The conclusion to this reviews section reflects on the role that reviews play in the sub-discipline of conflict studies, and – from this vantage point – it takes stock of the reviews section in Civil Wars since its inception. We find that the reviews section to date both reflects and to some extent reproduces hierarchies and power dynamics that are well-recognised in the academy. With this in mind, we have set out a proposal for ‘reviews, otherwise’, including several new review types intended to further cultivate critical reflection and engagement while also opening the reviews section to new and different perspectives.