Customer Reviews

Mouse Guard: Winter 1152 (v. 2)

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I loved Mouse Guard Fall 1152, and was almost worried that the next volume might drop the ball, but David Petersen has outdone himself with his amazing art and story telling abilities. In this volume we see Lieam, the youngest of the Guard, really come into his own. After how much he'd done to prove his worth in the first volume by taking on a snake, he shows off that nothing is too big for a mouse. "It doesn't matter what you fight, but what you fight for." I give this book 5 stars only because there's no way to give it more. David Petersen is a master of his trade. Buy it now, if you already have Fall 1152. If not, buy them both now.

The strength of the Mouse Guard series lies largely in the detailed artwork of David Petersen, and in the way he is able to portray rodent valor against near-impossible odds. The heroics of the characters are magnified by the fact that they are drawn with all their natural cuteness intact. This makes them appear all the more vulnerable to the huge world around them, despite the fact that they are packing steel. Petersen knows how to convey the vast size difference between the mice and the predators they face. Witness Celenwe's charge against a vicious barn owl and it is very difficult not to appreciate the desperate nature of the situation.

A saying of the Mouse Guard is "it's not what you fight, but what you fight for", and this motto comes very much into play with this volume. We discover the underlying emotions that drive each of the heroes forward. The Guard doesn't simply fight to protect their civilization, but rather they fight for some very personal and emotional reasons. It's hard not to get emotional while reading this book, especially in the scenes where a single panel conveys a vast amount of emotion. Whether it's Saxon's discovery of the remains of his former mentor in a weasel dungeon, or Sadie and Kenzie seeking comfort from each other in a vast darkness, or Lieam's heartfelt determination to save his friend in the midst of a driving snowstorm, the reader feels exactly what the heroes feel in their most desperate hours.

Mouse Guard 1152 is a fantastic read for readers 10 and up. Younger and more sensitive readers may find some of the scenes disturbing and frightening however, and parents should be cautioned that the world of the Mouse Guard is often just as brutal as it is in nature.

David Petersen continues to impress with his richly detailed world of mice. The story is great, the characters are awesome, and the art is amazing.
I've read all of the Mouse Guard books with my two oldest children and they enjoy them as much as I do.
If you're a fan of the Lord of the Rings, Redwall, and graphic novels you will enjoy the world of Mouse Guard.

Another classic by the author. I grew up reading comics and when I found this series, I started my son on it. He really enjoys the series, and we are both eagerly awaiting the next installment. The series has a 'real' feel to it, despite being set in the medieval past, and revolving around talking, sophisticated mice. Characters fight bloody battles against overwhelming odds and some even die. I think fact coupled with the authors storytelling abilities and the art is what makes the series.

Paul Buckner,

Author of "Gabriel Jennings and the Ferret Freedom Fighters."

I bought Mouse Guard Winter 1152 as an Easter present for my girlfriend, and if you liked Fall 1152, you'll find Winter just as marvelous as Fall 1152. I found that both books are quick and easy reading. We find out how the main characters endure a very hard winter and its challenges.
In this second book, I found it had an interesting "Fellowship of the Rings" feel. (my review of Fall 1152 hinted that the latter part was reminiscent of The Two Towers) It's not Tolkien, but it is like its predecessor a good read for young people of all ages, especially in my opinion female ones. It IS really helpful if you purchased the first book....otherwise some of the action might be hard to follow.
-- Steampunk 1914, Easter Saturday 2011

I picked this book up for my son at the local library. It is the first book we've read in the "Mouse Guard" series, and we've been impressed. Even coming in to the series part-way through, it was not difficult to follow the story line, and the story was engaging. I will say, that until recently, my son's comic book forays have consisted mainly of really wretched series with no discernable plot lines, like Sonic the Hedgehog or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, so I may have been more impressed than I ought to have been by a storyline that actually makes sense.

As others have noted, the illustrations are gorgeous, and do a wonderful job of creating a magical, Tolkein-esque world to immerse oneself in. I'm eager to pick up the first book for my son and I to read together after reading the reviews here, and wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book.

My grandson had checked out the Fall 1152 edition from school and liked it very much. I purchased this and he spent hours looking at the pictures and then with me as I read it. It was so good we also purchased the Legends of the Mouse Guard and are enjoying it very much as well.

The beauty of Mouse Guard: Winter 1152 lies in how seriously the material is handled by writer and illustrator David Petersen. Although it is a children's story, it never feels like it is aimed solely for younger audiences. There is a depth and richness within the narrative that adults will appreciate, and the story is well told. The events the Mouse Guard must confront are oftentimes dark reminders of life's harshness, particularly in the wild environments of the animal kingdom, but their success is always fairly won and logically dictated by the narrative energy of Petersen's script. Drawing inspiration from the rich volumes of fantasy narratives and medieval history, he has crafted a tale that has real weight to it.

Having survived a rebellion that threatened their way of life, the mice of Lockhaven now find themselves short of supplies and one, a soldier of the Mouse Guard, lies on the verge of death after being wounded and poisoned. Led by Kenzie, the Guard is dispatched to the neighboring cities of the Mouse Territories to gather food and medicine. After retrieving elixir to help their fallen friend, the Guard becomes divided after Kenzie and two others fall into a sinkhole and are forced to make their way through Darkheather, an ancient weasel settlement that appears abandoned. Above ground, the Queen's ambassador, Celanawe--also known as the Black Axe, a mouse of legend--and Lieam, a fresh recruit to the guard, attempt to make it back to Lockhaven with the recovered supplies but find themselves hunted by a horned owl.

The mice themselves are a bit of a surprise as heroes, given their small statures and position in the food chain. They are a natural underdog to root for, and their adventures carry a subtle undercurrent of threat and menace, especially as many of the villains they face are significantly larger. The creatures Petersen populates his story with take on a mythic sense of otherness in their anthropomorphizing, which is further enhanced by the quick sketches of history he provides them. The colony of bats that have come to occupy Darkheather are distrusted and unwanted in the world. Spited by both the winged animals of the sky and the furred animals of the land, they are forced to exist in underground caverns. In the trees above, the horned owl looms, a massive predator stalking the Black Axe and Lieam across the snow-covered land, promising them only death.

There is a prevalent element of danger at every turn, reaching from deep inside the dungeons of Darkheather to the wintery skies above, and even within Lockhaven as a traitorous mouse threatens the safety of everyone. Although death is a persistent theme, and not all of the mice survive the dangers of their winter trek, the story itself never becomes bogged down in grimness. The mice are consistently threatened by the obstacles of nature, but each segment serves the grand sense of adventure that is at the heart of the narrative. Mouse Guard is a quest tale, like The Lord of the Rings before it, and there is a true sense of excitement and heroism throughout.

Petersen is as deft in his illustrations as he is in his scripting. His visual style is highly cinematic, and the story unfolds at a rapid clip. His use of scale is tremendous, particularly in the confrontations between mice and owl. Readers will no doubt understand the insurmountable danger of that confrontation, and Petersen conveys it with wicked style, conveying the fear and heroism that plays out in a battle for survival. The members of Mouse Guard are a pleasant band of adventurers, cutely drawn and smartly executed. Each Guard is well illustrated and clearly defined from one another in important ways--the color of their cloaks, their weapons of choice, their fur, and, most importantly, their personalities. Each has distinctive traits that separate and define them, allowing the mice to have their own voices throughout.

The rich characterizations and wonderful artwork will quickly draw in readers, regardless of age. Petersen presents a strong story on a grand scale that children will easily fall in love with, but which parents, or the young at heart, won't mind reading either. Mouse Guard works on multiple levels, providing plenty of thrills and exciting visuals for younger readers, but adult readers will likely find a lot to enjoy here too, without feeling talked down to or alienated by the author. There is a fair amount of exposition throughout, but it is crisply told without ever getting cutesy. There are important themes of death, danger, and loyalties in the aftermath of war that could raise questions and lead to important conversations, but the main aim of the book is to entertain and introduce characters that readers will connect with and instantly want to see succeed. Although it is grounded within the complexities of nature, the story itself is fantastical in its presentation. With Mouse Guard, Petersen has smartly developed a world that exists around us in mythical fashion, crafting an exciting, action-packed fantasy adventure that will capture the hearts and imagination of readers young and old.

-- Michael Hicks

I really liked book 2. But if you have not read book one, this second book may not be completely understood. Great art and a wonderful story however. I look forward to more in the future.

My son has spent hours pouring over this book. He awaits each volume with baited breath. He says it is just 'very cool'