Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 is the first in a series about the Guard that protects mice against predators and keeps them safe. Once warriors, they are now escorts and pathfinders.

From the very first panels Petersen is able to immerse the reader in his world with beautiful drawings and an appealing set of characters in the Mouse Guards Kenzie, Saxon and Lieam. The plot centres on a mysterious betrayal that engulfs this trio and leads them to a battle for survival. Petersen manages to use this plot not just to keep the reader interested but also to paint in the detail and history of his mouse world.

It's very well done, and I could imagine a lot of children getting right into the Mouse Guard series. For me, it lacked a bit of originality, reminding me very much of Brian Jacques' Redwall series. I also found some of the captioning, in a thin copperplate font, very difficult to read. Still, this is a really good example of its genre. If I happen to come across the sequels, I'll certainly give them a read. ( )

Both the artwork and the story are fantastic.
Everything feels very consistent and it is a pleasure to enter this harsh but fascinating world of mice and the dangers they face. ( )

Short chapters, well drawn, in full colour. Obviously only a small part of a whole story, reminded me of a grown-up version of the Beatrice Potter books, with death, torture and fighting. ( )

Books read in 2022 #17 - “Mouse Guard: Winter 1152” by David Petersen.

In the aftermath of a recent war and suffering the effects of a freezing winter the leader of the city of Lockhaven sends her most trusted guards on missions to outlying communities in search of aid and medicines. On the way the guards encounter old enemies, new challenges, and revelations about their own characters.

This second volume of David Petersen’s Mouse Guard saga is skillfully told and stunningly illustrated as it builds a world beyond the panels that draws you in to the adventure. ( )

This is a beautiful comic. The art style is reminiscent of an old-fashioned English storybook for children. The story is well-told and has a sense of timelessness to it. Definitely recommended! ( )

Amazing but too short. I'm excited for the sequel. It was hard to put down. I originally picked this up after getting the RPG and now I'm really excited to play it. ( )

A beautiful, lush graphic novel, the plot moves fairly quickly and assumes a familiarity with the characters that isn't necessarily there, but it's easy to follow and the conflict is realistic and true to the world. And the world is truly amazing, incredibly detailed and imagined. ( )

Beautiful little book, would not hesitate to give thais to a teenager who loves adventure stories and fantasy. Definitely getting the next volume soon. ( )

The best part of this book is the illustrations. It is beautifully done. ( )

Mouse Guard is, like all graphic novels that focus on the art, a quick read. However, there is so much detail to the artwork that once you finish it, you’ll want to go back and read it over again just to catch the nuances to the pictures.

This is truly a lovely book, and it has a nicely-developed plot to go along with it. I had expected, based on the cover (and the fact that it is about mice) for it to be kid-oriented. Not so. This is a book that will appeal to many ages, but the storyline itself is better for teens or adults than kids, due to the treachery within the mouse ranks. I’ll not go into more detail than that, because the story is worth discovering for yourself. There are battles, though, and some of the mice get gravely injured. As my sister said, the mice are drawn really cute, and we didn’t want to see even the “bad mice” get hurt.

This is the first volume, and if all the others are as well illustrated as this one, they’ll be worth picking up as a group. This is the type of graphic novel that makes me wish I could draw something more than stick figures and cartoon frogs. Alas, drawing is not in my skill-set, so I’ll just have to continue enjoying the work of those who can draw. David Petersen is definitely among them. ( )

A well realised world and rollicking good read, if a touch over-explained. An over explanatory Brigada, but with mice instead of dwarves

One of my third grade students gave this to me to read. I can see why he likes it- gorgeous artwork, battles, likeable good guys, and villainous bad guys. The mice are pleasantly anthropomorphized while retaining their mousiness. I would absolutely add it to our collection. However, I really need someone who loves graphic novels to educate me in the genre. I get frustrated with the lack of character development and am rarely able to lose myself in the story. I love words and art in picture books, and I don't understand why I can't get into graphic novels. ( )

Really fascinated by this world... somewhat reminiscent of the Redwall series. ( )

The writing is pretty bad, but the art is great enough to make up for it. ( )

amazing artwork - a gorgeous book. ( )

It was probably pretty good - and it certainly was pretty. I guess I just don't have the skill to read graphic novels.

