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Hadas del mundo escondido: Observadas y documentadas por Iris Compiet
An art book detailing the fae as seen by illustrator Iris Compiet.
186 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews
May 21, 2021
Two staple books of most 70s 'right on' households were Rien Poortvliet's Leven en Werken van de Kabouter, known as Gnomes in English, and Brian Froud and Alan Lee's Faeries.
I can't tell you how many times I read Faeries, as a kid. You'd find me hunched in some little nook of the house, listening to Enya on my Walkman.
My guess is that artist Iris Compiet has a similar heartfelt connection to Froud and Lee's work (I mean, messrs Froud and Lee have written forewords for the book, so..), as she more or less has in this book made a sequel of sorts. Her art hewes close to Froud and Allen's style, but also builds on it. And the art is truly magnificent. (And it turns out she's Dutch, which is a fun coincidence.)
The book is a collection of notes and illustrations on the many fae and faeries that Compiet has encountered on her travels on the Faultline, the space where the world of the Other and our world intersect.
The writing takes a while to get going, and I found it to be a bit on the repetitive side in the first half of the book. Here's a faerie, and it releases a smell, has a look, says a thing that will make a human drowsy/itchy/dead, and so on. She'll mention they have a complex social structure, but then never talk abiut that. Perhaps because the creatures described in that half are closer to the worlds of Faeries - it is when Compiet creates her completely own collections that her writing starts to spark. There are chapters on trolls, dragons and faerie-like witches. The chapter on witches gets quite dark, which I enjoyed. There is,for example the nykr, who lies in wait in ponds, hoping to snag a wandering child:
"They can stay underwater for a very long time, rarely rising to the surface to breathe. When they do, only their glowing white eyes are visible, as their otherwise dark features hide them from sight. Their thin, dark, and long hair allows them to cover the water's surface, creating the illusion of solid ground. Once a child steps on this treacherous surface, they will find themselves ensnared in the dark tangle of the nykr's hair, choke, and drown."
Ah, you see, that's the good stuff!
(Picked up an ARC through Edelweiss)
I can't tell you how many times I read Faeries, as a kid. You'd find me hunched in some little nook of the house, listening to Enya on my Walkman.
My guess is that artist Iris Compiet has a similar heartfelt connection to Froud and Lee's work (I mean, messrs Froud and Lee have written forewords for the book, so..), as she more or less has in this book made a sequel of sorts. Her art hewes close to Froud and Allen's style, but also builds on it. And the art is truly magnificent. (And it turns out she's Dutch, which is a fun coincidence.)
The book is a collection of notes and illustrations on the many fae and faeries that Compiet has encountered on her travels on the Faultline, the space where the world of the Other and our world intersect.
The writing takes a while to get going, and I found it to be a bit on the repetitive side in the first half of the book. Here's a faerie, and it releases a smell, has a look, says a thing that will make a human drowsy/itchy/dead, and so on. She'll mention they have a complex social structure, but then never talk abiut that. Perhaps because the creatures described in that half are closer to the worlds of Faeries - it is when Compiet creates her completely own collections that her writing starts to spark. There are chapters on trolls, dragons and faerie-like witches. The chapter on witches gets quite dark, which I enjoyed. There is,for example the nykr, who lies in wait in ponds, hoping to snag a wandering child:
"They can stay underwater for a very long time, rarely rising to the surface to breathe. When they do, only their glowing white eyes are visible, as their otherwise dark features hide them from sight. Their thin, dark, and long hair allows them to cover the water's surface, creating the illusion of solid ground. Once a child steps on this treacherous surface, they will find themselves ensnared in the dark tangle of the nykr's hair, choke, and drown."
Ah, you see, that's the good stuff!
(Picked up an ARC through Edelweiss)
January 5, 2023
This is fashioned to look like a sketchbook from a naturalist wandering in search of faeries. Oh, the lengths I had to go to to get my hands on this. Sadly, it didn‘t hold up to the hype/promise.
I enjoyed that there were pencil sketches and full-colour illustrations for each type of faerie as well as their variations (presented as local incarnations). It gives the book that kind of field guide feel. The text is in italics, which sometimes makes it hard to decipher, but no doubt is also intended to reinforce that field guide feel.
Here are some examples of the artwork:
Some of the images reminded me A LOT of Guillermo del Toro‘s stories.
Pretty, no doubt, but sadly, it lacked substance to me as well as a sort of red thread. For example, the author mentions complex social structures of this faerie or that, but then never explains said structures. That wasn‘t enough for me, sorry. Or, at least, it wasn‘t what I had been looking for.
