Reason for Reading: next published book in the Fables series.

Summary: Snow White is sent to the land of the Arabian fables to ask for their help in fighting the Adversary. The time period is shortly after the fables have settled in our world and from information gathered in this book that is probably somewhere in the 1600s. When she arrives the court of the Sultan does not know what to do with such an insult, a woman emissary! They lock her in her rooms for quite some time but after she becomes troublesome they decide to send her to the Sultan as his nightly bride who will be killed the following morning but Snow White decides to tell him a story and so she continues on for 1001 nights. This book contains only a select few of those tales.

Comments: This book is not a part of the Fables series proper. It was not published in comic book format but is an original graphic novel. The book is still written by Bill Willingham but each story has been illustrated by various different artists, creating a visually pleasing book. The book is often listed as a prequel to the series since the events take place some hundreds of years prior to the Fables series, yet it can be read at any time. I chose to read it now, after book 7, because this is when it was chronologically published. In book 7, Arabian Nights (and Days), there is a brief scene where someone asks Snow White hadn't she been to the Arabian fables world before and she replies shortly with oh that was a long time ago, I'm paraphrasing here. Thus Willingham has set up the scene for introducing this book at this time.

A great book! Beautiful art work. It was really enjoyable to see the Fables world come alive through different artists' perspectives, some of the art is especially fantastic. The stories are all great fun. Some short, some long. We meet many familiar faces from the Fables world and learn their past stories. Such as how King Cole came to Fabletown and why he was elected mayor. How many of the animal fables made it to Fabletown. The sad story behind Ambrose, the prince who was turned into a frog and the story of Bigby's birth, along with others. It's a lot of fun getting to know some background on favourite characters.

Personally, I don't think this book should be read as a prequel as you will know information which is supposed to be a secret until it is revealed in the series itself. You can't go wrong if you read it when it was published, after book 7; then you'll know just as much as the author knew. Great book and certainly don't skip it as it's a worthy addition to the Fables series. ( )

surprisingly well integrated, all those different styles of art. it owes a whole lot to Gaiman's Sandman books, which is a good thing, although it's a lot more postmodern in its arch tone. not that i object to that, but i'd still like this series to aim at more. ( )

Basic Reason for Beginning: Well. Fables sounds an interesting series and when I found this was a stand-alone version, I added it to my wishlist. Then Nymeth reviewed it and... well... You can blame many books on Nymeth. ^-~
Basic Reason for Finishing: Fairytale retellings are shiny!

Full review here.

Book Rereadability: Mmm... On the one hand 'yes' and on the other 'no'. I like the stories, but I think the surrounding frame is too uneven.
Author Rereadability: Actually, I don't know. It's a long series. I think that's my biggest concern. It's a long series and while I'm curious about everything hinted at and shown in this collection, I'm also hesitant to start a new (and gritty) series.
Recommendation: To anyone who loves Fables, but that goes without saying. Also, to anyone who want to try the series without committing to starting a series. This'll give you quite a bit of info and should, hopefully, also tell you if you're interested in the main series. ( )

"Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall" is something of a prequel to Bill Willingham's award winning Fables series. Taking place long before the events set forth in the regular series, 1001 Nights retells the tales of several of the inhabitants of Fabletown.

The art of 1001 Nights is beautifully rendered, each story illustrated by a different artist, including Charles Vess (of "Stardust" fame), Brian Bolland, John Bolton, Michael Wm. Kaluta, James Jean, Tara McPherson, Derek Kirk Kim, Esao Andrews, Mark Buckingham, Mark Wheatley and Jill Thompson. Every story in it is drawn by a different artist who shows off his or her distinctiveness in manners ranging from traditional comics’ realism and photo-based naturalism to something I can't even give a label to.

Charles Vess' illustrations provide the beginning and ending stories, as Snow White travels as an Ambassador of Fabletown to try to drum up support against the Adversary. She travels to the lands of the Arabian Fables where she's accused of "You arrive here unveiled, wearing immodest foreign clothes...and what sort of backward people would send a woman as their envoy?" Thus she becomes trapped in being the Sultan's bride for the night and then set for execution in the morning (yes, directly adapted from the "Arabian Nights") even though she's not of their people, isn't a virgin and has already been married (and divorced from her prince).

The stories are both clever and psychologically explanatory of the characters as they appear in the ongoing, contemporarily set Fables story. Snow White starts off with her own "small tale of revenge and its terrible lessons."

"The Fencing Lessons" as illustrated by John Bolton, tells of the story of the marriage between Snow White and Prince Charming, of the two worlds that dwelt alongside each other (of the world of men above and the world of dwarves below), and of a wedding present ("anything that your heart desires") of a husband to his princess bride. You will never think of the fairy tale "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves" in the same way again, this I promise. "Though I love you dearly, and will obey you in all else, I told you long ago some details about my past life will follow me to my grave."

"Christmas Pies" as illustrated by Mark Buckingham tells of the story how the subjects of King Noble the Lion were able to escape to the mundane world by first having a three day feast of Christmas pies provided by the Adversary's goblin troops themselves, helped along by the trickeries of Reynard the Fox. "A good trick well played is worthy on its own merits."

"A Frog's Eye View" as illustrated by James Jean (the one responsible for all the wonderful wraparound covers of the Fables series) is the story of the Frog Prince and of his family. A not to be missed tale--it shall make you weep for the fate of Prince Ambrose. After reading his sad tale, I never looked at character of Flycatcher the same way.

"The Runt" as illustrated by Mark Wheatley is the lineage story of Bigby Wolf: he coming from a mixed breeding via his mother, a she-wolf by the name of Winter and of his father, the powerful North Wind. Just how did Bigby become the "big, bad wolf" of well-known children's stories such as The Three Little Pigs and Little Red Riding Hood when he was the runt of the litter?

"A Mother's Love" as illustrated by Derek Kirk Kim is the story of a mother's revenge for the loss of her son. Can you guess what manner of beast she has transformed Col. Thunderfoot into?

"Diaspora" as illustrated by Tara MacPherson is the story of Snow White & Rose Red finding each other once more and agreeing to a truce while they try to escape from the armies of the Adversary. They were on their way to escaping to the mundane world when they were attacked and forced to flee into the forest. Here they encounter Frau Totenkinder in the throes of death. Rose Red persuaded her sister to trust Frau Totenkinder and take her with them.

"The Witch's Tale" as illustrated by Esao Andrews is where acts of love and acts of revenge can turn into one and the same thing. It tells the story of The Black Forest Witch (Frau Totenkinder in the Fabletown series) before Hansel and Gretel exacted their revenge on her. She tells her story to Snow White and Rose Red: of her young days as a shaman of the Fog Mountain tribe and of how she was able to come into great power. She assisted those who were kind to her, creating the Three Billy Goats Gruff to eliminate a bridge troll that was causing problems for a village that won her favor, and blessing those who she felt worthy. She took her revenge on the town of Hamelin by creating an enchanted flute that was used to lure away their children. Prompted by her experience with Aurac (her first love), she waged her own private war against handsome princes and men of wealth and privilege, during which she was responsible for the curses on Beast, Flycatcher, and Rapunzel.

"What You Wish For" as illustrated by Brian Bolland is the story of an adventurous maid by the name of Mersey Dotes, who wishes to tour the world. As they say: be careful what you wish, it might just come true.

"Fair Division" as illustrated by Jill Thompson is the story of Old King Cole's realm being easily overwhelmed by the Adversary's forces. Only with the assistance of his loyal and loving subjects (which includes the Three Bears of the Goldilocks story, Cock Robin, Squire Pup, the Three Blind Mice, among others) was he able to hide in the woods and survive long enough to reach the mundane world. It was then that Old King Cole became the first mayor of Fabletown, winning the election by a landslide over Bluebeard. It was also by his hand that led to the formalization of the banishment of non-human looking Fables to The Farm.

And so for three years, Snow White enthralled the Sultan with her stories...until the time came that she managed to pass on the idea to Scheherazade herself.

If you have not read farther than the first collection of Fables stories, you won't be lost reading 1001 Nights. Since all these stories are based on fairy tales and fables that everyone is familiar with, there isn't much background needed to read 1001 Nights, nor does it appear to spoil anything farther along in the series, and I'm glad that I read this when I did, so that now I will have a more solid base to read the rest of the Fables tales.

