Scan barcode
A review by wisecraic
Cryptids, Creatures & Critters: A Manual of Monster Mythos by Rachel Quinney
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.0
**I was provided an electronic ARC through NetGalley.**
Rachel Quinney presents Cryptids, Creatures & Critters, an encyclopedic collection of the aforementioned accompanied by associated illustrations. Known as EldritchRach on social media/Etsy, Quinney had a successful Kickstarter campaign for the production of this book which features their own illustrations in addition to several guest artists.
In the interest of full disclosure, I have been a fan of EldritchRach for years and have made purchases through their Etsy. There was no potential for this book to not be a hit for me.
Quinney acknowledges the impacts of imperialism/colonialism on the shifting descriptions of creatures throughout folklore, mythology, and legend. The content of the book is split into creatures best described as Cryptids and those designated as Folklore creatures or Mythology creatures. The included creatures do tend toward Western origins, but Quinney did make deliberate effort to include content from diverse backgrounds. The content included is well researched and the art is beautiful, full-color, and of various artistic styles depending on which of the included artists did the illustration. In addition, the layout of the book is visually neat and appealing not just as an encyclopedic collection of creatures, but could easily function as a coffee table book.
Overall, I was glad to be able to read this book early and would absolutely recommend this to anyone interested in the subject matter. Quinney understood the assignment with this book and fulfilled it beautifully with their signature style.
Rachel Quinney presents Cryptids, Creatures & Critters, an encyclopedic collection of the aforementioned accompanied by associated illustrations. Known as EldritchRach on social media/Etsy, Quinney had a successful Kickstarter campaign for the production of this book which features their own illustrations in addition to several guest artists.
In the interest of full disclosure, I have been a fan of EldritchRach for years and have made purchases through their Etsy. There was no potential for this book to not be a hit for me.
Quinney acknowledges the impacts of imperialism/colonialism on the shifting descriptions of creatures throughout folklore, mythology, and legend. The content of the book is split into creatures best described as Cryptids and those designated as Folklore creatures or Mythology creatures. The included creatures do tend toward Western origins, but Quinney did make deliberate effort to include content from diverse backgrounds. The content included is well researched and the art is beautiful, full-color, and of various artistic styles depending on which of the included artists did the illustration. In addition, the layout of the book is visually neat and appealing not just as an encyclopedic collection of creatures, but could easily function as a coffee table book.
Overall, I was glad to be able to read this book early and would absolutely recommend this to anyone interested in the subject matter. Quinney understood the assignment with this book and fulfilled it beautifully with their signature style.