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Fairest (Collected Editions)
Fairest, Volume 3: The Return of the Maharaja
When young Nalayani seeks the help of the Maharaja to save her humble village, she uncovers a secret that could change the Fables Universe forever: the still alive but thought long dead Prince Charming!
Collecting: Fairest 15-20
Collecting: Fairest 15-20
144 pages, Paperback
First published June 3, 2014
About the author
Sean E. Williams
21 books22 followersSEAN E. WILLIAMS is the NEW YORK TIMES Best Selling writer of FAIREST: THE RETURN OF THE MAHARAJA for Vertigo, THE VAMPIRE DIARIES and SENSATION COMICS FEATURING WONDER WOMAN for DC Comics, and co-creator/co-writer of ARTFUL DAGGERS for Monkeybrain Comics and IDW Publishing. You can find him on Twitter at @sean_e_williams and at his blog at seanewilliams.com .
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January 24, 2022
The Return of the Maharaja actually hails the return of Prince Charming.
You didn't really think he was dead, did you?
Some Spoilers ahead!
He's managed to set himself up as the Maharaja in a world somewhere and is availing himself of all the luxuries that sort of lifestyle provides. <--think harems
When a beautiful woman comes to ask for his help to save the village she's been fiercely protecting for years, he agrees - thinking this will just be another adventure and another notch in his belt.
Not so much.
This is the story of how Fabeltown's biggest womanizer finally falls in love.
Ok, so while I loved the idea behind the volume, and I loved that we finally find out what Charming has been up to, and I loved that this woman doesn't find Charming irresistible the same way all the other women do, there was something missing.
I got the feeling that we were supposed to think he fell for Nalayani because she was tough and brave and didn't put up with his shit.
But that could have easily been any of the other women he had married. Snow and Cinderella both certainly fit that description. I wanted to see what made Nalayani special to him and it never really happened. She was great, but she was also somewhat interchangeable with anyone else that might have fit the tough/brave/beautiful mold. I guess what I'm saying is that I would have liked to have seen some kind of a real connection open up between these two that would have made his feelings seem more grounded in real love.
But hey, this is a fairytale, right?
I think The Return of the Maharaja is a must-read for anyone who is a fan of the Fables series, if for no other reason than because Charming is such a huge part of the core stories.
Recommended.
You didn't really think he was dead, did you?
Some Spoilers ahead!
He's managed to set himself up as the Maharaja in a world somewhere and is availing himself of all the luxuries that sort of lifestyle provides. <--think harems
When a beautiful woman comes to ask for his help to save the village she's been fiercely protecting for years, he agrees - thinking this will just be another adventure and another notch in his belt.
Not so much.
This is the story of how Fabeltown's biggest womanizer finally falls in love.
Ok, so while I loved the idea behind the volume, and I loved that we finally find out what Charming has been up to, and I loved that this woman doesn't find Charming irresistible the same way all the other women do, there was something missing.
I got the feeling that we were supposed to think he fell for Nalayani because she was tough and brave and didn't put up with his shit.
But that could have easily been any of the other women he had married. Snow and Cinderella both certainly fit that description. I wanted to see what made Nalayani special to him and it never really happened. She was great, but she was also somewhat interchangeable with anyone else that might have fit the tough/brave/beautiful mold. I guess what I'm saying is that I would have liked to have seen some kind of a real connection open up between these two that would have made his feelings seem more grounded in real love.
But hey, this is a fairytale, right?
I think The Return of the Maharaja is a must-read for anyone who is a fan of the Fables series, if for no other reason than because Charming is such a huge part of the core stories.
Recommended.
May 8, 2021
Like the previous volume we have a non-Caucasian Fable world yet Willingham has to have a European lead! It's a tad annoying to be honest, as it does not leave enough room to expand on the Indian Fable universe, of which we learned even less than we did of the Japanese one in the previous volume (Fairest, Volume 2: The Hidden Kingdom)! Still a nice Fabletown-esque story and ultimately a very respectful and interesting use of a character from the sacred text of the Mahabharata. As per usual, there are some great Fabletown character and continuity links in this volume. 7 out of 12.
September 29, 2019
We find out Prince Charming is alive in this book. It starts out being about a woman in a village and it quickly just becomes being about Prince Charming is who called the Maharaja.
I love the Fable series and it's offshoots, but this story didn't seem to have a whole lot of point to it and it felt more like filler.
