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The Men of Letters Bestiary: Winchester Family Edition
This immersive in-world guide based on the highly popular Supernatural television show reveals the strengths, weaknesses, secrets of the deadly ghosts, demons, angels, and creatures that the Winchesters have hunted.
An immersive in-world guide to the Supernatural universe, this tome from the Men of Letters’ archive features information on the deadliest ghosts, monsters, and creatures ever encountered.
The Men of Letters was a secret society dedicated to accumulating knowledge of supernatural and arcane mysteries. Decades after the order was wiped out, Sam and Dean Winchester inherited their hidden bunker, where Sam compiled the records of the supernatural entities discovered by the Men of Letters into one book. Once assembled, the Winchester brothers themselves included their own additions and annotations.
From the Knight of Hell Abaddon to banshees and wendigos, this fully illustrated tome will allow fans to explore the creatures of Heaven, Hell, and Earth from the Winchester brothers’ perspective.
Complete with commentary from Sam and Dean, Supernatural: The Men of Letters Bestiary offers a unique and immersive look at the creatures and entities that inhabit the series.
An immersive in-world guide to the Supernatural universe, this tome from the Men of Letters’ archive features information on the deadliest ghosts, monsters, and creatures ever encountered.
The Men of Letters was a secret society dedicated to accumulating knowledge of supernatural and arcane mysteries. Decades after the order was wiped out, Sam and Dean Winchester inherited their hidden bunker, where Sam compiled the records of the supernatural entities discovered by the Men of Letters into one book. Once assembled, the Winchester brothers themselves included their own additions and annotations.
From the Knight of Hell Abaddon to banshees and wendigos, this fully illustrated tome will allow fans to explore the creatures of Heaven, Hell, and Earth from the Winchester brothers’ perspective.
Complete with commentary from Sam and Dean, Supernatural: The Men of Letters Bestiary offers a unique and immersive look at the creatures and entities that inhabit the series.
112 pages, Hardcover
Published September 15, 2017
About the author
Tim Waggoner
280 books786 followersTim Waggoner's first novel came out in 2001, and since then, he's published over sixty novels and eight collections of short stories. He writes original dark fantasy and horror, as well as media tie-ins. He's written tie-in fiction based on Supernatural, The X-Files, Alien, Doctor Who, Conan the Barbarian, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Grimm, and Transformers, among others, and he's written novelizations for films such as Ti West’s X-Trilogy, Halloween Kills, Terrifier 2 and 3, and Resident Evil: The Final Chapter. He’s also the author of the award-winning guide to horror Writing in the Dark. He’s a four-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award, a one-time winner of the Scribe Award, and he’s been a two-time finalist for the Shirley Jackson Award and a one-time finalist for the Splatterpunk Award. He’s also a full-time tenured professor who teaches creative writing and composition at Sinclair College in Dayton, Ohio.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
September 27, 2017
3,5 stars.
Calling this book Men Of Letters Beastiary is a little misleading. It's more like the Sam and Dean version of John Winchester's journal. Which isn't bad. But not what I expected.
The illustrations are beautifully done and the annecdotes are funny, I smiled at most of what's written from Dean's point of view.
Correct me if I'm wrong but I think this book isn't really sure which season of the show we are at when reading it. Some of the information isn't up to date with what happened in season 12, some of the information is.
But if you're a fan of the show and want to relive Sam and Dean's biggest hits, this is your book. If you want something Men Of Letters-ish... it's not.
Calling this book Men Of Letters Beastiary is a little misleading. It's more like the Sam and Dean version of John Winchester's journal. Which isn't bad. But not what I expected.
The illustrations are beautifully done and the annecdotes are funny, I smiled at most of what's written from Dean's point of view.
Correct me if I'm wrong but I think this book isn't really sure which season of the show we are at when reading it. Some of the information isn't up to date with what happened in season 12, some of the information is.
But if you're a fan of the show and want to relive Sam and Dean's biggest hits, this is your book. If you want something Men Of Letters-ish... it's not.
