotus hotel in Percy Jackson - The Lightening Thief, enjoyable regardless. I would have given this book a higher rating except I found it a little uneven in places despite the wondrous world that Mull has created.

THE INTERESTING
Displacers! Manglers! Seed people! Lurkers! The Sunken Lands! The Pythoness!

RECOMMENDED FOR
Definitely recommended for teenage boys who enjoy fantasy or sword-fighting or quests. A little bit gory for younger readers, but maybe not enough for teenage boys! I will be moving on to the 2nd in this trilogy.

Beyonders: A World Without Heroes Book Review

I give this book 4 out of 5 Bubblefruits.

By Brandon Mull

I'm listening to the end of this book on audio as I begin to write this review. The first book of the Beyonders series is a good story. Brandon Mull certainly has a very creative mind, and that shows through brilliantly in this novel.

From a pacing perspective, this book starts slow. I remember trying to listen to the audiobook version before, months ago in fact, and after falling in love with the prologue and getting excited for the rest of the story, I ran into chapter 1. I got so bored that I stopped listening to it. It was all kids, baseball, and look, those girls are cute. I'm not sure what finally brought me back to the book again, but I am glad that I gave it another chance. Once the main character, Jason, gets into the other world, and on with his quest, the book takes off nicely. (Yes, you'll come to find out that baseball actually matters later.)

From a world-building perspective, Brandon Mull leverages his wild imagination to create a fascinating environment with crazy creatures, strange food customs, and shifty characters. This world is devoid of heroes, which is by the villain, Maldor's design. As the main characters from our world visit that one, Jason and Rachel fumble their way through distraught cities, questionable taverns, and the open road.

The plot is fantastic. The world has no heroes, and there is an evil emperor that rules the land through fear, control, and manipulation. The Emporer also happens to be a wizard, but a wizard with one serious flaw—there is a magic word, that, if spoken will be his instant demise. Jason comes across this information, and the first clue to learning the word. This starts his quest.

The one thing I struggle with in Brandon Mull books is his characters' dialogue. Sometimes it just doesn't sound right. In some cases it's related to diction, and in other cases its just the way it flows and how it sounds. I suppose this is a minor thing, but I thought I'd call it out.

If you are looking for a fun summertime read that can help you escape reality a little bit. This book can definitely fit the bill. Check it out. It's a fun read.

Cool adventure with an evil wizard, severed heads from Displacers (people who can detach their body parts at will and then reattach them unaffected), seed people (who can die and then regrow themselves from a seed afterwards), a titan crab, jumping off cliffs, infested swamps, betrayals, escapes, and daring rescues. Brandon Mull impressed me yet again with his writing skills. I LOVE his “Fablehaven” series. He creates stories that are accessible to young readers yet also enjoyable for adults. It’s a relief to find books that are safe for my kids to read when there is so much garbage in books and on TV, finally something we can share.

It had a great opening teaser that set the tone for the rest of the book. There is a legend that tells of there being a Word that can destroy the reigning wizard Maldor, it would be his undoing. I loved Maldor and wanted more of him. The read would have been more enticing had he been in more scenes. He was mostly talked about. He was cunning; he realized the advantage of keeping his enemies broken rather than dead as martyrs. This created more fear in the people, sort of a fate worse than death feeling. He lured many opponents to “lay down their arms” so to speak, by inviting them to Harthenham Castle where they would have an eternal feast without a care in the world. Rumor had it once you accepted the invitation you did not return.

Rachel and Jason were the teenage duo on a quest to find the syllables making up the legendary Word. They amused me with their mutual stubbornness. They complimented each other with their individual strengths. I liked that Jason took it upon himself to dethrone Maldor by an accident, initially out of curiosity really in trying to find a way home.

Jasher was a favorite character of mine. His entrance with his chain-whip was cool. He asked Jason how he came to oppose Maldor. He answered that it was by accident and once Maldor was pursuing him he had no choice. Jasher encouraged Jason “Do not dishonor your involvement. For each of us destiny is a blend of potential, circumstances, and choices. You could flee and hide. You could bargain with Maldor. You have chosen a heroic path. Walk it without apology.” The idea of being a hero—one who had the courage to do what was right no matter the consequences—was laced throughout the story.