Basically, it's just 'eeh'.
I love the Fable series and it's offshoots, but this story didn't seem to have a whole lot of point to it and it felt more like filler.
Basically, it's just 'eeh'.
June 6, 2014
Is Prince Charming supposed to be a bad guy now? Because that is how he is written. I love and own all the Fables, Jack of Fables and now Fairest. I don't really write reviews, but I wanted to warn people off of this. Don't waste your time. This isn't about women. This is about how Charming treats women. You won't miss any useful information and it is so poorly written, I can't believe it is part of the Fable's universe. It doesn't fill in any gaps about what happened to Charming. And the new female lead will probably have the same, if not better, introduction and back story if she becomes a part of the regular cast in future books. The rest of the characters are throwaways, which is probably why they didn't bother to spend much time fleshing them out.
Isn't Charming the mayor who was adamant that there would not be slavery because that was deplorable? Yet here he not only has a harem, he tells one of the guys that if he sees someone he likes, to let him know. What mine is yours. I'm supposed to root for a guy who offers his women as rewards? At best this is the typical male power fantasy. Guy waltzes into to town, with no male competition for the ladies, overthrows the current ruler, not because he is bad but because he isn't strong enough to hold onto power. That's it. That's the mystery. And I am not really summarizing. That is how much time they spend talking about it in the book. A couple of pages. Boom storytelling.
This is just bad writing all around with the characters barely more than 2 dimensional. Yes the female lead is "strong." If by strong, you mean that she can fight. Her motivation is bare bones to say the least. Her only purpose is to serve as the motivator for Charming's role in this book. There are two guys who have tension between them and we only know this because Charming tells us there is a history tension between them but he doesn't know what it is. Boom storytelling.
They don't even tell you how Charming survives or how he acclimates to the country because apparently he is such a strong fable that his skeleton regrows muscle and skin and he is back to normal in one week at which time, he is apparently fluent in the language and customs. Boom storytelling. And that is how they write everything. They tell you that everything happened instead of showing how everything happened.
I'm going to tag everything past this as spoilers.
A. A woman is cursed because she is having sex with Charming and dies of it because she isn't in love with him.
B. I am really tired of men chasing after women who aren't interested in them. She doesn't want to entertain him the first night on the road, so he has sex with one of his harem members instead. The next day he's all, do you like me now? How about now? Then at the end of the book, you just suffered through an enormous tragedy, so this time I will wait a day before asking what about now? In real life we call this stalking and it isn't romantic. I thought Edward Cullen finally flushed out the last of that trope, but nope, here it is again.
C. We know one character is gay because he isn't interested in women. They allude to this again and again. Boom Storytelling. Why bother to write a character when you can trot out an overly used plot device.
D. After this story of "empowered, strong" woman, the only choice for leadership is either another man from the outside this world or the only man left in the country. Not the strong female lead? Or any one of Charming's female warriors?
E. The book literally ends with an ex-wives, amiright, *wink.
Isn't Charming the mayor who was adamant that there would not be slavery because that was deplorable? Yet here he not only has a harem, he tells one of the guys that if he sees someone he likes, to let him know. What mine is yours. I'm supposed to root for a guy who offers his women as rewards? At best this is the typical male power fantasy. Guy waltzes into to town, with no male competition for the ladies, overthrows the current ruler, not because he is bad but because he isn't strong enough to hold onto power. That's it. That's the mystery. And I am not really summarizing. That is how much time they spend talking about it in the book. A couple of pages. Boom storytelling.
This is just bad writing all around with the characters barely more than 2 dimensional. Yes the female lead is "strong." If by strong, you mean that she can fight. Her motivation is bare bones to say the least. Her only purpose is to serve as the motivator for Charming's role in this book. There are two guys who have tension between them and we only know this because Charming tells us there is a history tension between them but he doesn't know what it is. Boom storytelling.
They don't even tell you how Charming survives or how he acclimates to the country because apparently he is such a strong fable that his skeleton regrows muscle and skin and he is back to normal in one week at which time, he is apparently fluent in the language and customs. Boom storytelling. And that is how they write everything. They tell you that everything happened instead of showing how everything happened.
I'm going to tag everything past this as spoilers.
