- "Vanessa Santoro may not be perfect, but she knows how to keep a secret."
- —Vanessa in Keys to the Demon Prison
Vanessa was a former member of the Knights of the Dawn and a former agent of the Society. She is a narcoblix, the ex-girlfriend of Errol Fisk, and the girlfriend of Warren.
Rise of the Evening Star[]
Vanessa is first anonymously mentioned by Errol Fisk, who hinted at having a "sweetheart." She appears officially once the Sorenson siblings realize Errol's allegiance to the Society. Their grandfather had scheduled Vanessa to pick them up in her custom-ordered car and to drive them to Fablehaven. Once she arrived, Vanessa draws much admiration from the family, something which made Kendra initially not like her.
Vanessa quickly boards into the car, along with Kendra and Seth Sorenson. She speeds through the roads quite swiftly, and managed to outmaneuver a dullion, escaping with only a few dents. Within a few hours the three arrive in the preserve, where the other specialists are introduced. Kendra and Seth's grandparents explain that Vanessa was a keeper of magical creatures. Stan and Ruth add that Vanessa, along with Tanu and Coulter, were working to find the mysterious artifact on the sanctuary.
Throughout their stay, Vanessa establishes a friendship with Kendra, bestowing her with an umite candle, a magical object which allowed them to pass along hidden messages. Kendra eventually trusts Vanessa as a "pen-pal." Throughout all of this, Vanessa managed to bite everyone in their sleep. She spread the false belief that the marks had originated from the drumants she had released in the house.
After their recent trap had been sprung, Stan realized the identity of the traitor, the traitor being Vanessa, whose abilities as a narcoblix came into light. Amid the battle that ensued, Vanessa skillfully fended off Stan and Tanu's attacks. She successfully seized control of the household shortly after controlling Tanu. In the process, she threw its occupants into the dungeon and met up with her partner Errol. Vanessa freed the imps from the prison as well. However, she was unable to capture Kendra and Seth.
When Seth and Kendra infiltrated the house to steal the key, they heard Vanessa and Errol discussing their mission together. Vanessa expresses her concerns on not being able to control Seth, despite him having been asleep. (This was due to the fact Seth was protected by Coulter's magical pixiecocoon.) Vanessa told her partner that she was reluctant to assume that he was dead. After their discussion the two head for their rooms to sleep, which prompted the Sorenson siblings to strike. Seth crept into Vanessa's bedroom, where he found the key in the bed she slept in. In an attempt to make her move out of the way, Seth tried tickling her nose with a tissue. However, this trick snapped her awake, and Vanessa immediately called for Errol. Seth incapitated her with one of her own sleeping darts.
Later on, Vanessa and Errol made their way to the Inverted Tower, where they hoped to secure the artifact. However, they were forced to temporarily join forces with Kendra and Warren in order to defeat the Guardian Cat. During the fight, Errol gets killed and Vanessa ends up coated with it acid. Although Errol perished, Vanessa was saved by Kendra, who healed her with the artifact. The Sorensons bring Vanessa to the Sphinx after the conflict was over. He decided that the wisest course of action was to imprison her in the Quiet Box, the only prison capable of hampering her narcoblix abilities. This trade-off results in the release of Navarog.
Grip of the Shadow Plague[]
The Sorensons release Vanessa a few times to interrogate her. During their conversations, she offered her insights of the plague's origins. Vanessa speculated that the former prisoner of the Quiet Box was possibly powerful enough to start the plague. Her speculation was reluctantly accepted by Grandpa and Grandma Sorenson. When she was pressed for a supposedly important secret, Vanessa insisted that the information wasn't related to their present problem, keeping it as leverage.
Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary[]
Vanessa was released again, this time by a phony stingbulb posing as Maddox Fisk. Despite the golden opportunity, Vanessa chooses to aid the family, still resentful by the fact the Sphinx had cast her out. Though not completely free to do as she wanted, she was granted privileges, such as being able to possess a phone, and being able to stay at a much more comfortable prison cell. Vanessa did her part, mainly by tracking down any known traitors through the victims she had bitten. The family, as a whole, still had very little trust in her, vowing to kill Vanessa should she control any of them in their sleep again.
Vanessa only broke the rule once by possessing Tanu. Sensing the entire team to the dragon sanctuary fall asleep all at once, she was compelled to investigate through Tanu. She soon realized that they were in danger of being killed by the dragon Glommus. She used the body of her friend to slay the dragon with an enchanted blade, and also managed to wake the others with smelling salts. It is implied that this had earned her more trust among the family.
Keys to the Demon Prison[]
When the preserve had fallen, Seth allowed Vanessa to help him as he'd carry out the tasks from Patton Burgess. Vanessa, though dubious at their chances, still accepted their desperate plan as the world's last hope. Vanessa helps Seth locate the wraiths in the Hall of Dread. When Seth and the satyrs were about to be slain by the centaurs, Vanessa came to their rescue, managing to put their foes to sleep with her blowgun darts. She also took control of one of the centaurs' bodies.