Awww… how adorable, was my reaction on seeing David Petersen’s Mouse Guard Volume 1: Fall 1152 (v. 1) in the library. A mouse civilisation? Mice with capes and swords? Cute little mice fighting? How can anyone resist?

Lieam, Kenzie, and Saxon, three Mouse Guards, are sent to pick up the trail of a missing grain merchant, whom they realise is part of a bigger conspiracy to overthrow the leadership. These mice are Ferocious (yeah with a capital ‘F’)! Snakes are no mean feat for them, let alone other mice. So it’s not all that cutesy, and can get a little violent for what I thought was an adorable book. The illustrations are gorgeous, but the story line is a bit thin – I kept expecting something more, but it never came. The action moves along at a good pace and things are interesting enough but I was expecting a bit more… depth. A lot of reviews, like Christy’s, refer to Redwall, which I have yet to read, and have now boosted up my TBR list and am now quite curious about. So I suppose if you’re a Redwall fan, you might enjoy this one.


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Another read with my son, this graphic novels introduced to the Mouse Guard and Lockhaven. They are under attack from an invading army and traitor and must protect Lockhaven against an unexpected source.

Just as with Mouse Guard: Winter 1152, I rated this by averaging out mine and my son's ratings. This is a great series for a young boy and a fun way to get kids who aren't big readers reading. They will love the illustrations and the story is full of adventure but not overly complicated for a young mind. ( )

The Mouse Guard story is a decent story, but it is a variation of a story fantasy and adventure story readers have read over and over about betrayal and rebellions. What really makes this graphic novel something special is the incredible artwork. All of the creatures, from the mice themselves to the predators have a realistic cast to them; they are not cutesy or stylized. Additionally the colors the artists used are vibrant and just give the artwork a whole nother dimension. ( )

The Mouse Guard story is a decent story, but it is a variation of a story fantasy and adventure story readers have read over and over about betrayal and rebellions. What really makes this graphic novel something special is the incredible artwork. All of the creatures, from the mice themselves to the predators have a realistic cast to them; they are not cutesy or stylized. Additionally the colors the artists used are vibrant and just give the artwork a whole nother dimension. ( )

The Mouse Guard story is a decent story, but it is a variation of a story fantasy and adventure story readers have read over and over about betrayal and rebellions. What really makes this graphic novel something special is the incredible artwork. All of the creatures, from the mice themselves to the predators have a realistic cast to them; they are not cutesy or stylized. Additionally the colors the artists used are vibrant and just give the artwork a whole nother dimension. ( )

The Mouse Guard story is a decent story, but it is a variation of a story fantasy and adventure story readers have read over and over about betrayal and rebellions. What really makes this graphic novel something special is the incredible artwork. All of the creatures, from the mice themselves to the predators have a realistic cast to them; they are not cutesy or stylized. Additionally the colors the artists used are vibrant and just give the artwork a whole nother dimension. ( )

Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 imagines a world in which the mice have banded together against a hostile world and a select brave few have formed the Guard, a collection of mice who patrol the wilds between the mouse towns, scout, spy, and deal with threats to mousedom. This first volume in the series mostly follows Leiam, Kenzie, and Saxon, three mice sent out on what seems to be a routine mission on the trail of a wayward grain peddler, but which leads them onto the trail of a threat to the very heart of the Mouse Guard.

In the world of Mouse Guard, mice are essentially tiny people. They talk, read, write, make maps, build castles, wield weapons, and pretty much do everything that one might have expected people to do in the 12th century. They live in fortresses like Lockhaven, or towns like Barkstone, or outposts like Calogero, many of which are built into the sides of hills or in hollowed out trees. Oddly, most other animals don't appear to be similarly anthropmorphized, as the snakes, crabs, and bees that appear in the volume seem to be nothing more than ordinary animals. There is a reference in the text to a "weasel warlord", so it seems possible that only mammals are civilized like the mice, but the answer to that question is not found in this volume. Mouse society in the book is basically human society, just with a collection of omnipresent threats that include snakes, hawks, weasels, and foxes.

The story is one of intrigue and betrayal, as Leiam, Kenzie, and Saxon discover that the grain merchant has been killed, but that he was also a traitor selling Lockbridge's secrets to an unknown enemy of the Guard. There is some added excitement in the fact that the grain merchant was killed by a snake that appears to be in the mood for some additional mouse-sized snacks. Eventually, the mice deal with the snake problem, and then head off to try to track down the traitor's contact. The narrative, although told in a fairly simple manner, with relatively limited dialog, serves to convey the character of each of the three mice: Kenzie's impetuous boldness, Saxon's weathered wisdom, and Lieam's youthful bravery and idealism. These traits are conveyed in broad strokes, but are woven into the flow of the story that one almost doesn't notice except in the few cases where character development is handled just a tiny bit less fluidly.

In the meantime, another guard mouse named Sadie is sent to the northern shore to try to find a fellow guard mouse named Conrad who hasn't been heard from in some time. This sequence highlights one of the best features of Mouse Guard by letting the images carry much of the story. Throughout the volume, the dialogue is sparse, and the exposition is mostly confined to short passages at the start of each section, while much of the heavy lifting to set the mood and tone, and even to convey the plot, is done by the lovely artwork of the book. Whereas some graphic novels are essentially simply text stories with a few images attached, Petersen is not afraid to let three or four panels, or even full pages, go by without any dialogue at all, trusting in the strength of the artwork to tell the tale visually. This reliance upon the art as the primary means of communicating with the reader is probably the most distinctive element of Mouse Guard, and is a large part of what makes it such a good series.

The plot moves along at a fairly rapid clip: A treacherous and cruel villain is revealed, noble mice engage in self-sacrifice, an old hero reemerges, and new heroes are forged. Eventually the book climaxes in an all-out assault upon the Mouse Guard stronghold of Lockhaven, giving the reader a ringside seat to its desperate defense. What makes the story interesting is that the villain, dark and brutal as he is, is backed by an army that seems to have at least some halfway-legitimate grievances. The fact that so much of the story is rooted in events that took place prior to the start of the book, almost throwing the reader into the action in media res, makes the world of Mouse Guard feel real and alive, as if one were reading a history rather than a fantasy. Further, despite the fact that much of the plot hinges on events that took place prior to the start of the story - including the legend that is used to rally the traitorous army, and the alleged failings of the Guard that drew the ire of its enemies, the reader never feels like they have missed something.

Overall, Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 is a fundamentally simple story inhabited by simply drawn characters told in a beautiful manner. With compelling images such as Leiam facing down a mouse-eating snake single-handedly, or Conrad fighting a half dozen monstrously huge crabs with nothing but a fishhook, or the apiary keepers of Lockahaven releasing their bees as a last ditch effort to turn back the invading force, or even Midnight and Celanawe dueling over the possession of the Black Axe, the volume presents the story with arresting imagery giving the reader a visual tour through the Mouse Territories. With a story about treachery, bravery, and loyalty, featuring the smallest of the small taking bold action to protect their countrymen, Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 is a spare, gorgeous, and endearing adventure.

This review has also been posted to my blog Dreaming About Other Worlds. ( )

Mouse Guard Fall 1152 by David Peterson – This is a well-written, very creative, children’s story book about a society of mice that is protected from predators and other dangers by the Mouse Guard. After experiencing it, I understand why my wife encouraged me to read it. This children’s story is lavishly illustrated in full color within a stylish 192-page hardback. This story focuses on Lieam, Saxon, and Kenzie (three of the Guard’s finest mice) who must try to stop a traitorous plot against the Guard. It’s a cute and exciting children’s story, but the real attraction is the beautiful art work and the wonderful mice civilization that Peterson has created. This beautiful book also includes extra art panels, maps, illustrations of common mice trade-workers, etc. It’s good stuff and this is the first of many Mouse Guard books that are now available. ( )

I read this with my daughters. We all thoroughly enjoyed it. The artwork was very good and we loved the different scenery and art. The story was quite basic but we all had a great time and were immersed in the story. Definitely will reread and get the sequel. ( )