A. A woman is cursed because she is having sex with Charming and dies of it because she isn't in love with him.
B. I am really tired of men chasing after women who aren't interested in them. She doesn't want to entertain him the first night on the road, so he has sex with one of his harem members instead. The next day he's all, do you like me now? How about now? Then at the end of the book, you just suffered through an enormous tragedy, so this time I will wait a day before asking what about now? In real life we call this stalking and it isn't romantic. I thought Edward Cullen finally flushed out the last of that trope, but nope, here it is again.
C. We know one character is gay because he isn't interested in women. They allude to this again and again. Boom Storytelling. Why bother to write a character when you can trot out an overly used plot device.
D. After this story of "empowered, strong" woman, the only choice for leadership is either another man from the outside this world or the only man left in the country. Not the strong female lead? Or any one of Charming's female warriors?
E. The book literally ends with an ex-wives, amiright, *wink.
August 16, 2022
Explore the Fables version of Indo
It was interesting to see a new collection of Fables from the other side of the world. However, there often wasn’t enough context. The return of Prince Charming was exciting but I don’t know that his character was just right.
It was interesting to see a new collection of Fables from the other side of the world. However, there often wasn’t enough context. The return of Prince Charming was exciting but I don’t know that his character was just right.
March 16, 2016
Prince Charming leads the way in Eastern Indian fable and possibly finds true love for a change.
OVERALL GRADE: B to B plus.
OVERALL GRADE: B to B plus.
June 16, 2014
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher through Goodreads First Reads.
If this volume had focused more on Nalayani instead of Prince Charming I'm sure it would have been much better. Don't tell me about Prince Charming, I'm not here for Prince Charming. Why focus on yet another male character that only comes close to seeing women as individuals when he thinks they're worth being called a challenge? Also, nice that he sacrificed himself in Fables and managed to end up in a world with access to a position of power and all the women he could want. Some sacrifice.
Nalayani had so much potential. A leader of necessity and not a desire to have control over others. Her only concern was to protect the people she felt loyal to and fond of - even Prince Charming.
PC's presence tainted Nalayani's story, everything he said seemed to constantly undermine what she felt or said (especially her grief). I don't have great expectations when it comes to Prince Charming but it could have been handled better.
If this volume had focused more on Nalayani instead of Prince Charming I'm sure it would have been much better. Don't tell me about Prince Charming, I'm not here for Prince Charming. Why focus on yet another male character that only comes close to seeing women as individuals when he thinks they're worth being called a challenge? Also, nice that he sacrificed himself in Fables and managed to end up in a world with access to a position of power and all the women he could want. Some sacrifice.
Nalayani had so much potential. A leader of necessity and not a desire to have control over others. Her only concern was to protect the people she felt loyal to and fond of - even Prince Charming.
PC's presence tainted Nalayani's story, everything he said seemed to constantly undermine what she felt or said (especially her grief). I don't have great expectations when it comes to Prince Charming but it could have been handled better.
April 20, 2015
This volume of Fairest is quite different. The lead isn't even a princess. But she is a Warrior Queen in her own right. Nalayani undertakes a dangerous mission to seek help from the Maharajah to save her village from man-eating monsters and encounters a dispossessed Prince from the Land of the Fables, the one and same Prince Charming. Ever the opportunist, Charming takes advantage of his exit from Fabletown, after making an enormous sacrifice in the war against the Adversary. Nalayani isn't his typical conquest (seducing Princesses is after all his niche). Instead, she's a fierce young woman who is passionate about saving her village. The question is, Can she get Charming to believe in doing the right thing in the end, before it's too late?
I don't know if I was just in a weird mood, but this volume was creepy to me. I think it was the dhole monsters and the awful situation that Nalayani was facing (and later on Charming). It has a very different feel from the first two volumes, but in a good way. A look at a very different culture from what we typically see in the Fables books. I really liked Nalayani. While Charming shows all of his bad traits in spades, I still came to respect him for what he is. He's like any real life person, flawed, just like I am.
I read this one in the right place with my reading of the Fables series, but I would consider this one as having spoilers for Volume 12 of Fables,War and Pieces, so reader be warned.
I don't know if I was just in a weird mood, but this volume was creepy to me. I think it was the dhole monsters and the awful situation that Nalayani was facing (and later on Charming). It has a very different feel from the first two volumes, but in a good way. A look at a very different culture from what we typically see in the Fables books. I really liked Nalayani. While Charming shows all of his bad traits in spades, I still came to respect him for what he is. He's like any real life person, flawed, just like I am.
