It should be pretty obvious that I like fairytales and folklore. So when I heard about this book on Netgalley, I was immediately intrigued. It’s supposed to be a comprehensive resource on all things about the Good People and it definitely delivers.

Organised alphabetically (duh!), A New Dictionary of Fairies covers subjects like Elf-Shot and Possession by Fairies, people like Bessie Dunlop and Beady Early, and ballads like Tam Lin and Lady Isobel and the Elf Knight. It’s a fantastic resource that looks at the history and beliefs regarding fairies.

I was initially a bit worried that the subject matter was going to be too narrow, because I was pretty interested in fairies in Asia and how they compare, but it turns out that the book wasn’t narrow enough for me. While the fairies have a lot of similarities, the dictionary organisation of the book meant that it was pretty difficult to distinguish between fairies of different countries. I have a pretty good understanding of the fairies in Western Europe/Celtic cultures now, but I don’t think I can explain much about the differences within regions.

Another ‘drawback’, if you can call it that, of the dictionary format is that it’s harder to get an overview of the study of fairies because the information comes in small topics. I suppose it would be hard to structure a general overview because there’s so much to cover, but I would have really enjoyed the book that way as well. But I did learn a lot from the book as it is so this is really more of a wish than a complaint.

I was also really intrigued by the mentions of Christianity in the book and how they related to fairies. The discussions of how fairies seem to treat the religion was fascinating and I would love to read more about the history of fairies and Christianity. Surely someone has written about it! The book mentions a minister named Robert Kirk who has apparently written about fairies – I’ll have to check out his writings.

On the same note, the discussion of whether fairies have souls/can go to heaven reminds me a little of the controversy surrounding ghosts (from A Cultural History of Ghosts). In the book, the author mentions that the arguments for and against the existence to ghosts depended on the denomination of Christianity – I wonder if it’s the same here.

Overall, this was a fascinating and evidently well-researched book on the subject of fairies in Western Europe (in particular, Celtic culture). If you are interested in the subject, I’d recommend that you check it out.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.

*Thank you to NetGalley and John Hunt Publishing for the ARC.***

I'm a sucker for anything involving mythology, mystical beings, or supernatural stuff and this "dictionary" was amazing! I was familiar with some of the fairies mentioned from reading some Irish/Celtic folklore books but almost 3/4 of this book was completely new to me. Every new entry had me diving down the rabbit hole even farther to learn more. This is one of the best resources on this subject that I've ever come across! #NetGalley #ANewDictionaryofFairies

A very full dictionary of Fairies. Very dictionary-y! No pictures or fluff or pretty about this book, just a lot of names and information.

A New Dictionary of Fairies is a very comprehensive book detailing everything you could ever want to know about fairies from A-Z. No matter how much you already know about fairies, you are sure to learn something new. My favourite was the poetry as it wasn't just informational, but inspirational and thought provoking as well. Very interesting! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is a good resource for Celtic and Irish mythology and folklore. It starts with a foreword that has grammatical issues that make it a little confusing to read, but that's by another author. The gist was that Daimler has the qualifications and has done the research.

As I got into the main part of the book, I found this easy to believe. It's laid out in dictionary form, but rather than only defining names of fairy creatures, it gives a brief synopsis of various legends and is really a very thorough record of fairy lore from this culture (though I don't equate aliens with fairies).

Keeping in mind the amount of research a tome like this takes, it would be great if this sort of information from other cultures was covered in other books by experts in those cultures' fairy lore, because of course the British Isles don't have exclusivity on the little people! It's an excellent reference book for the material it covers.

This New Dictionary of Fairies is a great book for those who work with Fairies or are just interested in learning more of them. Fairy witchcraft is something many of my friends practice. I find fairies fascinating for themselves. The information contained in this book is well written, researched and in-depth. This is mostly about the Celtic cultures but does include others as well. I learned many new things about them that I never knew. Love this book. It will be read many times. I received this book from Net Galley and John Hunt Publishing for a honest review.

A New Dictionary will not disappoint. A brilliant read full of information for both those that live for everything fairy or those that are just dipping their little toe into this magical and mystical world. Thanks so much to the publisher and netgalley for the arc.

