Hundreds of Creatures from around the world, sorted by place of origin and explained carefully.

The cover and synopsis led me to believe this book was aimed at children. Not so. This is aimed at anyone at all; the language isn't complicated, but I do feel like it's aimed at adults. It's clearly exhaustively researched, and while I can't comment on how accurate it is, it certainly seems good.

The version I received didn't have illustrations, although there are spaces where perhaps they're planned to go. I hope so; it would be the crowning piece of a book that's already very good. As I was reading, I kept thinking what a great read this would be for writers looking for a more unusual creature for a novel. It gave me a few ideas!

A great, well put together read.

One thing that is universal throughout the world and indeed throughout the ages is mans belief, acceptance and creation of mythical creatures. Here in one collection we learn the story of 240 of such creatures in ten chapters consisting of a 100 vivid and colourful illustrations. From around the world we learn of their cultural origins whether from folktales, ancient mythology or in some cases actual sightings ( cryptids believed to actually exist by followers of cryptozoology).

Some of the creatures particularly those associated with ancient Greek and Roman mythology I knew but many were new to me. Mythology and creatures associated with it would appear to be an integral part of cultures and indeed religions around the world and have been passed down through the ages by storytelling, paintings, artifacts as well as the written word. This is a book that is probably best read a chapter at a time as to read this cover to cover can be a bit overwhelming. Overall this is a fascinating read and may lead some to further reading on some of the creatures featured here.

I really enjoy reading anything about mythology. For a book trying to give a wholesale summary of the mythologies of the world it wasn't as in-depth as it should have been, but I'm walking away from the read having learned the names of a lot of monsters and mythical creatures I didn't know before.

I loved this! This book was exactly what I expected, a (mostly) illustrated guide to monsters from all over the world (literally just paraphrased the title, how lazy can someone be?), about the history and characteristics of said monsters. I absolutely loved it!

The only reason it's missing a star is because it lost me at some points, felt too much like a clinical, impersonal textbook. That problem is easily solved by just putting the book down and reading it in chunks instead of binging it, though.

Mythical creatures are cultural artifacts, indeed! What a delightful little collection of creatures this is. I requested it, well, not with <i>low</i> expectations so much as lacking expectations entirely. I figured it would be a neat little collection, maybe even learn about a couple of new folktales through some creatures I knew less about, well versed as I like to think I am in these matters. I grew up reading folk tales, poring over every bestiary I could get my hands on.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that there were several creatures I had never heard of, many more still I knew quite little about, and was happy to see them featured in these pages. Unsurprising, I suppose, that I knew the creatures of North America, Ancient Greece and Rome, and Western and Eastern Europe best. I appreciated that the author acknowledged, however neatly, the Eurocentrism of mythological and folk studies in the West. As she points out, mythology is not exclusive to Western culture. It is, at its heart, storytelling, which is simply a very human thing. It was quite clever using that as the basis for how she structured her bestiary, as we move from beast to beast, from culture to culture. This isn't really something I see myself rereading all the way through again. It didn't grip me in that way and it does read in an almost textbook style. But I do imagine at some point I'll probably (hopefully) come across a Ponaturi or Shadhavar in a book or a reading and remember this little gem, return to it then. Most of the origins or tales are cursory, just a glimpse and just enough to tantalize. I often found myself scribbling down words or names to do my own research. There were several times I longed for short stories and novels featuring the more obscure (and usually the more sinister) of creatures.

I will say that the ebook leaves something to be desired in terms of readability, though that may have more to do with my eReader than with how the book is formatted. It's a bit messy on my old Kindle Touch. I couldn't see most of the illustrations —no great loss, it seems, as the handful that did go through weren't really to my taste—though I wonder how it would have enhanced the overall experience to see more of them. I have to wonder if the first letter of each section is historiated in some way as each time it would disrupt the layout of the page. Little things, certainly, but did take a minute to get used to.

Thank you muchly to NetGalley and Schiffer Publishing for this free ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I love a good bestiary and this one is a good one. The author has researched to compile many scary creatures from around the world. Some of the sections are more in-depth than others, but the short entries are a good starting point for someone looking for information on monsters. The formatting on the ebook copy I received was a bit hard to read, but I was enjoying it so much I decided to order a copy for my personal collection.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of this ebook in exchange or an unbiased review.

This book is basically Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them 2.0. As the title suggests, Monsters and Mythical Creatures from Around the World features mythical beasts and their origins from numerous cultures and folktales. I really liked that this book included tonnes of mythical creatures I'd never heard of and it was interesting to read about the lore and origins behind each one. However, this book read more like a textbook than an anthology of fantastical beasts that it got a bit tricky to remember each beast and a bit dull at times. Informative and fascinating yet lacking an attention-grabbing story-like narrative... a solid 3 stars.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Schiffer Publishing LTD for providing a free ARC

Mythical creatures are cultural artifacts—creations of the human imagination from all around the world. From terrifying monsters to sacred mystical beasts, weird-looking humanoids, magical birds, and many other fantastic beings, the mythological creatures in this book are sure to capture your imagination as you trek round the world in a very human collection of fantastic beasts.