September 26, 2022
This is the perfect book for Supernatural fans and it covers many of the creatures and spirits (and even a few characters) Dean and Sam encountered throughout the series. I really enjoyed reading this, as Supernatural is my all time favorite TV show (yep, I even love it more than Buffy).
Just a heads up that this was written before the series ended, so some of the entries are not completely up to date. Also, major spoiler alerts if you haven’t watched the series yet, so I’d wait and read it once you’ve watched most of the seasons.
Just a heads up that this was written before the series ended, so some of the entries are not completely up to date. Also, major spoiler alerts if you haven’t watched the series yet, so I’d wait and read it once you’ve watched most of the seasons.
November 26, 2017
Supernatural is my favorite show that is currently still running on TV and arguably my favorite 40 minute drama of all time. My wife got me into it and we have have re-watched the show fully through 3 times. We started watching season 13 tonight, I know we've been slacking, but we prefer to binge watch anyway. I picked up the Bestiary the day it came out but held off on reading it until we were watching the new season.
It is a great book to read while watching the show. The book is "written" by Sam and Dean. I thought it was funny that Sam's parts are all like he wrote them on a computer and Dean's are all fancily hand written. One of the theme's that I noticed in the book and in the new season is the nature of the creatures that Sam and Dean fight. Just because you are a monster or a demon or a god, does that inherently make you good or evil? If you have power will you always end up using it for nefarious purposes like Dean thinks will ultimately happen with Jack? There are several call backs to previous episodes in the book where the boys debate the nature of these questions. The nature of the beasts so to speak.
Will the boys ever find peace without having to die? Doubtful, but I'll be there carrying on and watching every second of this awesome show.
It is a great book to read while watching the show. The book is "written" by Sam and Dean. I thought it was funny that Sam's parts are all like he wrote them on a computer and Dean's are all fancily hand written. One of the theme's that I noticed in the book and in the new season is the nature of the creatures that Sam and Dean fight. Just because you are a monster or a demon or a god, does that inherently make you good or evil? If you have power will you always end up using it for nefarious purposes like Dean thinks will ultimately happen with Jack? There are several call backs to previous episodes in the book where the boys debate the nature of these questions. The nature of the beasts so to speak.
Will the boys ever find peace without having to die? Doubtful, but I'll be there carrying on and watching every second of this awesome show.
July 23, 2018
I loved this book! I am a huge Supernatural nerd and I especially love the lore and monsters within the show. Each page describes a monster Sam and Dean encountered. Most of the entries are written in a scholarly voice for Sam, while the funnier ones are for Dean. The book has sections on monsters, ghosts, celestial beings you name it. The only reason I took it down a star was for the illustrations in Chapter 1: Monsters. A lot of them looked similar to one another, and the Supernatural fandom knows that each monster has distinguishing characteristics. Still, I loved reading this and it’s a great collector item! :)
April 4, 2022
Loved "Supernatural". I am writing a "diary" by Sam Winchester for my granddaughter for Christmas and this is a good reference book. Probably only published to get TV fans to spend more money on the franchise, but here I am. And so I did.
August 23, 2024
I have a lot to say about this book as a diehard Supernatural fan, so before I begin getting into it all, I just want to say that despite all the complaints you're going to read, I DID enjoy my time with this book, I found it fun to read as the entries were written from the perspectives of Sam and Dean, with each person's entry being identified by the different font used and the writing itself felt true to their characters and very well done, that said, my biggest issue with this is the incredible lack of information, I was hoping for a comprehensive bestiary, and maybe one day we'll get one, but this isn't it and is far from it. Partially because it was written before the series was finished, and as a result of that, my complaints will only reflect it failing to cover data that existed at the time of the book's writing, and not what came after. So let's get into the many flaws that keep this book from being rated higher by me, a diehard obsessed superfan, breaking everything down category by category.
Monster Category: My first complaint here is a simple misclassification, the book lists the Buruburu under the "Monster" category, when it's actually a spirit and is even referred to as one in this book. The next issue is the lack of entries for several species entirely, including but not limited to Phoenixes, Arachne, Khan Worms, Lamia, Pishtacos and Okami.
