Mysterious Creatures: The Truth Behind the Legends

by David Alderton, Akara Heart

Genres: Nonfiction, History

206 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 2, 2026

About the author

David Alderton is a UK-based writer specialising in pets and natural history topics. Growing up in a home surrounded by pets, he originally trained to become a veterinary surgeon. An allergic dermatitis acquired in his final year of study forced a change of career however, and so led him into the field of writing about pets and their care. He has since become a regular contributor of articles on this subject to a wide range of newspapers and magazines in the UK and abroad, and also participates frequently in radio and television programmes.

His books have currently sold over six million copies, and have been translated into 30 different languages. David’s titles have won awards in the USA from the Cat Writers' Association of America and the Maxwell Medallion from the Dog Writers’ Association of America, as well as being nominated for the Sir Peter Kent Conservation Book Prize. He has also chaired the National Council for Aviculture, the umbrella organisation for bird-keeping clubs and associations in the UK, and is a member of the Kennel Club, as well as editor of the monthly magazine Practical Reptile Keeping.

Reviews

[Skirmantė · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I first saw this book, the topic looked really interesting. I was excited to learn more about all these legendary creatures, from unicorns and phoenixes to dragons and vampires. I also expected the book to have illustrations, lots of them, but it only had a couple of black and white pictures. In my honest opinion, illustrations could add a lot to the immersion of this particular book.

Although it included some fascinating details and facts I had never heard before, blending mythology, science, and real-life elements, it started to feel repetitive as it went on.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Krystelle (based on the novel by Stephen King) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Regardless of the context, I am always a big fan of cryptozoology. We live in a weird and wonderful world, and there, by rights, are still things that we don’t understand and that we’ve not witnessed. The giant squid, for instance, was truly believed to be fictitious until reasonably recent times.

This book takes a focus on a very specific handful of legendary creatures, and it’s reasonably short for what it is. I was left a little disappointed by how sumptuous the cover art was when opening the book and realising those illustrations and that gorgeous colour scheme wasn’t in the interior.

My favourite chapter was probably the one on vampires (predictably). I do think this one you could really see the love of the subject matter coming through, and I even learnt a couple bits and pieces.

I did really like the fun facts at the end of the chapters, and I feel this is an excellent introduction to cryptids of select shapes and sizes. I do feel like it could have been more in-depth, and I would have loved to see some more odd creatures included too. The Thunderbird was a nice touch though.

[The Sassy Bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book Review: Mysterious Creatures: The Truth Behind the Legends by David Alderton & Akara Heart

Rating: 3 Stars

I picked up Mysterious Creatures hoping for a thrilling dive into the world of mythical beings, and while it delivered some intriguing moments, it left me feeling a bit torn.

The book takes you on a wild journey through some of the most legendary creatures ever whispered about—unicorns, dragons, werewolves, mermaids, Bigfoot, and even the storm-summoning thunderbird. Alderton and Heart skillfully blend historical tales, eyewitness accounts, and cultural myths to blur the lines between what might be real and what lives purely in our imaginations. It’s a neat mix of science and folklore that encourages you to wonder if there’s something just out of sight, lurking beyond what we know.

One thing that really grabbed me was the writing style—it’s casual and engaging, making these mythic creatures feel almost within reach. Plus, the fun facts at the end of each chapter added a nice touch, giving little nuggets that made me smile and want to learn more.

However, I have to say, the book’s presentation threw me off a bit. That stunning cover art got my hopes way up—rich colors and captivating designs that screamed mystery and magic. But flipping through the pages, I was surprised (and honestly a little bummed) that none of that gorgeous artwork carried inside. The interior felt rather plain in comparison, which was a missed opportunity to deepen the atmosphere.

Also, the book zeroes in on just a handful of creatures, which makes it a quick read but left me wanting more depth or variety considering how vast and fascinating the world of legends is.

