This does read a little more like a dictionary or encyclopedia. However, there were elements throughout that I really enjoyed. The illustrations were really nice and brought to life some of creatures being described. My favorite entries were those that included additional tales and stories.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I have always enjoyed folklore and fairytales, so this book intrigued me as soon as I saw the title and cover. I orginally had no idea that this was a reprint, however that didn't hinder my enjoyment at all.

Brigg's Dictionary of Fairies is exactly that. This is a reference book that explains all the tales and folklore surrounding faries and other mystical creatures. It includes information, stories, and images.

I definitely didn't expect to ever read a reference book cover to cover, but it was so easy to do so with this one. I really enjoyed reading about all the types of creatures, and I liked a lot of the stories that were included in here. Even though there were definitely some I didn't care about as much, it's still nice to have the history and orgin of these tales all in one place.

As a fantasy reader, I also really liked getting to see where a lot of creatures in books are inspired from. It is mentioned at the beginning of this book that some big name authors have used Brigg's work as a reference in writing their own, and I could definitely see the connections that had been made.

Delightful. I’ve a new appreciation for the letter “F” — Fairy brides, Fenoderee, Finvarra! This whimsical dictionary is filled to the brim with spectacular discoveries as well as familiar creatures that inspired some of our most beloved modern tales.

Numerous artworks help lessen the density of the text; more illustrations would have been even better. The simple, charming pen and ink artistry by Fee Greening throughout this work are reminiscent of 14th century printmaking, an appropriate homage to all the years these beloved myths have endured.

With a gorgeous cover and a trove of history and magic within, this alphabetized guide is a must have for the shelf of any folklore enthusiast.

This book was so fun! I loved reading about all the different folklore creatures and also getting to see beautiful illustrations of them! This book would definitely make a beautiful display piece in any folklore lovers home ❤️ Not only did we get pictures and names of all the creatures, but they were all described in kind of a short story format and I loved it! There were so many creatures that I have never heard of! This was not a novel. It was a dictionary. So, I can say with 100% certainty that I've never saw a more unique dictionary than this one. With that being said, 5 ⭐️ for presentation!
Thank you to Octopus Publishing US, the author & illustrator, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book and expand my knowledge of the folklore creatures!! Unfortunately, I received this ARC in digital format 😞 I would have LOVED to put this gem on display in my house to share with all my house guests. So, I'm excited to buy the physical copy when it is released ❤️

I found this book fascinating - since I've always had a special interest in the fae. It's well-organized and well-written, and I love the accompanying artwork.

This is a slightly more condensed reprint of Katharine Briggs' classic reference work on British and Irish folklore. The Art work by Fee Greening adds a lot of charm and feels like it would make a physical copy feel like a special keepsake. It was interesting to go through the pages and see familiar names along with more obscure ones I hadn't heard. The entries are alphabetical which makes it easy to dip in and out. Because of the format, some entries give tiny fragments rather than fully developed stories. There are references and cross referenced entries that are a great touch for anyone wanting to dive deeper into certain areas. That said, some of the contents feel like a product of its time and so don't sit very well. Overall it was a great cliff point. Thank you to Net Galley & The Publisher for the ARC of this book I am leaving my review voluntarily.

Such a great update to a book written decades ago. All of the new illustrations are so fun. This was such a good read and fun to learn about all the different fairy lores. There are so many that make appearances in today's media, so its just fun to learn more about them. Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for my digital ARC!!

Thank you Octopus Publishing US | Monoray and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC. This reprint of Brigg’s Dictionary of Fairies is a whimsical and fun read! I enjoyed learning the history and legend behind fairies and creatures that I have read about in other books. The illustrations are cute and add that feeling of whimsy and magic that you want in a book about fairies. Overall, this was a fun and quick read. If you are interested in legends and fun stories I recommend giving it a try.

Super informative, a great reference book, and something I think all fairy enthusiasts should have in their back pockets. I do wish there was more illustrations in this book, but that doesn't take away from the content and my enjoyment while reading this!

Briggs’s book has been cited as a must-read reference for anyone’s writing about fairies but it’s been out of print for ages and secondhand copies can be pricey. Now that I’ve finally gotten to read it, I can see why! The prospect of a new edition is exciting, and the addition of Greening’s pen and ink illustrations is just icing on the cake.

I remember picking up this book in my youth and loving it. This is a re-release with a new forward. I would have loved to see more illustrations of the creatures added to this new addition. It still has all the stories and tales I loved back then and still enjoy today.

Thanks to NetGalley for the free Kindle book. My review is voluntarily given, and my opinions are my own.

I really wasn’t sure how to rate this, as there really is good content in here, and I do like the illustrations. However, the inclusion of a slur just tanked the entire rating. I understand this is a reprint. However, if you can correct spelling mistakes and change the foreword, there's nothing stopping you from changing a homophobic word in the book. Really, though, as some British words and older words have different meanings, I had no idea from the context what it even meant, but it doesn't matter. Everyone knows what it means today.

If they had edited that out, I would have rated this book a 5 star. There is enough hate in the world, and there is no reason to add to it. Words matter.

Very well organized. I liked that most of the creatures referenced others throughout the book. The illustrations were fun, and very well done.

Wonderul whimsical drawings that decorate the pages.

Even before getting into the stories and folk lore, there is a wonderful history of the books previouse publicaiton in 1979. The Folklore society and Fee Greening are credited and refrenced. I didn't even know such a society existed!

I love folk tales and faeries or fairy or fae stories. Right now there is something about just reading a small lesson with or tale and it being steeped in lore of a faraway place. This collection is full of stories that I have read or seen different version of before and others that are too small to have been adapted into mainstream media.

There is also small entires of just beasts and creatures. The book has refrences and a glossary to more information and connecting entries. The book is sorted alphabetically and I'm sure a phsyical book would look great with fancy little letter tabs if I had one.

The Awd Goggie, despite being an earlier entry is quite funny because i would have been to afraid to eat any fruit that hasen't been checked for the large hair caterpillar being!

This is a hard one to review as for one it isn't a new release but an old beloved work - one I have had my eye on for a while so it came as a nice surprise to see it up as an ARC. It wasn't until later that I realised that this is apparently an abridged version which was a bit of a let down.

The book itself was nice but also fell a little short compared to more contemporary books of its kind. On one hand I appreciated the writing and how it very much felt like we are talking about true beings. It was also a nice mixture of a few sample stories where the creatures appeared in as well as comparisons to counterparts from other countries. And yes, the whole thing felt a little messy - there was no consistency and some entries were much longer whereas others left me wanting more.

The illustrations were nice but I think there is room for a lot more given the subject material. Perhaps they wanted to stay true to the original artworks, but overall my feelings towards this book as a whole was just wanting more.

Entertaining and informative, this dictionary brought me back to the Cicely Mary Barker fairy books I loved as a child and I really enjoyed reading the entires and looking at the b&w pen illustrations, which reminded me a lot of Pauline Bayne’s works in C.S. Lewis’s *Narnia* books.

*Brigg’s Dictionary of Fairies* would be a great choice for fairy tale and folklore aficionados.



Thanks to Monoray and NetGalley for the PDF

Thank you Netgalley, Octopus Publishing US, Fee Greening, and Katharine Briggs for sending me this advance review copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is a beautifulully written book packed full of fairy creatures. There is a huge variety with some good fairies, and some not so good.

The black and white drawings are whimsical and fun. I really liked them a lot, but I wish there had been one for each creature.

The writings for each type of fairy were detailed. This would be a great reference book to keep on hand, especially if you enjoy reading fantasy books. I learned a lot more about ones I was already familiar with. It was written in a way that made it feel like she was telling us stories, instead of being an educational dictionary vibe.

Overall this is a great book to add to your library, or even to have as a coffee table book to flip through

A beautiful update to a beloved work that will now be made accessible to a new generation. This edition of Briggs's Dictionary of Fairies is filled with wonderful black and white line drawings by Fee Greening. Perfect for lovers of British folklore, I know this is a book I will be adding to my bookshelf so that I can go back and reference often as a lover of folklore and fairytales.

I love the idea of fairies, and I could not resist this book. What a delight. I love this little memoriam dictionary.

This book is so reminiscent for me of the Cicely Mary Barker's original Flower Fairies books, but for adults. Filled with academic folklore and lovely illustrations, this one fits right in with all of your fairy books and tales. I really enjoyed the descriptions and breakdowns.