I read this one in the right place with my reading of the Fables series, but I would consider this one as having spoilers for Volume 12 of Fables,War and Pieces, so reader be warned.
May 3, 2017
Having been a fan of the Fables series and its spin-offs, I found this volume to be disappointing. Mind you, it's not that I hated the story itself. It was interesting to see Prince Charming again, and the story he had for this book. However, this series is meant to explore the characters of various women. I LOVED the one about Sleeping Beauty and thought it was bloody clever. The one with Rapunzel was not quite as good, but I still enjoyed it.
I was not familiar with the character of Nalayani as I am not as well-versed with Hindu folklore and mythology, so I learned something new from this book. However, it feels like the story focused way more on Charming than Nalayani, I wish more of the original myth of Nalayani had been worked into this story and being more about her. Charming notes that she is a popular Fable since she heals quickly, but compared to Sleeping Beauty and Rapunzel, she did not have much of a story here.
I was not familiar with the character of Nalayani as I am not as well-versed with Hindu folklore and mythology, so I learned something new from this book. However, it feels like the story focused way more on Charming than Nalayani, I wish more of the original myth of Nalayani had been worked into this story and being more about her. Charming notes that she is a popular Fable since she heals quickly, but compared to Sleeping Beauty and Rapunzel, she did not have much of a story here.
November 14, 2019
The Fairest series is supposed to highlight the secret histories of the female Fables. This volume tells the story of Nalayani, a young girl in an Indian village. The men in her village have left to fight the goblin invasion and now no one is able to protect the village from the dhole. Nalayani seeks the help of the Maharaja, but all is not as it seems. In her travels, she runs into Prince Charming. In a way this volume closes off the Prince Charming story line from Fables.
An interesting story, backed up with good artwork, that gave me an insight as to what happened with Prince Charming in the end. The Indian setting was also interesting. While nothing amazing, this was an entertaining volume.
An interesting story, backed up with good artwork, that gave me an insight as to what happened with Prince Charming in the end. The Indian setting was also interesting. While nothing amazing, this was an entertaining volume.
April 7, 2019
Well, as with the second volume, this lacked the spirit of the main series. Different writer, an easily forgettable artist and, for a series about the women of fables as it clearly says on the back cover, it gave a whole volume on a male lead, prince charming. Didn't mind to find out what happened with him though, i had a lot of doubts about him dying in the first place. :P
June 9, 2014
I believe I've read almost everything set in the Fables universe, including the all of the books in the Fairest series. Unfortunately, Fairest: Return of the Maharaja is the weakest volume I've read to this point.
The Fairest series is supposed to star the female fables, but I feel like we didn't get a fully fleshed out heroine in Nalayani. Perhaps part of the problem is that most readers will not be familiar with the Nalayani's tale from Indian folklore, but even beyond that, I really felt that this was more Charming's story than hers and that she was often shunted off to the side in favor of catching readers up on what had happened to him since his presumed death in the war with the Emperor. And Charming is mostly his regular not-so-charming self when it comes to his behavior and how he became the Maharaja (with, of course, his very own harem). The one bright spot is that Charming seems to be fated to suffer a bit himself in the future, as he seems to have fallen in love for real this time but with a woman who is indifferent to him. The end of the book sets up his return to the main Fables storyline, so he should be turning up there soon.
Recommended mostly for die-hard fans of the Fables stories.
An ARC of this novel was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
The Fairest series is supposed to star the female fables, but I feel like we didn't get a fully fleshed out heroine in Nalayani. Perhaps part of the problem is that most readers will not be familiar with the Nalayani's tale from Indian folklore, but even beyond that, I really felt that this was more Charming's story than hers and that she was often shunted off to the side in favor of catching readers up on what had happened to him since his presumed death in the war with the Emperor. And Charming is mostly his regular not-so-charming self when it comes to his behavior and how he became the Maharaja (with, of course, his very own harem). The one bright spot is that Charming seems to be fated to suffer a bit himself in the future, as he seems to have fallen in love for real this time but with a woman who is indifferent to him. The end of the book sets up his return to the main Fables storyline, so he should be turning up there soon.
Recommended mostly for die-hard fans of the Fables stories.
