Fablehaven: Chapters 16–19

by Brandon Mull
When Kendra and Seth visit their grandparents, they learn that their grandfather is the caretaker for Fablehaven, a sanctuary for magical creatures.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–5, Chapters 6–9, Chapters 10–13, Chapters 14–15, Chapters 16–19
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. rickshaw
    a small two-wheeled cart for one passenger
    Hugo stood motionless beside the greenhouse, still holding the rickshaw.
  2. throng
    a large gathering of people
    At her cue, she walked out onto the bright stage, peering into the dim crowd, unable to find her parents in the throng.
  3. dissipate
    cause to separate and go in different directions
    Her intro was playing, the moment arrived, and, as she started singing, the fear dissipated and the nausea vanished.
  4. cupola
    a roof or part of a roof in the form of a dome
    It was a boxy structure with a row of large windows fanged with broken glass and a single cupola that probably contained a bell.
  5. festoon
    decorate or adorn
    Spiderwebs festooned the rafters like gossamer banners.
  6. gossamer
    a gauze fabric with an extremely fine texture
    Spiderwebs festooned the rafters like gossamer banners.
  7. dilapidated
    in a state of decay, ruin, or deterioration
    There was no token indicating that this had once been a house of worship. It was just a big, dilapidated, vacant room.
  8. alcove
    a small recess opening off a large room or garden
    At the far side of the basement was a large alcove.
  9. niche
    a small concavity
    It looked like someone had torn down some planks to access the niche.
  10. azure
    bright blue in color, like a clear sky
    She wore a spectacular azure gown that emphasized her seductive figure.
  11. motley
    consisting of a haphazard assortment of different kinds
    Led by the biggest and most muscular of the lot, they rushed at Hugo, a motley mob of wiry fiends.
  12. careen
    move sideways or in an unsteady way
    But Hugo just kept twirling and twisting and heaving, a violent ballet that sent as many imps as pounced on him careening across the basement.
  13. resilience
    an occurrence of rebounding or springing back
    Hugo whirled and charged after them, grabbing a pair of them by the knees and then wielding them like clubs to swat others away. The resilience of the imps was impressive.
  14. fray
    a noisy fight
    Even the burly leader was still in the fray, staggering awkwardly on mangled legs.
  15. indomitable
    impossible to subdue
    Free from the indomitable onslaught of the golem, the injured imps converged on Grandma, who placed herself in front of Kendra and Seth.
  16. forestall
    keep from happening or arising; make impossible
    “She and others are about to inherit this sanctuary, a vital step toward reaching our ultimate ends. After decades of persistence, nothing can forestall me.”
  17. stalemate
    a situation in which no progress can be made
    Time after time, Kendra reacted quickly, shifting her weight to spoil their attempts to flip her. It was a stalemate.
  18. barrage
    the rapid and continuous delivery of communication
    There was, however, a barrage of laughter from behind her.
  19. redolent
    having a strong pleasant odor
    The air stirred again, still redolent with potent aromas.
  20. squeamish
    easily disturbed or disgusted by unpleasant things
    But today was not a day to be squeamish.
  21. taper
    diminish gradually
    As the sound of the wind tapered off, a ferocious roar echoed across the yard.
  22. lithe
    moving and bending with ease
    The fairies were uniformly tall and beautiful, with the lithe musculature of professional ballerinas.
  23. smoldering
    showing scarcely suppressed anger
    The biggest change was in their eyes. Merry mischief had been replaced by something stern and smoldering.
  24. imposing
    impressive in appearance
    They used to be so cute. Now they were quite imposing.
  25. seraph
    an angel of the first order
    She would not want to be the enemy of these proud seraphim.
  26. adroit
    quick or skillful or adept in action or thought
    The winged beasts clawed at their smaller opponents, but the fairies adroitly evaded the blows and slashed off their wings, sending the gargoyles hurtling to the ground.
  27. wreak
    cause to happen or to occur as a consequence
    A demonic dwarf with a hide of black scales bounded around the room wreaking havoc with a pair of knives.
  28. undaunted
    resolutely courageous
    The undaunted fairies counterattacked.
  29. unfettered
    not bound or restrained, as by shackles and chains
    The alcove at the far side had grown as well, now completely unfettered by knotted ropes.
  30. spectral
    resembling or characteristic of a phantom
    To one side of Bahumat floated the spectral woman Kendra had seen outside her window on Midsummer Eve.
  31. coalesce
    fuse or cause to come together
    Particles of ash swirled loosely in their midst, but refused to coalesce.
  32. mercurial
    liable to sudden unpredictable change
    Kendra relished being part of the mercurial procession, overjoyed at the fortunate ending to the terrible night.
  33. euphoric
    characterized by a feeling of well-being or elation
    She felt euphoric and distant.
  34. pompous
    puffed up with vanity
    I’m sure fairies would much rather follow a little girl into battle than some pompous general.
  35. whimsy
    an odd or fanciful or capricious idea
    “Creatures of whimsy are not solely confined to the preserves. The blindness of mortals can be a blessing. Take care where you look.”
  36. profusion
    the property of being extremely abundant
    The naiad looked like a girl of about sixteen, with full lips and a profusion of golden hair swirling about a face shaped like a valentine.
  37. circumvent
    beat through cleverness and wit
    It is difficult for an uninvited guest to gain access to a preserve—mortal or not. Some would say impossible, but the Society has shown repeated resourcefulness at circumventing so-called impossible obstacles.
  38. vigilant
    carefully observant or attentive
    We will have to be more vigilant than ever.
  39. collude
    act in unison and in secret towards a deceitful purpose
    “I do not know her story, except that she was obviously colluding with our enemies. I have never met many of the dark beings who lurk in the inhospitable corners of Fablehaven.”
  40. fateful
    having momentous consequences; of decisive importance
    The fateful night that had seemed like the end of her problems was starting to look like the beginning.
Created on Sun Nov 25 20:54:40 EST 2018 (updated Thu Nov 29 16:42:04 EST 2018)

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