Some scenes I liked:
The description of Ned’s scary teeth: “His gums looked pulled back too high. A few teeth were missing…It reminded Jason of a picture his dad had shown him to scare him into brushing his teeth.”
Ferrin was a quirky displacer. He used a headless scare tactic to fend off possible enemies. Amongst our heroes: “…fingers and thumbs began dropping off Ferrin’s hands. They wormed off his body and squirmed toward Jason across the ground.” Jason: “You are weird.”

Without giving too much away, the challenge questions for the chancellorship were believable coming from young 13 year old teenagers. They proved their cleverness by inconspicuously provoking the chancellor into giving information about the Word.

The Whitelake incident was suspenseful. I could almost feel the heat and felt winded as Rachel raced toward the unknown.

The stinky moment—they applied a natural bug repellant from gel squeezed out of some peculiar flowers that resulted in an unfortunate body odor. Sniffing the rank air, Rachel asked “What died?” and later said “I wish I could avoid myself.”

Great twist in the end—a surpsiring turn of events. Like I said, the wizard Maldor…very cunning.

3.5 stars
Originally posted at FanLit:

Jason Walker, an eighth grader, was having a fairly normal day -- playing baseball with his friends and working at the zoo -- until he heard music coming from the hippopotamus tank. When he leaned over the rail to listen more closely, he fell in and was swallowed by the hippo. Instead of ending up in the hippo's digestive tract, though, he ended up in a parallel universe named Lyrian. Rachel Woodford, a smart home-schooled girl around Jason's age, was on vacation with her parents in Bryce Canyon when she followed a strange butterfly through a stone arch and ended up in Lyrian, too.

Jason and Rachel quickly meet up in this strange world and discover that they are not the first "Beyonders" to visit the place, but Beyonders have been rare since the evil emperor Maldor came to the throne. Maldor has horded all magic knowledge and is using it to terrorize his citizens. For Jason and Rachel to be able to use magic to get back to their own world, they'll need to defeat Maldor. In order to defeat him, they must go on a quest to find the six syllables of a word that will destroy him. They'll be hunted all the way, but fortunately they'll get some help from some rebels who are eager to see Maldor dethroned.

A World Without Heroes is the first book in Brandon Mull's BEYONDERS series and it features two children, a boy and a girl, who are likeable heroes. Because they are kids from our time who end up in a medieval-style world, they have modern voices and sensibilities. It's fun to hear Jason good-naturedly accusing Rachel of not being well socialized because she's homeschooled and it's endearing that Rachel is a little feminist who gets annoyed when the server at a Lyrian tavern expects Jason to order Rachel's dinner for her. The two children tease each other, but it's clear that Brandon Mull is aware that too much of this will annoy us -- he does it just right.

Mull creates some imaginative races to populate Lyrian. I was totally creeped out by his displacers -- human-like creatures who can lop off their body parts and stick them back on at will. This is a handy skill. (... handy... yeah.) Then there are the seed folk who can regrow themselves from a seed after they die. These weird characters make interesting companions for Jason and Rachel. Some of the other secondary characters who don't have odd skills are indistinguishable from each other, though.

During their quest, Jason and Rachel have lots of adventures. They dive from high cliffs, fight giant man-eating crabs and frogs, discover a severed head in a bag, spend the night in a slimy snake-filled swamp, and learn a lot about loyalty and treachery. Mull uses his platform to teach, without being preachy, the importance of heroism and the folly of self-indulgence. These ideas are not dealt with in a superficial or condescending way, but are related thoughtfully enough for an adult to appreciate.

Even so, I think Mull's story will be most appealing to the audience it's being marketed to (ages 8 and up). While I enjoyed the story, I found the plot just a little too simple and linear to satisfy me completely and I found myself mostly admiring the book for Mull's imaginative elements and his thoughtful messages about heroic behavior. At the same time, I fear that some of Brandon Mull's vocabulary and sentence structures may be a little difficult for the target audience. Most children will need to consult a dictionary regularly. Brandon Mull uses words such as enmity, alleviate, machinations, subjugation, discernment, trivialities, ascent, accommodate, reminisce... (those are just random words I picked by flipping through several pages). I'm all for not dumbing it down, and I certainly believe that reading is how children build their vocabularies, but I just want to point this out so that parents and children will know what to expect. If your eight year old is easily frustrated by having to ask or look up definitions, you might want to wait on this one until middle school, or perhaps you could read the book with your child, helping them with the unknown words.

Readers who enjoy A World Without Heroes will want to have book two, Seeds of Rebellion on hand. The story is not wrapped up at the end of A World Without Heroes and there's a big twist that I didn't see coming. I'm reading the audio version which is wonderfully narrated by Jeremy Bobb. I've already downloaded Seeds of Rebellion.

The book follows the story of an eighth grader named Jason Walker as he makes his way around the magical alternate universe of Lyrian. He meets a girl named Rachel and they embark on a quest together to save the world from the reign of an evil emperor named Maldor. Though a stereotypical set-up, the story is actually quite original. It's fascinating to see what Brandon Mull has done with such a generic story line. As Jason and Rachel make their way through the alternate universe, they encounter strange and magical settings and a variety of interesting characters, as well. There are a few well done plot twists and a great ending that leaves you somewhat satisfied and still wanting more.
Plot: 5/5
Characters: 4/5
Setting: 5/5
Writing style: 4/5
Total: 18/20 An excellent book. If you are looking for a great read, then this is it. Sadly, the sequels are not as good. If you are looking for escape or something to pass the time, keep going, but if you only want to read a stellar novel, the rest of the series falls a bit apart.

A quest doesn't begin to describe the journey that goes on in this book. This is definitely a story that takes you through the ringer. Jason is just this kid, who is bizarrely transported to this new world where suspicion and fear reign. To some degree I was taken off guard by the level of danger and fear that this young boy had to face. Okay, so there are some big name heroes who faced big, scary challenges in a story, but that's hard to remember when you're watching this boy hide away from some evil characters.

There is a lot of adventure built into this first book in the Beyonders series. I liked the idea of Jason and his friend Rachel searching out a mysterious word, piece by piece throughout the story. I'm a word person, so of course I loved that concept. Some of what happens over the course of the book takes it all to another level with this evil wizard Maldor, who scares everyone into complying with his rule.

I'll be honest. I got lost in the story. I'm not always good with fantasy stories where I have to think about what something might look like or even what's going on. Had I read it straight through in one sitting, I might have followed Jason's adventure better. There was just so much going on, that I often had to try to get the context and keep plowing ahead. I've finally figured out that it's just me though. All that action is really appealing to the teens that I teach, so I think it's evidence of my own inability to imagine! Yes. I'm admitting that one. There is a lot going on in this story, with more to come. If you are looking for a journey-tale that is packed full of action, mystery, and adventure, then this story fits the bill. Brandon Mull is a really good writer, so I think that with the right catch, you can dive in and enjoy.

Beyonders have made their way to the world of Lyrian before, but not quite the same way as 13-year-old Jason Walker. During his normal cleaning shift at the local zoo, Jason found himself being gobbled up by a hippopotamus. Rather than being digested, he was deposited on the banks of a river in Lyrian. Having no clue where he was or how he got there, he is reduced to wandering around, but not before witnessing some musicians plunge over a waterfall to their deaths. Disturbed by the scene, Jason finds refuge in the Repository of Knowledge and slowly learns of what happened. Sound strange? It only gets worse.

At the Repository of Knowledge, Jason learns that Lyrian is ruled by an evil and dangerous wizard called Maldor. Initially, Jason's only desire is to return home, but when he stumbles upon a special book that reveals the one and only way to defeat Maldor --- utter a special word in his presence --- he embarks on a quest to find all the parts of the word and end Maldor's tyranny. Thus begins a crazy and hairbrained journey that will lead him across all of Lyrian searching for the six parts of the word. His first stop leads him to the last person who attempted to defeat Maldor with the word: The Blind King.

The Blind King shares several important pieces of information with Jason. First, he tells him the next location of the next part of the word. He also makes him an honorary Lord and gives him a ring to signify his importance. Finally, he reveals to Jason that another Beyonder, a girl named Rachel, arrived in Lyrian at the same time. Together, Jason and Rachel encounter numerous obstacles to finding the parts of the word. These include a giant, man-eating crab, a swamp filled with poisonous slime, an eternal feast, and a host of characters that are as unique as Lyrian itself.

Twists and turns wait around every corner, and even though Jason and Rachel initially trust the many people they meet along the way, they soon learn that most of them are enemy spies for Maldor. Their efforts are rewarded, though, as they slowly piece together all parts of the word and wait for the right opportunity to use it. Just when they appear on the brink of success, startling truths are revealed, and Jason and Rachel must reevaluate everything they know and have learned. There's a reason Maldor has maintained control for so long, and the two Beyonders soon realize there is almost nothing they can do to stop him.

Brandon Mull has created a new and refreshing series that is sure to entice any and all fans of fantasy books. Beyonders is quirky, to say the least, and while the journey does eventually reach its predicted outcome, getting there is worth it. The inhabitants of Lyrian are interesting and unique, and don't even get me started on the food Jason eats at the eternal feast. There is a little bit of everything for everyone, and you're sure to relate to the longing of finding your way back home. The good news is that this is just the first book in the trilogy, so more adventures await!

--- Reviewed by Benjamin Boche

A World Without Heroes (Beyonders #1) is the first book in a new series by Brandom Mull. I have not read his Fablehaven series yet, but after this taste I definitely plan to check them out! (Probably of the library.)

After a tantalizing preface, we emerge into the very modern world of of Jason, a thirteen-year-old boy well on his way to becoming the next dentist in a line of dentists. Unfortunately for Jason's immediate plans, the Lyrian world needs a hero - and instead of finishing up his volunteer shift at the zoo and doing his homework, Jason takes a wild ride down the throat of a hippopotamus and finds himself suddenly in a very different place.

Lest this begins to sound like the typical fantasy novel (where the painfully young teenager jumps in, learns to swordfight, and saves the day regardless of his attitude and lack of experience), let me tell you right off that this book has so many twists and turns you might want to take your sea-sickness medication right up front. The world is fantastic and yet perfectly tuned to its internal rules. Jason is precocious, of course, but I didn't ever feel like he was completely ridiculous, and managed to forget his age as soon as reasonably possible.

The quest our hero takes on quickly introduces us to our heroine, Rachel, another Beyonder from the 'real' world. They travel together in search of a magic word which, if said in the presence of the wizard, will unmake him and free everyone from his tyranny. Their search leads them to many imaginative destinations with riddles and solutions around every corner.

If you like fantasy, and especially well-crafted young adult fantasy, you will devour this book the way I did! I rate it for 12 and above on the Aardvark scale for some violent fight scenes. Otherwise, it was refreshingly clean.

Warning: I have not read the other books in the series, and it looks like in the second novel the heroine, Rachel, learns some magical skills. The first book is a definite cliff-hanger, so if that concerns you, you will want to look up the second book before handing this to your younger teenagers.

I love discovering new authors. Ones who write well and keep me highly entertained are a huge plus. And Brandon Mull definitely delivers with his newest book, BEYONDERS: A WORLD WITHOUT HEROES. There's plenty of action. Plenty of humor. And some genuinely great villains and plot twists that make reading Mull's work downright enjoyable.

Jason Walker thought life was pretty boring. Just going from school to home to baseball and back. But then -- he falls through a portal inside the mouth of a hippo -- and ends up in another world: Lyrian. It's a place filled with danger and mysterious creatures -- but that doesn't even begin to describe Jason's problems. When he accidentally stumbles onto the biggest secret in Lyrian, it's up to him to band together with a handful of characters to stop the last and most evil wizard, Maldor, who rules over the land. And now Maldor is after Jason. But in order to defeat the Emperor, sacrifices must be made, friends might be lost, and everything Jason ever believed will be challenged until he can answer the question: will he choose to be a hero?

This was my first Mull book, and I must say I was very excited with it. A WORLD WITHOUT HEROES sounded extremely interesting to me, and I'm glad I picked it up and started reading. The beginning does move a little more slowly than a typical middle-grade / YA novel might, but once this book gets rolling around chapter two, Mull gives us a ride that just does not stop. His action scenes run through very smoothly and Mull has dreamed up great solutions to get his characters out of danger's way -- at least for a little while. It was definitely hard to guess what might happen, and that made reading this first volume of the BEYONDERS series even better.

