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Dragons: A Handbook of History & Lore from Basilisks to Wyverns
Discover the ancient lore and cultural myths behind dragons—the world’s most mysterious and ubiquitous creatures—in this stunningly illustrated handbook.
For millennia, dragons have been considered real, appearing in legends and myths across cultures and societies, including Central America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Why are these creatures so popular, and what do they reveal about human nature?
Dragons offers a deep dive into the imaginative world of dragons and explores their vivid lore and myths across a wide variety of cultures. Through detailed descriptions and original artwork, learn all about these mysterious and powerful creatures,
Historical Tales and LegendsDragons in Ancient CulturesEuropean Dragon LoreAsian Dragon MythsAfrican and Polynesian DragonsDragon-Related Symbols And more!
Featuring beautiful illustrations and a comprehensive appendix of notable dragon sites around the world, this easy-to-use and informative handbook is perfect for fantasy enthusiasts and the dragon curious. From their appearance in ancient myths to contemporary fantasy works, discover how dragons have influenced human culture across the globe.
The Folklore Legends series summons the mythical, magical, and mysterious creatures of lore out of the shadows with in-depth explorations of their stories and histories. Featuring original, woodcut illustrations and tales both famous and forgotten, these display-worthy volumes reveal the common traits, cultural variations, and appearances of these legendary beings across time and around the world.
The series Witchcraft, Vampires, Werewolves, and Mermaids.
For millennia, dragons have been considered real, appearing in legends and myths across cultures and societies, including Central America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Why are these creatures so popular, and what do they reveal about human nature?
Dragons offers a deep dive into the imaginative world of dragons and explores their vivid lore and myths across a wide variety of cultures. Through detailed descriptions and original artwork, learn all about these mysterious and powerful creatures,
Historical Tales and LegendsDragons in Ancient CulturesEuropean Dragon LoreAsian Dragon MythsAfrican and Polynesian DragonsDragon-Related Symbols And more!
Featuring beautiful illustrations and a comprehensive appendix of notable dragon sites around the world, this easy-to-use and informative handbook is perfect for fantasy enthusiasts and the dragon curious. From their appearance in ancient myths to contemporary fantasy works, discover how dragons have influenced human culture across the globe.
The Folklore Legends series summons the mythical, magical, and mysterious creatures of lore out of the shadows with in-depth explorations of their stories and histories. Featuring original, woodcut illustrations and tales both famous and forgotten, these display-worthy volumes reveal the common traits, cultural variations, and appearances of these legendary beings across time and around the world.
The series Witchcraft, Vampires, Werewolves, and Mermaids.
- GenresNonfiction
176 pages, Hardcover
Published September 16, 2025
2 people are currently reading
40 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 8, 2025
4.5 stars
This is under 200 pages but manages to be a clever handbook about dragons and all of the lore surrounding around these creatures. The pages look like parchment, so this really gives the feel of an old book one finds in a library, one of those tomes that people have read and re-read a lot because it is appreciated. Loved the greens/browns/red color scheme too. There were also several illustrations of the different types of creatures that we encounter in this encyclopedia/handbook.
The book is divided into sections and spans from the origins of dragons to dragons in fiction - both old and the new. We see how the discourse around dragons and their 'siblings' (wyverns, basilisks, etc.) changes according to the area and the period of time. This chronological excursus the author made can be a reflection of how dragons are seen today in contemporary literature and media, in my opinion. I would have loved to hear more about the Asian dragon lore as I'm a fan of Korean and Japanese legends, but that's okay.
I think that both those who are fans and those who want to know more about dragons could find this book enjoyable.
Thanks to Quarto Publishing for letting me read ARC of this book.
This is under 200 pages but manages to be a clever handbook about dragons and all of the lore surrounding around these creatures. The pages look like parchment, so this really gives the feel of an old book one finds in a library, one of those tomes that people have read and re-read a lot because it is appreciated. Loved the greens/browns/red color scheme too. There were also several illustrations of the different types of creatures that we encounter in this encyclopedia/handbook.
The book is divided into sections and spans from the origins of dragons to dragons in fiction - both old and the new. We see how the discourse around dragons and their 'siblings' (wyverns, basilisks, etc.) changes according to the area and the period of time. This chronological excursus the author made can be a reflection of how dragons are seen today in contemporary literature and media, in my opinion. I would have loved to hear more about the Asian dragon lore as I'm a fan of Korean and Japanese legends, but that's okay.
I think that both those who are fans and those who want to know more about dragons could find this book enjoyable.
Thanks to Quarto Publishing for letting me read ARC of this book.
December 14, 2025
Rating: 5* of five
The Publisher Says: Dragons is your beautifully illustrated guide to these mythical creatures and their lore across cultures and centuries. Discover the ancient lore and cultural myths behind dragons—the world’s most mysterious and ubiquitous creatures—in this stunningly illustrated handbook.
For millennia, dragons have been considered real, appearing in legends and myths across cultures and societies, including Central America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Why are these creatures so popular, and what do they reveal about human nature?
Dragons offers a deep dive into the imaginative world of dragons and explores their vivid lore and myths across a wide variety of cultures. Through detailed descriptions and original artwork, learn all about these mysterious and powerful creatures, including:
Historical Tales and Legends
Dragons in Ancient Cultures
European Dragon Lore
Asian Dragon Myths
African and Polynesian Dragons
Dragon-Related Symbols
And more!
Featuring beautiful illustrations and a comprehensive appendix of notable dragon sites around the world, this easy-to-use and informative handbook is perfect for fantasy enthusiasts and the dragon curious. From their appearance in ancient myths to contemporary fantasy works, discover how dragons have influenced human culture across the globe.
The Folklore Legends series summons the mythical, magical, and mysterious creatures of lore out of the shadows with in-depth explorations of their stories and histories. Featuring original, woodcut illustrations and tales both famous and forgotten, these display-worthy volumes reveal the common traits, cultural variations, and appearances of these legendary beings across time and around the world.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.
My Review: Is there anything more certain to get a limbic response from a modern person than a dragon? Like dinosaurs for little kids, these monsters are not real (in the sense that you're not able to go anywhere in the world to see a living one) so the anxiety induced by a giant predator is manageable. We watch horror movies...or the news...for more threatening anxiety hits. Dragons and their legends add many layers of padding for the anxiety, so feel fun, almost friendly. After all you see tons of dragon media, like the Dragonriders of Pern series that's run for decades, all the way to the How to Train Your Dragon media franchise for the young ones.
We like to be scared. But only in fantasy. Dragons fit the need humans have for this fantasy of risk. A survey of the myth structures that deliver the shiver safely like this book is ideal for the YA market. This book is also beautiful, illustrated with woodcuts that capture the mythic element of the dragon lore we all love.
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It makes for a lovely added layer of pleasure in the reading experience. The ebook looks fine on my tablet...I doubt a standard Kindle/Kobo would do that well with it, being black-and-white, but certainly wouldn't cause problems with the reading process.
But what a loss not to see this beautiful enhancing art in color!
A treat for any 12-year-old or older dragon-loving reader, fantasy fan, or just someone who likes reading about nyths and legends from around the world.
The Publisher Says: Dragons is your beautifully illustrated guide to these mythical creatures and their lore across cultures and centuries. Discover the ancient lore and cultural myths behind dragons—the world’s most mysterious and ubiquitous creatures—in this stunningly illustrated handbook.
For millennia, dragons have been considered real, appearing in legends and myths across cultures and societies, including Central America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Why are these creatures so popular, and what do they reveal about human nature?
Dragons offers a deep dive into the imaginative world of dragons and explores their vivid lore and myths across a wide variety of cultures. Through detailed descriptions and original artwork, learn all about these mysterious and powerful creatures, including:
Historical Tales and Legends
Dragons in Ancient Cultures
European Dragon Lore
Asian Dragon Myths
African and Polynesian Dragons
Dragon-Related Symbols
And more!
Featuring beautiful illustrations and a comprehensive appendix of notable dragon sites around the world, this easy-to-use and informative handbook is perfect for fantasy enthusiasts and the dragon curious. From their appearance in ancient myths to contemporary fantasy works, discover how dragons have influenced human culture across the globe.
The Folklore Legends series summons the mythical, magical, and mysterious creatures of lore out of the shadows with in-depth explorations of their stories and histories. Featuring original, woodcut illustrations and tales both famous and forgotten, these display-worthy volumes reveal the common traits, cultural variations, and appearances of these legendary beings across time and around the world.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.
My Review: Is there anything more certain to get a limbic response from a modern person than a dragon? Like dinosaurs for little kids, these monsters are not real (in the sense that you're not able to go anywhere in the world to see a living one) so the anxiety induced by a giant predator is manageable. We watch horror movies...or the news...for more threatening anxiety hits. Dragons and their legends add many layers of padding for the anxiety, so feel fun, almost friendly. After all you see tons of dragon media, like the Dragonriders of Pern series that's run for decades, all the way to the How to Train Your Dragon media franchise for the young ones.
We like to be scared. But only in fantasy. Dragons fit the need humans have for this fantasy of risk. A survey of the myth structures that deliver the shiver safely like this book is ideal for the YA market. This book is also beautiful, illustrated with woodcuts that capture the mythic element of the dragon lore we all love.
[image error][image error]
It makes for a lovely added layer of pleasure in the reading experience. The ebook looks fine on my tablet...I doubt a standard Kindle/Kobo would do that well with it, being black-and-white, but certainly wouldn't cause problems with the reading process.
But what a loss not to see this beautiful enhancing art in color!
A treat for any 12-year-old or older dragon-loving reader, fantasy fan, or just someone who likes reading about nyths and legends from around the world.
June 24, 2025
I like the fantasy genre and stories that involve dragons, so a book about dragons appealed to me. I wasn’t disappointed. I liked the conversational tone of the book and its global perspective. At times, however, there was too much information and I got bogged down in the details.Overall though, this book was well worth reading. Thank you to Edelweiss and Castle Books for the digital review copy.
November 9, 2025
This was a fun collection of information about dragons, but I think it functions best as a reference book rather than something one reads from cover to cover. I'm not saying that it was dry or anything, but it could get a little bogged down in the facts in a way that loans itself better to reviewing and referencing as opposed to reading in one sitting.
lost-interest
January 2, 2026Kinda lost me in the preview when it referred to dragons as cryptids...the prose felt surface-level and cast doubt on how comprehensive this actually is from a folklorist's perspective. I didn't love the illustrations (at least, the few I saw in the preview) enough to ultimately buy.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews