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otherwyrld's review against another edition
3.0
Whilst this is labelled as a Fairest story, it has much greater connections with the main Fables story than previous books in so much as it involves the return of the long-lost business office. It is also a murder mystery, something we haven't really seen in this series since the very beginning.
Someone is murdering Fables, two at a time, and Cinderella is tasked to try and find the murderer and stop the killings. She is a reluctant detective as she doesn't see it as her strength but.
Needless to say, it involves an old enemy with a very big grudge against the Fairest in the Land, not to mention a magic sword and a car that can take a person anywhere - including, it seems, the missing Business Office, where all the most dangerous magical objects can be found. It's not too difficult to realise that Cinderella succeeds, but the cost is high - the magic sword can return people it has killed back to life, but only one out of each pair killed, and only within 7 days.
Cinderella gets to choose who to save, and she chooses all of the "fairest in the land" princesses who died rather than the other more mundane people. I admit I had a bit of a problem with that no matter how Cinderella justifies her choices. It harks back to an issue I had some time ago when Snow White told us that beautiful people are allowed to get away with being mean and nasty, but the rest of us mere mortals have to be nice because we're not beautiful. Author Bill Willingham kind of acknowledges the flaw in that argument in this story without giving a solution to it, which is about as good as its going to get.
A word about the art - there are more than 30 artists involved, each drawing no more than a couple of pages. I thought that this might be a problem, but I actually quite liked the different styles in this book, and I never lost track of what was going on because o the artwork.
In conclusion, there is a lot happening in this book, and a lot that was enjoyable but I couldn't give it more than 3 stars. That niggle I had about the Fairest deserving more just because, just doesn't sit well with me and making this the primary motive behind the story dragged the whole thing down.
Someone is murdering Fables, two at a time, and Cinderella is tasked to try and find the murderer and stop the killings. She is a reluctant detective as she doesn't see it as her strength but
Spoiler
she has to do that because Bigby is dead, and when did that happen because I don't remember seeing that in any storyNeedless to say, it involves an old enemy with a very big grudge against the Fairest in the Land, not to mention a magic sword and a car that can take a person anywhere - including, it seems, the missing Business Office, where all the most dangerous magical objects can be found. It's not too difficult to realise that Cinderella succeeds, but the cost is high - the magic sword can return people it has killed back to life, but only one out of each pair killed, and only within 7 days.
Cinderella gets to choose who to save, and she chooses all of the "fairest in the land" princesses who died rather than the other more mundane people. I admit I had a bit of a problem with that no matter how Cinderella justifies her choices. It harks back to an issue I had some time ago when Snow White told us that beautiful people are allowed to get away with being mean and nasty, but the rest of us mere mortals have to be nice because we're not beautiful. Author Bill Willingham kind of acknowledges the flaw in that argument in this story without giving a solution to it, which is about as good as its going to get.
A word about the art - there are more than 30 artists involved, each drawing no more than a couple of pages. I thought that this might be a problem, but I actually quite liked the different styles in this book, and I never lost track of what was going on because o the artwork.
In conclusion, there is a lot happening in this book, and a lot that was enjoyable but I couldn't give it more than 3 stars. That niggle I had about the Fairest deserving more just because, just doesn't sit well with me and making this the primary motive behind the story dragged the whole thing down.
necessitteem's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I liked this one well enough. Having different artists draw different parts of the story was neat. Overall the series was okay but definitely not my favorite. Just an overall okay story too.
kathrynth's review against another edition
3.0
Really, this is 3.5 stars for me.
This is the first graphic novel I've ever read (I've never read a comic book either), and I enjoyed it enough to read it all in one sitting (minus two breaks to take the in-potty-training puppy outside), but I kept forgetting to stop and really take in the graphics, and I was a bit thrown sometimes by the differences in styles between artists. I also tend to really pull away from graphic art. Still, after reading this I felt a bit as I did after I read my first steampunk book—as if I would have enjoyed it better if I had more exposure to the genre. So I'll probably read another few from this series.
