13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
ENJOYABLE TEXT WITH BEAUTIFUL ILLUSTRATONS, October 16, 2007
This review is from: A Practical Guide to Monsters (Hardcover)
Once upon a time, nearly thirty years ago a book called the Monster Manual was published by a company called TSR and legions of Dungeons & Dragons fans were pleased. Now we fast forward to 2007 and Wizards of the Coast publishing imprint, Mirrorstone, has released a Practical Guide to Monsters, sort of a Monster Manual Light although it isn't a role-playing game book. What it is a guide to all types of legendary creatures, good and evil (mostly evil) that has its roots firmly in the old D&D lore. The book is really a companion to Mirrorsone's line of juvenile and young adult fiction series of Dungeons & Dragons books such as the Knights of the Silver Dragon series. And while I haven't been a "young adult" in many a year, I've read several of these books and really enjoyed them. They're light, quicker, and action-oriented and don't have the pretensions that a lot of adult fantasy fiction has.
The book is sectioned by type of monsters: Creepy Crawler, Flying Fiends, Viperous Villains, Sneaky Shapeshifters, Gruesome Goblinoids, Mammoth Monsters, Unsightly Undead, Outworldly Outsiders, and Awful Aberrations. Fans of Dungeons & Dragons will recognize all of these monsters, some of which will not be common to many people. There's the terrible Bulette which bursts forth from underground to grab its prey. The Yuan-Ti is a race of half human and half snake creatures which are all evil. The Behir is a dragon-like creature that has a dozen legs and can breath out lightning bolts!
The Goblinoid section introduces us to goblins, Hobgoblins and Bugbears, while the mammoth monsters section covers Trolls, Giants, Ettins, and Ogres. Each listing provides a table of that monsters characteristics including their height, weight, habitat, society, diet, language, attack methods, and best defense. Find out the difference between a ghoul and a zombie, or between a Frost Giant and a Fire Giant. Along the way there are little notes on the pages written by the mage Zendric (One of the main characters in the Knights of the Silver series) recording his own remarks and observations. The illustrations in the book are simply gorgeous and produced by the same artists who do the work on the other Mirrorstone books.
This is a book that kids will really love. Who doesn't like monsters? But I think even old-time fans of D&D will enjoy looking through its pages to remind them of RPG days gone by. A lot of Fun! Look for the companion book, A Practical Guide to Dragons.
REVIEWED BY TIM JANSON
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Perfect for Fantasy Lovers!, September 18, 2007
This review is from: A Practical Guide to Monsters (Hardcover)
A Practical Guide to Monsters is a creative, fun and thorough guide to "real" monsters. The illustrations are gorgeous, and at times appropriately frightening. Kids of all ages will pour through the pages, exploring the story-like descriptions of each monster and gobbling up the important facts. I particularly like the details in this book, which include the drawings of lairs and the very descriptive notes that pop up on each page. A Practical Guide to Monsters makes a perfect gift and will be loved by young children who are monster curious to older teens who delve into role-playing. Whoever the reader, A Practical Guide to Monsters will be well-loved.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great book for the 8+ group, February 25, 2010
This review is from: A Practical Guide to Monsters (Hardcover)
My 8 year old picked this out at the used bookstore. It is a wonderful guide to the monsters of the Dungeons and Dragons world. The artwork is fantastic and he loves just staring at the pictures. In addition the text is very simplistic, almost like a 2nd grade science book, giving factoids and interesting tidbits on each of the monsters. At the end of his there is a little quiz that they can take to "see if they are prepared."
Now my son loves to read so I expected him to read through it rather quickly, what I did not expect was for this book to suddenly go everywhere we do. Every time I tell him, "Grab a book we're headed to the Doctors," this is the book that comes with us.
For parents concerned that there might be something "improper" in this book - My son attends a Baptist Academy, and has had no issues with having this book at school, or with using it as part of his "Read Aloud" book in class. I have searched it from cover to cover prior to allowing it to go with him to school and have found no sign of Satan hiding anywhere within. All I have seen is my son having a great time and expanding his imagination.
Wonderful introduction to fantasy and the D&D world for the little guys.
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