Description
The fictional adventures of Tommy Taylor are the biggest publishing sensation of the still-young century. And now, years after the last volume, Tommy's creator Wilson Taylor, long missing and believed dead, is unleashing a brand-new Tommy Taylor book upon the world. There's just one problem: It's not a new Tommy Taylor book at all. Sinister forces have created a fake book in Wilson's name, a fraud designed to destroy his literary legacy and coax the reclusive author out of hiding so theycan destroy him once and for all. But they didn't count on Wilson's most powerful creation: his son, the real Tom Taylor. To unmask the truth about the new Tommy, Tom must confront some of the darkest secrets that surround him, from the hidden fateof his father to the secret origin of his closest friend to the true nature of his fictional alter ego. Will Tom be able to stop his doppelganger's return? Or will the publishing event of the decade lead to the end of time?… (more)
Subjects
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2011-03-29
Physical description
26 cm
Publication
New York : Vertigo, c2011.
ISBN
9781401230463
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User reviews
LibraryThing member GingerbreadMan
Again, it’s pretty hard to describe a series mainly dealing with how stories rule and manipulate the world, without spoiling the stories themselves. But Carey keeps a steady ship in this the third volume. The frame itself is not unique – our heroes are on the run from a hugely powerful hidden
Still, I’m rating this volume slightly lower than the previous two mainly for two reasons. The “pick-a-story” gimmick for Lizzie Hexam’s back story could have been good, but isn't really. There are literally only about three choices to be made by the reader and they end up following the same story line anyway. For about nine tenth of it you’re just reading a straight story with the pages out of order. Annoying. Also, Peter Gross’ artwork isn’t quite doing it for me. The frames often just seem a little empty. I would have liked a little more detail, I guess.
That being said, I can’t wait to see where this is going. No question about it, this is a series I’ll eagerly follow to the end.
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organization, trying to save the world while still trying to understand how the world is *really* constructed. Carey seems to be using a zillion urban fantasy tropes, more often than not consciously (I think). But the world building itself, with an endless guerilla war fought in mankind’s stories, is fresh and well developed. Love the Cabal’s intelligence office, full of thousands of people reading novels. Love Tom’s realization that what he really is is probably a weapon. Love the crappy excerpts from the fake fourteenth Tommy Taylor book.Still, I’m rating this volume slightly lower than the previous two mainly for two reasons. The “pick-a-story” gimmick for Lizzie Hexam’s back story could have been good, but isn't really. There are literally only about three choices to be made by the reader and they end up following the same story line anyway. For about nine tenth of it you’re just reading a straight story with the pages out of order. Annoying. Also, Peter Gross’ artwork isn’t quite doing it for me. The frames often just seem a little empty. I would have liked a little more detail, I guess.
That being said, I can’t wait to see where this is going. No question about it, this is a series I’ll eagerly follow to the end.
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LibraryThing member clfisha
OK officially the best comic series/graphic novel out there. It just keeps getting better. In Volume 3 the plot is starting to kick off and we get some big reveals, some dramatic changes. I am well and truly hooked.
I have review for vols 1 in msg and 2 (msg )but to recap the plot:
Imagine the
The characters are superb, the dialogue spot on, the art beautiful but it's also intelligent, original & playful. The world building is fascinating; where stories have power but the rules are murky, where there are secret cabals that may not even be real and the rebels fighting for their lives, fantastical alternate worlds, rabid fandom, conspiracy, murder, mayhem and mystery. It's all there and just enough of the world is shown to keep you at the edge of your seat.
Carey & Gross are still having fun with the idea too. This time round we get character back story as a choose your own adventure tale. It's not only fun it's brilliantly constructed to shade the story based what you decide and suddenly characters motivations are twisted with delightful ease.
I cannot recommend this series enough. I haven’t been as intrigued in a comic series for years and years and I have faith in Carey to pull it off too. It’s going to be a wild ride, don’t you want to get on board?
I have review for vols 1 in msg and 2 (msg )but to recap the plot:
Imagine the
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worlds best selling fantasy series was never finished, the author disappearing into thin air. Now imagine that was your father and those books star you as the hero and your life is now one round of signings and interviews at fantasy conventions. Bad enough until you realise your childhood was a lie and someone is out to kill you.The characters are superb, the dialogue spot on, the art beautiful but it's also intelligent, original & playful. The world building is fascinating; where stories have power but the rules are murky, where there are secret cabals that may not even be real and the rebels fighting for their lives, fantastical alternate worlds, rabid fandom, conspiracy, murder, mayhem and mystery. It's all there and just enough of the world is shown to keep you at the edge of your seat.
