Freaky Folklore: Terrifying Tales of the World's Most Elusive Monsters and Enigmatic Cryptids by Darkness Prevails

Discover the history and culture of over 50 of the most fearsome mythical creatures to capture the human imagination in this startlingly illustrated compendium.

Book Details:

Publisher: ‎ Wellfleet Press

Hardcover: ‎ 256 pages

ISBN-10: ‎ 157715441X

ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1577154419

ASIN: ‎ B0CL5D9WFJ

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Amazon

About the Book:

Accompanied by illustrations of each beast, Freaky Folklore is your guide to the world’s most terrifying beings, from ancient times to today. Hosts from Eeriecast, the leading horror podcast network, present the most frightening—and entertaining—tales of these mysterious creatures, revealing everything you need to know.

This beautifully creepy collection is filled with wicked monsters, including:

Chupacabra: A legendary monster that is said to drain the blood of livestock throughout Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the US Southwest.

Jersey Devil: Said to have been created due to a mother's curse upon her newborn in the Pine Barrens of southern New Jersey, USA.

Kelpie: A shape-shifting water horse told of in Celtic folklore. Whatever form it takes, it is said to lure its victims to their watery graves.

Moehau: A cryptid from Māori mythology, it stands up to 8 feet tall and can be very aggressive when encountered.

Kuchisake-onna: From Japanese folklore, Kuchisake-onna is a yokai with deep gashes that forms a haunting smile across her face. Should you happen to meet her, she will ask you a question--and you had better answer it correctly.

Dogman: A werewolf or werewolf-type creature first reported in 1887 in Wexford County, Michigan, Dogman sightings have been reported in several locations throughout Michigan, primarily in the northwestern quadrant of the Lower Peninsula.

Freaky Folklore has the stories, culture, and illustrations for you to be on the lookout for these beasts. Dive into the world of mythology and find what makes each creature unique.

My Review:

Freaky Folklore is a collection of stories about legendary and mythical creatures spanning the globe. 

Each creature includes the history, location, spooky tale, and illustrations. I was aware of most Americas-based creatures, but loved reading about all of them. I was aware of a few of the international creatures and found myself immersed in those that I'd not heard about before. 

I do wish there was more information about each creature. An interview with someone from the culture in which these creatures hail would be great, as well. I love reading folklore told by those that know about them the best.

Freaky Folklore is well-written and visually appealing. Lovers of mythological folklore will enjoy Freaky Folklore: Terrifying Tales of the World's Most Elusive Monsters and Enigmatic Cryptids.

I was provided a copy of this book.

My Rating:

#Review ~ Wolves of Asgard (Wolves of Valhalla Trilogy, Book 3) by J.R. Rain and H.P. Mallory @HPMallory #PNR #Paranormal #Fantasy #NorseMythology

 

ASIN: ‎ B0BH4WJ1HC
Publisher: ‎ Rain Press
Publication date: ‎ January 13, 2023
Print length: ‎ 228 pages
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3wLF0Tj
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63065682-wolves-of-asgard

About the Book:

Now we are all pawns in a war against the gods…

The four of us (Skarde, Fyrcat, Torsten, and I) all have one common goal: to find the goddess Freya and convince her to join us against Odin to end the forever Winter that’s overcome the earth.

But along the way, we encounter more and more hostile enemies—the forces of Odin sent to deter us on our mission.

Not only that, but we’re also suffering internal battles as we all struggle to understand whom we can trust and whom we can’t.

Will the ice of the forever Winter eventually overtake us, or will we be successful in our mission against the gods of Valhalla?

My Review:

Wolves of Asgard picks up right where Wolves of Winter, book 2, ended. Jovi, Torsten, Skarde, and Fyrcat are on a mission to locate Freya. The goddess is instrumental in going against Odin to save Freya's descendants. As they traverse the lands, Odin's armies come out of the woodwork to impede their plans. There is a lot of internal battles as each character tries to figure out their place, who they are, and whether their travel companions are trustworthy. 

The authors created a wonder world and exceptional characters. The characters were complex and their history rich with Norse mythology. This complexity, the way their destinies were intertwined, and the masterful plot kept me engaged in Wolves of Asgard - the whole series, actually. The final book in the trilogy is full of twists, turns, and gasp-out-loud events. I really enjoyed the Wolves of Valhalla series, the characters, their enemies, and their ultimate showdown. 

I was provided a copy of this book.

My Rating:

Book #Review, & #Excerpt ~ A Bestiary Alphabet by Felix Eddy ~ Illustrated Guide to Mythological Creatures #Mythology @MirrorWorldPub

About A Bestiary Alphabet:

From Al-Mi’raj to Zlatarog, The Bestiary Alphabet features a different mythical creature for every letter of the alphabet, lovingly drawn and illustrated by the talented Felix Eddy.

Like the medieval bestiaries of old, the Bestiary Alphabet collects mythological creatures from all over the globe. Some are household names, others are delightful obscurities, but all will move and inspire you to dream of a world that you have never seen. Felix Eddy’s trip through the alphabet will show you the magic, mystery, power and beauty in all the things that might have been.

A Bestiary Alphabet is an illustrated guide to mythological creatures for a general audience.



Book Details:

Hardcover: 92 pages

Publisher: Mirror World Publishing

Publish Date: October 17, 2019

ISBN-10: 1987976614
ISBN-13: 978-1987976618

Read an Excerpt:



The al-mi’raj is a Middle Eastern beast that looks like a very large yellow rabbit with a long black horn growing from its head. Sometimes called simply a-mi’raj, they are said to kill and eat horses, and are very deadly to humans. They are featured in Islamic poetry and said to live on a mysterious island somewhere in the Indian Ocean.

Highly skilled traveling witches were the only ones able to destroy these creatures and prevent them from returning to an area. In fact, it’s likely that these “highly skilled traveling witches” actually spread rumors of these creatures so they could use their “skills” to exterminate them— for a price. They didn’t have to stretch the truth too far, though, because the al-mi’raj was possibly based on real life “attack bunnies”.

There are a few diseases that afflict rabbits, causing lumpy growths or making their fur matt up painfully, appearing like horns, or like bumps where a horn fell off. These rabbits are often driven mad with pain from their twisted and matted fur, which can make them unusually aggressive. While it’s doubtful that a rabbit could kill a horse, even if it was mad with pain, certainly a rabbit that was acting insane and rushing at people would cause some real alarm— perhaps enough to start the myth of a monstrous horned rabbit.

Horned rabbits have been translated into modern use by a number of fantasy writers and game companies. They are featured in video games and role-playing game books, both as monsters and as humorous creatures, called “horned rabbits” or “bunnycorns” or “unibunnies”.

My Review:

A Bestiary Alphabet contains 26 mythological creatures from A to Z.  The book features a nicely detailed "About This Book" section, giving readers insights on the author behind the artwork. There is also a section about bestiaries and the history of real and imagined beasts.

Each mythological creature featured in the book contains illustrations and origin facts. The author did a splendid job on each picture. The origin facts are interesting and contain in-depth knowledge, indicating the author took her time to research each creature, not hastily providing slim amounts of information. I enjoyed reading about each and ever creature in the book.

Many of the mythological creatures were new to me. Several familiar creatures were creatures I've read about, seen in movies, or are part of the online MMORPG videogame, World of Warcraft (WoW). I'm a gamer girl and have seen griffins, harpies, jaculus, naga, and other mythological creatures throughout the many worlds within the game.

I highly recommend A Bestiary Alphabet to everyone, especially if you enjoy mythology.

I was given a copy of this book to read.

My Rating: