REVIEW: "The Unwritten: Tommy Taylor and the Ship That Sank Twice" by Mike Carey

Disclaimer: I received an e-galley of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Release Date: September 18, 2013

Type: Graphic Novel, Series, Origin Story, Meta, Writing, Magic, Babies, Oh my!

About the Book: This exciting, original graphic novel explores the world of the Tommy Taylor novels in a visceral and direct way and is a great entry point for new readers.

Twenty-five years ago Tom’s father, Wilson Taylor, devised his subversive literary masterpiece. Now the blueprint of how a father gave his son vast power in order to accomplish a greater scheme is revealed. Partly told through Wilson’s own journal entries, juxtaposed with Tommy’s swashbuckling deep sea adventures with his trusty companions Peter and Sue, the story is at once a prequel and a parallel story to the ongoing series. [From Goodreads.com]

My Review: This book made me have faith in the Unwritten series again. I loved the first couple volumes, then it seemed to fall in my esteem.. but the previous volume and this one really made me excited about the series. Stuff is happening again! And in this volume specifically, we get to know more about Tommy Taylor's beginnings - both the character and the man. And while Tommy Taylor (the man)'s beginnings were quite fascinating, the font style chosen was difficult to read, especially on an electronic copy, at least in my opinion. Also, I found Tommy Taylor (the character)'s origins to be much more enjoyable to read. And only part of that was because the font was a better choice.

The art was very well done in this volume - and you could definitely see a difference between the world of Tommy Taylor within the book series and Tommy Taylor in the real world. The book world was almost comforting, and the real world felt a bit more harsh - which I found to be an excellent choice and well played. Over all, I can't wait to continue with this series. I'm sad that I have caught up now, because that means I'll actually have to wait between volumes. Sigh.

Cover Lovin': I really liked this cover, and I think it fits in incredibly well with the rest of the series. It also has a Harry Potter-like feel, which definitely makes sense considering the subject matter and history of the series.

Recommendation: For fans of graphic novels. If you love graphic novels, meta fiction, and Harry Potter, you will definitely want to check out the Unwritten Series. Fantastical beasts and wonderous stories await you, if you're up to the challenge.

Final Rating: FOUR out of FIVE stars (4/5). Definitely worth a read, but only if you are already very familiar with the Unwritten series. As I mentioned above, this volume has done much to restore my faith in the Unwritten comics, and I cannot wait for the next volume to see what they come up with next!

Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda ~!~

Review will be cross-posted to Goodreads.com and Netgalley.com.