The next morning, Vanessa drives the satyrs, Hugo, and Seth to the location of the Singing Sisters after having received advice from Patton Burgess. They reach the location, where they are greeted by the Sentinel. The man, after deeming Seth worthy to bargain with the Singing Sisters, agrees to escort the group to their island, provided they leave their weapons behind. After Seth lands a successful deal with the Singing Sisters, the group goes to the Totem Wall, where Seth would obtain Vasilis, the powerful sword capable of vanquishing the Demon King. Though Vanessa's presence wasn't allowed in any of these dealings, she expresses her support towards Seth and seems eager to fight by his side.
After Seth's luck at securing Vasilis, the group drive to the beach where they would summon Lady Luck and her vessel, which would take them to Zzyx. They finally reunite with Kendra, Bracken, Trask, and Warren there. Vanessa shows great dislike towards the unicorn Bracken, who had attempted to get a read on her mind. Amid the argument, Bracken revealed her strong feelings towards the Sphinx, resulting in her snapping back, saying that he himself had warm feelings towards someone else — Kendra. This sows a lot of tension among the group.
The team succeed in boarding Lady Luck's vessel, which takes them directly to the demon prison. Once there, they jokingly banter, mostly about meeting their near-certain demise with happiness. Vanessa participates in this brief talk. After this conversation, she along with the rest of the group prepare to meet the monsters locked inside the prison. When the battle erupted, Vanessa battled alongside the Sorensons. At the very end, when a feast is held in celebration, Agad asks everyone for their opinion on the fate of the Sphinx, on whether he should be made an Eternal or not. Vanessa immediately responded that they shouldn't count on him being trustworthy, and that the only safe option was to end his life. The satyrs, still admiring her greatly, followed suit. However, Vanessa and the satyrs ended up being outvoted.
Dragonwatch[]
Agad mentions that had embarked on a mission for Dragonwatch alongside Warren.
Master of the Phantom Isle[]
Vanessa and Warren had been trying to secure the Crescent Lagoon Sanctuary, struggling to find the Sunset Pearl. Together, they managed to buy the preserve some time by appeasing the moai with an offering.
When Wyrmroost ended up falling from the onslaught of dragons and undead, Vanessa reunites with Seth and Kendra in the abode of Thronis, with the help of Andromadus. She asks for their aid to restore the Crescent Lagoon Sanctuary, which was also near its destruction. After their agreement, Vanessa escorts the Sorensons back to the lagoon, where she and Warren introduces Kendra and the others to the area.
Vanessa helps the team during their expedition to one of the sacred pools, which had been corrupted by the unicorn Ronodin. When they met the mighty triclops, she distracts the beast long enough for Kendra to be carried away. Vanessa aids the team later on, this time on their hunt at Desperation Beach for the treasure map. Once it was discovered that their mission would lead them to the realm of the merfolk, Vanessa dutifully accompanies them after drinking the Elixir of Dry Depths. She faced the People of the Deep, met the merfolk, and also got trapped by Remulon and freed by Knox.
Champion of the Titan Games[]
Vanessa is briefly mentioned in the start of the book in the chapter Danger. She later helps Kendra find the legendary harp of ages. Near the end of the book she loses her sight fighting the first guardian by looking at Kendra's fairy ring.
Appearance[]
Vanessa is tall and slender, with dark lustrous hair and an olive complexion. Kendra remarks that she is very stylish, with her trendy clothes and her expertly applied makeup. She is described to look either Spanish or Italian, and is frequently compared to a movie star or a celebrity. In the Master of the Phantom Isle, Kendra notes that her hair was curlier from the humidity.
Personality[]
Vanessa is shrewd and intelligent. She is exceptionally cautious, acting like a master strategist in many of her missions. She is shown to be resilient, able to endure the effects of the Quiet Box, and is very skilled at handling dangerous situations. Despite being brave, Vanessa is also willing to exploit others and to work illegally to achieve her goals, even if it means getting others in harm's way. It could also be assumed she is sometimes boastful, as she gone her way to possess luxuries such as her custom-ordered car.
Despite her ambition and tendency to manipulate others, Vanessa is shown to be genuinely kind and openhearted. She is undyingly loyal to those who are faithful to her, shown by her dedication to the Sphinx. She acts resentful towards those who don't take her faith seriously. Despite her history of betrayals, she managed to bond and gain the trust of the Sorensons and their allies.
Source[]
- Rise of the Evening Star (Fablehaven #2)
- Grip of the Shadow Plague (Fablehaven #3)
- Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary (Fablehaven #4)
- Keys to the Demon Prison (Fablehaven #5)
- Dragonwatch (Dragonwatch #1)
- Master of the Phantom Isle (Dragonwatch #3)