An ARC of this novel was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
March 10, 2015
3.5 stars! While I did enjoy the story for the most part, I feel like it's out of place for this series. The original concept for the Fairest spinoff is that it will focus on female Fables. And that's not the case for this volume. Yes, there is a badass female character and her backstory was explored a bit, but this is still undeniably Charming's story. And also what's up with the Anyway, it would be interesting to see how Charming's return will impact Fabletown. Next up for this series is Cinderella and I'm definitely looking forward to seeing her again.
December 18, 2015
I was expecting to not like this due to the amount of negativity, but surprisingly, I did like it. This would've been better as part of the main series rather than a spinoff on its own, that much is true, and the writing did need more polishing, plus more on Nayalani wouldn't have hurt. The art, however, is great, and I loved to see Charming with new overall appearance, and for that much I'm giving this one a higher rating.
July 24, 2015
Charming arc indeed!
So yes if the cover didn't give it away the blurb in the back will, this is the story of Prince Charming's return. The complex character that people love and also hate at the same time gets a tale all his own, of course this being a Fairest titles, the story focused on Nalayani and her interaction with Charming, how was it? Quite good.
World: Jimenez's art is detailed and kinetic, but for me it took me a while to get into the groove of it. The framing is nice and clear and the art supported the story wonderfully. I just like other artists taking on the Fables universe. The world building is strong with an entirely new realm Indu for readers to explore. As expected this is mostly teeming with middle eastern lore and characters, it's a fun world that offers fresh takes on character troupes we are accustomed to in the west. I do wish we had more time exploring this world as I found the small panels of monsters and creatures only made me want to explore this world more. Hopefully we will get more of this place in the future.
Story: A wonderful little tale that is paced and written well. The story is clear and the situations are fun. I did however feel the overall story lacked creativity the characters and locals were original and fun, but the story beats were expected and did not offer any surprises. Nalayani's journey before Charming showed up was my favorite sections (despite my joy when he did). Additionally a couple of the characters like the Jackal and Duded were interesting but left the story far too early and I wished their roles would have been greater. A fun story that added a layer to Charming and introduced a wonderful new character to the Fables universe, but lacked creativity as a standalone tale.
Characters: Nalayani is an intriguing new character and her backstory is interesting. I liked her personal voice and characterization. She's interesting and I would have loved knowing more about her, but Charming steals the spotlight when he arrives and unfortunately she becomes a supporting character. Charming well, is Charming and his tale of what happened to him was also interesting and expected. I did like the little arc they both went through especially with Charming's realization. Interesting dialog, good characterization but a bit too rushed in its emotional developments.
Fun tale, interesting characters marred by a lack of depth in terms of development. I think 2 more issues would have allowed this story to fully breath and made it so much better.
Onward with the next book!
So yes if the cover didn't give it away the blurb in the back will, this is the story of Prince Charming's return. The complex character that people love and also hate at the same time gets a tale all his own, of course this being a Fairest titles, the story focused on Nalayani and her interaction with Charming, how was it? Quite good.
World: Jimenez's art is detailed and kinetic, but for me it took me a while to get into the groove of it. The framing is nice and clear and the art supported the story wonderfully. I just like other artists taking on the Fables universe. The world building is strong with an entirely new realm Indu for readers to explore. As expected this is mostly teeming with middle eastern lore and characters, it's a fun world that offers fresh takes on character troupes we are accustomed to in the west. I do wish we had more time exploring this world as I found the small panels of monsters and creatures only made me want to explore this world more. Hopefully we will get more of this place in the future.
Story: A wonderful little tale that is paced and written well. The story is clear and the situations are fun. I did however feel the overall story lacked creativity the characters and locals were original and fun, but the story beats were expected and did not offer any surprises. Nalayani's journey before Charming showed up was my favorite sections (despite my joy when he did). Additionally a couple of the characters like the Jackal and Duded were interesting but left the story far too early and I wished their roles would have been greater. A fun story that added a layer to Charming and introduced a wonderful new character to the Fables universe, but lacked creativity as a standalone tale.
Characters: Nalayani is an intriguing new character and her backstory is interesting. I liked her personal voice and characterization. She's interesting and I would have loved knowing more about her, but Charming steals the spotlight when he arrives and unfortunately she becomes a supporting character. Charming well, is Charming and his tale of what happened to him was also interesting and expected. I did like the little arc they both went through especially with Charming's realization. Interesting dialog, good characterization but a bit too rushed in its emotional developments.
Fun tale, interesting characters marred by a lack of depth in terms of development. I think 2 more issues would have allowed this story to fully breath and made it so much better.
