krystofsubr's review
4.0
I won this in a contest and i'm glad I did, because I would probably never bought this myself and that would be a shame, because it's amazing.
scottishben's review
4.0
I have just started getting some advance copies of books and Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard Volume 2 is one of the first books I have had the privilege to get to read and talk about for free before its release in a few weeks.
Mouse Guard has been on my radar for a while, when I have seen samples of previous books or flicked through copies in book shops I have always been drawn to the beautiful images and when this combined with the positive word of mouth I heard about the series I really have been long overdue in checking it out.
This particular volume is an unusual starting point in that most of the book is written by a range of guest authors and illustrators rather than David Peterson. Starting in this way I cannot compare the book too much with the previous titles or comment on how the different writers draw from and expand the world of the mouse guard. What I can do is talk about the book as it exists in itself which is as a very fun and satisfying reading experience suitable for a wide range of ages from 6 up.
The first anthology won the best anthology Eisner Award in 2011 and although I have not sampled that book I can say that this book is of truly an award winning standard. Each story is lovingly illustrated and this books makes an impressive showcase of both the wide range of talented comic illustrators we have working today and also how so much can be said so differently in a very small number of pages.
I did not like all the stories equally and I initially made the mistake of trying to ingest all the stories at once rather than putting the book aside and returning to it but I did feel that every story added to the sum of the whole and was a charmingly presented tale well worth my time. I can see myself returning to the book as well as quite possibly picking up a copy for my 6 year old nephew in time for xmas. There is plenty of action in the stories which I think he will like and there is enough depth that he could keep coming back to it as he gets a little older.
Some of the stories have a moral but it is never overly preachy and never gets in the way of the action.
The stories are framed in the context of an inn in which all of the patrons with bar debts get a chance to have their debt wiped if they tell be best tale. This sort of conceit has been around at least as far back as Dickens and is somewhat overused but works fine as a framing device for the stories.
In short this is a work that I would not perhaps have read if I did not have a review copy but I am very glad that i did and I can happily recommend this book to a very wide readership. I will probably also check out some more work by quite a few of the contributors to see what they are able to do in their own worlds.
Mouse Guard has been on my radar for a while, when I have seen samples of previous books or flicked through copies in book shops I have always been drawn to the beautiful images and when this combined with the positive word of mouth I heard about the series I really have been long overdue in checking it out.
This particular volume is an unusual starting point in that most of the book is written by a range of guest authors and illustrators rather than David Peterson. Starting in this way I cannot compare the book too much with the previous titles or comment on how the different writers draw from and expand the world of the mouse guard. What I can do is talk about the book as it exists in itself which is as a very fun and satisfying reading experience suitable for a wide range of ages from 6 up.
The first anthology won the best anthology Eisner Award in 2011 and although I have not sampled that book I can say that this book is of truly an award winning standard. Each story is lovingly illustrated and this books makes an impressive showcase of both the wide range of talented comic illustrators we have working today and also how so much can be said so differently in a very small number of pages.
I did not like all the stories equally and I initially made the mistake of trying to ingest all the stories at once rather than putting the book aside and returning to it but I did feel that every story added to the sum of the whole and was a charmingly presented tale well worth my time. I can see myself returning to the book as well as quite possibly picking up a copy for my 6 year old nephew in time for xmas. There is plenty of action in the stories which I think he will like and there is enough depth that he could keep coming back to it as he gets a little older.
Some of the stories have a moral but it is never overly preachy and never gets in the way of the action.
The stories are framed in the context of an inn in which all of the patrons with bar debts get a chance to have their debt wiped if they tell be best tale. This sort of conceit has been around at least as far back as Dickens and is somewhat overused but works fine as a framing device for the stories.
In short this is a work that I would not perhaps have read if I did not have a review copy but I am very glad that i did and I can happily recommend this book to a very wide readership. I will probably also check out some more work by quite a few of the contributors to see what they are able to do in their own worlds.
piperkitty81's review
3.0
I’m really enjoying the short stories and the artwork. If you like Redwall, the Mouse Guard series is right up your alley.
hjjansen's review
3.0
The Legends series is interesting mostly to see the other artists' takes on the Mouse Guard universe. The stories aren't quite as good: they're often too short to be interesting or don't quite ring true as the canonical books. They also vary in quality. But some good stories in this collection and it's a fun book.
sequana's review
4.0
I came across this book and the art work really caught my eye. I haven't read volume one so i'm not sure how much guarding was happening in that, however in this volume we see the Mouse Guards in their downtime, chilling out in their local inn.
You find out on page 1 the landlady invited each of the patrons with an overdue bar bill for a little competition & proposes to them all whoever can tell the finest, never been told before & in turn the best she has ever heard, story, she will have their slate wiped clean.
Thus the competition begins.
This is a collaboration of many different story tellers with illustrations to match each tale being told. I love how this flows together and enjoyed all 13 tales with scenes in the inn between each tale.
I'm really pleased this caught my eye, beautifully illustrated and fun tales to be read.
You find out on page 1 the landlady invited each of the patrons with an overdue bar bill for a little competition & proposes to them all whoever can tell the finest, never been told before & in turn the best she has ever heard, story, she will have their slate wiped clean.
Thus the competition begins.
This is a collaboration of many different story tellers with illustrations to match each tale being told. I love how this flows together and enjoyed all 13 tales with scenes in the inn between each tale.
I'm really pleased this caught my eye, beautifully illustrated and fun tales to be read.
crowyhead's review
4.0
Lovely -- I liked this even better than the first Legends of the Guard collection. Now I just want to know when Petersen will come out with another REAL Mouse Guard story!
scostner's review
4.0
The second volume of Legends of the Guard contains thirteen stories that showcase the writing and illustration styles of the contributors. Once again the patrons of the June Alley Inn have gathered to tell tales that they hope will clear their outstanding debt for room and board. As each mouse has a turn to share a tale never before heard, their listeners (and we as readers), have the chance to enjoy the adventure, danger, romance, and heroism they describe. Although we may disagree with June about which tale is the winner, she is right to declare them all entertaining.
The notes about the creators are just as entertaining and enjoyable as the stories themselves. It is fascinating to hear what other projects they have done, where they got their start in the business, and what they are working on now. Just reading through their creative credits and seeing titles like Labyrinth, Iron Man, Spider-Man, and The Avengers gives you the sense of being near greatness. The anthology style of this collection also lets readers get a taste of writers and illustrators they have not encountered before and perhaps find some new favorites.
I would recommend this to Mouse Guard fans, readers of graphic novels and manga, or those who enjoy stories that feature animals like the Warriors or Seekers series, or The Tale of Despereaux.
I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
The notes about the creators are just as entertaining and enjoyable as the stories themselves. It is fascinating to hear what other projects they have done, where they got their start in the business, and what they are working on now. Just reading through their creative credits and seeing titles like Labyrinth, Iron Man, Spider-Man, and The Avengers gives you the sense of being near greatness. The anthology style of this collection also lets readers get a taste of writers and illustrators they have not encountered before and perhaps find some new favorites.
I would recommend this to Mouse Guard fans, readers of graphic novels and manga, or those who enjoy stories that feature animals like the Warriors or Seekers series, or The Tale of Despereaux.
I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
bowienerd_82's review
4.0
I liked this second volume more than the first- lots of great stories, particularly "The Thief, the Star-gazer, the Hunter, and the Tailor" by Cory Godbey. I actually mostly read this one for the Stan Sakai story, which was good (though it was odd to see his style with normal sized mice instead of anthropomorphic samurai rabbits), but not even one of my favorites, which goes to show how good the collection was.
erine's review
4.0
These are lovely short tales, incorporating an impressive variety of styles, lengths, and types of stories. Truly, these remind me so strongly of the Redwall series, which I loved as a kid.
Note: the creator of Mouse Guard, and editor of these folk tale series lives in Michigan.
Note: the creator of Mouse Guard, and editor of these folk tale series lives in Michigan.
italo_carlvino's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0