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amyjoy's review against another edition
5.0
This was the best conclusion I could have ever hoped for, and I am still emotionally wrecked that it's over.
I am SO GLAD Rose and Snow didn't have to do battle in the end, and that Rose came to her senses. Her fireside interlude with Blue was EXCELLENT and kind of heartbreaking!
I loved all the "Last _____ Story." It felt really good to get some closure on these characters I've been reading about for such a long time. I am still (forever) sad about some of the losses along the way, but I appreciate that we also got to see the villains get their comeuppance.
I loved all the "Last _____ Story." It felt really good to get some closure on these characters I've been reading about for such a long time. I am still (forever) sad about some of the losses along the way, but I appreciate that we also got to see the villains get their comeuppance.
madmooney's review against another edition
4.0
This is a spoiler free review for the entire Fables series, with a few thoughts on the last volume.
TL;DR version:
Full Series: 4 Stars "Not perfect, but still worth the read. And YES, you should read it too!"
Fables Vol 22: 4 stars
Old Stories into New
I have always been loved the idea of revisiting older stories- especially when you do so by breaking them down to their basic elements, and then breathe a new life into them.
An example: I have always loved L.F. Baum's Oz stories [b:The Wizard of Oz 15 Book Collection|22731743|The Wizard of Oz 15 Book Collection|L. Frank Baum|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1405498135s/22731743.jpg|42268348], and Greg Maguire's 'Wicked' [b:Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West|37442|Wicked The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (The Wicked Years, #1)|Gregory Maguire|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1437733293s/37442.jpg|1479280] remains somewhere in my Top 20 of favourite books of all time, as it weaves Baum's multiple Oz yarns into a single, cohesive tapestry that is both simultaneously familiar and new, all while paying tribute to the source material. An example of a series that does a poor job of this would be the Dorothy Must Die series [b:Dorothy Must Die|18053060|Dorothy Must Die (Dorothy Must Die, #1)|Danielle Paige|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1381437107s/18053060.jpg|25337746]). It revisits the series, but only uses the source material perversely to trick the reader into reading it to make up for its lackluster writing.
Fables the Series
My first Fables experience was the textual book "Peter and Max", which I quite enjoyed as it fit the above criteria,
I had attempted to start the Fables graphic novel series a number of times, but I had trouble getting past the first scene where Beauty and the Beast are in trouble with the local Fable authorities over a domestic dispute.
Cute, but schlocky.
I had no interest in continuing the series, especially if all the authors were going to do was take these fairy tale archetypes and simply drop them into a modern setting (I could vividly hear the crowd chanting "Jerry...Jerry...Jerry..." in the background).
It was only when I had heard that the series had an end date that I decided to give it another shot and bully my way though my past prejudices. This time, after a few volumes in, I found myself deep enough into the series to become interested by the Homelands-Adversary story line and this provided enough purchase and momentum to convince me to continue.
I was also intrigued by introduction of a specific character:
Think of every fairy tale that possesses an 'old woman character'- evil and magically powerful'. Now imagine if all of those characters from all those stores was the same person, living among the 'good guys' because a general amnesty that forgives all past crimes. And even though she is with the 'good guys' the cost of her help usually outweighs the benefit the help provides, as she can be a bit of a schemer, and a bit of a chess-player when it comes to matters at hand.
This is Frau Totenkinder (which means child-killer in German- haha) and it was the first bit of proof that convinced me that the writers were doing some meta-thinking when they were crafting their story: revisiting something old, but bringing something new to it as well.
Fables' Story Arcs and Volume 22/Issue 150
Fables is a series with many story arcs, but it is the plight of the Fables in our world that serves as the primary story arc, threading everything together. Many of the story arc are very strong and serve the primary story arc well(the Adversary, Mr Dark, Arabian fables, 'Wolf-Wind-Farm') and some diverge from the primary story arc with the result being that they feel weak and shoehorned in (Brandish, Bufkin/Lily etc,) or are properly sequestered into their own series (Jack of Fables).
While the final story arc (Magical Tontine) DOES serve the primary arc by completing it, it definitely fits into the 'shoehorned' category, and it leaves a bad aftertaste. The elements of the Magical Tontine should have been introduced MUCH MUCH earlier than the penultimate volume. It leaves you with the sense that Willigham picked an arbitrary number to end the series (150 is nice and even) and then artifically rushed everything that was previously patiently simmering to meet that self-imposed deadline.
Poor execution aside, I was still happy with the ending he chose.
Endings
On top of ending the primary storyline, Volume 22/Issue 150 also provides the "Final Stories" of many of the characters. It can be said that Fables is an anthology series, with many important characters that each deserved their own ending, happy or not.
I was quite happy with Willingham's decision to spend just and equal amount of space for the 'Final stories' as he did for the ending the primary story. Many of the stories CRUELLY leave you wanting more, and that's OK (Willingham actually discusses this in his afterword).
A final thought: finishing off the series and Willingham's discussion of endings reminded me of two things other authors have said about endings which has always resonated with me:
Stephen King- The Dark Tower 7: The Dark Tower
There is no such thing as a happy ending. I never met a single one to equal “Once upon a time.”
Endings are heartless.
Ending is just another word for goodbye."
Lemony Snicket (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 13: The End)
"One could say, in fact, that no story really has a beginning, and that no story really has an end, as all of the world's stories are as jumbled as the items in the arboretum, with their details and secrets all heaped together so that the whole story, from beginning to end, depends on how you look at it. We might even say that the world is always in medias res - a Latin phrase which means "in the midst of things" or "in the middle of a narrative" - and that it is impossible to solve any mystery, or find the root of any trouble, and so The End is really the middle of the story, as many people in this history will live long past the close of Chapter Thirteen, or even the beginning of the story, as a new child arrives in the world at the chapter's close."
TL;DR version:
Full Series: 4 Stars "Not perfect, but still worth the read. And YES, you should read it too!"
Fables Vol 22: 4 stars
Old Stories into New
I have always been loved the idea of revisiting older stories- especially when you do so by breaking them down to their basic elements, and then breathe a new life into them.
An example: I have always loved L.F. Baum's Oz stories [b:The Wizard of Oz 15 Book Collection|22731743|The Wizard of Oz 15 Book Collection|L. Frank Baum|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1405498135s/22731743.jpg|42268348], and Greg Maguire's 'Wicked' [b:Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West|37442|Wicked The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (The Wicked Years, #1)|Gregory Maguire|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1437733293s/37442.jpg|1479280] remains somewhere in my Top 20 of favourite books of all time, as it weaves Baum's multiple Oz yarns into a single, cohesive tapestry that is both simultaneously familiar and new, all while paying tribute to the source material. An example of a series that does a poor job of this would be the Dorothy Must Die series [b:Dorothy Must Die|18053060|Dorothy Must Die (Dorothy Must Die, #1)|Danielle Paige|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1381437107s/18053060.jpg|25337746]). It revisits the series, but only uses the source material perversely to trick the reader into reading it to make up for its lackluster writing.
Fables the Series
My first Fables experience was the textual book "Peter and Max", which I quite enjoyed as it fit the above criteria,
I had attempted to start the Fables graphic novel series a number of times, but I had trouble getting past the first scene where Beauty and the Beast are in trouble with the local Fable authorities over a domestic dispute.
Cute, but schlocky.
I had no interest in continuing the series, especially if all the authors were going to do was take these fairy tale archetypes and simply drop them into a modern setting (I could vividly hear the crowd chanting "Jerry...Jerry...Jerry..." in the background).
It was only when I had heard that the series had an end date that I decided to give it another shot and bully my way though my past prejudices. This time, after a few volumes in, I found myself deep enough into the series to become interested by the Homelands-Adversary story line and this provided enough purchase and momentum to convince me to continue.
I was also intrigued by introduction of a specific character:
Think of every fairy tale that possesses an 'old woman character'- evil and magically powerful'. Now imagine if all of those characters from all those stores was the same person, living among the 'good guys' because a general amnesty that forgives all past crimes. And even though she is with the 'good guys' the cost of her help usually outweighs the benefit the help provides, as she can be a bit of a schemer, and a bit of a chess-player when it comes to matters at hand.
This is Frau Totenkinder (which means child-killer in German- haha) and it was the first bit of proof that convinced me that the writers were doing some meta-thinking when they were crafting their story: revisiting something old, but bringing something new to it as well.
Fables' Story Arcs and Volume 22/Issue 150
Fables is a series with many story arcs, but it is the plight of the Fables in our world that serves as the primary story arc, threading everything together. Many of the story arc are very strong and serve the primary story arc well(the Adversary, Mr Dark, Arabian fables, 'Wolf-Wind-Farm') and some diverge from the primary story arc with the result being that they feel weak and shoehorned in (Brandish, Bufkin/Lily etc,) or are properly sequestered into their own series (Jack of Fables).
While the final story arc (Magical Tontine) DOES serve the primary arc by completing it, it definitely fits into the 'shoehorned' category, and it leaves a bad aftertaste. The elements of the Magical Tontine should have been introduced MUCH MUCH earlier than the penultimate volume. It leaves you with the sense that Willigham picked an arbitrary number to end the series (150 is nice and even) and then artifically rushed everything that was previously patiently simmering to meet that self-imposed deadline.
Poor execution aside, I was still happy with the ending he chose.
Endings
On top of ending the primary storyline, Volume 22/Issue 150 also provides the "Final Stories" of many of the characters. It can be said that Fables is an anthology series, with many important characters that each deserved their own ending, happy or not.
I was quite happy with Willingham's decision to spend just and equal amount of space for the 'Final stories' as he did for the ending the primary story. Many of the stories CRUELLY leave you wanting more, and that's OK (Willingham actually discusses this in his afterword).
A final thought: finishing off the series and Willingham's discussion of endings reminded me of two things other authors have said about endings which has always resonated with me:
Stephen King- The Dark Tower 7: The Dark Tower
There is no such thing as a happy ending. I never met a single one to equal “Once upon a time.”
Endings are heartless.
Ending is just another word for goodbye."
Lemony Snicket (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 13: The End)
"One could say, in fact, that no story really has a beginning, and that no story really has an end, as all of the world's stories are as jumbled as the items in the arboretum, with their details and secrets all heaped together so that the whole story, from beginning to end, depends on how you look at it. We might even say that the world is always in medias res - a Latin phrase which means "in the midst of things" or "in the middle of a narrative" - and that it is impossible to solve any mystery, or find the root of any trouble, and so The End is really the middle of the story, as many people in this history will live long past the close of Chapter Thirteen, or even the beginning of the story, as a new child arrives in the world at the chapter's close."
xeve's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
tawfek's review against another edition
4.0
Oh man its over :(
I didn't like the ending much even though its perfect.
But i cant help but feel that this could have gone another way what if they avoided betting rose red and snow white against each other from the beginning and tried to get a different ending?
It somehow feels like they were preparing for a war that is going to happen, when someone suddenly reminded them if snow white and rose red family is cursed, that their daughters must fight to inherit the power, then how come snow white has 4 sons and then everyone was dumbfounded and they reached this outcome lmao...
I don't know but this is how it felt...
But even though the ending is epic not for the war that was never fought.
No, but for the whole series, the ending as bill have said in the afterward there is so many stories that can be told, but they will not tell them for example, who is the cosmic looking guy winter wolf is holding hands with ?
How did the magic school change the mundy world forever?
I feel the only tale that was left unfinished, or maybe i have forgotten that it was finished is the blue fairy revenge on gepetto, why did she never pursue her revenge after she found out that the wedding was a lie?
I loved the cover its a masterpiece so many characters on the cover over 170 how did they do it i don't know lol
Anyway it was a great journey loved every second of it.
The afterward made me cry :(
Seeing all the writers and inkers and pencilers and letterers faces made me so happy putting a face to each name.
Somehow we bond with these people through their art.
Somehow everyone over the ages that has read the same book has a bond with all others who have read it before or after them.
That's the magic of reading.
Its endless.
Its a fable...
I didn't like the ending much even though its perfect.
But i cant help but feel that this could have gone another way what if they avoided betting rose red and snow white against each other from the beginning and tried to get a different ending?
It somehow feels like they were preparing for a war that is going to happen, when someone suddenly reminded them if snow white and rose red family is cursed, that their daughters must fight to inherit the power, then how come snow white has 4 sons and then everyone was dumbfounded and they reached this outcome lmao...
I don't know but this is how it felt...
But even though the ending is epic not for the war that was never fought.
No, but for the whole series, the ending as bill have said in the afterward there is so many stories that can be told, but they will not tell them for example, who is the cosmic looking guy winter wolf is holding hands with ?
How did the magic school change the mundy world forever?
I feel the only tale that was left unfinished, or maybe i have forgotten that it was finished is the blue fairy revenge on gepetto, why did she never pursue her revenge after she found out that the wedding was a lie?