Ghosts & Spirits Category: While definitely less underdeveloped than the previous category, I still noticed it was entirely lacking info on whole types of Sprits, such as Poltergeists and Death Echoes.
God Category: This category is honestly even more underdeveloped than the prior two, it covers very very few of the Pagan Deities we'd met in the series, leaving out beings like Zeus and Artemis who were actually among the most developed in the entire series, Veritas, Vesta and Leshi (all of whom had entire episodes to themselves) as well as EVERY God from the episodes "Hammer of the Gods" (Baldur, Zao Shen, Kali, Baron Samedi, Mercury, Isis and Odin) and "What's Up, Tiger Mommy?" (Plutus, Beau and Vili). If so many beings were going to be left out, then the entire category may as well not exist in this book.
Demon Category: This one felt not only underdeveloped, but also kind of a mess. It seemed to prefer focusing more on individual Demons rather than the different types/species of demonic beings, which goes against the entire point of a bestiary. For example Lilith got her own entry, but not Alastair when the two should have been grouped together as "White-Eyed Demons" with individual notes being added to describe them individually, much like how the author did for the Vampire section in the Monster category. This issue is actually present for nearly every kind of demon. And while I can forgive Abaddon and Cain getting separate entries rather than being grouped together as Knights of Hell, due to the incredibly difference in the power, I can't overlook standard Black-Eyed Demons, Crossroads Demons, Acheri, Daeva, Special Children and Cambion not getting entries. Other notable missing Demons are the unique ones, such as Samhain, the Disaster Demon and the Seven Deadly Sins.
Angel Category: This category basically has the EXACT same problem as the Demon category, focusing on individual Angels, rather than the different classes/species of Angels. So let's get that out of the way first. The only species to get its own entry was the Grigori, meanwhile Cherubim, Seraphim, Rit Zien, Nephilim and even freaking Archangels didn't get their own listings. Gabriel and Lucifer had their own entries, but I feel this should have been handled like how I mentioned the White-Eyed Demons should have been, making one entry covering them all, with individual note sections describing each individual Archangel. Also, the entry for Lucifer has a MASSIVE mistake made, stating that Michael became sealed in Lucifer's Cage when God first commanded him to imprison his brother, then further states both Michael and Lucifer were released by Sam when he killed Lilith and broke the final seal, this is true for Lucifer but Michael was NOT imprisoned in the Cage until after Lucifer's release and reimprisonment at the ends of Sam Winchester, so this oversight is incredibly egregious. Additionally, I can forgive the Reaper entry referring to them as a species of Angel, since at one point the show did call them one, but I can't overlook the book saying they could only be killed by Death's Scythe, seeing as how we'd witnessed Crowley killing one with an Angel Blade by this point already, and Dean killing another with The First Blade.
Overall, you can see how much info was missing from this book, and how some info is even outright incorrect, so if you're looking for a comprehensive bestiary of the series, you will not find it here. And while I'm being brutally honest, while I did enjoy it, it's not even formatted like a bestiary should be. I'd have liked to have seen dedicated weakness sections on each creature's entry, since the book is supposed to "help other hunters better deal with these threats", not having each beings weakness outright stated in a clean and easy to find section on their page, to me means this book misses the mark on what it's supposed to do.
It's a fun light read, but not fully satisfactory for diehard fans. I give it 3 out of 5 stars.
Wanna check out my other Supernatural book reviews? Check em out below!
Nevermore: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Witch's Canyon: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Bone Key: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Heart of the Dragon: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Unholy Cause: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
War of the Sons: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
One Year Gone: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Monster Category: My first complaint here is a simple misclassification, the book lists the Buruburu under the "Monster" category, when it's actually a spirit and is even referred to as one in this book. The next issue is the lack of entries for several species entirely, including but not limited to Phoenixes, Arachne, Khan Worms, Lamia, Pishtacos and Okami.