This is the first graphic novel I've ever read (I've never read a comic book either), and I enjoyed it enough to read it all in one sitting (minus two breaks to take the in-potty-training puppy outside), but I kept forgetting to stop and really take in the graphics, and I was a bit thrown sometimes by the differences in styles between artists. I also tend to really pull away from graphic art. Still, after reading this I felt a bit as I did after I read my first steampunk book—as if I would have enjoyed it better if I had more exposure to the genre. So I'll probably read another few from this series.
bookfessional's review against another edition
3.0
I'm so confused. I've been reading these in the suggested reading order, but I stopped 24% in, when it became obvious that Bad Shit that I didn't know about had gone down:
Then I figured out the publication order, and went back and read the handful of installments that came before this one that I hadn't already read. Now I know why
What gives??
Spoiler
Digby and two of his and Snow's kids getting killed.Then I figured out the publication order, and went back and read the handful of installments that came before this one that I hadn't already read. Now I know why
Spoiler
they think the two are dead, but still have no damn clue why Bigby is all of a sudden dead.What gives??
vkm13's review against another edition
5.0
While I love all the cast of Fables/Fairest, Cinderella is easily my favourite. So when I see a book centered around her, I pick it up immediately.
This is another book with fantastic art, because it has 24 different artists working on it, some only doing a page or two, others having a longer run. It's very interesting to see the changes you get with different artists' take on the same characters and every one of them is beautiful to look at.
The story is also good, as is expected from Bill Willingham. I love how it ties in with the on-going story of both Fairest and Fables, while still standing alone well enough (which is good for me, since I'm a little behind the times when it comes to reading Fairest).
Another great Cindy story, though I hope she got to go on a vacation after the week from hell that this book brought her.
This is another book with fantastic art, because it has 24 different artists working on it, some only doing a page or two, others having a longer run. It's very interesting to see the changes you get with different artists' take on the same characters and every one of them is beautiful to look at.
The story is also good, as is expected from Bill Willingham. I love how it ties in with the on-going story of both Fairest and Fables, while still standing alone well enough (which is good for me, since I'm a little behind the times when it comes to reading Fairest).
Another great Cindy story, though I hope she got to go on a vacation after the week from hell that this book brought her.
amyjoy's review against another edition
4.0
April 2024: I enjoyed this as my penultimate Fables read. It was a fun murder mystery (though having read Fairest vol. 5 right before, I knew who the killer was), and a nice break before the final Fables story.
I didn't mind the prose bits this time around, but I do struggle with them just taking a longer amount of time to read when I want to zoom through the story.
December 2013: In the canon of this series, this book is very similar to Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall, though it's not nearly as good. Also, while 1001 Nights dealt with histories of the characters, this one deals with a contemporary murder mystery that will likely have some ramifications in the regular storyline.
I didn't love the primarily prose framing story, mostly because of the prose, I think, rather than any deficiency in the story. I also do feel a little like the villains in these stand-alone stories are getting a little redundant. The villain here and in Cinderella, Vol. 2: Fables are Forever feel a little stale, though the stories themselves are wonderful.
When Rose Red and Snow White were both killed in the first few illustrated pages, I knew this had to be a dream sequence/they're not dead yet sort of thing. Willingham has no compunctions about killing off pretty major characters in completely heartbreaking ways, but we just COULDN'T lose Snow White so soon after losing Bigby.
I didn't mind the prose bits this time around, but I do struggle with them just taking a longer amount of time to read when I want to zoom through the story.
December 2013: In the canon of this series, this book is very similar to Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall, though it's not nearly as good. Also, while 1001 Nights dealt with histories of the characters, this one deals with a contemporary murder mystery that will likely have some ramifications in the regular storyline.