I read this book in parallel with Morgan Daimler's book on Thor and found it just as interesting with lots of information on what many will consider to be a non-existent group of "people". I did smile at the reference under Aliens that the "modern" way to speak about fairies and fairy encounters is to allude to aliens and UFOs. Being open-minded and old-fashioned about such things, I like to speak about them as Fairies. Overall, I found this to be a very worthwhile book to dip in and out of and have to admit that I have not yet finished the book. In mitigation, there is just too much information on a broad base of topics to read from page first to page last which means I shall keep it to hand to dip into when a spare moment appears.

A New Dictionary of Fairies is a very well organized and researched book. Morgan Daimler never disappoints me in the thoroughness of the information that they provide. This book is wonderful addition to anyone's collection regarding the topic of fairies and I highly recommend it.

My thanks go to NetGalley and Llewellyn Publishing for this advanced reader's copy in return for my review.

Being a fan of this topic, I requested a digital copy of this book via Netgalley. This book is packed FULL of so much wonderfully collected information, I wish I had a print copy for my bookshelves. Additional photos or illustrations would be appreciated.

I had a hard time rating this book because there isn't anything wrong with the actual content. It gives you exactly what it promises as a dictionary. It's more the format it is in. The Kindle version of this is definitely not for me. This is an example of a book that I would need a physical copy of to fully enjoy and immerse myself in. The digital version just doesn't do it for me personally. I was also hoping it would have some beautiful illustrations to go with the cover, so I was disappointed by that.

A New Dictionary of Fairies by Morgan Daimler
Book Review by Dawn Thomas

416 Pages
Publisher: John Hunt Publishing Ltd / Moon Books
Release Date: February 28, 2020

Health, Mind & Body, Religion, Spirituality, Paganism, Fairy Tales, Folklore, Mythology

This book is chock full of information. I was actually surprised at the number of entries. Many of which I did not know. I had to giggle at the entry for Aliens though. I found the mention of the color of blood to be interesting. The listing of Borrowing is so true. The faeries in my house often “borrow” something but return something else in return. I also learned the name of the knots I have in my hair when I wake up.

I am amazed at the amount of research that went into creating this book. The author was very thorough in her references. If you have any interest in fairies, I highly recommend this book.

A great resource for those who live for fairies - or at least a good interest in them. From quick entries to a few pages there is a good amount of entries that the reader can see. Good addition for those researching or like/love fairies.

"A New Dictionary of Fairies" will be a good addition to our library for the 202 Summer Reading Program: "Imagine Your Story."

A New Dictionary of Fairies by Morgan Daimler is an excellent reference book. It’s well-researched as well as interesting and engaging, and although it’d be a really good volume to dip into for information about certain aspects of fairy lore, it also makes a very enjoyable and engaging cover-to-cover read.

I should note that the book concentrates mainly on Celtic fairy lore and specifically Irish tradition, though Welsh and Scottish lore also get plenty of attention. Other traditions, like Norse ones, are also referred to, mostly when they’re similar to the Celtic ones. While I’d love a book that encompassed a wider range of fairy lore, that would be an even huger amount of research to compile and organise, and while I’m no expert, the book does seem very comprehensive in the area the author has chosen.

Although the book is described as a dictionary, it’s far more than a list of definitions. There are descriptions of various types of fairy, of individual fairies who appear in stories, and of the tropes and patterns which typically appear in stories and anecdotes about fairies. In addition, there are discussions of other topics that are fairy related, like speculations about the origins of fairies, or the discussion of the connections between fairy lore and alien lore. I found the latter absolutely fascinating, it being something I’d never thought of before.

Of course, I was also delighted by the fact that the section about the Tam Lin ballad is excellent; detailed and thoughtful with some interesting speculation and a couple of facts I hadn’t come across before, like the meaning of the name “Lin”. My whole interest in fairies orginated with what some might describe as an excessive interest in the Tam Lin ballad, which is still one of my favourite stories. The hope of a good section about it was at least 50% of the reason I decided to read this book in the first place and I was not disappointed. If you’re not familiar with Tam Lin, here’s a charming video which will give you the gist of the story. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF3O6Xkpscs

One of the best parts of A New Dictionary of Fairies is the way that Morgan Daimler has balanced giving a broad base of information on the subject with providing plenty of interesting detail in each entry. I think they’ve done really well: there’s lots of detail, but not so much that you ever feel bogged down in it. And if you want to know more about any particular subject, they’ve cited their sources and have a truly excellent bibliography at the back of the book, making it easy to do further research if you feel so inclined. This makes the book both a great reference point for people who want to find specific information quickly and also a great introduction to Celtic fairy lore for beginners.

Although Morgan Daimler’s obviously incredibly knowledgeable and has done a huge amount of research, their writing is very easy to read and very engaging. I think some people feel like learning only counts if it comes with blood, sweat and suffering, but I am not one of them and neither, happily, does Morgan Daimler seem to be. This is the kind of book I not only enjoyed reading one time, but would love to keep on my shelf and dip into from time to time.

A New Dictionary of Fairies is published on the 28th February 2020. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Having read a number of Morgan Daimler’s books, I was curious to see how she would handle such a wide topic. Whether you are familiar with fairies or taking your first dip into the waters, “A New Dictionary of Fairies” will not disappoint. This book is written in a scholarly fashion yet I found it very accessible to those of us with some or no knowledge of the subject.

I have the Kindle version, so the ability to link directly to someone or something specific would be an invaluable tool to anyone researching a particular topic. I began at the beginning and started reading. Initially, I was impressed with the depth of knowledge imparted in each section, and it reminded me of learning from reading an encyclopedia. Using the word “dictionary” in the title is a nod to the book by Katherine Briggs (A Dictionary of Fairies, published 1976), but don’t let that word fool you. Ms. Daimler’s offering feels more like a comprehensive collection of information that will enlighten and entertain readers at the same time.

Specific male and female fairies and related beings are introduced, as well as general terms. Many of those terms we still use today have their origins explained, most of them hundreds of years old. There are details of modern belief that are different from how they were originally perceived. As an example, the discussion of elves and the evolution from human-looking to pointed ears is logically presented and dispels what I had previously thought to be how elves always looked throughout time.

While searching some of the resources mentioned (also listed at the end in an extensive bibliography), I came across a few other compilations similar to Ms. Daimler’s book. After “peeking” at them using the Amazon feature, my feelings were that this book is much more accessible to readers, particularly those who have little or no knowledge of this subject. Ms. Daimler not only provides the definition of each term, but includes stories and anecdotal tales that are an interesting way to add to what we are learning. For me, reading the book straight through, one term to the next, was not a chore at all, but a fascinating journey through a world I previously had learned very little about. I recommend this book to everyone, both believers of fairies or someone looking to sate a healthy curiosity. Five stars.

My thanks to NetGalley, John Hunt Publishing Ltd., and Moon Books for a complimentary electronic copy of this title.

This is one of the most detailed dictionary of Celtic fairylore I've read. If you have any interest in fairies and want to learn more then you will really enjoy this. It was a bit repetitive in places but I suppose that's what is going to happen when the book is set up as a dictionary. I enjoyed the entries on the actual fairies more than the lore (fairy food, clothes, courts etc) but that's just me. It had all my favourites such as Kelpie (water horse), Bean Nighe (washer woman), Recaps (murderous goblins) and Cat Sidhe (fairy cat) but also included some that I hadn't heard of before such as the Scottish Joint-eater. I also never knew that the song Scarborough Fair was originally about a maiden trying to get a fairy knight to be her lover or husband and him giving her a load of impossible tasks. Highly recommend this book to all fairy lovers.

When I saw that this tome was available I was out of my seat excited.

Morgan Daimler has tackled a huge feat - to put together a working dictionary of Fair Folk from all over, from many different mythologies. It's a herculean effort and they pulled it off, as they usually do.
It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of Daimler's work, but if you flip through this book, you'll see why.

Things are, as always, accessible, easy to understand/digest, thorough, backed up with academia. This book is amazing for those on the Fairy Witchcraft path (read Daimler's other books, please and thank you), or for those who are looking to gain an understanding of the beings commonly referred to as "fairies."

It's not a light read, as there's so much information, but is an excellent resource and will be something I refer to often once paperback is available.

This beautifully illustrated book has everything you ever needed or wanted to know about fairies. It seems to be a complete source of information about everything fairy. I read about types of fairies I knew about and many many others that I did not know existed. I thoroughly enjoyed learning all things fairy. I believe in them. Do you?

I have been using this as a reference material. The detail and information in one book had been incredible! I wish I would have found this book sooner. I recommend this to anyone writing about fairies, needing fairies within their world-building, and those who are. Just merely curious about the various types of fairies.