Then again, I hear that the author has taken from previous books of the same nature and then expanded on those. Which might explain why the second half got better and had more details. Those, as far as I can tell, were faeries for which the author had invented the text herself.
So I‘m of two minds about this. The beauty is there and so is the creativity/imagination, but the book also ends rather abruptly and lacks structure. Too bad.
I enjoyed that there were pencil sketches and full-colour illustrations for each type of faerie as well as their variations (presented as local incarnations). It gives the book that kind of field guide feel. The text is in italics, which sometimes makes it hard to decipher, but no doubt is also intended to reinforce that field guide feel.
Here are some examples of the artwork:
Some of the images reminded me A LOT of Guillermo del Toro‘s stories.
Pretty, no doubt, but sadly, it lacked substance to me as well as a sort of red thread. For example, the author mentions complex social structures of this faerie or that, but then never explains said structures. That wasn‘t enough for me, sorry. Or, at least, it wasn‘t what I had been looking for.
Then again, I hear that the author has taken from previous books of the same nature and then expanded on those. Which might explain why the second half got better and had more details. Those, as far as I can tell, were faeries for which the author had invented the text herself.
So I‘m of two minds about this. The beauty is there and so is the creativity/imagination, but the book also ends rather abruptly and lacks structure. Too bad.
April 11, 2025
Ich habe „Feen der Zwischenwelt“ als selbst gewählte Ergänzung parallel zu „Emily Wilde‘s Compendium of Lost Tales“ gelesen, um die Geschichte noch ein wenig lebendiger als ohnehin schon zu machen, und kann euch das genau so nur von ganzem Herzen empfehlen! Aber auch unabhängig davon ist das ein tolles Buch für alle Fans von Feenwesen, besonders von ihrer Dualität von Gut und Böse, und für diejenigen, die auch an der schauriger gezeichneten Variante der Feenwelt interessiert sind. Die Illustratorin und Autorin Iris Compiet liefert zu den wunderschönen Bildern auch Texte, die Tagebucheinträgen ähneln und von Abenteuern in der Zwischenwelt der Feen berichten - ganz so, als hätte sie die Kreaturen tatsächlich gesehen und hautnah erlebt. Auch hier sind die Kreaturen angelehnt an tatsächlich existente Volksmärchen und Legenden, was es in meinen Augen umso toller macht! Da es sich hier um keine Geschichte im klassischen Sinne handelt, kann ich sie auch nicht als solche mit Sternen bewerten. Aber allen Interessierten kann ich das Werk nur empfehlen!
April 26, 2025
So zauberhafte Illustrationen aus der Zwischenwelt 💚 ✨ Einfach wunder-wunderschön! Definitiv 5 ⭐️ dafür. Die Texte sind allerdings recht allgemein gehalten und wie schon einige hier in den Kommentaren geschrieben haben, etwas repetitiv.
Das Buch lohnt sich aber unbedingt schon allein für die Bilder einer wirklich großartigen Künstlerin!
Das Buch lohnt sich aber unbedingt schon allein für die Bilder einer wirklich großartigen Künstlerin!
May 27, 2022
Una guida completamente illustrata, ricchissima di bozzetti e stupendi disegni dai colori quasi acquerellati, alle magiche, misteriose e spesso pericolose creature che dimorano nella Faglia, un Altrove nascosto che, a volte, si svela agli umani.
Davvero imperdibile per gli appassionati di magia, del piccolo popolo e delle creature fantastiche in generale.
Bellissimo volume, di pregio, bellissime e interessantissime le creature riportate con cura dall'autrice.
Davvero imperdibile per gli appassionati di magia, del piccolo popolo e delle creature fantastiche in generale.
Bellissimo volume, di pregio, bellissime e interessantissime le creature riportate con cura dall'autrice.
December 22, 2021
2021 Best Books of the Year [#11 of 11]
August 2, 2024
Libro molto interessante, sicuramente una gioia per gli occhi.
Non é un caso eclatante e non entra particolarmente nei dettagli, ma ho apprezzato il suo "far finta" di essere un diario con tutte le annotazioni e gli schizzi che l'autrice ha riportato dai "suoi viaggi" nella faglia.
Come ho detto i disegni sono molto belli, a tratti acquarellosi, a tratti schizzi a matita, danno veramente l'idea di un album per gli schizzi.
In ogni caso anche se non così particolarmente tratteggiate, le descrizioni delle creature fatate sono comunque molto interessanti nel loro insieme e si capisce che l'autrice sia affezionata a questo mondo e per questo si sia molto informata su miti e leggende legate alle creature fatate. Allo stesso modo ho anche apprezzato il suo cercar di dare una parvenza più "realistica", "scientifica" e "biologica" al tutto, con delle annotazioni che ricalcano quelle che potrebbero essere dei naturalisti.
Non é un caso eclatante e non entra particolarmente nei dettagli, ma ho apprezzato il suo "far finta" di essere un diario con tutte le annotazioni e gli schizzi che l'autrice ha riportato dai "suoi viaggi" nella faglia.
Come ho detto i disegni sono molto belli, a tratti acquarellosi, a tratti schizzi a matita, danno veramente l'idea di un album per gli schizzi.
In ogni caso anche se non così particolarmente tratteggiate, le descrizioni delle creature fatate sono comunque molto interessanti nel loro insieme e si capisce che l'autrice sia affezionata a questo mondo e per questo si sia molto informata su miti e leggende legate alle creature fatate. Allo stesso modo ho anche apprezzato il suo cercar di dare una parvenza più "realistica", "scientifica" e "biologica" al tutto, con delle annotazioni che ricalcano quelle che potrebbero essere dei naturalisti.
December 15, 2024
3.5 ☆
Tolle Aufmachung & wunderschöne Zeichnungen, aber inhaltlich leider eher oberflächlich
Tolle Aufmachung & wunderschöne Zeichnungen, aber inhaltlich leider eher oberflächlich
September 6, 2026
100% recomendable después de leer "La Enciclopedia de Hadas de Emily Wild" (es literalmente el diario que realiza Emily). En cualquier caso, a cualquier persona que le guste la parte de seres féericos le va a encantar porque realiza un registro de cada uno de los seres escondidos y, lo mejor de todo, son las ilustraciones. Como dijo Wendy Darling: Yo creo, sí creo, yo creo en las hadas
September 22, 2018
One of my absolute favorite books of faerie art. Truly an an enchanting look into the creatures that inhabit the Faultlines. There is no doubt about it, Iris Compiet has ‘the sight’ and documents her observations with a talent comparable to that of Brian Froud and Alan Lee but with a touch all her own. This book is treasure!
July 4, 2022
It is quite easy to get enthralled by this book with the illustrations and the formatting and some of the tone therein. All of which would have given it a 5 star rating, however, a few key things for me that stood out and somewhat marred the book for me. An important piece of information to note is that bats are not blind. I have no idea why something that was debunked years ago would have made it into this book. Another thing is that it's rather jarring to know that faeries would steal "pink babies", not all babies are pink and why this would be added in the twenty-first century is a mystery. Furthermore, the author states that gender is not a part of fairy existence, but she mentions it on occasion as if it is. Which is it? There doesn't seem to be infant faeries, so it's unknown how any of these faeries propagate their species, especially the hobgoblin and brownie (pronounced brawnie) have no females, even though gender is not a thing. There wasn't even a conclusion which seemed jarring too, the book simply ends.
May 31, 2022
Davvero incredibile, non mi esaltavo così tanto per un libro illustrato da tempo!
Iris ha un talento mozzafiato, i suoi schizzi sono pazzeschi, e gli acquerelli ti catturano fino a portarti all'interno della narrazione stessa: è davvero coinvolgente, ricco di dettagli e storie che ti traportano in un'altro mondo.
Davvero meraviglioso, lo consiglio a tutti se vi piacciono le creature misteriose e magiche come quelle descritte all'interno della Faglia di Iris Compiet ✨
Iris ha un talento mozzafiato, i suoi schizzi sono pazzeschi, e gli acquerelli ti catturano fino a portarti all'interno della narrazione stessa: è davvero coinvolgente, ricco di dettagli e storie che ti traportano in un'altro mondo.
Davvero meraviglioso, lo consiglio a tutti se vi piacciono le creature misteriose e magiche come quelle descritte all'interno della Faglia di Iris Compiet ✨
August 21, 2021
Um fantástico guia de campo da falha que separa o mundo real do mundo das fadas.
Belíssimas gravuras e desenhos. Fabulosas descrições e pequenas histórias sobre os habitantes desse mundo que nos é apresentado.
O resto é imaginação ... ou se tem, ou não.
Belíssimas gravuras e desenhos. Fabulosas descrições e pequenas histórias sobre os habitantes desse mundo que nos é apresentado.
O resto é imaginação ... ou se tem, ou não.
June 12, 2024
I'm in total awe of this book! It's honestly such a treassure to just flick through and admire the beautiful artwork.
I already owned the Labyrinth Beastiary by the same artist and am so glad I purchased this book as well.
The book does take quite some inspiration form the infamous 'Faeries' book by Brian Froud and Alan Lee (who even each wrote a foreword for this book!), but I don't think this is a bad thing. However, this does make up for the fact that I can't help but compare the two works side to side. Each of the books contain beautiful artwork, but it's the writing that is so different. Whereas the 'Faeries' book contains mostly scary stories about the Fae, 'Faeries of the Faultlines' seems to try and pull each of these stories into the lighter spectrum of things. Sometimes I did not really like this. It felt like the author was kind of trying to put a Disney spin on these horrific faery stories and traditions that have been with us for centuries. Luckily, there are still some parts in this book that do remain dark and spooky.
I really did enjoy reading this book and will keepsake it forever.
I already owned the Labyrinth Beastiary by the same artist and am so glad I purchased this book as well.
The book does take quite some inspiration form the infamous 'Faeries' book by Brian Froud and Alan Lee (who even each wrote a foreword for this book!), but I don't think this is a bad thing. However, this does make up for the fact that I can't help but compare the two works side to side. Each of the books contain beautiful artwork, but it's the writing that is so different. Whereas the 'Faeries' book contains mostly scary stories about the Fae, 'Faeries of the Faultlines' seems to try and pull each of these stories into the lighter spectrum of things. Sometimes I did not really like this. It felt like the author was kind of trying to put a Disney spin on these horrific faery stories and traditions that have been with us for centuries. Luckily, there are still some parts in this book that do remain dark and spooky.
I really did enjoy reading this book and will keepsake it forever.
June 28, 2024
I received this book for Christmas, and I've been perusing it here and there since. Decided to dive in and read the second half in full today as it was rainy and gloomy out, and I wanted a distraction from job application stress! This is a delightful art book! And I do think that the art is what stands out about this book in particular. The writing that accompanies the book is fun, but often felt a bit unstructured or repetitive. But the art is absolutely stunning! I'm pretty sure I could spend hours and hours exploring each page of this book and still have new details to find! I'm quite pleased to have added this book to my collection alongside the works of artists like Brian Froud and Alan Lee <3
June 2, 2024
In questo periodo, con l’arrivo del caldo, avverto sempre un pizzico di nostalgia per le vacanze estive. Quei tre mesi lunghi che avevo la fortuna di passare in giardino dai nonni, cullata dalle letture sull’amaca, mentre tra un capitolo e l’altro cercavo animaletti in giardino o esploravo in giro.
Questo illustrato di Moscabianca mi ha ricordato proprio quella sensazione, una stagione sognante in cui perdersi tra cespugli in fiore e boschetti ombrosi in cui risuona il gorgogliare di ruscelli e cascate.
Le illustrazioni di Iris Compiet che passano dai chiari scuri delle matite a degli acquerelli delicati non hanno bisogno di presentazione: questo è uno di quei libri d'arte in cui rimanere stregati. I vari abitanti della faglia vengono infatti presentati anche da note scritte in un corsivo che per gli amanti di lettere come me riportano a qualcosa di prezioso e affascinante.
Grazie a qualche misterioso incanto, l’autrice è riuscita a imprigionare fra queste pagine il fruscio delle foglie, i colori dei fiori, lo scalpiccio di piccole fate, il trapestio dei troll, il raspare di skypta inquietanti. E vi garantisco che arrivati alla fine vi ritroverete a sognare a occhi aperti di cavalcare un drago .
Se cercate una lettura basata su mitologia e folklore che ricorda la magia delle fiabe non fatevelo scappare.
Questo illustrato di Moscabianca mi ha ricordato proprio quella sensazione, una stagione sognante in cui perdersi tra cespugli in fiore e boschetti ombrosi in cui risuona il gorgogliare di ruscelli e cascate.
Le illustrazioni di Iris Compiet che passano dai chiari scuri delle matite a degli acquerelli delicati non hanno bisogno di presentazione: questo è uno di quei libri d'arte in cui rimanere stregati. I vari abitanti della faglia vengono infatti presentati anche da note scritte in un corsivo che per gli amanti di lettere come me riportano a qualcosa di prezioso e affascinante.
Grazie a qualche misterioso incanto, l’autrice è riuscita a imprigionare fra queste pagine il fruscio delle foglie, i colori dei fiori, lo scalpiccio di piccole fate, il trapestio dei troll, il raspare di skypta inquietanti. E vi garantisco che arrivati alla fine vi ritroverete a sognare a occhi aperti di cavalcare un drago .
Se cercate una lettura basata su mitologia e folklore che ricorda la magia delle fiabe non fatevelo scappare.
August 11, 2024
I really loved the art overall and the variety in character design.
I do have a few qualms: the fact that there were some call outs/chapter starts? about certain fairies or types of fairies, but then the book would go on about a completely different type without any kind of separation between the two was very confusing.
I also wish the artist had been a bit more imaginative than "female fairies have two breasts and look naked" (which is especially jarring when a side note states that fairies don't do gender, even though that is contradicted several times). If you want to do sexual dymorphism in species that look more animal- or insect-like, be more creative!
I do have a few qualms: the fact that there were some call outs/chapter starts? about certain fairies or types of fairies, but then the book would go on about a completely different type without any kind of separation between the two was very confusing.
I also wish the artist had been a bit more imaginative than "female fairies have two breasts and look naked" (which is especially jarring when a side note states that fairies don't do gender, even though that is contradicted several times). If you want to do sexual dymorphism in species that look more animal- or insect-like, be more creative!
December 14, 2019
The artwork is absolutelly stunning, and for it alone the book deserves to ve explored and even owned. The text and stories are quite elaborate for an artist book, but not enough developped for a regular one.
February 8, 2026
*4 stars*
I used to be obsessed with Iris's creations back when she was only using Instagram as her main source of material. Couldn't be happier that she created this masterful little book of fae. Her mind is so intricate and I wish I was as creative as she is. She brings these creatures to life in a way that makes you really want to believe they exist. The level of detail is stellar and so whimsical.
I used to be obsessed with Iris's creations back when she was only using Instagram as her main source of material. Couldn't be happier that she created this masterful little book of fae. Her mind is so intricate and I wish I was as creative as she is. She brings these creatures to life in a way that makes you really want to believe they exist. The level of detail is stellar and so whimsical.
November 10, 2020
Gorgeous in every way possible
August 8, 2025
*4,5⭐️
Disegni e racconti davvero immersivi! La prefazione di Alan Lee poi è stata davvero la ciliegina sulla torta che ha confermato il talento della Compiet. Sicuramente un capolavoro per chi colleziona libri del tema ☺️
Disegni e racconti davvero immersivi! La prefazione di Alan Lee poi è stata davvero la ciliegina sulla torta che ha confermato il talento della Compiet. Sicuramente un capolavoro per chi colleziona libri del tema ☺️
February 14, 2022
wonderful creatures, amazing art, just like reading a diary about the amazing creatures 🧚
September 28, 2026
Es absolutamente precioso, las ilustraciones son cautivadoras porque reflejan muy bien la verdadera esencia de los seres feéricos, lo hermoso grotesco y letal
March 16, 2024
The illustrations are out of this world! The creatures come alive once you read about them and marvel at the various drawings that Iris made. These kinds of books heal my inner child <3
August 27, 2026
Prekrasna kolekcija s crtežima i opisima autorice. Jako maštovita i pokriva većinu fairy bića za koje sam čula
August 23, 2026
Hadas.
July 19, 2025
3 stars
August 5, 2021
The art of Iris Compiet is absolutely breathtaking! 🖤 In this wonderful collection, she brings brings to life fascinating Fae creatures, mythology, and the world they live in. Every entry is written with care, and each illustration and painting are beautiful to behold! As an artist and lover of nature and fantasy, this book is so inspiring and I absolutely love it! 🌿 I highly recommend this book if you love Fairies / the Fae, mythology, fantasy art, illustration, and watercolor! 🎨
August 7, 2021
4.75?
I absolutely fell in love with every stunning illustration. I felt totally consumed by this worths and couldn't put the book down. I just wish it didn't just end.. there was hints there there will be more observations and studies so maybe a volume 2 as well? All in all I love this book and devoured it's pages in just a couple of days.
I absolutely fell in love with every stunning illustration. I felt totally consumed by this worths and couldn't put the book down. I just wish it didn't just end.. there was hints there there will be more observations and studies so maybe a volume 2 as well? All in all I love this book and devoured it's pages in just a couple of days.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 16, 2021
As essential a fantasy and folklore reference as Brian Froud's Faeries books of years past.
Beautiful book with amazing detail and depth; definitely a book to display and share if you're a fan of fantasy, faeries, or folklore!
Beautiful book with amazing detail and depth; definitely a book to display and share if you're a fan of fantasy, faeries, or folklore!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews