Fablehaven Appearances Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #7

Kendra saw everything as if through fun-house lenses. Muriel appeared distorted, first stretching broad, then tall. Seth became an hourglass with a wide head, a tiny waist, and clownish feet. Rubbing her eyes failed to cure her warped vision. (13.164)

When Muriel disenchants Grandma from chicken-form, everything looks all crazy—Kendra compares it to being in a fun-house, which doesn't seem too far off base. Why does the appearance of everything around them become distorted when magic is being used? We're not sure, but it's kinda freaky.

Quote #8

A tall, beautiful woman with a lustrous cascade of honey-blonde hair stood beside the recess blowing on one of the many knots. She wore a spectacular azure gown that emphasized her seductive figure. (16.34)

What is this sexy lady doing in the basement of a chapel? Turns out she's Muriel, but Muriel with a very different appearance—she's no longer an old hag, and instead she's young and beautiful. Is this an illusion? Did she actually manage to change her body composition? We have no idea… but even if it's a superficial illusion, we're still a little freaked out by Muriel's ability to manipulate appearances.

Quote #9

The fairies were uniformly tall and beautiful, with the lithe musculature of professional ballerinas […] They still had magnificent wings. They still emitted light, although the gentle twinkle had become a brilliant blaze. The biggest change was in their eyes. Merry mischief had been replaced by something stern and smoldering. (18.40)

When Kendra carries out the Fairy Queen's instructions to make an elixir, the fairies that drink it become human-sized and a little intimidating—their appearances on the surface are more or less the same, they're just bigger. The main change Kendra notices is in their intensity, and in how their eyes are suddenly very serious.