Heather Frigiola

Friends of fantasy, myth and folklore will love diving into this book and find all sorts of creatures they probably have never even heard about before.

Every culture around the globe has a wealth on amazing monsters and creatures in their traditions and folklore. Divided into geographical areas, this book introduces a vast number of monsters and other mythical creatures found in tales, writings and beliefs. Each section is alphabetically organized, and there is a glossary at the end. The show more monsters/creatures are described along with the more curious aspects surrounding them. Many are accompanied by illustrations to help the imagination take flight.

These pages held all I had hoped for and more. Broken down by mostly continent (but not only), it's fun to flip through the various creatures found in the different myths around the world. Not only well-known creatures are presented, but also lesser familiar ones and some I'd never heard of. Each description is concise, mentions the basic and main aspects of the creature, and gives a quick example of where the creature is found in mythology. The writing is interesting and easy to understand. Many of the creatures are accompanied by a colorful illustration. Of course, I would have enjoyed having every single one depicted, but the amount of creatures presented makes this impossible.

The bounty of monsters is amazing and a real treat to flip through. The myths themselves aren't given, only in short details as needed, but it's exactly what this book is about. Anyone who has a love for myths, folklore and tales is going to thoroughly enjoy this book. It's wonderful not only as a quick guide to already known creatures, but surprises on the amount of lesser known ones. While not necessarily intended for the younger audiences, it's also suitable for younger readers (ages ten and up).

I'm adding this one to my shelves and will definitely have it in hand repeatedly for many years.
I received a complimentary copy and am so glad I did because it met my expectations and than some. So, I'm leaving my honest thoughts. show less