This book presents the biggest questions to the series yet: given a big enough timeline, can the Fable's ever really escape their tragic pasts? Is this a foreshadowing of an inevitable sad ending? Or will they be redeemed by the heroism within them inspired by said tragedies?

Book Details:

Title Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall
Author Bill Willingham
Reviewed By Purplycookie ( )

Another entry in the Fables series, although not a part of the series continuum, but a side story that takes place long before the proper opening. In this collection, Snow White travels to the lands of Arabia as an ambassador from the fledgling Fable town, and finds herself heading for the executioner's block because of her confidence and brashness. To spare herself the ax, and the Sultan's bed, she tells him stories. For roughly one thousand nights.

Sound familiar? I was drawn by this remake of the 1,001 Arabian nights tale, and curious about what stories Snow White would tell. While Willingham continues to display impressive ingenuity with his retellings of both well known and obscure fairy tales, I didn't like this collection nearly as much as the Fables series itself. I think it was because most of the stories were so dark, just too much for my tastes. Even more so than the rather dark Fables series. They were interspersed with more light-hearted fare, to be sure, but it wasn't enough to offset, for me, the death and rape and child sacrifice. I'll be happy just to stick with the ongoing storyline. ( )

I thought this was good, but a little too short and with no real answers to any questions you think of while reading it. I know it's part of a series, but I'd prefer it if this book was a little longer and more in-depth. ( )

Summary: 1001 Nights of Snowfall is a stand-alone prequel of sorts to the main Fables storyline. It's structured as a series of short stories that Snow White tells to the sultan of the Arabian Fables, when a diplomatic mission goes awry, and she must tell stories, Scheherazade-style, in order to delay her own execution. There are stories of Snow White and Prince Charming's marriage, of Bigby as a cub, of the exodus of several characters, including Reynard the Fox, Frau Totenkinder, and King Cole from the Homelands, the background of the Flycatcher the Frog Prince, and a few other short snippets of story.

Review: This compilation was published after Volume 7, Arabian Nights (and Days), but since the action takes place at least 100 years before the start of Volume 1, Legends in Exile, it can really be read at any point. Some of the stories (particularly that of Frau Totenkinder) have been covered in some form in the main-sequence volumes, but they're expanded here. I enjoyed all of the stories, particularly "The Fencing Lessons" and "A Frog's Eye View" - the latter of which pretty well broke my heart, particularly after reading Volume 10, The Good Prince. The artwork was also gorgeous - each story is illustrated by a different artist, but as a whole, each panel is more like a painting than a typical graphic novel. Basically, this collection was a light read that rekindled my latent Fables addiction, and now I really, really need to get my hands on Volume 11. 4 out of 5 stars.

Recommendation: This collection should be enjoyable to all fairy-tale fans, whether or not they're also Fables readers. For Fables fans, this can be read at pretty much any point of the main series, although I think the later you leave it, the more poignant the stories become. ( )

Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous!
I think this book is a must own, it's one of those few books that the very thought of letting it out of my sight and beyond my reach where I would not be able to reach out and flip through and swoon over the art makes me feel anxious.
If you are thinking about reading the Fable series- start here, If you're a fan of great illustrations- buy this, If you love fairytales, comicc/graphic novels, want to try reading graphic novels for grown-ups ... BUY this book.
Beyond just being beautiful the tales are wonderful as well. Fables the series deals with Fable land being under attack by an evil adversary forcing all residents to either flee to exile in New York or face death or enslavement. 1001 Nights deals with Snow White coming to the Arabian land of Fables to warn them and enlist their help.... it doesn't go so smoothly. In 1001 Nights of Snowfall you hear various tales of various characters lives before exile. Each story is illustrated by a different artist.
This is probably one of my favorite books of all time now; again I can't reccomend this book enough. ( )

A fun addition to the Fables tale. This book does not advance the primary plot of the Fables world, since it occurs before the first volume, but it does give us some wonderful backstories to the Fables group and reveals some of the mysteries of who they are and how they came to be in New York.

The overall story here, of Snow White telling stories every night to save her life, isn't really important, and nor does it even really show up that much. Likewise are not all of the stories successfull. But most of the stories she tells are very enjoyable, whether they are funny, heartbreaking, or simply informative.

