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This was pretty to look at (just look at those Faery land skies). The story was run-of-the-mill but it had a little charm. ( )

A spinoff from Neil Gaiman's Sandman and Books of Magic series, this graphic novel is a collection of stories featuring characters from the land of faerie. The first few tales focus on the machinations involved in Auberon's ascendance to the throne when he was but a boy. Its the strongest part of this collection and its a pity that the story comes to an abrupt end just as the story is building up steam. Presumably the story is continued in future collections. The rest of this collection is a gathering of short odds and ends which don't really stand out in any way. Fans of Sandman etc. may want to have a look in, but otherwise, there's not enough substance here to attract newcomers. ( )

I really wanted to like this. I'm a big fan of Gaiman's The Books of Magic and although Rieber's follow-up work could've been better, I managed to find some stuff worth salvaging.

That said, this book was a complete waste of time. Don't bother reading it. ( )

This book in the spin-off series "The Books of Faerie" gives a glimpse of Auberon as a child, before he became King of Faerie. It's fascinating to see who Auberon used to be.

There are other familiar characters here as well, such as Dymphna (who turns out to be Auberon’s aunt), Obrey and even the Amadan (what an underhanded manipulative creature!).

As with all the books in these series, the stories are well-written and engaging. There is even a Timothy Hunter (from "The Books of Magic") story at the end, "Dark As Day, My Lady, Bright As Night." I highly recommend “The Sandman" books and all of their related series to my friends and fellow booklovers, and "Auberon's Tale" upholds the high standards already set (although I prefer Titania’s origin story).

Like “The Books of Magic”, Gaiman's disappearance from the spin-offs as head writer has affected them negatively, but they're still above average.

Book Details:

Title The Books of Faerie: Auberon's Tale
Author Bronwyn Carlton;Neil Gaiman (Consultant)
Reviewed By Purplycookie ( )