Carey & Gross are still having fun with the idea too. This time round we get character back story as a choose your own adventure tale. It's not only fun it's brilliantly constructed to shade the story based what you decide and suddenly characters motivations are twisted with delightful ease.
I cannot recommend this series enough. I haven’t been as intrigued in a comic series for years and years and I have faith in Carey to pull it off too. It’s going to be a wild ride, don’t you want to get on board?
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LibraryThing member fyrefly98
Summary: With the upcoming publication of the fourteenth novel about Tommy Taylor, the boy wizard, speculation is running high that Wilson Taylor, the reclusive author, will finally make an appearance at the book launch. Everyone has different reasons for wanting him there, however. While his
Review: Oh my goodness, this story is great. And, as much as I loved the first volume, I think it's actually getting better as it goes along. In this volume, we get more and more clues about what's really going on in Tom Taylor's world, and who he is, and what his father can do, and the powers of the cabal, etc. For the first time, I feel like I've got enough information to start piecing together my own theories about how the various aspects of this story fit together, but there's also enough nebulous areas that I know my theories are probably wrong... and the story thus far is put together well enough that I trust Carey enough that the final answers (if and when we get them) are going to be cooler than anything that I'd cooked up.
Apart from the big story elements in this volume, there were a lot of little things that I loved as well. The Harry Potter parallels are obvious, but this volume had some touches of His Dark Materials and other well-loved fantasy novels that I grinned whenever I recognized. The points made in Steven Hall's introduction about the power of stories were nicely phrased, and resonated throughout the rest of the volume. And, maybe best of all, one whole issue was written as a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure-style book that was basically a character study of Lizzie, and wound up being not only completely fascinating, but also engaging in a way that I don't normally get from graphic novels. 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Recommendation: Don't start anywhere but at the beginning, but this series should definitely appeal to Fables fans, and particularly to readers of Neil Gaiman, to whom the "power of stories" theme should be immediately familiar.
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legions of fans are simply hoping for a picture or an autograph, there is a shadowy cabal of people who can control the world through stories that want him for much more sinister reasons. And his adult son, Tom Taylor, wants to finally confront his father with questions about who he really is and how he relates to the protagonist of the books... a question that's also plaguing Tom's ally, Lizzie Hexam.Review: Oh my goodness, this story is great. And, as much as I loved the first volume, I think it's actually getting better as it goes along. In this volume, we get more and more clues about what's really going on in Tom Taylor's world, and who he is, and what his father can do, and the powers of the cabal, etc. For the first time, I feel like I've got enough information to start piecing together my own theories about how the various aspects of this story fit together, but there's also enough nebulous areas that I know my theories are probably wrong... and the story thus far is put together well enough that I trust Carey enough that the final answers (if and when we get them) are going to be cooler than anything that I'd cooked up.
Apart from the big story elements in this volume, there were a lot of little things that I loved as well. The Harry Potter parallels are obvious, but this volume had some touches of His Dark Materials and other well-loved fantasy novels that I grinned whenever I recognized. The points made in Steven Hall's introduction about the power of stories were nicely phrased, and resonated throughout the rest of the volume. And, maybe best of all, one whole issue was written as a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure-style book that was basically a character study of Lizzie, and wound up being not only completely fascinating, but also engaging in a way that I don't normally get from graphic novels. 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Recommendation: Don't start anywhere but at the beginning, but this series should definitely appeal to Fables fans, and particularly to readers of Neil Gaiman, to whom the "power of stories" theme should be immediately familiar.
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LibraryThing member nwhyte
Another excellent volume in this excellent series, taking the frenzy surrounding the publication of the final Harry Potter books and giving it a new twist of darkness. The background narrative of one of the characters is audaciously presented as a choose-your-own-adventure book (I admit I was
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mapping out the possible paths on the back of an envelope). This volume did not seem as rich in literary allusion as previous ones, but perhaps I missed it; in any case the plot seems to have jumped into a more coherent track, which is fine. Show Less
LibraryThing member JonathanGorman
Becoming one of my most interesting to follow comic series recently, creeping up to the place Scalped and the Walking Dead have. I was afraid the series would start sounding too similar to some of the "We're all just in a story" that vertigo line comics keep coming to, but they manage so far to
The choose-your-own adventure story in particular is brilliant.