I loved the cover its a masterpiece so many characters on the cover over 170 how did they do it i don't know lol
Anyway it was a great journey loved every second of it.
The afterward made me cry :(
Seeing all the writers and inkers and pencilers and letterers faces made me so happy putting a face to each name.
Somehow we bond with these people through their art.
Somehow everyone over the ages that has read the same book has a bond with all others who have read it before or after them.
That's the magic of reading.
Its endless.
Its a fable...
kitsuneheart's review against another edition
4.0
I heard Fables was ending when there were still two volumes of the TP to release, and had no idea how they could possibly wrap everything up. There was so much to cover. But volume 21 wrapped up many loose ends--perhaps a bit too quickly--yet it brought up a plot which felt as if it could go on for another three volumes. An epic war between sisters, to gain the last of the power of their mother! A tradition as old as time! Surely such a war between fables could go on for years!
But then, in just a few pages, it all ends. In not precisely a perfect way--thus why I only give this four stars--but at least one that makes sense. A fairly major clue was finally brought up, one which shocked me over how I'd missed something so blatantly in the open. What follows this wrap-up are little pieces about many different Fables characters, telling their last stories. Most satisfying is Boy Blue, whose shadow has been cast over the comic for what seems like half its run. It's just what I wanted for him.
So, it still felt like it ended fast, but it ended with me satisfied regarding most everyone's fates. Which, I suppose, is the best you can hope for in reading comic books.
But then, in just a few pages, it all ends. In not precisely a perfect way--thus why I only give this four stars--but at least one that makes sense. A fairly major clue was finally brought up, one which shocked me over how I'd missed something so blatantly in the open. What follows this wrap-up are little pieces about many different Fables characters, telling their last stories. Most satisfying is Boy Blue, whose shadow has been cast over the comic for what seems like half its run. It's just what I wanted for him.
So, it still felt like it ended fast, but it ended with me satisfied regarding most everyone's fates. Which, I suppose, is the best you can hope for in reading comic books.
saphronia81's review against another edition
3.0
They didn't finish the series....they just stopped. Nothing was gained or learned and it was purposeless. The only reason I gave as much as I did was for the just mp forward stories to show how everyone ended up.
sparklethenpop's review against another edition
4.0
Sad it's over, time to catch up on Jack of Fables and Fairest now.
nisha13's review against another edition
3.0
I don't know how I feel after this.Thi final conclusion to this amazing universe is pretty unsatisfying.
This series was absolutely fantastic, I'd go through 3-4 volumes a day and then wait impatiently for amazon to ship the next batch. The conclusion of the Adversary act was amazing, Mr Dark was also very interesting and downright creepy. But then, they kind of rand out of a main villain/antagonist, and had some random ones here and there (leigh, brandish, nome king). So it seemed the series was headed towards a quiet fizzle out. But then! Out of nowhere, a sibling rivalry leading to the ultimate battle that will destroy worlds is shoved in out of nowhere. It makes absolutely no sense, and has not been built up at all. Snow and Rose were finally getting along and had evolved their relationship, then out of nowhere people start telling them it's inevitable they fight because they can never be on the same world as the other again (since when?????????). And they actually go to war Without. Ever. Talking. To. Each. Other. First. And then the big battle they are building towards doesnt happen. Hurray?
Overall a quite disappointing conclusion. 3 stars mostly for nostalgia and the one development I did like, that the fables went back home.
This series was absolutely fantastic, I'd go through 3-4 volumes a day and then wait impatiently for amazon to ship the next batch. The conclusion of the Adversary act was amazing, Mr Dark was also very interesting and downright creepy. But then, they kind of rand out of a main villain/antagonist, and had some random ones here and there (leigh, brandish, nome king). So it seemed the series was headed towards a quiet fizzle out. But then! Out of nowhere, a sibling rivalry leading to the ultimate battle that will destroy worlds is shoved in out of nowhere. It makes absolutely no sense, and has not been built up at all. Snow and Rose were finally getting along and had evolved their relationship, then out of nowhere people start telling them it's inevitable they fight because they can never be on the same world as the other again (since when?????????). And they actually go to war Without. Ever. Talking. To. Each. Other. First. And then the big battle they are building towards doesnt happen. Hurray?
Overall a quite disappointing conclusion. 3 stars mostly for nostalgia and the one development I did like, that the fables went back home.
jweather23's review against another edition
3.0
Very disappointed with this final volume. It was okay but the end of this series deserved something more.