Six Degrees of Separation: From The Snow Child to The Bookstore Sisters

 

Welcome to this month's edition of Six Degrees of Separation, which is a monthly meme hosted by Kate from Books Are My Favourite and Best.  The idea is to start with a specific book and make a series of links from one book to the next using whatever link you can find and see where you end up after six links.  I am also linking this post up with The Sunday Salon, hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz. 

 

This month the starting point is The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey.

The Snow Child is a fairy tale retelling. I do love a fairy tale retelling, although I haven't read this one. The first book that came to mind was Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik. I am aware that I have used this book before and when I looked at the next book, I realised that I am in danger of choosing the same books as I have before.

Therefore, for my second book I am going to twist a little and choose something a little different and choose a graphic novel. There are a whole series of graphic novels that feature well known fairy tale characters such as Snow White, Prince Charming and Old King Cole. Years ago, I read about 15 of these books but I chose Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall by Bill Willingham.

Another graphic novel author I have read and enjoyed is Marjane Satrapi. I have read her Persepolis books but this time I am choosing to focus on her book Chicken with Plums. I have watched the movie adaptation of Chicken with Plums. There is a section of the movie which is 20 minutes of montage and it is exceptional.

For my next book I am choosing a book called Die for Me by Amy Plum. This is a YA book featuring all sorts of paranormal characters. It also has an amazing cover. The book is set in Paris and you can tell that the author loves the city. In fact, there is one place that I am planning to visit in our upcoming trip to Paris because I read about it in this book.

A recent book that I read which had me salivating over the city of Paris was Twenty One Nights in Paris by Leonie Mack. And it had the added bonus of being set at Christmas.

Both of these books have an image of the Eiffel Tower, because let's face it there's not many books set in the city that doesn't. This is another.

Whilst I have a gazillion other books set in Paris that I could finish this chain with, instead I am going to choose a short story that I read last month by Alice Hoffman, called The Bookstore Sisters. I know that I really should read more of Alice Hoffman, but this is the only story I have read so far.

This month felt a bit harder than normal, but mainly because there were so many connections to books that I have already used before so I had to find different connectsion! I have, however, managed to get to the end!

Next months chain starts with Beach Read by Emily Henry, which I am super excited about because I love her books. I am not 100% sure that I will be able to do a Six Degrees post because I will be in Paris then, but let's see how we go.

Next month's 

Jack of Fables: Vol 1: The (Nearly) Great Escape by Bill Willingham

After working my way through the first 12 or so volumes of the Fables series, it was time to start reading the Jack of Fables series before it crosses over to the main series again, and I have to say the thought of doing so underwhelmed me. I am always a completist though, so if it is best to read series in a particular order then I will definitely try to.

Part of the reason that I was underwhelmed is that I didn't really like Jack all that much when he made brief appearances in the main Fables series, so the thought of having six graphic novels to read where he is the main character wasn't all that appealing.

And I was right to be a little concerned because, compared to many of the other Fables collections that I have read, this wasn't my favourite. Having said that, in the end, I didn't dislike it as much as I could have!

When we met Jack in the main Fables series he was living the highlife in Hollywood where he was involved in the movie industry. Having been ostracised by the Fables community for revealing secrets, he is kicked out of Hollywood with a suitcase filled with cash (a mere fraction of his financial worth) and the clothes on his back. He doesn't get very far though as he is abducted off the streets and taken to the Golden Boughs retirement home. Mr Revise is the head of the home and his mission is to keep renegade fables imprisoned until such time as no one believes in them anymore when they can then disappear without a trace.

Jack being the arrogant womaniser that he is, it doesn't take long before he has hooked up with a woman, but that arrogance and self belief also means that he is not one to accept that it is his fate to be hidden away in this pseudo-prison so it isn't long before he is trying to gather together a group of characters to help plan an escape. This brings Jack into conflict with the man in charge of Golden Boughs, Mr Revise and his assistants.

Part of the fun of this series is seeing what other Fables characters have been put out to "retirement" at Golden Boughs. Some are obvious, others are surprising and some are characters that I have no recognition of at all.

In the end, I will continue with the series (completist, remember) but I will do so knowing that I am really looking forward to returning to the main story rather than really looking forward to this spinoff.

Rating 3.5/5


Synopsis

Think you know the greatest Fable of them all?

You don't know Jack!

After earning a fortune in Hollywood by cashing in on his own legent, Little Jack Horner - a.k.a. Jack the Giant Killer - is now the most famous Fable alive. Sure, he's been stripped of his wealth, and banished from Fabletown forever as a result, but Jack has always been a wanderer at heart, and the open road is like a home to him. So it's a real shame when he's plucked off the pavement and unceremoniously tossed into a gulag filled with other renegade Fables.

Within the walls of the Golden Boughs Retirement Home, however, Jack finds allies as well as enemies - and once he learns the ultimate goals of his jailer, Mr Revise, breaking out becomes more than just a point of pride. Of course, over all the centuries that Revise has run his prison, no one has ever escaped from it. But hey, he's the Jack of the Tales! How hard could it be?

Other contributors to this collection Matthew Sturges, Tony Akins, Andrew Pepoy

Fables Vol 12: The Dark Ages by Bill Willingham

What's this? A review. Why, yes it is! Apparently having reviewed every previous instalment in the series is incentive enough to make me sit down and write a review of this book!

Given that it is the 12th book in the series (well more than that, but we will go with that seeing as it is the official title) it is impossible to review these without giving away anything that might not be known if you are reading the earlier books in the series, so, as always....

*****THERE BE SPOILERS AHEAD*****

At the end of the last book, you could have been forgiven for thinking that life was going to get a lot easier for the residents of Fabletown. After all, the Adversary had been comprehensively defeated and the Flycatcher's newly established land known as Haven is thriving. Time to recover from the recent war for everyone involved.

Of course, in true Fables fashion, you would be wrong.

The Adversary has been bought back to Fabletown but because of the terms of agreement he is not to be punished. The citizens of Fabletown are not happy, as in really, really not happy to have this man be able to live freely among them, especially as he displays no recognition of how evil his deeds are, let alone remorse of any kind.