This literary menagerie never stops being interesting. A great collection of different cryptids and mythological creatures that we have heard of and have escaped into popular culture are given short histories of them. Creatures such as the Sasquatch in particular are very good and entries for Jackalopes, Thunderbirds, and more known creatures such as Basilisks.

Accompanying these creatures are some very good illustrations, perfect for the age range of this book. The basilisk illustration is one of my favourites, but other highlights of book include the Double Headed Eagle, Firebird and Leshii - however there are many awesome creatures in this book and the pictures work so well together with each entry.

This book really does go through some incredible creatures from all over the world, accompanied by some very good illustrations in a catalogue of beasts that represents every part of the planet. It’s a perfect gift for a curious child.

A well illustrated book, fascinating and interesting. I loved to discover about monster in the different cultures and I highly recommend this book.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

4.5 stars. WOW. From the minute I saw the range of cultures included in this book, I was practically salivating. It really is “from around the world.” I enjoy mythology, but there were so many creatures here that I had never heard of. Among others, this book samples Native American mythologies and South Asian mythologies and the “regular” Greek and Roman myths. The pictures were slightly whimsical and very informative.

Unsurprisingly, there is a negative tradeoff for this breadth of information: a bit of the modern scholar’s disdain for the Western perspective. But there is certainly not enough of that attitude to overwhelm the book’s other fine qualities.

One final note: when discussing so-called “mythical creatures” that have emerged from world religions, there is a fine line to walk between informative and disrespectful. The book walks that line, not perfectly, but with a reasonable amount of nuance.

I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The book is available at: https://www.schifferbooks.com/monsters-and-mythical-creatures-from-around-the-world-6745.html

There are so many interesting monsters/creatures in this book that I haven't heard of! I loved how the author chose to separate them into sections by culture/part of the world they originate from and at the beginning of each section they put a few paragraphs telling you what countries and cultures that they include and a bit of their history as well. The entries on each monster/creature isn't just describing their appearance and habits but their origins as well. Even though each entry is only a couple of pages they manage to get so much information across, including the myths the monster/creature was part of. As usual though I found myself more interested/drawn to the more dangerous/malevolent ones and got a bit bored with the guardian/benevolent ones and sometimes it got a bit repetitive. I just love to read about things that go bump in the night and want to eat you and I'm not ashamed of that. My favourites include:
The Pihuichen from Chile and Argentina, who doesn't like a flying snake that can kill you by just you looking at it?
The Vucub Caquix from Maya mythology, is it me or is the creepiest thing about this bird those humanlike teeth?
The German Wolpertinger, it's Q-Chan from Petshop of Horrors!
The Drekavac from Serbia and Bosnia, the fact that it's name means "the screamer" should tell you why I like this one.
The Shurale from Tatar and Bashkir folklore, the tickle monster!
The Nunda from Tanzania, a giant cat blamed for unsettling deaths in 1920s and 30s.
The Popobawa from Zanzibar, there is no creature scarier to me than one that can get into your home as mist or smoke to do horrible things to you.
There were also some of my old favourites like kelpies, aswangs, kappa, nine tailed foxes and the bunyip (though I found the entry for this disappointing), they even mentioned red caps!
It was different to hear more mythology and creatures from places like native American, Africa and the Pacific since most books like this focus more on the more well known ones from Greek and European origins. I had never really thought about the affect of other cultures and colonisation had on the local folklore and myth other than the usual Christian demonising everything that doesn't fit with their faith. Though this is obvious when you stop to think about it. Also the fact that cryptozoologists can in their quest to discover previously unknown animals downplay the myths of indigenous societies and not see them as imaginative as more well known western mythology. The book makes a look of interesting and unique points. This is a must for anyone with a interest in mythology of other cultures. I wish that I had been able to see the pictures in this review copy but it'll be something to look forward to on publication.

This book documents a variety of different mythological creatures from around the world. I found this to be an interesting read and I enjoyed learning about so many mythical creatures that I had never heard of. I will say this is written very like a textbook. I wasn’t able to see the majority of the illustrations within this so I can’t comment on them.

Overall, I did enjoy this book but it did feel a bit too much like a was reading a textbook. I gave this 3 out of 5 stars.

Author Heather Frigiola and artist Sky Cybele have put together an incredible collection of mythical creatures from around the world. In Monsters and Mythical Creatures from Around the World, this team has broken through the failing of so many guides on creatures; they actually cover most of the world!

Whether you’re interested in Polynesian or Russian mythology, fascinated by Japanese yokai or gods of the Mexican underworld, you’ll find them in this book. The book features ten chapters with 240 mythical creatures, and doesn’t shy away from cultural origins and fears.