So overall? It’s a solid read if you want an easygoing introduction to some classic mysterious creatures. Not quite spine-chilling or fully immersive, but still enjoyable in its own right. I’d give it three stars—worth a look if you’re curious but don’t expect to be haunted by dragons when you close it.

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

[chronic_dino · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

For the most part this was an interesting read that I learned a lot from!

The book is split into fairly short chapters, each of which discusses one ‘mysterious creature’. The book covers:

Unicorns
Mermaids, Mermen, Sirens and related legends/mythology
Dragons
Phoenixes
Vampires
Werewolves
Sasquatch/Bigfoot
Thunderbirds

This short chapter focus on individual ‘creatures’ and legends/beliefs surrounding them makes sense and does work well for the most part. It also allows the reader to skip to a section they’re particularly interested in, or skip sections they are not so interested in, without losing too much information. This is a good ‘dip in, dip out’ kind of book for that reason.

As I read this as a review copy, I however read it from cover to cover and I think my reading experience was worse because of this. Trying to read this book cover to cover straight through became quite repetitive at times, and I did occasionally struggle to pick it back up because of this.

I did find lots to enjoy here! Learning about the roots of beliefs in mythological creatures and some of the possible scientific and natural history origins was fun. I learned lots about folklore beliefs that I wasn’t aware of prior- such as a lot of werewolf mythology is very modern. The belief that the full moon triggers a transform didn’t exist until the 20th century!

There was definitely a commitment here to represent perspectives beyond a eurocentric worldview, and mythologies from outside europe and north america did feature consistently. I did however feel like a bias came through at times, especially through what felt to me a bit like a dismissal of Indigenous Knowledge.

(full disclosure I did skip the vampire section because I’m a baby when it comes to horror stuff and they scare me lmao 😭)

Overall there’s a lot of interesting stuff here but I didn’t personally have a great reading experience with it. Thank you very much to Bloomsbury Academic for the eARC! This one is out now in the UK.

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Mysterious Creatures.

I love books about cryptozoology and this met my expectations.

This explores the legendary creatures that have fascinated humankind for centuries, including unicorns, mermaids, werewolves, vampires, and Bigfoot.

The authors do a great job blending facts, science, and a dash of folklore, creating an engaging narrative that had me flipping pages.

I like the writing style, it flows and is easy to read and flow.

The tone of the writing is great; its confident, thoughtful, yet open-minded.

Instead of outright debunking these myths, many which go back thousands of years, the authors guide readers through the history and origins of each creature, discussing how stories and sightings began and developed throughout the world.

This respectful approach allows readers to nurture their curiosity rather than turn immediately to skepticism, acknowledging readers' appreciation f these creatures and explain the rationale behind their existence—or non-existence.

Each chapter combines facts and science, incorporating excerpts from historical and eyewitness accounts and offering background of the time period in which these sightings occurred.

Then the author adds in societal and cultural influences at the time and how those may have played into the origins of the creatures and legends.

The only thing I wished for was more photographs and illustrations.

Like photos of the locations where the creatures were sighted which would have made the narrative even more potent emotionally and psychologically.

This is a good read for anyone intrigued by cryptozoology and reading an honest and insightful explanation behind how these legends originated.

The authors did their research and crafted each chapter with care, attention, and consideration.

[Alexandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Bloomsbury Academic for the eArc!

Mysterious Creatures combines mythical lore with science and real life events. The book covers vampires, unicorns, mermaids, bigfoot (my favourite!) and many more creatures that may or may not be real.

I enjoyed learning about the different creatures in this book. Every subject was met with open-minded curiosity and many fun facts! I love cryptids and there were many facts in the book I'd never heard of before. It's interesting to read the origin stories of mythical creatures and also the possible theories of how these stories have evolved through time. Book also includes sightings, real life cases and research on these topics and different theories and possible explanations. I liked how end of every chapter there was a little section with 10 things you might not know about *the creature in question*.

