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baylaurels's review against another edition
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
3.5
As a long-time lover of cryptids and cryptid books, it's always a treat to read a new one, especially one that introduces me to some cryptids I was not previously familiar with!
I enjoyed the art throughout the book, though I do think it would probably land better as a physical copy instead of digitally (as you lose the 2-page spread of art and text together in several places).
I also appreciate that the author was sensitive to their position as an outsider to a lot of these legends, and the prejudices that can seep into how they are portrayed. The introduction did a good job to show the care that Quinney seems to have put into organizing the structure and stories to be respectful towards the cultures and people these stories are pulled from - I am not part of any of the groups that could really speak to the success of this, but it seems at the very least a promising attempt.
I did appreciate the inclusion of content warnings throughout for some of the more grusome stories, though I did find it a little inconsistent (death probably could have been included on 50% of them, due to the nature of a lot of cryptids).
My only major gripe with the book is I feel like the information on a few of the cryptids was lacking - while some had multiple pages, others were limited to not even a full page, or simply described the appearance but didn't have much information on things like sightings, behavior, or stories. It is not too much of an issue if you're taking this as more of a beginners guide/overview, but I would have loved a little more info on some pages where there was already more room available on the page. Additionally, I agree with some points I've seen in other reviews that formatting some things like size or time period more consistently in a list like location was could help a little with placing some of the creatures into their context upfront. I also would have loved artist credits on the page for the guest artists - especially as some of them left comments on the page already! (They are credited fully in the back, it is just harder to flip back and forth in an e-book!)
Overall, I enjoyed it! Definitely recommend checking out a print copy to enjoy the art, and I will be researching some of the new creatures that I've learned about!
This digital ARC was provided by the publisher Andrews McMeel Publishing through NetGalley. This is an honest review.
I enjoyed the art throughout the book, though I do think it would probably land better as a physical copy instead of digitally (as you lose the 2-page spread of art and text together in several places).
I also appreciate that the author was sensitive to their position as an outsider to a lot of these legends, and the prejudices that can seep into how they are portrayed. The introduction did a good job to show the care that Quinney seems to have put into organizing the structure and stories to be respectful towards the cultures and people these stories are pulled from - I am not part of any of the groups that could really speak to the success of this, but it seems at the very least a promising attempt.
I did appreciate the inclusion of content warnings throughout for some of the more grusome stories, though I did find it a little inconsistent (death probably could have been included on 50% of them, due to the nature of a lot of cryptids).
My only major gripe with the book is I feel like the information on a few of the cryptids was lacking - while some had multiple pages, others were limited to not even a full page, or simply described the appearance but didn't have much information on things like sightings, behavior, or stories. It is not too much of an issue if you're taking this as more of a beginners guide/overview, but I would have loved a little more info on some pages where there was already more room available on the page. Additionally, I agree with some points I've seen in other reviews that formatting some things like size or time period more consistently in a list like location was could help a little with placing some of the creatures into their context upfront. I also would have loved artist credits on the page for the guest artists - especially as some of them left comments on the page already! (They are credited fully in the back, it is just harder to flip back and forth in an e-book!)
Overall, I enjoyed it! Definitely recommend checking out a print copy to enjoy the art, and I will be researching some of the new creatures that I've learned about!
This digital ARC was provided by the publisher Andrews McMeel Publishing through NetGalley. This is an honest review.
maeday_reads's review against another edition
3.0
I received an ARC from NetGalley.
Release Date: June 18, 2024
An introduction to cryptids, monsters, and mythos..
The art in this book is really lovely, and it introduced me to many creatures I've never heard of. I did feel like the information given was inconsistent and could have been organized better on the page. For example: each creature had "location" and "category" listed under its name but i wish it had also included information like "size" and "appearance" so those things werent just thrown randomly in the text..
I think this book would be better enjoyed in physical form as opposed to digital. I also feel like it's better to buy this book for the art and not for educational purposes.
