Forbidden Mountain, Brandon Mull
Forbidden Mountain, Brandon Mull
List: $27.50 | Sale: $19.25
Club: $13.75

Forbidden Mountain

Author: Brandon Mull

Narrator: George Newbern

Unabridged: 16 hr 32 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 04/14/2026


Synopsis

CHOOSE YOUR GUARDIAN. CHOOSE YOUR DESTINY.

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Fablehaven and Beyonders series comes an epic new fantasy set in a world where every child bonds with a spiritual guide—some promising greatness and glory, while others, destruction and death.

Every Anoran child dreams of the day they will enter the sacred bonding hut and match with a guardian—a spiritual guide who grants magically enhanced abilities. A lucky few will bond with Advocates, who promise greatness and glory. Others will be tempted by forbidden offers from the Accursed—dangerous spirits who bring nothing but destruction and a penalty of death to any Anoran who chooses them. But when Mako discovers that the worst of these agents of chaos has returned to spread an ancient evil through the empire, he faces an unthinkable choice: Will he bond with one of the Accursed to gain the power to stop another?

Halfway across the empire, Arden has no guardian and no prospects of adventure…until she infiltrates an underground criminal network to find her missing friend. Relying on her knack for sensing the truth through even the smoothest lies, Arden finds herself at the center of a sinister conspiracy that runs much deeper than she ever imagined.

Soon Mako’s and Arden’s fates collide, and together they must face bandit armies, dark secrets, and untold dangers to fight an enemy who could destroy all they’ve ever known.

About The Author

Brandon Mull is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Fablehaven, Beyonders, and Five Kingdoms series. A kinetic thinker, Brandon enjoys bouncing balls, squeezing stress toys, and popping bubble wrap. He lives in Utah in a happy little valley near the mouth of a canyon with his family.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Holly (IG Hollys_Book_Musings) on April 21, 2026

WOW! This world and story and characters sort of blew my mind! I started the audiobook and had a bit of difficulty really getting into this new world at first, but once I finally got used to it, I loved everything about it and highly recommend this newest from a favorite author of mine. The characters......more

Goodreads review by Shaun on April 15, 2026

I have been a huge Brandon Mull fan ever since the first Fablehaven book. I've read every series he's written except for The Candy Shop War books 2 and 3. Otherwise, I'm all caught up on my Mull books! With all that said, I had a hard time with this newest book, Forbidden Mountain, book one in the ne......more

Goodreads review by Drew on January 24, 2026

I've been a fan of Brandon Mull's books for 17 years now (so long ago, when I first heard his name!), and was delighted that he was starting up a new series. As I expected, this book was a blast, really setting up the potential for future works of this series. The book alternates POVs between two 13-......more

Goodreads review by Mark on December 19, 2025

What worked: The opening prologue introduces the most malevolent, feared antagonist in the book. The Matriarch traps a man who claims to have successfully transported an infant to safety. The Matriarch says his actions have been manipulated and then ruthlessly slays him. The story leaps ahead in time......more

Goodreads review by Jennifer on March 26, 2026

Mako is a foundling, adopted and raised by an Anoran family. He dreams of bonding with a guardian who will help him achieve his goal of becoming a great warrior like his adopted father and brother. Guardians are spirits without bodies who guide and mentor their bondees throughout life to help them a......more


Quotes

★ "[A] thrilling combination of adventure, fantasy, and intrigue....A great choice for kids who love chunky books that allow them to immerse themselves in an imagined world." —Booklist, starred review

"An enticing adventure....Layered conflicts and worldbuilding provide a solid foundation, and a cliff-hanger ending will leave readers clamoring for the sequel." —Publishers Weekly