One of my favorite things about A WORLD WITHOUT HEROES is just how dire and horrible things go for Jason and his friend Rachel, who face endless danger from nearly the beginning pages. And Mull has given us an utterly evil villain in Maldor, the Emperor of Lyrian -- who always seems to be one step ahead, always anticipating their moves, always within killing reach through a spy or a loyal servant. I love when characters are constantly thrown into hopelessness -- and there really seems to be no way out. Mull delivers multiple dark moments, but saves the darkest for the end of the book -- putting an incredible twist onto the whole story. From giant crabs to devious puzzles and traps, Jason and Rachel must face it all. Mull manages to weave things together so well that small moments from early on become important later. There is a bit of gore splattered throughout, but nothing too outrageous or out of place.

Jason's personal journey is interesting as well. His entire life has been utter boredom up until this point. And as he grows throughout the novel -- he has to choose: will he end up being a hero? Or will he succumb to the easier ways out? Soon he has to question what he really wants out of life: possible death at the hands of Maldor or living to see his family again. The side characters also make this novel downright fun: Ferrin -- the loyal guide, Jasher -- the noble warrior, Malar -- the talking head, and many others. Mull uses these characters to bring in humor -- and a lot of great plot twists.

Nothing is ever as it seems in the world of Lyrian -- and nothing can surprise quite so much as Mull's BEYONDERS. He stays away from many fantasy-novel cliches, or manages to twist them enough to make them his own. Fans of epic fantasy stories with humor, danger, and the unexpected will definitely enjoy A WORLD WITHOUT HEROES.

I really enjoyed Mull's Fablehaven series and was very excited to see what he would come up with next. This series is definitely different than his Fablehaven series and is more of a classic fantasy adventure type of book. I really enjoyed it and am excited to see where this story goes.

Jason is just trying to live out his normal life when he falls into a hippopotamus and ends up in a different world. There he meets up with another Beyonder like himself named Rachel and they are both drawn into a quest to find a mysterious word that is capable of defeating the evil overlord of the realm.

Jason and Rachel are pretty good characters; although I didn't think characterization was the strong point of this novel. The strong points were the interesting world, the intriguing quest for syllables in a word, and the absolutely bizarre characters that Mull has thought up. I think Jason and Rachel were the weakest characters in the book, but some of the characters surrounding them are very engaging. For example the Seed person, Jasher, is really awesome and really added alot of action to the story.

There is humor throughout the book which keeps things light and funny. I love adventure-quest type of books and that is very much what this book is. The characters are given clues, have to find parts of the Word, and then get more clues to the next part. I thought the plot was well woven and there were a number of twists and turns to keep the book surprising. The characters grow throughout the story and you can see that they are developing into forces to be reckoned with.

Another thing about this book I absolutely loved were some of the bizarre character races and crazy obstacles. For example a lake you can run across but if you stop moving you sink (can we say non-newtonian fluid??) I also loved the Displacers which could remove parts of their body and send them places. Another wonderful race were the Seed people who can live many lives as long as the seed in the back of their head is replanted. These things were creative, super interesting, and a lot of fun to read about. The way these interesting characteristics integrated into the story were wonderful.

The book touches on interesting issues versus what is right and wrong. Questions such as should you endure hardship for the greater good are asked and issues around personal responsibility for the whole of a race are dealt with.

Overall I really, really enjoyed this book. There is humor and adventure here, an interesting world, very creative races, and a lot of questing going on. I am super curious to see where this story goes and eager to read the next book in the series. This book is not another Fablehaven, it is more of a classic fantasy adventure quest. For some reason all the bizarre creatures and the crazy questing put me a bit in the mind of the Labyrinth movie. Those of you who like fantasy adventures with quirky characters will really love this book. I also recommend The Emerald Atlas (Books of Beginning) by John Stephens, The Kane Chronicles by Rick Riorden, The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud and The Ranger's Apprentice series by John Flanagan.

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.