One of the dangers that is posed when there is a void in who controls a situation is that someone else, or something else, will rise up and take the place. One hopes that it will be someone better, but when it is a hidden power that in this first introduction seems far more evil than the Adversary ever was and that even Frau Totenkinder has no clue how to defeat, you know that it isn't a good sign.

With the end of the first major story arc, it was clear that the writers were going to have to shake things up a bit in order to introduce a new overarching story, and shake things up they did.

There are favourite characters who die, and we don't really know if they are going to come back again. After all, the life of the fables is determined by how many people believe in them. If the stories about characters are told and retold the corresponding fable will continue on and on. But what if one of the best characters in the Fables world is only a little known fable in the mundy world. What if no one tells his story? Can he come back again? It's all a bit meta really, but it is fun to try and think it through.

With one quick swipe of the artists pens, the whole face of Fabletown is changed and the consequences include having a population that is divided or in transit, political change and so much more. In effect, in this book the story starts again but without having to reintroduce us to the characters that we have come to love over the course of the series so far.

Most of this book was the darker side of the Fables story, so I was glad that the last section of the book focused on Mowgli and was somewhat lighter in tone. Even Bigby's brothers got some page time, and seem to have found an outlet for their energy and, um, skills!

I am not sure if the darker start was part of the reason why this instalment took me much longer to read than normal, or just if that is a general reflection of my reading at the moment, but it is unheard of for it to take me two weeks to read one of these books.

Going by Kelly's super duper guide to reading the Fables series (which she recently updated), I now need to step away from the Fables world for a little while and concentrate on the Jack of Fables books. Jack has been seen in the earlier books in the series in little cameo appearances. He always seemed a bit smarmy, a bit of a jerk, so I guess we will wait to see what kind of mischief he gets up to in his books.

As always, I have already requested the next book, or in this case the first Jack book, from the library via interlibrary loan.

Rating 4/5

Synopsis

The great war between Fabletown and the mighty empire of the Adversary is over, and the victorious free fables have brought their defeated enemy back from the Homelands to join them in exile. Their celebrations, however, are destined to be short-lived. As it turns out, not even beloved storybook heroes can escape the law of unintended consequences. In the post-war chaos of the Adversary's former realm, a terrible force is about to be unleashed - an evil that threatens not just Fabletown, but the entire mundane world.

Additional contributors include Mark Buckingham, Peter Gross, Andrew Pepoy, Michael Allred, David Hahn.

Fables Vol 11: War and Pieces by Bill Willingham

Finally! 11 books into the Fables series and we get to the battle to end all battles between the people of Fabletown and those of the homelands. And by finally I don't mean thank goodness we finally got there and now we can move on or after an 11 book lead in we finally made it! I do mean both of those things in some ways but in other ways it is more a celebratory finally, especially seeing as I suspect that this might be just the first battle and perhaps there is more to come.

I should take a step back though. As I mentioned this is the 11th book in the Fables series so it is difficult at this point to completely avoid spoilers so the now customary warning applies


************SPOILERS AHOY *************


Structurally, this book has two story arcs which dovetail nicely into each other, and in turn help resolve the story arc that has been developed since the first book in the main Fables series.

The first story arc concerns Cinderella. A few books ago, we learnt that whilst Cindy appears to be a businesswoman who owns a high end shoe shop, she is also one of the top secret agents that Fabletown has. Before the coming showdown with the Adversary, Cindy has to pick up a package from the very south of South America. The success of the whole war hinges on her success and she must use her feminine wiles, every trick in the book that she knows and a whole heap of ingenuity in order to get the job done! I loved the way that all of the Cinderella pages were bordered by a frieze of shoes. it added a degree of fun and whimsy to a book that could have taken itself a bit too seriously in the build up to the big confrontation.

And what a confrontation it is. All the various factions in the Fables lands come together in order to try and defeat the Adversary once and for all. The leaders, including all of our favourites like Bigby and Snow White, have been training their troops hard in the use of not only magical weapons but also in mundy (human) technology - technology that the isolationist Adversary may not have yet seen. Boy Blue is our narrator and thanks to the magical cloak that he has he manages to take the reader to each of the different battle fronts to observe the action.

It was interesting to see some of the character development that is still happening even after all these books. For example, over the last several books, Prince Charming has been the mayor of Fabletown but he always seemed somewhat narcissistic and still a terrible flirt and womaniser. Whilst I have no doubt that that man is still just below the surface, we also get glimpses of the heroic prince who we known through many of the fairy tales we have grown up with. It would be easy for these characters to become almost caracitures of themselves the longer the series goes on, but the writers and artists seem to be able to identify characters with capacity for growth and added dimensions relatively easily.


They are also adept at planting just enough new teasers in the storyline to make continuing the series worthwhile even as the major story arcs are resolved. I've already requested the next book via interlibrary loan. I was interested in seeing the final twist in the tail when it occurs late in the book and the final line offers up some foreshadowing that suggests that there is still plenty more conflict to be had in future tales.


Rating 4/5

 

Synopsis

The final battle between the free Fables of the mundane world and the Empire occupying their former Homelands is about to begin, and the scrappy storybook heroes have already managed to even the odds considerably. With his previously unstoppable wooden soldiers neutralized, the Adversary is about to get his first taste of high technology in the form of steel-jacketed bullets and laser-guided bombs. But the ruler who conquered a hundred different worlds didn’t do it by fighting clean—and he’s still got a surprise or two left to spring on the residents of Fabletown.

Other artits who contributed to this collection include Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha, Niko Henrichon and Andrew Pepoy

Fables, Vol 10: The Good Prince by Bill Willingham

Before I get started on this review, I will mention that this is volume 10 in the Fables series. I am pretty sure I have managed to keep it spoiler free but at 10 books in, there may well be something that slipped through so


**************SPOILER WARNING**************

I am so glad that this collection was pretty much all about the Flycatcher. The overall story did move forward and there were some other interludes but mostly this was the story of Fly's transformation from secondary character, and in some ways comedic relief, to a character with a full and fulfilling storyline - a transformation which was enabled by the fact that we learnt his back story in the 1001 Nights collection which I read a couple of months ago.

With Sir Lancelot's help, the Flycatcher is transformed from humble janitor to gallant prince and he goes off in search of his people. His search takes him away from Fabletown down into the Well where most fables are banished to as punishment or when they die. Using a special magic, he is able to give the ghosts new forms which will stay in place unless they get too far away from him. Fly, or perhaps I should call him Prince Ambrose now, leads his new followers across the desert at great risk to himself, until he gets back to his own homeland, which will henceforth be known as Haven.

As the book progresses, we see that the development and strengthening of Haven is part of a grander plan which enables the forces of the dreaded Adversary to be weakened in anticipation of a future battle. There was one particular aspect of this weakening that I liked - the fate of the wooden soldiers.

I found the revival of characters that were previous gone as ... interesting. As soon as two of them were introduced my reaction was uh-oh, with good cause, and I can't help but think that these two will still manage to cause some havoc in future episodes. There were other more welcome returns as well.

In terms of the total storyline arc for the series, this felt like quite a transitional book, once again getting all the pieces lined up for when the main battle finally happens. I do hope that is soon because this build up has been happening for quite some time now. I also wonder what happens when the Adversary is defeated once and for all. Will there be another big build up to conflict against another enemy or will the focus change? This issue did also introduce, or reinforce, questions that will need to be answered over the coming issues. Questions like exactly what is Frau Totenkinder up to. I guess I will just have to keep reading to find out.

In terms of the other stories in this collection while I loved the small story that revolved around Snow and Bigby (sigh!) and their brood of kids, the illustrations on that one threw me for a bit, particularly in the portrayal of Snow. She didn't look anything like she has looked in previous stories. I know that one of the strengths of the series is that there are so many artists involved and therefore there will be differences at times, but to be so totally different was a bit disconcerting.

I have just requested the next Fables book via interlibrary loan. I wish that my own library had them, but I think I can still read the whole series from other library systems so it is all good.

Rating 4

Synopsis

Collecting issues #60-69 of the hit series, collecting the epochal "Good Prince" storyline. Flycatcher is drawn into the spotlight as he discovers the startling truth about his own past as the Frog Prince. At the same time, he learns that the Adversary plans to destroy his foes once and for all. How can the meek Flycatcher stop this deadly foe?

Other contributors to this volume include Steve Leialoha, Aaron Alexovich and Andrew Pepoy.

Fables: Sons of Empire by Bill Willingham

Gasp! Don't be too shocked, but this is a review, and not one that I had committed to (although I do have another one of those coming up early next week so there will be another review here soon).

The main reason I am making an effort for this book is that I have reviewed all of the other Fables stories that I have read so I don't want to break my record and because I would never be able to rely on my memory alone to remember all the individual stories that are included in this collection.

This is volume 9 of the Fables series, and so I will need to start with the now customary warning.....


***SPOILERS AHOY***

The first story in this collection picks up the action in the Homelands. After the bitter defeat that the Adversary's troops experienced in previous collection, the Homelands leaders come together more determined than ever to find a way to defeat the fables who live in Fabletown and they have no concern whatsoever about any collateral damage to the mundys who also live on Earth. First though the reader is introduced to each of them. Some we have met before like the head of the knight Bright Day but others are new - Lumi the Snow Queen for example. One of the more important seems to be Hansel (yes, the one usually associated with Gretel) who has previously been banished from Fabletown but is to be now sent back as the Adversary's political representative. In due course, we find out why he was banished in the first place - an unpleasant tale in itself.

Interspersed with these introductions is a little story about Red Riding Hood going to get a haircut. By the time we got to the end of the story I got why it was there, and eventually there were more clues as to why it was important, or more precisely why one particular character's reaction to said haircut was important, at first it did feel a little incongruous being placed where it was.

Heading back to the Homelands, and it is time for a brainstorming session about the fate of Fabletown (and Earth) with one of the solutions being suggested being four plagues - Pestilence, Fire, Winter and Famine. Whilst the more dastardly of the assembled group are all for this, there are a couple of voices of reason, not the least of which is Pinocchio. He is under a compulsion spell that means that he must remain loyal to his father, but that doesn't stop him from suggesting that the humans will not be quite as easy to beat as all of the others seemed to think.

Whilst this thread about the future dominates the first half of the book and so is relatively easy to talk about, it is the other parts of the collection that make it difficult to review. While I have talked on numerous occasions about needing to read in order, there are so many subplots that we just get the briefest of glimpses of in this collection but that hark back to previous books. For example, we have just a couple of pages about Jack getting into mischief again, and just a couple of pages about a human reporter who is sniffing around Fabletown. In and of themselves they don't necessarily move the story forward in great leaps and bounds, but they do tie previous storylines to this collection and I expect, in due course will be easily identifiable as the foundation that future story developments were built upon.

One of the things I liked about this collection is that there were some short stories where we got to meet some of the other characters who live in Fabletown. The first of these was about Rapunzel, who must always keep on the move, not being able to stay in one place for more than a couple of hours because her hair grows so quickly that mundys would notice if she didn't keep moving. In other short stories, there was also lots of kissing various animals in the hope of meeting a handsome prince or princess (not always successfully), the three blind mice searching for paradise, recruits to the mouse police on parade and so much more.

I loved spending more time with Bigby and Snow and their charming brood of kids (as always!), even when Bigby was being all dark and broody because he had to go and visit his father. I particularly enjoyed the Christmas story which explained to the cubs how Santa Claus manages to get all round the world in one night. It would have been such a joy to receive the Christmas cartoon when it was published as a single magazine.

I wasn't as keen on some of the more intense stories. I know that we are building up to the big confrontation between the Adversary and the fables who live in Fabletown but there were a few times where that build up just felt relentless. Whilst I generally enjoy the developing storyline around the big upcoming confrontation, it really is the more whimsical elements that I enjoy the most.

What the creators of this series do manage most of the time is to get a mix between the more light hearted storytelling and the dramatic big storylines. The last few pages of this collection are a perfect example of this. The team chose a few of the thousands of questions that they have been asked over the years that they have been doing the Fables cartoons and they did a few short stories to illustrate the answers - so much fun! Questions like what is Boy Blue's favourite song, who was Prince Charming's first love, how does Bufkin keep getting hold of the alcohol and who caught the bouquet at Snow White's wedding! Such fun!


Rating 4/5

The Best-Laid Plans

The free Fables living in the mundane world have struck a decisive blow against the Adversary, destroying one of his most valuable assests at the very heart of his empire - and setting the stage for an all-out war between the worlds in the process. Now, while the rule of the Homelands licks his wounds and gathers his forces, the denizens of Fabletown have a rare chance to savor the brief peace their victory has brought them. Everyone, however, knows that this is just the calm before the storm - and that even the winds themselves will have to choose sides before it's over.

Other contributors to this edition include Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha, Michael Allred and Andrew Pepoy

Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall by Bill Willingham

Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall is part of the Fables series that I have been reading for a year or so. The difference with this book is that you can read it either as an introduction to the series or you can read it part way through the series. Kelly's guide to the series recommends reading it between volumes 8 and 9 of the Fables books which is exactly where I am reading it.

The main concept of this whole volume is pretty simple - Snow White is sent as an ambassador to a powerful Sultan. Due to some cultural misunderstandings (not the least of which is the acceptability of sending a woman as an ambassador) and quite a few delays, Snow finally gets her chance to speak with the Sultan. He is, however, a man who has been betrayed by women before and so to protect himself from betrayal he marries a new woman each night and then has her killed before daybreak. Little does Snow know before she goes to him, her number is up. However, we know that Snow is quite a resourceful woman, and she begins telling him different stories and manages to catch his interest so that he wants her to keep coming back night after night.

Really, this set up is pretty much only a frame for the real business which is the chance for readers to get to see the earlier stories of many of the Fables characters that we are now familiar with. For example, the first and longest story in the book, is Snow White's own story - not so much the whole wicked queen and poison apple business - but what happened after she married her Prince Charming, with particular note on what happened with the dwarves after. These were definitely not your Disney style dwarves! (Sneezy, Dopey etc would have been safe in this telling. Can't say the same for these dwarves necessarily).

One of the other stories that is told to the Sultan is that of the Frog Prince. A beautiful princess kisses a frog and a handsome prince appears. They are married and very happy together, raising a thriving family with many children. The fact that the prince reverts to his frog form on occasion is only a small problem, until his home is invaded and his wife and children are killed and he is unable to do anything to stop it. This was only a short story compared to some of the others, but it was quite graphic (as in sexually violent). And yet, it was also the story that gave me my biggest a-ha moment as it kind of explains why the character in the previous books in the series firstly likes to eat flies, and secondly is the way he is, which is that he kind of exists in a perpetual state of shell-shock.

Another of the origins we got to explore was that of Bigby. Who would have thought he was the runt of the litter! We get to see how determined Bigby is, fighting his way up from awwww...Bigby as a cub to ewwww...Bigby as a malevolent killer. You can see much of these early lessons in the man who is one of my favourite Fables characters.

We also got to find out about the witch and how she came to be in the new world, about how it was that Old King Cole became the mayor of Fabletown and why it became necessary to create the farm which is what started the tensions that led to him being ousted as mayor in the later books in the series. I think from a purely aesthetic perspective, the witch's story and how she came to meet Snow and Ruby Red was my favourite.

While I enjoyed the stories, particularly the whole back to the beginning vibe, there were a couple of things that bothered me this time.

Snow is telling the stories to the sultan with a view of keeping him from marrying her and then killing her before daybreak, and this apparently goes on for 1001 nights. That therefore means a different story every night and I think that this idea of different stories was part of the reason why each story had different illustrators. However, to me, the different stories didn't feel cohesive, because each of the stories felt really, really different from the others in terms of the artistic style, the dominant colour palettes etc. Now this happens to a degree with a normal Fables collection but usually there is one overarching story that is continuing the main Fables storyline, as well as a couple of other stories, with the main thread feeling pretty much cohesive from one edition to the next.

The other thing that happened at the very end where Scheherazade is next to be in turn to go to the Sultan after Snow White has survived for 1001 nights, and Snow White tells her the secret of her survival - it kind of felt as though it was undercutting the whole Scheherazade story as an individual tale.

On to the next Fables book then!

Rating 4/5

Synopsis

Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall is set in the early days of Fabletown, long before the FABLES series began!

Traveling to Arabia as an Ambassador from the exiled FABLES community, Snow White is captured by the local sultan who wants to marry her (and then kill her). But clever Snow attempts to charm the sultan instead by playing Scheherazade, telling him fantastic stories for a total of 1,001 nights, saving her very skin in the process.

Running the gamut from unexpected horror to dark intrigue to mercurial coming-of-age, FABLES:1,001 NIGHTS OF SNOWFALL reveals the secret histories of familiar FABLES characters through a series of compelling and visually illustrative tales. Writer Bill Willingham is joined by an impressive array of artists from comic book industry legends to the amazing young painters of the next wave.

FABLES:1,001 NIGHTS OF SNOWFALL is both a welcome entry point to the critically acclaimed series and an essential part of Willingham's enchanting and imaginative Fables mythos.

Other contributors to this edition include Esao Andrews, Brian Bolland, John Bolton, Mark Buckingham, James Jean, Michael Wm. Kaluta, Derek Kirk Kim, Tara McPherson, Jill Thompson, Charles Vess, Mark Wheatley)

This book counts for the Once Upon a Time challenge.

Fables: Wolves by Bill Willingham

This book is volume 8 in the Fables series, and as such there will definitely be spoilers for previous issues, even more so than usual because I really, really loved this instalment. It may even be my equal favourite of all of them so far! You can read my reviews of the previous books in the series here.

*******SPOILERS AHOY********

This is the book that I have been anticipating for the last few instalments because, finally, Bigby Wolf is finally back! And I can tell you that I did cheer when I realised!

As much as I have enjoyed exploring the other fables worlds I was so pleased to see that this volume was so much more focused and that Snow White and Bigby were front and centre.

The first story is called Wolves and features Mowgli travelling the world searching the world for Bigby Wolf - a man who really doesn't want to be found. From the Russian seaports, Mowgli is almost ready to give up until he realises that he needs to stop thinking of the man he is searching for but rather think of the wolf that he is tracking.

Bigby has been trying to forget the past he left behind, including the woman he loved, and if he has to do it by living in the isolated forests, by drinking too much and consoling himself in any way he can then so be it.

Mowgli is however determined, mainly because Fabletown has a task that only Bigby can fulfil - ensuring that the Adversary gets some retribution for his actions against the Fables. The fact that this task may provide the means for Bigby to see both Snow and his cubs again is also a major factor of motivation.

Snow and Bigby have been separated for years because he is banned from going to the Farm and Snow is forced to live there until such time as her children can show that they can maintain a human form and therefore go unnoticed in the mundy world.

In my favourite section of the collection, which is called Happily Ever After, we get to follow Bigby on his seemingly impossible task but alternating with his story we also get glimpses of Snow trying to train her growing children to stay human so that they can leave the farm. I am sure just by the title of this story you can tell exactly what happens! As a romance fan...I loved it!    *sniff, sniff*

The final section of the book moves away from Bigby and instead focuses on Cinderella. In Big and Small we find out that Cinderella isn't just the owner of a high end shoe shop, but rather that she plays an important part in the diplomatic work related to Fabletown.

I loved the fact that we got to see some magic beanstalk action in this novel (and no that isn't a euphemism) and enjoyed visiting the cloudlands, especially as Cinderella tries to get a major peace treaty signed before the kingship changes hands AGAIN, but for me the undoubted highlight of this book is the culmination of Bigby and Snow's relationship.

It was interesting that there was a full script of the novel included in this editions, which I don't recall seeing before.

By following Kailana's handy dandy guide to the Fables series, I see that now I need to read the stand-alone volume 1001 Nights of Snowfall. I only wish that I didn't have to get every volume of this series through inter library loan. I get very impatient waiting for each new volume to arrive!

If you have any interest in fairy tales, even if you do not normally read graphic novels, I highly recommend this series! As you would expect, it is best to start at the beginning to get the full effect!

Other contributing artists for this volume include Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha, Shawn McManus and Andrew Pepoy

Rating 4.5/5

Into the Woods

The community of Fables living undercover in our midst has endured plenty of suffering at the hands of their longtime antagonist, the Adversary. Now it's time to return the favor and put the would-be conqueror on notice that the cost of subjugating this last stronghold of independent magic will be higher than even he can bear. The one Fable who can accomplish this mission, however, has hidden himself away in the wild and will take some convincing if he can even be found. Luckily for Fabletown, there's something more than a trip behind enemy lines awaiting Bigby Wolf's return.

Fables, Vol 7: Arabian Nights (and Days) by Bill Willingham

In the last volume of Fables that I read, we were briefly introduced to the concept of other Fables lands and in this volume that concept is explored in three of the four stories.

Given that this is the seventh instalment in the series, there might be ****spoilers*** in the following review for the previous books. You can read my previous reviews by clicking here.

The first story starts with the well established plot point about how badly Prince Charming is doing in his role as mayor. He now has a much greater appreciation that the job that King Cole and Snow White used to do in balancing all the needs of all the different residents of Fabletowns. It doesn't help that those broken election promises are still haunting him. I also wasn't all that pleased with one of the plot points to do with Prince I-really-should-be-called-Smarming.

Matters take a turn for a worse when suddenly a limousine pulls up out of the front of the building and just sits there. No one knows who it is or what they want. Meanwhile, the occupants of the limo are waiting for their formal welcoming party, the one that will show the proper amount of respect for Sinbad, head of the Baghdad fables. Prince Charming has no clue how to deal with such favoured guests, especially ones whose ideas of what are normal and not going to be accepted to the modern Fables community. Talk about culture shock!

The Baghdad fables have travelled to try and make an alliance with the American fables because it seems that the Adversary has turned his covetous eyes to new pastures and so they need to be able to fight against the invasion with other fables who have successfully defeated him in battle.

What they don't know is that the entourage from Baghdad have bought something with them that has the power to cause chaos throughout both the Fables and mundy world - a djinn. Almost unlimitless power contained within a small bottle. Who knows what could happen if it was released! The search is on for ways to combat the power of the djinn, should they need it.

I did enjoy the quick visit we made to the farm to see Snow and the cubs, and I loved seeing that Auntie Rose is the disciplinarian! Again, I missed Digby and I hope that he is back soon!

Of the stories in this collection though, I think that my favourite was The Ballad of Rodney and June. Rodney is an ordinary wooden soldier, fighting for the Adversary. When he is injured he is sent to June for repairs. She is also fully wooden, and works to make repairs on the wooden soldiers. They are smitten by each other, and soon Rodney begins to woo her. Except, he doesn't really know how to go about this. There are no emotional sparks between them when they kiss, and then they realise that they don't have all the necessary parts that humans do in order to procreate. The whole story is told in the form of a letter to Geppetto asking him to make them both human. What they don't realise is that if their wish is to be granted, there will be a terrible price to pay and they have no idea what that might entail.

I think I have one more Fables book to read before I need to switch over to the Jack of Fables series which interlinks with this one. I have already requested volume 8 from the library through interlibrary loan.

Rating 4/5

Culture clash

With the identity of the Adversary finally revealed to the citizens of Fabletown, it's time to begin making preparations in earnest for the defense of their stronghold in the mundane world - and that means forging new alliances with whoever remains unconquered by the Adversary's legions. But the arrival in Fabletown of a delegation from the Arabian Homelands shows just how tricky this kind of coalition-building can be - especially when one side is concealing Weapons of Magical Destruction.

Other contributors include Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha, Jim Fern, Jimmy Palmiotti and Andrew Pepoy.

Fables, Vol 6: Homelands by Bill Willingham

Like a lot of the Fables collections, this graphic novel has multiple storylines going on. One of those storylines continues the narrative thread from the earlier novels - mainly that of the conflict between the Fables who live in our world and those that still live in the Homelands. In this instalment, we find out more than we have previously seen of what it is like for those left behind in the Homelands than we have in previous episodes, including the big reveal of who exactly is the Adversary.

The first part of the collection though is more of a jumping off point for the Jack of Fables spinoff series and features Jack (of the beanstalk fame, also of be nimble and many other adventures). He has a big plan of how to make his mark. He has managed to acquire some funds - best not to ask how - and heads off to Hollywood to start his own movie studios. His plan is to make the biggest selling fantasy movie trilogy ever. Jack being Jack, the stories to be told are, of course, his own. All goes swimmingly until the Fables powers that be catch up with him.

Whilst I didn't mind Jack's story, it really was the second part of the novel that really shone for me, and it may even be my favourite section of the Fables books I have read so far. In this group of episodes, we follow Little Boy Blue deep into the Homeland. His mission is to get close enough to the Adversary to assasinate him and maybe he might be able to find his true love, Red Riding Hood, while he is at it. At his disposal he has a whole arsenal of weapons all concealed in his blue cloke. Will his weapons and skill be enough to match against several different worlds of Fables characters who will do anything they can to stop him - particularly as he gets closer and closer to the Adversary.

I loved the humour in this whole section; the trolls talking about their human girlfriends serving up chicken and saying it tastes like snake, the birds having a conversation about how the female birds always fall for the crows - the bad boys of the bird world, the fights against the three horseman, and so much more! I was reading this part on the train and I am sure I spent the whole train ride smiling broadly as we got further and further into the adventure.

While it was no big surprise to me as to who the identity of the Adversary was (I had picked it a couple of books back as I think most readers would have) I did like the other twists that the story took as part of the big reveal.

The other thing that happened in this collection is that we were introduced to a new characters who I am sure will play a big role in future episodes, and that is Mowgli from the Jungle Book. I also really liked the hint that there are plenty of other fables characters and worlds to be explored with African, Asian, Indian themes. I wonder if they would ever do one featuring Australian fairy tales or Dreamtime tales, although it might be difficult to do so whilst still maintaining the necessary respect for indigenous Australians.

One other thing I would say about this volume - I really missed Bigby! Hopefully he isn't gone for too long.

I don't know if I have mentioned this or not whenever I have posted about the Fables series, but my library doesn't actually own any of these. If I want to read the series, then I have to request it via interlibrary loan from whichever libraries in the state have a copy and then wait for it turn up at my library. I am lucky in several ways. The first is that this service is still free, and that so far there is always at least one library that has had a copy of the next instalment - long may that continue!

The other thing about interlibrary loans is that once I do get the book, the borrowing period can't be extended, so between the transit times and the restricted borrowing times I am reading one Fables book every six to eight weeks or so. It feels like a pretty even and good pace to be reading them at. Expect the next review in six to eight weeks.

Rating 4.5/5

Synopsis

Over the Hills and Far Away

Have beaten back the Adversary's first advance into their world, the residents of Fabletown must now prepare themselves for the full-scale ware that is such to follow. For one particular Fable, this means skipping town to launch a new career as a venal Hollywood mogul - a path he hopes will be paved with gold and immortality. For another Fable, though, it means a journey down a much more dangerous road - one that winds thorugh the Fables' old Homelands into the very heart of enemy territory, where the mystery of the Adversary's identity will finally be revealed.

Other artists include Mark Buckingham, David Hahn and Steve Leialoha

Fables 5: The Mean Seasons by Bill Willingham

This is the fifth volume of the Fables series, and unfortunately I don't think that it is possible to talk about at least some of the aspects of this book without spoiling those earlier volumes. I will try and warn you first though before we get into that territory and I will not be spoiling for the action in this volume.

The action starts in this volume with all three of Prince Charming's ex-wives getting together for a lunch. You have to know that there are going some stories swapped when they do, but really it is a ruse for one of them, lying a trail of crumbs to cover up exactly what it is that she is really up to. This was a fun story that showed that some of the characters still have plenty of stories to be told, which can only be a good thing for the future of the Fables series.

Speaking of stories not yet told, during this volume we get to find out more about the somewhat normally terse character of Bigby Wolf. Memories of the big battle from the last book and the need to visit one of his former comrades (one of few mundies who actually know what he really is) has us revisiting his activities during World War II. There is no doubt that someone like Mr Wolf would make a great warrior, especially given his heightened senses (what with him being a wolf and all) and the story that we are told shows those skills, but also his capability to be a leader and a friend. The other thing that we do begin to see a bit more than we had is exactly how it is that Bigby keeps law and order in Fabletown. His methods are not always straight forward or perhaps even legal, but he does get results.

Heading into spoiler territory now.....


The main reason why we get to learn more of Bigby's method is that the results of the election are in (the campaigning started in the last book) and unfortunately there is going to be a new mayor, Prince Charming. Old King Cole is out and Prince Charming is in. With Snow White due to give birth any day now, her role will be taken by Beauty and the new sheriff will be The Beast assuming that Snow White and Bigby decide that they can't work with the new mayor. The decision is effectively taken out of Snow's hands when her children are born. Given that some of them will never pass as human, there is no option but for Snow to retire to the farm. Only problem is that Bigby is not banned from the farm, meaning that the new family has no choice but to be separated. Fortunately for Snow, she gets assistance from an unlikely source, one that can hopefully help train her children with their special gifts.

With the new administration in place it soon becomes clear that things are not necessarily going to go smoothly. Charming can't meet his election promises, Snow's skills as administrator are sadly missed and the Beast is clearly out of his depth even when he things he is doing the right thing.



End spoilers



Once again, the story takes the familiar characters that we know and put them into everyday and not so everyday situations. The imagery and stories are quite graphic, the humour is grown up, and yet the emotions are very recognisable. Some of my favourite scenes in this book including Snow White and her sister Rose Red discussing men and the babies are nnnnaaawwww, so cute!

The next volume has already been requested and I am looking forward to the next instalment in the Fables story.

I read for the RIP VII challenge

Written on the Wind

With the Battle of Fabletown won, and the surrounding city of New York none the wiser, the Fables have gained a little time for rebuilding and reflection - in between the interrogation of the Adversary's agent and the anticipation of Snow White's impending motherhood.

For Bigby Wolf, the father of her soon-to-be newborns, that means a visit with an old friend - and reminiscence of another, even deadlier war. For the Mayor of Fabletown, it means a rude awakening to the harsh realities of civic administration - and its conflicting demands. and for Snow herself, it means a long, painful labor - and a series or joyous, heartbreaking surprises.

Fables 4: March of the Wooden Soldiers by Bill Willingham

In the last volume of Fables that I read, the four stories were cohesive in some ways but in other ways were four standalone stories, with only two of them driving the ploorward.

This time it is different. The first story takes us to the past, to the final battle before all avenues back their magical homelands were closed off. The next three stories very much drive the story arc forward building and building until there is a blazing finale.

When the book opens it is the Ides of May and Boy Blue has been playing the blues on his saxophone all day. When his boss, Deputy Mayor of Fabletown Snow White asks him why he confesses that it is the anniversary of the final battle against the adversary and the day that he lost the woman he loved. Through Blue's eyes we see the lead up to the final battle including the evacuation of the fable refugees. They were the last boatload of fables to make it out from the homeland safely and that was the final gate to be closed meaning that no one else could escape. Blue only escaped thanks to the generosity of his commander who made it possible for him to be on the last boat, not realising that his new love had been left behind and he grieves his losses on every anniversary.

Cutting back to modern times, Prince Charming has decided that he wants to be mayor, Snow White is dealing with an expected complication from the events in the last book and everyone is surprised when it seems as though someone has escaped from the homelands and made it through to the safety of Fabletown. Nearly everyone is absolutely delighted because it means that other people might be able to join them. Nearly everyone, but not absolutely everyone.

When Blue's old girlfriend, Red Riding Hood, is the woman who makes it to safety, he has more reason than most to be thrilled. Right from the beginning the security chief Bigby Wolf (as in Big Bad) is suspicious and he insists that it is nothing to do with their past encounters but everything to do with the way that she came to find herself in on this side of the gate.

It also soon becomes clear that she is not the only person who has made it through, and that the others have destruction on their minds. Both the Fabletown community and the inhabitants of the farm where non-human fables reside have to work together to defeat the seeming constantly multiplying enemy before they destroy Fabletown completely. Somehow, they also need to keep the battle a secret from their Mundy neighbours. This is no easy task, but once again Snow White, Bigby, Rose Red and all their friends rise to the fore.

Willingham and his collaborators have been slowly building up to this battle since the beginning of the series, and does so masterfully. This books is quite dark - lots of death and bloodshed and more - but it is also darkly funny in parts (I loved the scene where the wooden soldiers got to decide what they would wear), poignant in places (Pinocchio's blind faith in his father was touching although I am not 100% convinced that it isn't misplaced) and just downright fun most of the time.

I am very interested to see where the story goes next as it did feel as though some of the story arcs were resolved in this novel but I suspect that there will be plenty of drama in the next book as the characters have to recover from the terrible battle and the losses that they have sustained in the course of it.

Rating 4.5/5

Additional artists include Mark Buckingham, Craig Hamilton, Steve Leialoha and P Craig Russell.

Synopsis

To the Barricades

For centuries the fables have watched the gateways between our mundane world and their lost magical homelands, even on guard for signs of invasion. Now, after decades of quiet, it seems that someone has finally escaped Adversary's oppression and made it to the sanctuary. But appearances, as always, can be deceiving, and there's plenty about this refugee's story that smells wrong to the right noses. In fact, things are worse than they suspect - plans are already under way for the complete destruction of Fabletown, and every one of its citizens is about to get a refresher course in the unforgiving lessons of war

Fables, Vol 3: Storybook Love by Bill Willingham

This is the third edition of the Fables collection, and once again I have enjoyed spending time with the various fairy tale creatures that form the population of Fabletown.

Whilst the narrative that was started in book 1 and 2 were carried on through this volume, there were also a couple of stories that provided some more back story to the individual characters that were a lot of fun, but almost stood separately to the overall story arc.

As with all the Fables books, these are fairytale stories for grown ups. There is sex and violence aplenty throughout the pages, and plenty of adult themes! Not to mention blood and gore!
The first instalment in this book features Jack (of the Beanstalk and giant slaying variety). During the American Civil War, the always scheming Jack thought that he might be able to make some money. Unfortunately, he picked the wrong side as he joined the Southern forces, but he jumps ship and heads away from the action through the swamps where he meets Nick Slick, and is forced to gamble for his soul! The consequences of the unforeseen outcome are funny but also macabre!

The final instalment tells the story of the Lilliputian men who came to live in Fabletown back in the early days of New York. Only problem was that there were only men who came and obviously there are no other women who were their size, other than Thumbelina, and so action needs to be taken! One brave Lilliputian risks his life to go back to their homeland and steal the special beans that create the flowers that women come from (if they don't come from the normal method that is!). Both of these standalone tales were a lot of fun.

It is the second and third stories that drive the story arc. With Snow White still on limited duties recovering from the events of the last book, Digby Wolf is ostensibly in charge. When a mundy (i.e non fable human) journalist threatens to reveal everything he knows (or at least what he thinks he knows) about the Fabletown community, desperate action is required, although between Digby, Prince Charming and Bluebeard there are differences of opinion as to what action that should be! Whilst Bluebeard favours a permanent solution, Digby's plan involves using the curse that afflicts Briar Rose and then a much more devious solution to silence the man. I was amused by the way that Briar Rose had to be awoken!

As always, there are plenty of big egos involved and when people get pissed off, then there is of course retribution to be taken. In the third story, Snow White and Digby Wolf (as in big, bad) are put under an enchantment and find themselves marooned out camping in the wild together. It is only when their lives are endangered that there is a gradual thaw in their usually frosty relationship. As any romance reader knows that, it is often the people who clash the most who really have the strongest attraction, especially when they find themselves in mortal danger! It was interesting to see how the authors chose to deal with this with a lot of the action taking place off stage and even out of the characters memories, and some ongoing consequences to be dealt with in the future episodes I suspect.

Whilst I still enjoyed this instalment, and I liked the standalone stories, I did find that I was perplexed at how they fitted into the overall scheme of things at first. I also thought that there were a couple of plot holes, particularly in relation to Prince Charming. Maybe this will be further explored it the next instalment, which I am looking forward to.

Rating 3.5/5

Other artists include Mark Buckingham and Steve Leialoha

In the Fables' world, there isn't a lot of happily-ever-after to go around. As refugees from the lands of make-believe, the Fables have been driven from their storybook realms and forced to blend in with out gritty, mundane reality.


But that doesn't mean they don't have any room for romance -- or the pain, betrayal and jealous rage that go along with it. In fact, love may be blooming between two of the most hard-bitten, no-nonsense Fables around. But are they destined for happiness -- or a quick and untimely death?

Fables, Vol 2: Animal Farm by Bill Willingham

As I mentioned when I reviewed the first book in the Fables series, my library doesn't have any of these graphic novels on the shelf so I am having to get them through inter library loan. That means that I can't renew the books like I normally do so I should be reading one of these every six weeks or so which is a little less gap than I tend to have between books in a series usually.

Lucky that is no hardship!

Animal Farm is the second book in the Fables series, and it clearly takes the George Orwell classic as inspiration.

Whereas the first book in the series focused on those characters who were able to pass as human and who therefore could live hidden in plain sight in New York in a community known as Fabletown. They are able to live relatively normal lives.

Unfortunately for those who can not pass as human their lives are somewhat more restricted. They live in a community on a farm in upstate New York. There are spells that keep the community hidden from outsiders to protect them, but that means that they are stuck only within the farm area. Such restrictions of freedom can, and this time does, mean that there are many people/animals who want to see change and will go to just about any length to achieve their aims.

The story starts when Snow White realises that Weyland Smith, the caretaker of the farm, seems to have disappeared and she packs her sister, Rose Red, into the truck and heads up to the farm for one of her regular twice yearly visits . Rose Red is still officially on probation after the events of the last book and Snow is hoping that a trip to the country might help mend the fractured relationship between the two sisters.

It doesn't take long to realise that something is wrong at the farm, and that the leaders are not necessarily who you would expect! And having Snow turn up during the midst of the uprising is a bonus as it will definitely help gain the attention of the city people if they have Snow as a pawn.

Snow needs to work out who she can trust, who is in charge, why Rose seems to have gone all militant, what the long term goals of the uprising are and how she can get away from the predicament she is in before they decide that she is expendable.

The range of characters is once again immense with familiar names like Brer Rabbit, Shere Khan, Reynard the Fox, the three little pigs, a very anti authoritarian Goldilocks and the three bears and so many more picking which side they are on! It was also very interesting to get a small glimpse into the emotion that is at the very heart of Rose Red's antagonism towards Snow White.

Once again, the story is fun although it probably leans a little to the gory side (poor Colin), and the art is amazing! I am really looking forward to reading volume 3 which is titled Storybook Love.

Art by Mark Buckingham and Steve Leialoha

Rating 4/5

Synopsis

Ever since they were driven from their homelands by the Adversary, the non-human Fables have been living on the Farm -- a vast property in upstate New York that keeps them hidden from the prying eyes of the mundane world. But now, after hundreds of years of isolation, the Farm is seething with revolution, fanned by the inflammatory rhetoric of Goldilocks and the Three Little Pigs. And when Snow White and her sister Rose Red stumble upon their plan to liberate the Homelands, the commissars of the Farm are ready to silence them -- by any means necessary!

Collecting the second story arc of creator and writers Bill Willingham's acclaimed series FABLES, ANIMAL FARM feature the stunning artwork of penciller Mark Buckingham and inker Steve Leialoha, and includes a special sketchbook section of preliminary artwork from Willingham, Buckingham, and cover artist Jeames Jean.

I read this book as part of the Once Upon a Time VI challenge.

Fables, Vol 1: Legends in Exile by Bill Willingham

I am not sure how long I have been meaning to start reading the Fables series by Bill Willingham, but it has been a long time - as in probably 3 or 4 years. Many of my favourite bloggers are big fans, but I never did get around to getting any of the books in the series, particularly since my library doesn't have any of them. Apparently, I never did get around to checking the inter library catalogue. I must have seen someone mention it because a few weeks ago I thought to check there, and voila! a short wait later and I finally had this graphic novel in my hands.

Quite frankly, I wish I had of thought to check the ILL catalogue earlier! This book is so much fun. I have already requested the next book in the series.

 This is a fairy tale story, but not as we normally know them. In this world, a group of fairy tale characters have come to live in modern day America because, in their homelands, they were being hunted to the point of extinction by their enemy who is known as The Adversary. For those who can pass as humans there is a home for them in New York, but those with animal form go to live at The Farm, away from human civilisation. There are lots of familiar characters here: Old King Cole, Snow White, the big bad wolf (although he goes by the name Digby now), Jack (of the beanstalk fame), Bluebeard, Prince Charming, Beauty and the beast and more. For some of the characters, life here is easy. They managed to bring their riches to their new life, but for most of them life is a struggle, trying to get by in the mundy world without bringing attention to their otherness.

Our story starts with a mystery. Jack's girlfriend, Ruby Red is missing from her blood-soaked apartment, and so detective Digby is called in to investigate. Her powerful and influential sister, Snow White, is determined to assist him with his investigation. She has been estranged from Ruby for some time, and so there are several revelations along the course of the investigation. Digby has several suspects in mind, including Snow herself. There is chemistry between Snow and Digby straight away, as much as Snow might try to fight it, and I can't wait to read more about the two of them. It doesn't help though that Snow's shonky ex husband, Prince Charming, is in town and is trying to sell off his some of his titles and lands in the homeland to raise some quick cash.

Each year, the fables come together at a grand ball to remember their homelands and their escape from The Adversary and the mayor, King Cole, has made it clear that the case must be solved before the big event, which also happens to be the biggest fundraiser of the year. Can Snow White and the big bad wolf find out what happened to Rose Red. Will Beauty and the Beast be able to make it through the whole evening without fighting about money, and will Prince not-so Charming get his comeuppance?

I think that one of my favourite cameo appearances was that of Pinocchio, destined to be trapped in a pre teen body for ever! Bratty and whiny, and oh so desperate to be able to get laid! Very funny stuff.

One thing to remember with these graphic novels (or are they cartoons given that this is a collection of separate cartoon chapters?) is that whilst these characters are the ones that we know from childhood, this series is one for more mature audiences. There is blood, violence, greed and plenty of flesh on display. The women are drawn voluptuously and the men are often hirsute and muscular!

Not one for the kiddies, but oh so much fun for the rest of us!

Rating 4.5/5

Who Killed Rose Red?

In Fabletown, where fairy tale legends live alongside regular New Yorkers, the question is all anyone can talk about. But only the Big Bad Wolf can actually solve the case–and, along with Rose’s sister Snow White, keep the Fabletown community from coming apart at the seams.

The author of this one is Bill Willingham but the art is by Lan Medina, Steve Leialoha, Craig Hamilton, Sherilyn van Valkenburgh, Todd Klein, James jean and Alex Maleev. Just wanted to make sure I had recorded this somewhere for future reference.

I have finally read another book for the Once Upon a Time challenge! Woo-hoo!