Onward with the next book!
August 18, 2018
"In all three of my marriages, I loved each of my wives. Or at least, I thought I did."
So, this story set in the Fables universe, but focused on the women in the series, focuses on...Prince Charming? That's...confusing.
There is definitely a woman from Ancient Indian mythology named Nalayani. Her mythological story (as opposed to the one told here) is kind of the opposite of feminist-she's pretty much abused by her husband and then discarded for being too sexual, even though she's faithful.
I'm not sure what message this story was trying for, but it really just seemed like a vehicle to showcase Charming. Who's kind of always an asshole. The art was great and the story moved along at a good pace, but...meh.
So, this story set in the Fables universe, but focused on the women in the series, focuses on...Prince Charming? That's...confusing.
There is definitely a woman from Ancient Indian mythology named Nalayani. Her mythological story (as opposed to the one told here) is kind of the opposite of feminist-she's pretty much abused by her husband and then discarded for being too sexual, even though she's faithful.
I'm not sure what message this story was trying for, but it really just seemed like a vehicle to showcase Charming. Who's kind of always an asshole. The art was great and the story moved along at a good pace, but...meh.
July 23, 2014
I'd give this four stars if it wasn't part of the FAIREST series. For a series that's supposed to be about the female fables, this book was ALL ABOUT Price Charming. Fables genius lies in telling these ancient folk tales in new, modern ways. This book of the FAIREST series was all re-tread. Writing women as people shouldn't be so hard. But apparently, it is. The art, however, is amazing. Jiménez FTW.
June 2, 2014
Wasn't the point of the Fairest series for the books to be about the women fables? This book is mostly about Prince Charming, who is a great character, but I'd rather see him in the regular Fables title. And for a land of nearly all women, only two women have names and one of them dies due to sex. Really?
December 15, 2018
Fun storytelling featuring a great female protagonist and great art by Sadowski and the Fables art team. Color art seems dusky over the pencil and ink grey tones, maybe appropriately so.
Recommended.
Recommended.
June 4, 2014
Yes, there's a strong female protagonist, but let's not kid ourselves, this arc is really all about Prince Charming, which makes its inclusion in a title about female Fables rather puzzling.
November 3, 2014
I don't hand out bad reviews very often, and especially not one star reviews, but I have to join on the dog pile of negative reviews for this volume of Fairest. For a series concentrating on the female Fables this volume did a poor job portraying interesting and strong women.
First of all, the main female, Nalayani, isn't even a Fable, she's just a civilian living in a Fable land. With a rich tapestry of Indian/Hindu Fables/tales/gods to pull from, I have no idea why the author focused on a commoner. Sure, she can shoot a bow and arrow and apparently single-handedly defends her village from dhole attacks but she quickly becomes a secondary character compared to Prince Charming.
Oh, sorry, Maharaja Charming. I guess maybe Charming taking over as Mahajara is supposed to be some commentary on British imperialism in India? But I think that's giving the writer too much credit. Bringing back Charming in the main Fables series would make more sense. It felt like they wasted an entire arc of Fairest just to restore Charming to the main series.
The reveal about one of the secondary character's sexuality wasn't necessary and felt shoehorned as some sort of social commentary. If the writer wanted to include this story thread then more details, even subtle ones, should have been included throughout the story. As is it's just Charming saying "yeah, I know you're gay" and a single page of backstory in response. Ugh.
The artwork is still a cut above average but still not up to the usual Fables greatness.
Hopefully the Fairest series returns its focus to strong, independent female Fables.
First of all, the main female, Nalayani, isn't even a Fable, she's just a civilian living in a Fable land. With a rich tapestry of Indian/Hindu Fables/tales/gods to pull from, I have no idea why the author focused on a commoner. Sure, she can shoot a bow and arrow and apparently single-handedly defends her village from dhole attacks but she quickly becomes a secondary character compared to Prince Charming.
Oh, sorry, Maharaja Charming. I guess maybe Charming taking over as Mahajara is supposed to be some commentary on British imperialism in India? But I think that's giving the writer too much credit. Bringing back Charming in the main Fables series would make more sense. It felt like they wasted an entire arc of Fairest just to restore Charming to the main series.
The reveal about one of the secondary character's sexuality wasn't necessary and felt shoehorned as some sort of social commentary. If the writer wanted to include this story thread then more details, even subtle ones, should have been included throughout the story. As is it's just Charming saying "yeah, I know you're gay" and a single page of backstory in response. Ugh.