Ghosts & Spirits Category: While definitely less underdeveloped than the previous category, I still noticed it was entirely lacking info on whole types of Sprits, such as Poltergeists and Death Echoes.
God Category: This category is honestly even more underdeveloped than the prior two, it covers very very few of the Pagan Deities we'd met in the series, leaving out beings like Zeus and Artemis who were actually among the most developed in the entire series, Veritas, Vesta and Leshi (all of whom had entire episodes to themselves) as well as EVERY God from the episodes "Hammer of the Gods" (Baldur, Zao Shen, Kali, Baron Samedi, Mercury, Isis and Odin) and "What's Up, Tiger Mommy?" (Plutus, Beau and Vili). If so many beings were going to be left out, then the entire category may as well not exist in this book.
Demon Category: This one felt not only underdeveloped, but also kind of a mess. It seemed to prefer focusing more on individual Demons rather than the different types/species of demonic beings, which goes against the entire point of a bestiary. For example Lilith got her own entry, but not Alastair when the two should have been grouped together as "White-Eyed Demons" with individual notes being added to describe them individually, much like how the author did for the Vampire section in the Monster category. This issue is actually present for nearly every kind of demon. And while I can forgive Abaddon and Cain getting separate entries rather than being grouped together as Knights of Hell, due to the incredibly difference in the power, I can't overlook standard Black-Eyed Demons, Crossroads Demons, Acheri, Daeva, Special Children and Cambion not getting entries. Other notable missing Demons are the unique ones, such as Samhain, the Disaster Demon and the Seven Deadly Sins.
Angel Category: This category basically has the EXACT same problem as the Demon category, focusing on individual Angels, rather than the different classes/species of Angels. So let's get that out of the way first. The only species to get its own entry was the Grigori, meanwhile Cherubim, Seraphim, Rit Zien, Nephilim and even freaking Archangels didn't get their own listings. Gabriel and Lucifer had their own entries, but I feel this should have been handled like how I mentioned the White-Eyed Demons should have been, making one entry covering them all, with individual note sections describing each individual Archangel. Also, the entry for Lucifer has a MASSIVE mistake made, stating that Michael became sealed in Lucifer's Cage when God first commanded him to imprison his brother, then further states both Michael and Lucifer were released by Sam when he killed Lilith and broke the final seal, this is true for Lucifer but Michael was NOT imprisoned in the Cage until after Lucifer's release and reimprisonment at the ends of Sam Winchester, so this oversight is incredibly egregious. Additionally, I can forgive the Reaper entry referring to them as a species of Angel, since at one point the show did call them one, but I can't overlook the book saying they could only be killed by Death's Scythe, seeing as how we'd witnessed Crowley killing one with an Angel Blade by this point already, and Dean killing another with The First Blade.
Overall, you can see how much info was missing from this book, and how some info is even outright incorrect, so if you're looking for a comprehensive bestiary of the series, you will not find it here. And while I'm being brutally honest, while I did enjoy it, it's not even formatted like a bestiary should be. I'd have liked to have seen dedicated weakness sections on each creature's entry, since the book is supposed to "help other hunters better deal with these threats", not having each beings weakness outright stated in a clean and easy to find section on their page, to me means this book misses the mark on what it's supposed to do.
It's a fun light read, but not fully satisfactory for diehard fans. I give it 3 out of 5 stars.
Wanna check out my other Supernatural book reviews? Check em out below!
Nevermore: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Witch's Canyon: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Bone Key: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Heart of the Dragon: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Unholy Cause: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
War of the Sons: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
One Year Gone: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
June 8, 2021
The Men of Letters Bestiary is a book written, supposedly, by the main characters of the TV show "Supernatural", Sam and Dean, and goes into detail about different beings: monsters, demons, angels, gods, and other sundry things that go bump in the night.
The artwork for this book was *outstanding* and obviously done by someone very familiar with the characters, or had great access to photos, sketches, etc. Many of the entries (if you watch the show faithfully and repeatedly like I do) you can actually identify the being just by the drawing and that is just darned impressive.