The book is long and definitely worth a place on the reference shelf after devouring each section like a mythology meal.

Monsters and Mythical Creatures from Around the World is available from Schiffer Publishing on November 28, 2019.

This was a fun and exciting read. The illustrations alone are phenomenal, from the cover all the way to the last page. It was really cool learning about all different types of Monsters that we grew up on as children and Mythical Creatures. I highly recommend this book to everyone of all ages.

Rating 4.5

A wonderful book with great illustrations I love mythological creatures so this was pure heaven for me, it kept me entertained for ages. Educational and entertaining, great history entwined in the myth. A great read for anyone who loves mythology

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

Dark, charming, fun, engaging, intriguing, and very well illustrated book that i very much enjoyed reading.

I've been a huge fan of mythical/magical creatures for as long as I can remember - probably not unrelated to being half-Welsh, a country that proudly flies a red dragon on its flag, and half-Irish, where even those who proclaim their disbelief in all things fae won't touch trees or hills that belong to the Good Folk.

I've read a lot of bestiaries of mythical creatures, is what I'm saying here. I'm pretty qualified to judge this one.

With that in mind, I sat up and paid attention the moment I opened this book, because the table of contents alone promised that this wasn't going to be another tired, ineptly-illustrated rehash of the same old beasties done the same old way. Because, as Frigiola mentions in the introduction, most modern bestiaries categorise creatures by general appearance or theme - equines in one section, dragons and reptiles in another, for example. Or sometimes it's done by element or environment - creatures that live in the water in one chapter, another chapter for creatures that fly. 'Good' monsters, 'bad' monsters. Etc.

Frigiola has divided this bestiary by *culture*. And I honestly can't recall ever seeing anyone do that before. As someone who was desperately disappointed, when applying for university, that I couldn't find a degree in mythological anthropology - something I'm still not sure is an actual field, although it should be! - that immediately grabbed my attention and raised my expectations much higher than they were when I hit the 'request' button on Netgalley.

Reading through the introduction only made me more excited; in an ideal world, it wouldn't be noteworthy to see the author of a collection like this talking about Eurocentrism and cultural appropriation, but if I'm not sure I've ever seen a bestiary divided up by culture before, I *know* I've never seen a bestiary discussing cultural appropriation. My expectations were cranked up even higher by the time I reached the first section, North America.

And I wasn't disappointed. Although the illustrations are not quite to my taste, and I would have preferred there be more of them, they're clear and colourful, and not in that overly baroque, quasi-Medieval-illumination style some compendiums of mythical creatures use. Even better: as Frigiola promised in the introduction, saying there would be new discoveries here even for those well-versed in mythology - there were! I was ridiculously delighted to find so many entries on creatures I'd never heard of before, and even the pieces about creatures I knew contained information I didn't know (although I would have liked longer entries, there was no way to fit more into this book without turning it into a full-on encyclopedia). That exceeded my highest hopes for this book and immediately earned it a spot on my favourites shelf. (That said, I was a little disappointed that Frigiola included Wendigos, given that First Nations people have repeatedly said that the wendigo myth is deeply private and not something the rest of us should be poking around in).

The rest of the sections followed the same format, and were just as diverse. I absolutely adored this one and am so glad I got the chance to read it! I'll definitely be buying a hardcover copy for my bookcase!

This basically is a "text book" with information on Mythical beasts and Monsters. It was interesting but some descriptions were very limited. The illustrations didn't show on my download so I can't comment on that. All in all an interesting read for what it was.

The cover for this book, if it stays with the one I was given, is stunning with what looks to be a dragon on the front. This will be something that attracts a lot of attention and get people to open this book up and see what's inside. Once there you have ten chapters, all titled after parts of the world (North America, East Asia, The Pacific, etc), plus a bibliography and creature index. Most entries have a colored illustration so you can picture exactly what the creature is supposed to look like, plus it's in alphabetical order for ease of finding. This would be a wonderful book for a preteen, teen, or adult alike. I thoroughly enjoyed it. 5 out of 5 stars.

Monsters and Mythical Creatures from around the World is not quite everything I hoped it would be, but it was still interesting nonetheless.

I loved that there was a very wide range of monsters and mythical creatures covered in the book. Sometimes there wasn't quite as much information as I would have liked, but it was still a good snapshot - and that feels like exactly what this is meant to be. A brief snapshot. If you want more, you will have to find it out elsewhere. That's fine. I liked how the author lightly touched on how perception/telling had changed over time as well.

I would have liked this book a lot more, but... the illustrations killed it for me. It was pieces of history from around the world paired with art that made them all look like Pokemon characters. There's nothing wrong with the artist's work in and of itself. I'm sure for certain types of books their illustrative capabilities would be fantastic. HOWEVER, for a book that tries to give a serious look at pieces of our past - even if they are fantastical - the art does not fit. At all.

Overall, it was interesting and informative, but didn't live up to it's full potential.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book for review consideration.