The artwork is still a cut above average but still not up to the usual Fables greatness.
Hopefully the Fairest series returns its focus to strong, independent female Fables.
September 10, 2014
I've really enjoyed the Fairest series so far. Willingham creates great heroines and giving them to others to write is an excellent idea. Some of his off-shoots haven't been as strong as his main series, possibly because he's doing so much!
WIlliams does a a great job of writing within the Fables universe. He has a similar style to Willingham and creates the right blend of story-telling with a modern angle.
This story sees the return of Prince Charming, moonlighting as an Arabian prince. But the real star of the show is Nalayani. She is both tough as nails and deeply caring. Her motivation throughout, to save her village, drives her on a way that Charming can only marvel at. She is also immune to his charms, which makes for great fun between them. I do have to mention that with the fantastic art of Sadowski, Nalayani is also one of hottest comic characters i've seen in a while :)
The action is well drawn and the colouring is gorgeous throughout.
My only gripe would be the slightly wooly story surrounding the Dhole. This may be clearer on a second read, but I wasn't sure where the leader came from. Having said that, the dhole characters were great fun once they were given their own space.
Another good storyline from the Fables universe. I'm hoping that when Fables wraps up in the next year, Fairest keeps going!
WIlliams does a a great job of writing within the Fables universe. He has a similar style to Willingham and creates the right blend of story-telling with a modern angle.
This story sees the return of Prince Charming, moonlighting as an Arabian prince. But the real star of the show is Nalayani. She is both tough as nails and deeply caring. Her motivation throughout, to save her village, drives her on a way that Charming can only marvel at. She is also immune to his charms, which makes for great fun between them. I do have to mention that with the fantastic art of Sadowski, Nalayani is also one of hottest comic characters i've seen in a while :)
The action is well drawn and the colouring is gorgeous throughout.
My only gripe would be the slightly wooly story surrounding the Dhole. This may be clearer on a second read, but I wasn't sure where the leader came from. Having said that, the dhole characters were great fun once they were given their own space.
Another good storyline from the Fables universe. I'm hoping that when Fables wraps up in the next year, Fairest keeps going!
February 20, 2018
This one was..weird. As so many others have said, Fairest series was supposed to focus on the female characters of Fables, but this one was more about Prince Charming. This one is set in a Fables world that is basically India, and focuses more on the Indian culture which was a cool change of pace. But other than that the story seemed to have no direction. Prince Charming has set himself up as a maharajah, and he covets a warrior princess who just won't fall prey to his charms. Then Sinbad shows up and Charming heads back to Fabletown with the warrior princess in tow. I'm guessing this should continue in the main Fables series, so we'll see.
As an aside, I read this series in the single comics issues rather than the graphic novel, and there was a one shot story included about male Fables trying to date the hot female Dryad bodyguard of Gepetto. Needless to say this just don't work out, and this was a pretty funny issue. Really it was much better than the Prince Charming storyline.
As usual the art was top notch, as that's really never been a problem in any of the Fables series.
As an aside, I read this series in the single comics issues rather than the graphic novel, and there was a one shot story included about male Fables trying to date the hot female Dryad bodyguard of Gepetto. Needless to say this just don't work out, and this was a pretty funny issue. Really it was much better than the Prince Charming storyline.
As usual the art was top notch, as that's really never been a problem in any of the Fables series.
August 17, 2014
Like the preceding volume, this proves that with the writing reigns handed over to someone else and a focus on one or two characters only, the Fables universe still has some life in it. With the main storyline weary and overflowing with too many sidelined characters and forgotten plots, choosing minor characters allows for compact, self-contained story arcs. This one answers the question: what the hell ever happened to Prince Charming? Well, he lived and ends up in a Fable world centered around Hindu mythology. Like the Rapunzel story arc which drowned blissfully in Japanese mythical tropes, this one does the same. Nalayani (Draupadi) is the main female character, trying to keep her village safe from demons and disease. They two meet and lots of wacky shit goes down. It's quite a different tone and kind of story but it builds off the characters well.
December 28, 2016
This story takes place in Indu and stars Prince Charming and Nalayani. I have no idea who Nalayani is in actual myths, but in this story she is a beautiful woman with a bow and arrow determined to protect her village. She was actually one of the more likable female Fable characters.
This was a pretty good desert adventure that felt complete all on its own. Plus the artwork was stunning. The character flashbacks felt a bit forced as people pretty much just say, please tell me a story even though I'm drowning in quicksand. I also didn't care for the script font, I get that it represented that the characters were speaking in a middle eastern tongue but it was distracting and made reading a little slower.
This was a pretty good desert adventure that felt complete all on its own. Plus the artwork was stunning. The character flashbacks felt a bit forced as people pretty much just say, please tell me a story even though I'm drowning in quicksand. I also didn't care for the script font, I get that it represented that the characters were speaking in a middle eastern tongue but it was distracting and made reading a little slower.
October 10, 2013
Loving how this series incorporates other characters from the world of Fables. Plus, who knew Charming could have evolved into such a good person, with so many more layers in his personality? Here's hoping this is not the last we see of him.
June 11, 2014
I would have liked this book more if it didn't give Prince Charming such a big role. I wasn't even happy to have him back, because he's always been pretty awful and this was some of his worst behavior yet.
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April 10, 2024One of the weakest volumes of the entire Fables universe imo. While I love the focus on another culture and the surprise that Prince Charming actually is still alive, I don't love the actual storyline given. It all feels like such a redemption arc for Charming with the land of Indus used as set dressing. I'm glad it's not a romance ending, but I'd still have loved something else for this.
Also, the lettering is horrific. Anyone with any sort of visual problem is going to struggle with this font. It's such a stereotypical font to use for the culture, and just whyyyyyyy.
Also, the lettering is horrific. Anyone with any sort of visual problem is going to struggle with this font. It's such a stereotypical font to use for the culture, and just whyyyyyyy.
April 1, 2024
I think this could have been better if it wasn't so rushed and we actually got to know the new characters a bit better.
June 30, 2014
Fairest has been a pleasant surprise, featuring fantastic stories that often surpass even their source material (the Fables series). The first volume was wry, clever, and heartfelt; the second a dark, complex exploration of a foreign Fables culture. Both featured wonderful art. And all was well.
Until now--this current volume is less about the heroine Nalayani as it is about the return of Prince Charming, who is now the apparent Maharaja, or king, of a distant Fable land. Nalayani seeks Charming's aid in defending her village from what is essentially a roving pack of wolves, but things quickly go wrong from there. It's a simple, rote, and rather predictable tale, with Charming's typical smugness robbing him of any true likability. Worse, everything Nalayani set out to accomplish at the beginning of the tale is rendered naught by the end, and Charming's sudden evolution in the ways of love feel forced and undeserved. And those are just the larger criticisms; plenty of other developments also litter the plot in pointless fashion, from the introduction of characters that are later killed off meaninglessly to the supposed heroes who treat their enemies with matching cruelty. It's an odd mishmash of plot choices.
Nevertheless, a few elements save this volume from complete disaster; Nalayani is a decent addition to the Fables universe, the art work is fine (if not as lush as the previous volume's), and the story's fast pace will still keep readers turning pages until the end.
But this is indeed an "okay" read at best. Readers expecting the same level of quality, imagination, and intrigue of the earlier volumes will inevitably be disappointed.
Verdict: 2.5 Stars
Until now--this current volume is less about the heroine Nalayani as it is about the return of Prince Charming, who is now the apparent Maharaja, or king, of a distant Fable land. Nalayani seeks Charming's aid in defending her village from what is essentially a roving pack of wolves, but things quickly go wrong from there. It's a simple, rote, and rather predictable tale, with Charming's typical smugness robbing him of any true likability. Worse, everything Nalayani set out to accomplish at the beginning of the tale is rendered naught by the end, and Charming's sudden evolution in the ways of love feel forced and undeserved. And those are just the larger criticisms; plenty of other developments also litter the plot in pointless fashion, from the introduction of characters that are later killed off meaninglessly to the supposed heroes who treat their enemies with matching cruelty. It's an odd mishmash of plot choices.
Nevertheless, a few elements save this volume from complete disaster; Nalayani is a decent addition to the Fables universe, the art work is fine (if not as lush as the previous volume's), and the story's fast pace will still keep readers turning pages until the end.
But this is indeed an "okay" read at best. Readers expecting the same level of quality, imagination, and intrigue of the earlier volumes will inevitably be disappointed.
Verdict: 2.5 Stars
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