Release Date: June 18, 2024
An introduction to cryptids, monsters, and mythos..
The art in this book is really lovely, and it introduced me to many creatures I've never heard of. I did feel like the information given was inconsistent and could have been organized better on the page. For example: each creature had "location" and "category" listed under its name but i wish it had also included information like "size" and "appearance" so those things werent just thrown randomly in the text..
I think this book would be better enjoyed in physical form as opposed to digital. I also feel like it's better to buy this book for the art and not for educational purposes.
gaby_readsbooks's review against another edition
informative
fast-paced
3.5
This was a fun introduction into the world of mythical creatures and Cryptids but I felt it sometimes lacked a bit more information. Or maybe a better layout to each page. Maybe separating the physical details from the myths/ powers. Overall loved the art and it was a fun book.
Thanks to NetGalley and Andrew McMeel Publishing for granting me access in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to NetGalley and Andrew McMeel Publishing for granting me access in exchange for an honest review.
deslarsen's review
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
5.0
Cryptids, Creatures And Critters
is an absolutely beautiful book with incredible illustrations and wonderful stories!
Perfect conversation starters,
Ever heard of Wulver? Leshy? Miengu?
Maybe you've heard of Bigfoot? Nessie? Cat sídhe?
Wether you've heard about all of them or none at all this book offers so many more creatures for you to learn about with quick introductions easy enough to remember and reference later.
I have read through it multiple times loving it a bit more each time I'd highly recommend this title to any and all of my mythos, folklore, and monster admiring friends.
(this is an arc review, all opinions are my own and honest)
is an absolutely beautiful book with incredible illustrations and wonderful stories!
Perfect conversation starters,
Ever heard of Wulver? Leshy? Miengu?
Maybe you've heard of Bigfoot? Nessie? Cat sídhe?
Wether you've heard about all of them or none at all this book offers so many more creatures for you to learn about with quick introductions easy enough to remember and reference later.
I have read through it multiple times loving it a bit more each time I'd highly recommend this title to any and all of my mythos, folklore, and monster admiring friends.
(this is an arc review, all opinions are my own and honest)
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape, Suicide, Animal death, Death, and Alcohol
There is a content warning at the top of each page where one is needed, so the reader is informed and can skip that page if needed.radagast_the_brown's review
informative
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
so fun to see all the art styles from all the contributing artists and learn about new mythologies and creatures. i love reference-style art books ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
many thanks to andrews mcmeel publishing and netgalley for the advance reader copy.
many thanks to andrews mcmeel publishing and netgalley for the advance reader copy.
twicomb's review
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
If you like the strange creatures that exist in mythology and legend, you'll like this book. It's both light-hearted and comprehensive, which is a tough balance to hit. It's laid out in three main sections: Cryptids, Folklore, and Mythology. The introduction includes an interesting little list that defines the classifications in the book (classifications here meaning the "physical form of the creature") as: monster, spirit, humanoid, shapeshifter, and alien. Each entry gets at least a full page, most two, with a full-color illustration and interesting facts about what the creature is said to do (especially, of course, its interactions with or impact on us humans).
On to some of my new favorites! The Tatzelwurm (an Alpine snake with clawed front legs and the head of a cat) might top the list. The Bake-Kujira (a spectral whale skeleton seen in Japan) is a close follow, along with the Buschgroßmutter (the "shrub grandmother"), the Lusca (a Bahamian chimera that is half shark and either half eel or octopus - two of my favorite animals), and the Skvader (a winged rabbit that resides in Sweden).
And let us not forget about the Tizzie-Whizie, an English cryptic with the body of a hedgehog, the wings of a dragon, the antennae of a bee or butterfly, and the tail of a squirrel. It can be coaxed and soothed with warm milk and ginger biscuits. Actually, perhaps that's my new favorite.