Some chapters had some repetitive elements and words. I would also like to have more pictures (but maybe it's just because of the early version and this will be changed when final version is published). I'd like the writing to have a bit more personality and the feeling of presence of the writers themselves, but this is just a personal preference of mine.

I'd recommend this to anyone who is a fan of cryptids!

[Acantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

A look at eight different mysterious and mythical creatures from across the globe, although the focus is on the West.

There didn't seem to be much rhyme or reason as to which creatures are included in this book. We have some mythological creatures such as the Unicorn, and then some cryptids like Bigfoot.

There was some interesting things to learn about each of them, although sometimes the book didn't really go far enough - it stated that the British coat of arms for example had a unicorn, the animal of Scotland, but did not explain *why* the Unicorn of all creatures is the national animal of Scotland.

It's a shame that there are not more images within the chapters. When the book speaks of possible animals these creatures could be, or describes one of the many photographs of Bigfoot sightings, or the fake mermaids, it would have been great to actually see them. We get the odd photo, but not nearly enough. Even a drawing would help, as this is the kind of book that would thrive with such things. This is a book about mythical creatures, lean into it.

An entertaining enough book that is probably more suited to dipping in and out, rather than reading in a couple of sittings.

~Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review~

[TheLiteraryBirder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mythical Beasts is a fascinating compilation of different ‘fantasy’ creatures and their potential origins. It delves into their early historical references, all the way to the present.

Mermaids and vampires and unicorns, oh my! Here are just a few of my favourite info bites:

Early depictions of sirens were as part woman, part bird. This view later morphed into the mermaids we picture today. Is a unicorn the composite animal comprised of bits and pieces from various species? Could the golden pheasant have been the initial inspiration for the phoenix?

RE Vampires: current knowledge of decomposition can account for what was historically perceived as vampirism. E.g., Fingernails continue to grow after death, gases in the body can cause swelling.

A bit research heavy and a lot to take in, but I was fascinated. I really enjoyed the below statement as well. I feel it applies to a lot of situations:

‘Those who ventured to foreign countries often returned with amazing tales that frequently become more exaggerated every time they were told, especially if money was at stake- as became the case with unicorns’

Thanks to netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

[Elle · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.25⭐️

The way this book explains how many of these myths came to be is very well done and made me understand why people would believe them

I also liked that while everything was based in a factual way it never belittles people for believing in the mythical if anything it seeks to show why people believe in them it also never completely denies the possible existence of them as the main point of the whole book is that there is so much unknown that maybe these things do/did exist or at least they are rooted in real things

I liked that the book referenced the connections between different cultures and these creatures it did take a overly western take on them which I find is often the case

I think this book could have done with adding more illustrations they would have really added to the overall vibe of the book

The book overall was quite long winded and left me abit bored in some places it could have been cut down a lot to keep it more interesting I ended up skim reading a lot as it dragged

Thank you Netgalley and Bloomsbury Academic for the digital arc

[East of Reality · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing is clean, easy to read, and approachable; the book doesn’t talk down to its audience, and is accessible for a younger audience. To be honest, this is exactly the sort of book I would have loved as a kid. With a mix of history, storytelling and a dissection of the myths that surround the handful of creatures (unicorns, mermaids, dragons, phoenixes, vampires, werewolves, bigfoot, and thunderbirds), it’s a fun little cryptozoology book.

It’s a good entry point, but I think it’s a little too generic and oversimplified for me. While the book covers the most well known facts, the most popular theories, but doesn’t delve much beyond that. It does, however, suggest in the “Further Readings” sections more books — some of which I’m familiar with and own — which I do appreciate. Especially for fans of unicorns and dragons.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Phoebe]

I received an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

DNF 60%

Unfortunately not for me. I was excited to read this as I have an interest in mythological creatures, including their origins. However, this book does not achieve what it sets out to do. There are no definitive truths present, only multiple theories being laid out in the chapters about what the origins of the myths could be, only to subsequently end with "but I suppose we'll never know as it is lost to time."

Spent two pages discussing the evolutionary adaptions of vampire bats in the already short chapter on vampires.

Do not appreciate the implication that AI is used in filmmaking today instead of CGI. It may seem like a small mix up but they are two very different things and it is important to correctly distinguish between the two.

[ElfElm Publishing · Rating 5 out of 5]

​"Mysterious Creatures" is superbly researched and executed. I'm a huge fan of the mysteries of cryptids living among us, and this book uses logic, case history, and advancements of technology to bring a bit more sense to the enigmatic creatures. I really enjoyed that different beings were separated into chapters, and then those chapters truly dove into the lore. Not just one location either, but all over the world! I learned so much! Expect to learn about unicorns, mermaids, dragons, sasquatch, phoenix, and more. I think the chapter that fascinated me the most was the mermaids. The way that the author researched, cited, and obviously studied a giant amount of information and data to parse through theories and conclusions is beautiful. Sincerely well done.

Thanks for the ARC! :)

[Aubrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book from NetGalley and here is my review.

I really liked the deep dives into how the myths and legends surrounding these creatures came into being.
I also thought the variety of creatures covered in the book was a good selection.
One criticism I have of the book is the faint-but-still-there attitude of "ancient people were dumb; modern people are smart." It also seemed to have some contempt for Christianity as opposed to other (especially Eastern) religions. This was especially evident in the chapter on dragons, as the author had very little comment on Biblical references to dragons (of which there are many).

[Teri Moore Stover · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this ARC courtesy of NetGalley.

This was a fascinating read for any lovers of cryptozoology or mysterious creatures. They go into the history of such legends as mermaids/mermen, werewolves, dragons, vampires etc. Lots of interesting facts going way back, how the belief in these creatures evolved over time. I do wish there were more photos and/ or illustrations to go along with the descriptions but was still an intriguing read.

[Jami Chari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, David Alderton, Akara Heart, and the publisher for granting me access to this ARC!

I love reading about cryptids, and this book is a perfect balance of academic and narrative - I loved it! I've heard all of the stories before, but I always love reading them from different perspectives. I loved the pictures sporadically throughout the book too - such a fun read!

[Jacen Leonard · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful little bestiary that doesn't try to focus on too many legends or cryptids. It shines in what it says in the focus of a little more than half a dozen entries. From the beginning of when they appear in the human consciousness to the more modern day and discussion of when they were last seen or what the mythological animal actually happens (or happened) to be.

I was impressed by the overview of the lesser known canine cryptids. Though I feel chupacabra goes back further. Beast of Bray Road is relatively unique because of it having such a small sighting space.

I'm a little frustrated by saying "AI" instead of "visual effects" for a lot of encounters of the various cryptid level creatures, however.

I am a little hesitant to see the Thunderbird appear in books like this but at least in this specific case we aren't calling them cryptids per se, simply a legendary creature that hails from Native culture. I'm still a little hesitant, however.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Academic for the review copy!

[DeJReads · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sadly, boring and dry which I never would have expected from a book about mythological creatures. Gave up at the dragon section.

[elly · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of my reading goals this year was to read more non-fiction, and Mysterious Creatures fell perfectly into the category.
This is a well-researched account of eight different cryptids and creatures, balancing ancient folklore with modern ‘eyewitness’ accounts. Each piece gives a wide overview, rather than going into great detail. The writing is very accessible and perfect for all ages. I appreciated that the authors took the care to write with nuance, never belittling the sources or telling the reader what they should believe - they simply present the stories, and it’s up to you how you want to take it. I also thought that ending each chapter with ten pieces of trivia and fun facts was a good way to round each one out, and not let the writing become too heavy, or text-book-like.

Thank you to Bloomsbury Academic and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC. All opinions are my own.

[Kara (Books.and.salt) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun read!! Quick and not super in depth, but there definitely was some new-to-me information in this one!