Reviews

The Unwritten, Vol. 10: War Stories by Peter Gross, Yuko Shimizu, Mike Carey

themtj's review against another edition

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3.0

Hear my deep dive podcast about it at https://www.storiedarcs.com/the-unwritten/

A bit meandering, even for this series. Still, I enjoyed it and am glad to get a little more time with these characters and this world.

julesjim's review against another edition

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3.0

Ok I've followed this series from the beginning, and now I'm well lost. Is it ever explained how London has been destroyed? Are they still in some sort of story, or in the "real" world? I generally feel that the authors just don't care as much anymore and are making things up as they go. Hope the last volume redeems it somehow.

piamoomin's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated

4.0

jhstack's review against another edition

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4.0

So much meta-fiction!

rouver's review against another edition

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3.0

The world has ended. The rules of the world are sectioned into genres from stories. It's madness. Also, sometimes a bit hard to follow. How is Carey going to clean this mess up and write a satisfying ending?

treesofreverie's review against another edition

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4.0

I feel like I'd probably left too much time in between when I read the previous volumes in the series and this one as it felt like a very intense scene to jump into when starting this one! As the title War Stories suggests, there are some much darker graphics and encounters for Tom and his friends to face. One thing I really love about this series is about how multilayered and in depth some of the stories (and stories within stories etc.) and characters can be. This complexity was a real delight to rediscover after having a break in between reading sessions for this series. I also love the way the different artists use their art styles together. I really appreciate how much the changes in style affect the tone of the stories.

northern_mint's review against another edition

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2.0

This series has always been a bit off the rails, but volume 8 was a significant derailment. Vol 9, the weird piece of fan fiction that it was inserted into a series where it didn't belong, caused the 'train' to flip killing everyone on board. I don't think there's any righting the series at this point and if there is this isn't it. It's just absolute mayhem.

And despite this absolute mayhem in terms of story, there's actually been a regression. Everyone is back alive and their goals are exactly the same as they've ever been. The train derailment works as a good metaphor here because the wheels are turning but we're going nowhere.

dars's review

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

I am happy to see the main storyline back on track after the unnecessary detour of the last volume, but honestly, it feel like it’s taken perhaps a little longer than necessary for us to get to this point. This series has been enjoyable to nerd out to with so many literary references, but it’s good that it will wrap up with the next volume.

frasersimons's review

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mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The penultimate collection. It does make a lot more sense, not having to read these issues months/years apart; go figure. I can see how it got to the “apocalypse” much better, but because the Fable finale is before it, I remember being pretty confused last time. This has some nice plot threads tied up from way back as well. The worlds splitting at the seams really was bound to happen. Excited for the last trade, I don’t remember what happens even a little bit. 

danbydame's review against another edition

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4.0

I actually read / reread all 10 volumes. Still a great series. I thought it faltered a little in Vol 9, with the Fables crossover. That might be a result of my not being familiar with that series. But it felt forced, and a little too reliant on "magic". Too may magic words, wands and balls of fire. Not enough real plot and thought pieces.