A couple of the tales, such as the one about the frog prince, forces us to look at certain characters in Fables completely differently. Comidic characters become tragic ones, and some mysterious characters (such as the witch) become terrifying.

Strangely, probably the one I liked the least was Bigby's, who is normally my favorite character of the bunch. Still, it was interesting to see how the North Wind had a bunch of wolf cubs as children.

The best part, of course, is that Willingham leaves so much still hidden. Even in these pages he gives hints of how much story there is left to tell. Besides, if Snow told 1001 stories, this book only collects about 1% of them. I'm always anxious for more of Fables. ( )

Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall is something of a prequel to Bill Willingham's award winning Fables series. Taking place long before the events set forth in the regular series, 1001 Nights (re)tells the tales of several of the inhabitants of Fabletown. I've only ever read the very first Fables collection, Legends in Exile, but I never found myself lost while reading this collection of stories, as these are all based on stories that most of us are already familiar with. I find it extremely innovative how Willingham is able to tie together so many unrelated fairy tales and fables and create a new story with these plot points and bring everything together in a cohesive story that is both original and familiar at the same time.

The art of 1001 Nights is beautifully rendered, each story illustrated by a different artist, including Charles Vess, Brian Bolland, John Bolton, Michael Wm. Kaluta, James Jean, Tara McPherson, Derek Kirk Kim, Esao Andrews, Mark Buckingham, Mark Wheatley and Jill Thompson. Charles Vess' illustrations provide the beginning and ending stories, as Snow White travels as an Ambassador of Fabletown to try to drum up support against The Adversary. She travels to the lands of the Arabian Fables, and the Sultan kidnaps her and intends to marry her and kill her in the morning, but like Scheherazade, Snow tells him a story a night for 1001 nights, thus prolonging her sentence. Each of her tales involves something of a history of the inhabitants of Fabletown, including her own story, thus providing a rich background history to the rest of the Fables world.

If you have not read farther than the first collection of Fables stories, you won't be lost reading 1001 Nights. Since all these stories are based on fairy tales and fables that everyone is familiar with, there isn't much background needed to read 1001 Nights, nor does it appear to spoil anything farther along in the series, and I'm glad that I read this when I did, so that now I will have a more solid base to read the rest of the Fables tales. ( )

I had mixed feelings about this particular volume. This is essentially a retelling of 1001 Arabian Nights, Fable style. On the one hand you get a lot of background information about some of the characters in the series. You learn that the seven dwarfs were not as friendly as Disney made them, that King Cole was truly a remarkable leader, that Bigby had a lot to overcome in life, and so on.

But it read to too quickly for me. I think the lack of overall plot, and the inclusion of several stories detracted some. I was halfway through it, and it felt like I had just begun. Some of the stories are way to short, especially the Frog Prince. That whole sequence could have been done in a page.

The inking was very good though, and I would recommend this, but as an appetizer, not a main course. ( )

1001 Nights of Snowfall discloses some interesting pre-Fabletown adventures of several characters. ( )

A separate entity in the Fables universe, 1001 Nights of Snowfall tells how Snow went to Arabian Fables as an emissary and got caught up in a "1001 nights" storytelling situation.

All her stories, which tell about the histories of different old and new Fable characters, are drawn by a different artist. Some are long, some very short. Also, some are magnificent, beautiful tales, and some just irritating.

Very uneven, but the highlights and the awesome hand-colouring throughout the book bring it to the top of the Fables pile of collections. ( )

This is a one-off in the Fables series, a self-contained side-plot. The art is stunning, the story itself uneven. If you're a huge Fables fan, check it out, otherwise stick to the main series. ( )

1. I paid way more than $13.95 for this book. Way more. Like, twice as much.

2. Just in case anybody was under the misapprehension that my disapprobation of Hagar Shipley (mellowed by time, incidentally) extended to old people in general, let it be known that I LOVE Frau Totenkinder. Especially now that I've heard her BLOODCURDLING ORIGIN. ( )

This book is framed as Snow White going to the Arabian Lands to plea for help in the early days of Fabletown. Not used to negotiating with a mere woman, Snow ends up in the Scherazade-like position of telling a story every night to save her head.

What Snow ends up telling are the back stories of our favorite characters-- where Snow gets her strength, how Frau Totenkinder survived Hansel and Gretl, how the Frog Prince escaped without his family, and why Bigby is so cranky and how he first met Snow. These stories allow us a much deeper glimpse into these characters and why they act the way they do once in Fabletown. More exciting than the back story though, is the beautiful renderings of each story by a different artist. I really love the different spin Tara McPherson puts on Snow and Red, but the story of Flycatcher broke my heart. These are the classic fairy tales as only Willingham could tell them-- dark, violent, and rarely with a happy ending. Most excellent and my favorite of the series by far. ( )

If only all 1001 of Snow White's tales were represented here. Every story that IS included features breath-taking art, and fascinating stories that enrich the best comic series being made today: Fables. ( )

Not available in bookstore chains, as far as I can tell (I found it in Forbidden Planet), and that's a shame. Here is a collection of offbeat fairytales, beautifully drawn and achingly well told. Snow White, the emissary from a small group of exiled fairytale characters, goes to visit the Sultan of Arabia to enlist his help in fighting 'The Adversary', an unknown enemy who is driving the fairytale characters, or 'fables', as they are now known, into exile. But the Sultan won't listen to Snow, and threatens to kill her. And Snow plays Scheherazade, telling stories night after night, in a bid to keep herself alive.

If you liked this book, and are drawn to fairytales of all kinds as I am, read the 'Fables' series, all of which are cleverly written and well drawn, and which reward the reader's close attention, in a similar way to the 'Sandman' series.

http://roseread.net/wordpress/?p=247 ( )

I was always skeptical of Bill Willingham because I first heard of him as someone who took over Sandman characters when Neil Gaiman was done with them (for example, Thessaly and Merv Pumpkinhead). In fact, his adaptation of folktales to tell his own stories is very similar to Gaiman, and his multiple stories - multiple artists format is familiar from Sandman collections like World's End, but the stories themselves are imaginative and draw on different influences (mostly from fairy tales, while Gaiman prefers mythology).

Although I had never read Fables before, I found this book to be mostly accessible. It tells a lot of backstory of what I assume are familiar characters; when prior knowledge of the series was not required, the stories were quite enjoyable, and when it was required, I just said "Huh."

Original post on "All The Things I've Lost"

As a comics fan I've read Bill Willingham's work on a number of different books. A lot of times I find his work to be a bit uneven, but when it comes to Fables he seems incapable of telling anything less than a compelling story. 1001 Nights of Snowfall is no exception. This collection fills in the blanks on the backgrounds of some of major players in the regular series all wrapped up in a framing sequence paying tribute to 1001 Arabian Nights. The stories are all great fun, particularly the stories of the Frog Prince and Bigby's early years. Both seem particularly relevant ot the current events of the ongoing Fables series. The art is also excellent. I particularly liked the work done by John Bolton and Esao Andrews. I'm a fairly recent covert to Fables fandom, 1001 Nights of Snowfall only strengthened my fondness for the series and the characters. ( )

Think of it as 'Fables: Secret Origins'. Willingham gives the backstory for a handful of Fables characters, each story illustrated by a different artist. Most are good to very good, the best being the framing story (art by Charles Vess), Diaspora/The Witches' Tale (Tara McPherson, Esao Andrews), and Fencing Lessons (John Bolton).

For regular Fables readers, the biggest draw is the origin of Bigby.

I should note that the stories illustrated by Brian Bolland and Derek Kirk Kim are only 2 and 3 pages, respectively.

This book really restored my faith in Fables. It follows the premise of 1001 Arabian Nights, only it is Snow White spinning tales that are the backstories of the Fables we know and love. A very enjoyable read.

I can only say WOW! The artwork is stunningly beautiful and the stories range from dark and haunting to warm-hearted and funny. If you are even slightly interested in fairy tales, comics or just fantastic stories, I urge you to check it out! You don't need to have read any of the previous Fables stories to be able to enjoy this fantastic graphic novel, though knowing them adds even more enjoyment to the reading experience.

One word of warning, though: these fairy tales are definitely NOT for children. ( )