I didn't love the primarily prose framing story, mostly because of the prose, I think, rather than any deficiency in the story. I also do feel a little like the villains in these stand-alone stories are getting a little redundant. The villain here and in Cinderella, Vol. 2: Fables are Forever feel a little stale, though the stories themselves are wonderful.
thefictionaddictionblog's review against another edition
4.0
The story opens with narration by a magic mirror, in case you weren’t sure it was a fairy tale, and the mirror narrates bits through each issue. After a mysterious murder in Fabletown, Cinderella, released from hearth-sweeping duties, is appointed detective. As she investigates, aided by Ozma and half-aided by an enchanted car, she discovers that all the princesses — Snow White, Rose Red, etc. — are in danger. Investigating the murders bring the reader many different aspects of the magical world.
Full review includes spoilers!
Full review includes spoilers!
elke_go_read's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
I read this out of series order but it was still quite cool in how it was told with the magic mirror bookending the interior action chapters. Fun to see SO many characters here.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Murder
Moderate: Gore
rex_libris's review against another edition
3.0
As someone who has enjoyed the ongoing stories offered in Fables along with those offered in the spin-offs and stand alone releases I was excited by the potential of the Fairest series. Have enjoyed the first two volumes I was looking forward to what would be offered in Fairest In All the Land.
While I enjoyed the story and art immensely my main criticism of it is that for me it didn't feel like a story that comfortably fitted with the idea behind Fairest. Despite the main motivators, protagonists and antagonists being female fables, for me the story felt like one that more rightfully and comfortably sit among the main Fables story arcs or as part of Cinderella's ongoing stand alone adventures. It is a bit of a bizarre criticism but it is just not what I was expecting from a Fairest title.
Really I feel Cinderella has already had a great deal of face time in her spy-themed stand alone releases so I wasn't as excited to see her as the main figure in this Fairest release when there are plenty of other female fables I would like to see explored and developed further. Also, I would have like to have seen Fairest Cinderella be something other than a spy/detective type we have already seen plenty of. She is clearly a dynamic figure in the Fables line up, surely there are some other stories and character traits that could have celebrated in this release. If she is going to feature, why not show us a new side to her like we got with Brier Rose, Beauty and Rapunzel in the earlier stories?
Overall, while it was an enjoyable Fables story I found it a somewhat disappointing Fairest story.
Beyond my criticism of how it fits, the story itself is a solid addition to the Fables line up. It has fantastic pacing that kept me pushing on through a rather fragmented narrative. It is a classic detective story made more troublesome and difficult through the addition of all the magical potential fairy tales can offer. It filled in a few gaps left by previous arcs and no doubt the victories and losses of this story will be felt in the following Fables stories. A quick and satisfying read for anyone who has enjoyed Fables or is looking to or who likes to see fairy tales from a different point of view.
While I enjoyed the story and art immensely my main criticism of it is that for me it didn't feel like a story that comfortably fitted with the idea behind Fairest. Despite the main motivators, protagonists and antagonists being female fables, for me the story felt like one that more rightfully and comfortably sit among the main Fables story arcs or as part of Cinderella's ongoing stand alone adventures. It is a bit of a bizarre criticism but it is just not what I was expecting from a Fairest title.
Really I feel Cinderella has already had a great deal of face time in her spy-themed stand alone releases so I wasn't as excited to see her as the main figure in this Fairest release when there are plenty of other female fables I would like to see explored and developed further. Also, I would have like to have seen Fairest Cinderella be something other than a spy/detective type we have already seen plenty of. She is clearly a dynamic figure in the Fables line up, surely there are some other stories and character traits that could have celebrated in this release. If she is going to feature, why not show us a new side to her like we got with Brier Rose, Beauty and Rapunzel in the earlier stories?
Overall, while it was an enjoyable Fables story I found it a somewhat disappointing Fairest story.
Beyond my criticism of how it fits, the story itself is a solid addition to the Fables line up. It has fantastic pacing that kept me pushing on through a rather fragmented narrative. It is a classic detective story made more troublesome and difficult through the addition of all the magical potential fairy tales can offer. It filled in a few gaps left by previous arcs and no doubt the victories and losses of this story will be felt in the following Fables stories. A quick and satisfying read for anyone who has enjoyed Fables or is looking to or who likes to see fairy tales from a different point of view.