There are a few things that keep this from being 5 stars for me. Firstly, the art pieces (which are all wonderful individually) are done in such a wide variety of styles that it's almost disconcerting. As you flip between pages, you're first looking at images that are detailed and eerie, then suddenly cutesy and cuddly, then suddenly stylized angular. There doesn't seem to be any consideration given to which art style was paired with which creature, which could have gone a long way to offset this issue. In many places there's a huge mismatch between the illustration and the creature being illustrated. Case in point: the Zheng, which is described as "a ferocious and malevolent beast." The accompanying illustration looks like the cutest, friendliest leopard-inspired furry that you've ever seen. It's an odd choice, to put it mildly. But to be fair, many of the illustrations are perfect pairings with the creatures, like the enormous skeleton striding through a moonlit forest, depicting the Gashadokuro. A special shout-out for the illustration of the Enfield Horror that looks extremely inspired by the rat-creatures in the gorgeous Bone graphic novels (that's a big compliment, if you don't know Bone).
My second little quibble is that the descriptions don't always bother to give any information on time periods, i.e. when legends began of the specific creature. I know it's not easy to nail this sort of thing down, but even a general statement like "sometime in the Edo period" or "during the Middle Ages" would have been nice, as some kind of reference point. For the cryptids, there's often not even a mention of where or how the creatures have entered into folklore. More details, please! Is this a common legend? Has it been around forever? Is it very new? Is it extremely area-specific??
But as I said, these are small quibbles. Overall this is a wonderful book and will be a great addition to the collection of anyone who enjoys these sorts of creatures.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review.
On to some of my new favorites! The Tatzelwurm (an Alpine snake with clawed front legs and the head of a cat) might top the list. The Bake-Kujira (a spectral whale skeleton seen in Japan) is a close follow, along with the Buschgroßmutter (the "shrub grandmother"), the Lusca (a Bahamian chimera that is half shark and either half eel or octopus - two of my favorite animals), and the Skvader (a winged rabbit that resides in Sweden).
And let us not forget about the Tizzie-Whizie, an English cryptic with the body of a hedgehog, the wings of a dragon, the antennae of a bee or butterfly, and the tail of a squirrel. It can be coaxed and soothed with warm milk and ginger biscuits. Actually, perhaps that's my new favorite.
There are a few things that keep this from being 5 stars for me. Firstly, the art pieces (which are all wonderful individually) are done in such a wide variety of styles that it's almost disconcerting. As you flip between pages, you're first looking at images that are detailed and eerie, then suddenly cutesy and cuddly, then suddenly stylized angular. There doesn't seem to be any consideration given to which art style was paired with which creature, which could have gone a long way to offset this issue. In many places there's a huge mismatch between the illustration and the creature being illustrated. Case in point: the Zheng, which is described as "a ferocious and malevolent beast." The accompanying illustration looks like the cutest, friendliest leopard-inspired furry that you've ever seen. It's an odd choice, to put it mildly. But to be fair, many of the illustrations are perfect pairings with the creatures, like the enormous skeleton striding through a moonlit forest, depicting the Gashadokuro. A special shout-out for the illustration of the Enfield Horror that looks extremely inspired by the rat-creatures in the gorgeous Bone graphic novels (that's a big compliment, if you don't know Bone).
My second little quibble is that the descriptions don't always bother to give any information on time periods, i.e. when legends began of the specific creature. I know it's not easy to nail this sort of thing down, but even a general statement like "sometime in the Edo period" or "during the Middle Ages" would have been nice, as some kind of reference point. For the cryptids, there's often not even a mention of where or how the creatures have entered into folklore. More details, please! Is this a common legend? Has it been around forever? Is it very new? Is it extremely area-specific??
But as I said, these are small quibbles. Overall this is a wonderful book and will be a great addition to the collection of anyone who enjoys these sorts of creatures.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review.
imoshu's review
4.0
Beautiful illustrations and very informative, will definitely be checking out some of the guest artists and references