Duddlebug

I have many art books - mostly fantasy themed since I read so much SciFi/Fantasy. The title of this one, and the beatiful cover, suggested it would fit in with the art that appeals to me. However, I found it disappointing. Art is subjective, so I'll admit my other books all feature a single artist I knew I liked (e.g. Royo, Vallejo, Brom, etc). This is an "anthology" of various artists, and that is what I found lacking. The art is very eclectic, with some being photo-realistic, and other show more images looking cartoonish. Though it is broken into chapters with themes (barbarian women, wanton witches, etc), the variety of styles was somewhat discordant. Plus, nudity does not automatically equal erotic, nor does medieval equate to fantasy. And, this would have been more aptly named erotic fantasy art of women, since I only found a couple males in the lot. Men aren't erotic?! Not that I'm opposed to fantasy images of nude women, as that is mostly what Royo and Vallejo paint. However, they also know when to include men to enhance the eroticism, or at the least, their women's poses, or facial expressions conveyed eroticism. Most of these do not (at least to me). They aren't porrly done, just not erotic.

That is not to say the book isn't worth a look. There is some very beautiful imagery included, and I love how every image is accompanied by a paragraph explaining its origin, or general info about the artist. There is also a lot of diversity among the women, various ethicities and even a few plumper than the average supermodel! Some of the images are very erotic, but most are generic fantasy-types that could easily be the cover of a random adventure novel. Overall, I would have given this more stars if the art had been more consistent (cartoonish images just jar against the realistic ones). The production value are very high, and in line with the retail price. This hardcover has thick stock, with rich colors and a excellent design layout. I just think the price is high for me since a godo bit of the art is unappealing. If you are on the fence, and you can get it significantly discounted or through a book club, it's worth buying. show less

Enjoyable in the artistry