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keep it engaging and fresh enough to draw me in. I just wish the collections weren't so small.The choose-your-own adventure story in particular is brilliant.
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LibraryThing member jasesq
This series just keeps getting better. John gave me the first one as a Christmas gift, the second one as a Valentine's gift, and the third as a birthday gift. Unfortunately, they probably won't have #4 out in time for our anniversary...
LibraryThing member Bert.Cielen
If one of the chapters had not been a "Choose Your Own Adventure" type story (i.e. one of those annoying "do you think x go to page a; do you think y go to page b"), this could have easily gained another star. Especially since that chapter contains some important and interesting back story for one
Because apart from that misstep, this series continues to intrigue and bewilder, and I'm inclined to (re-)read some of its references.
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of the main characters, and now you're left with some questions that might never be resolved.Because apart from that misstep, this series continues to intrigue and bewilder, and I'm inclined to (re-)read some of its references.
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LibraryThing member .Monkey.
"You would be well advised to pace yourself, my friend."
"This is pacing myself. I took two swallows, didn't I?"
"Nonetheless, you court oblivion. And oblivion will not meet your needs. Please. Trust me in this."
This is the first volume that really comes into its own. The first two are really just
"So. We spill each other's blood. This is right. This is holy. And now it's my turn."
"This is pacing myself. I took two swallows, didn't I?"
"Nonetheless, you court oblivion. And oblivion will not meet your needs. Please. Trust me in this."
This is the first volume that really comes into its own. The first two are really just
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the prelude, setting up the story and (intentionally) "borrowing" a bit from things that came before them. This one finally starts standing on its own feet and giving a more solid direction. The art is great, some very talented folks work on this series. Still not really loving it, though. We'll see what the next volume brings!"So. We spill each other's blood. This is right. This is holy. And now it's my turn."
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LibraryThing member Bodagirl
It would have been 4 stars, except for the "pick-a-story" portion which was annoying... ingenious, but annoying.
LibraryThing member pivic
As the story and plot thickens, new parallel stories emerge and yet, Mike Carey manages not to muddle things by making this collection of stories complicated; instead, it's growing more complex.
Easily compared with "Sandman", this story branches out towards epic characters and stories, blending
The story goes on, Tom/Tommy being hunted by different parties throughout different ages and tales. I shan't say more about the innards, but the story is definitely matured since volume one and is intricate. It's like getting to know the well-developed characters that make all of this come alive, which it most definitely does.
Easily compared with "Sandman", this story branches out towards epic characters and stories, blending
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literary characters such as Harry Potter and the stereotypical vampire with authors, e.g. Rudyard Kipling and Mark Twain.The story goes on, Tom/Tommy being hunted by different parties throughout different ages and tales. I shan't say more about the innards, but the story is definitely matured since volume one and is intricate. It's like getting to know the well-developed characters that make all of this come alive, which it most definitely does.
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LibraryThing member melrailey
This is the third volume in The Unwritten series. It continues the story of Tommy Taylor and includes such adventures as the release of the new Tommy Taylor novel, Tommy's confrontation with this father and his discovery of more details about his purpose.
I continued to love this series. I like
I think this series is a must for any lover of books.
I continued to love this series. I like
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that way it blurs the line between fiction and reality and brings into question what is a story and what is not a story. I also love the references I see in the story to Harry Potter. I know it makes me sound like a huge fangirl but I get all giddy everytime I see a Harry Potter reference anywhere. I think this series is a must for any lover of books.
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LibraryThing member Count_Zero
This volume doesn't answer all the questions. However, it also doesn't give me the impression of being lead along by the nose that I got from volume 2. My faith is somewhat restored in the series, and I look forward to reading volume 4.
LibraryThing member booklover3258
I made it through volume 3 and had to stop. It's just not my thing. It's boring. I don't care about the characters and it jumps around so much I get so confused. The illustrations are great and that's why I gave it a one star.