Peter & Max: A Fables Novel Paperback – December 28, 2010

Two things you should know going into this review. The first is that this novel is based on a comic series called Fables, which tells stories about characters from fairy tales living in the real world. The second is that, while you don't need to read Fables in order to enjoy this novel, if you line up ten comic fans, only one of which reads Fables, Fables is still going to be the best continuing series any of them have ever read. Hands down.Alright, now that that's out of the way; Peter and Max tells the story of Peter Piper (of pickled pepper-picking fame) and his brother Max (the Pied Piper of Hamelin). Max is a bad guy, you see, and Peter finally has the chance to rid the world of him. The fairly straightforward story of Peter's travel to Germany to find and defeat Max would be a rather uninteresting short story by itself (though the conflict is resolved ingeniously), but is interspersed throughout a narrative that tells the story of Max and Peter as children, their flight into the Black Forest during the Emperor's occupation of the Homelands, their time in Hamelin and growth to adulthood, their first epic battle, and Max's first encounter with Fabletown in the new world. Basically, by the time the Piper brothers fight to the finish, you've gotten their whole history (I won't spoil it for you, but there's a couple of magic flutes and a crippled lover involved), and you're as ready to see justice done as Peter (and Max, in his own twisted way) is.Mr. Willingham's expert storytelling should come as no surprise to fans of the comic; no one else could tell a Fables story like Bill, and the book is filled with rich detail and excitement that moves the 368-page novel along at a pretty good clip. Illustrations by Steve Leialoha (the inker on the comic series) are scattered throughout and the book includes a short comic at the end, starring Peter Piper and his wife, Bo Peep. I could have done without the comic; the idea covered in the eight-or-so pages could have been developed into a great issue of Fables, but instead was rather half-assed and seemed to be done as an afterthought. The novel, though, was excellent, and I really hope Bill sees fit to produce a few more of these. 9/10.

For any fan of Fables this a MUST READ book.No, you don't have to read it to enjoy Fables, but if you enjoy Fables... You have to read this book. Bill Willingham is and amazing storyteller and his prose can stand alone without the beautiful artwork (even though some is intermingled here and there). This is the story of Peter Piper and his life before and after his escape from the homelands. It was a fantastic story that I've read twice so far and I'm sure I'll return again to it.I bought this copy as a present for my sister who loves the show Once Upon A Time and I've now gotten her reading Fables.

Novelizations of established series are always hit or miss. Even if they're good, they frequently don't feel canon compliant, which ruins the overall effect. Still, after reading a preview of the novel in the Fables, I was intrigued.First, the novel seems completely canon compliant. Enough goes on in the series to easily believe that the events of Peter and Max happened in the background of the Fables series. It also does a great job of developing the Fables universe and providing backstory not only for the characters featured in the book, but all of Fabletown. The illustrations featured in the book also help it feel like a real part of the Fables universe, as does the comic epilogue at the end of the novel.Second, the story itself is fascinating. It tells the story of Peter Piper and Little Bo Peep, including their lives before becoming famous nursery rhymes and their lives after. The novel starts with Peter and Bo married and living on the Farm, with the interesting twist of Bo Peep in a wheelchair with ruined legs. Bibgy tells Peter that his brother has been found and that, as previously promised, Peter gets first crack at killing him. The narrative is a mixture of Peter's modern journey to Hamelin (of Pied Piper fame) to find his brother, Max, and flashbacks of both Peter and Max's lives prior to leaving their Homeland.As with the stories of all the Fables, the characters of Bo Peep and Peter Piper are recognizable and match what we know about them, but what we know is only the tip of the iceberg. It's worth reading, both to get insight on Fables ignored in the main storyline and more information on what happened "on screen" during the Fables series.

if you have been following the fables comic series like i have then you HAVE to get this book. It kind of mixes the already popular characters in the story but the main characters Peter and Max Piper are the stars of the show. If you have not read anything by Willingham before and have never heard of the Fables series dont worry! The story is done so that both parties can enjoy it without being left or confused. As always Willingham weaves an incredibly elaborate tale inspired by characters from childrens rhymes like Peter Piper and little Bo Peep. With that being said this story was much darker than any of the fables comics and much more graphic. I didnt mind though! its definitely NOT a childrens story.We cannot have a review without mentioning the amazing illustrations done by fables comic illustrator Steve Leialoha! I almost felt like i was holding one of the paperback comics as my eyes were treated to his beautiful black and white designs. I cannot reccomend this book enough!