The book, itself, although I found interesting, was not as good as it could have been. They did offer names to several "monsters" that were never given actual names in the episodes (Rabids, Mylings, Qareen, Nachzehrers), but I think they left a number of entries out that should have been included.
There were also several mistakes that, I suppose, I could just be nitpicking, but I believe any Supernatural fan who purchased this would also find bothersome:
Examples:
--claiming that Garth was a Pureblood werewolf (he became a Bitten)
--that Bitten werewolves only attacked in their sleep and woke the following morning not knowing what happened (which only occurred in the episode "Heart" in Season 3) This book goes up to Season 12 and Sam and Dean faced plenty of werewolves that did *not* fit that mold at all. In fact, it seemed as though only Madison (from "Heart") behaved that way.
--That Bobby's soul was taken to Hell on Crowley's orders by a reaper named Ajay--Ajay, however, was the "coyote" reaper who helped sneak Sam into Hell to *free* Bobby from Hell.
--They comment that they don't know why Shojos have a connection with booze--well, the answer is (as mentioned in the episode) they are Japanese alcohol spirits!!
All in all, I think any true fan of Supernatural will enjoy reading this book and adding it to their collection, but any on-again/off-again fans shouldn't bother.
The artwork for this book was *outstanding* and obviously done by someone very familiar with the characters, or had great access to photos, sketches, etc. Many of the entries (if you watch the show faithfully and repeatedly like I do) you can actually identify the being just by the drawing and that is just darned impressive.
The book, itself, although I found interesting, was not as good as it could have been. They did offer names to several "monsters" that were never given actual names in the episodes (Rabids, Mylings, Qareen, Nachzehrers), but I think they left a number of entries out that should have been included.
There were also several mistakes that, I suppose, I could just be nitpicking, but I believe any Supernatural fan who purchased this would also find bothersome:
Examples:
--claiming that Garth was a Pureblood werewolf (he became a Bitten)
--that Bitten werewolves only attacked in their sleep and woke the following morning not knowing what happened (which only occurred in the episode "Heart" in Season 3) This book goes up to Season 12 and Sam and Dean faced plenty of werewolves that did *not* fit that mold at all. In fact, it seemed as though only Madison (from "Heart") behaved that way.
--That Bobby's soul was taken to Hell on Crowley's orders by a reaper named Ajay--Ajay, however, was the "coyote" reaper who helped sneak Sam into Hell to *free* Bobby from Hell.
--They comment that they don't know why Shojos have a connection with booze--well, the answer is (as mentioned in the episode) they are Japanese alcohol spirits!!
All in all, I think any true fan of Supernatural will enjoy reading this book and adding it to their collection, but any on-again/off-again fans shouldn't bother.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 5, 2026
The Men of Letters Bestiary is a collection of past lore entries that are meant to be updated by both brothers based upon the information they have received from their own hunts, the hunts of others they have known and of course the original material of the Men of Letters. As a result it was hard to date specifically when this project may have occurred as entries suggested various milestones of the series and mentioned various characters while leaving out quite a bunch of others such as that their mother was also a hunter.
The entries are also only a handful and do not cover the creatures of every episode. And since the focus is meant to be on the lore itself, the boys often just make mention to what they experienced or thought of their participation with said entry without acknowledging where exactly in the chronological order it is. Plus the lore is not faithful to original materials although bits and pieces can appear but rather to the changed lore of Hollywood.
For readers both brothers actually participate instead of one doing the work and the other just adding jokes. The smaller and italic font is clearly Dean even when the writing loses his voice. And Sam's portion really doesn’t sound like him at all.
Meanwhile book is freely illustrated but in monochromatic form that is only meant to show the monster's original monstrous form. Given some of these are meant to be from older sources and from a group with roots dedicated in nature diaries, it was rather disappointing there was less talent and a more mass production to them.
Fans who enjoy the series and have it more in memory may find this book to be a better fit for them than it was for me but at this point I would just stick with Bobby Singer's guide to be honest.
The entries are also only a handful and do not cover the creatures of every episode. And since the focus is meant to be on the lore itself, the boys often just make mention to what they experienced or thought of their participation with said entry without acknowledging where exactly in the chronological order it is. Plus the lore is not faithful to original materials although bits and pieces can appear but rather to the changed lore of Hollywood.
For readers both brothers actually participate instead of one doing the work and the other just adding jokes. The smaller and italic font is clearly Dean even when the writing loses his voice. And Sam's portion really doesn’t sound like him at all.
Meanwhile book is freely illustrated but in monochromatic form that is only meant to show the monster's original monstrous form. Given some of these are meant to be from older sources and from a group with roots dedicated in nature diaries, it was rather disappointing there was less talent and a more mass production to them.
Fans who enjoy the series and have it more in memory may find this book to be a better fit for them than it was for me but at this point I would just stick with Bobby Singer's guide to be honest.
July 1, 2019
I have the Lootcrate Edition so the cover is different than what's pictured here but I'm not sure if anything else is different.
This book is based on the TV show Supernatural. The Men of Letters were a secret society that fought evil supernatural beings. It's important to note that this beastiary is the Winchester family edition. Based on that, it's safe to say the "beasts" in this book will be all those that Sam and Dean Winchester have encountered.
The book is beautifully illustrated. Any artist or designer will greatly appreciate it's set up.
This is basically a journal meant to be a guide started by Sam with side notes by the ever comical Dean. Sam gives a knowledgeable background on the beasts followed by a summary of an encounter. Throughout the book, Dean contributes his wisdom in a very Dean-esque way of course.
This book is for seasoned fans of the show because of the spoiler summaries. It's definitely a must-have for devoted fans.
This book is based on the TV show Supernatural. The Men of Letters were a secret society that fought evil supernatural beings. It's important to note that this beastiary is the Winchester family edition. Based on that, it's safe to say the "beasts" in this book will be all those that Sam and Dean Winchester have encountered.
The book is beautifully illustrated. Any artist or designer will greatly appreciate it's set up.
This is basically a journal meant to be a guide started by Sam with side notes by the ever comical Dean. Sam gives a knowledgeable background on the beasts followed by a summary of an encounter. Throughout the book, Dean contributes his wisdom in a very Dean-esque way of course.
This book is for seasoned fans of the show because of the spoiler summaries. It's definitely a must-have for devoted fans.
April 2, 2018
The art in this was beautiful!
This book was written in the povs of Sam and Dean and had a lot of information about all the different monsters, demons, etc. that Sam and Dean face. I really enjoyed that they made references to the episodes in which they faced these monsters- most of them I remembered because I am obsessed with this show, but there were a few I semi forgot about or forgot what that specific vampire or ghost looked like so I liked that they would reference the instances we saw them in in the show it made it really enjoyable and I want to rewatch all the seasons now 😂
HOWEVER if you haven't watched up to the end of season 11, don't read this because there will be spoilers!
This book was written in the povs of Sam and Dean and had a lot of information about all the different monsters, demons, etc. that Sam and Dean face. I really enjoyed that they made references to the episodes in which they faced these monsters- most of them I remembered because I am obsessed with this show, but there were a few I semi forgot about or forgot what that specific vampire or ghost looked like so I liked that they would reference the instances we saw them in in the show it made it really enjoyable and I want to rewatch all the seasons now 😂
HOWEVER if you haven't watched up to the end of season 11, don't read this because there will be spoilers!
January 15, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. For those people who when they see the title Men of Letters don't think it's the actual Men of Letters. This book is their Men of Letters Journal for future generations since their great grand father was a Men of Letters Member.
I found this a great follow on from the tv series I loved the sketches and the art work, they were beautifully done. The information about each monster, witch, god etc is told in Dean and Sam's own words and they describe how they killed them and what their thought and experiences were.
I would recommend this book for and true fan.
I found this a great follow on from the tv series I loved the sketches and the art work, they were beautifully done. The information about each monster, witch, god etc is told in Dean and Sam's own words and they describe how they killed them and what their thought and experiences were.
I would recommend this book for and true fan.
February 14, 2018
Loved this book! As a monster book from Supernatural it was exactly what I was looking for, an encyclopedia for Supernatural monsters along with mentions of some of our favorites. (Including Gabriel <3) The only book out of the 'reference' section and not the Supernatural novels themselves that is in the same ballpark as this one is Bobby Singer's Guide to Hunting. I highly recommend this book and it is a wonderful addition to SPN collection. Worth every penny!
May 17, 2021
Loved everything about this book!
I missed a few monsters like Doctor Benson, (although he was human, he was something else too) and the Jefferson Starships, Khan Worm and more. There was no entry for Ruby which I thought would be in here since others got their entry.
But besides that, this was educational and very entertaining. I love that it's written from Sam and Dean's perspective and kind of making it their own journal.
A must have for every Supernatural Fan!
I missed a few monsters like Doctor Benson, (although he was human, he was something else too) and the Jefferson Starships, Khan Worm and more. There was no entry for Ruby which I thought would be in here since others got their entry.
But besides that, this was educational and very entertaining. I love that it's written from Sam and Dean's perspective and kind of making it their own journal.
A must have for every Supernatural Fan!
April 14, 2019
Absolutely loved this book. Written as if Sam and Dean are the writers, filling in details about the many monsters they've encountered and killed in the course of their lifetimes. Wonderful artist work captures the monsters, as well as the Winchester brothers throughout the book. Definitely a must need book for any Supernatural fan to have in their collection.
February 4, 2026
Lowk banger, though it would’ve been nice if they’d held off making this book until the end of the show because it’s technically outdated in terms of the lore and is missing certain information.
But that being said I still really liked it but I also really like anything supernatural related rn so i might be biased
But that being said I still really liked it but I also really like anything supernatural related rn so i might be biased
September 17, 2017
Loved the drawings and how "Sam" and "Dean" both would have little comments for each monster and section. A great addition to the show and it does contain spoilers for anyone not caught up yet on the whole series.
February 24, 2018
I loved this book. It's so informative about the different beasties that the Winchester boys have come into contact with. And ganked! Written mostly by Sam with a few humorous inputs from Dean it makes an intersting read.
July 19, 2021
What a great companion to read if you love Supernatural. It is more of a Winchester bestiary than it is Men of Letters. But it is still overall a great read and for any Supernatural fan, a must have for any collection.
November 12, 2018
Beautiful
January 17, 2020
Makes me want to rewatch the show!
January 11, 2021
Me gusto que se distingue la personalidad de Sam y Dean en los escritos, un buen libro para los fans de Supernatural.
February 2, 2023
Tim Waggoner does it again such amazing details and writing and stunning illi by Kyle Hotz a must read for any fan off the supernatural show and so fascinating to read
February 14, 2024
Not really the bestiary book but the actual Men of Letters but a great companion for the show's fans. Nice illustrations.
May 28, 2024
Cute, but nothing special. Nice illustration.
May 21, 2025
Really fun read!!! I enjoyed the drawings throughout.
December 8, 2019
It still doesn't explain how Sam gets WIFI everywhere.
October 7, 2017
I really enjoyed it. It was a fun read and I loved the pictures, really. BUT. Two things really bugged me.
First, it's a Men of Letters Bestiary, "Winchester Family edition". So basically it's a Sam and Dean Winchester Bestiary, nothing to do with Men of Letters. While I expected detailed entries for every monster seen in the show, I got quick introductions to most baddies and that's it. A lot was missing, especially in the Gods section (I get they weren't all interesting but I would have chuckled at a picture of Paris Hilton and where the Hell was Kali?) and since it was sold as being written by scholars, it just didn't cut it for me. Don't get me wrong, I love Sam and Dean and their experience is interesting, but it's not what I was supposed to get.
Then, the mistakes. There are quite few inaccuracies in the entries, which surprised me because it's not the first Supernatural book this author wrote. A few examples: the Knights of Hell being the first demons created by Lucifer (they were created by Cain), God giving Cain the Mark (the Mark was actually given to Lucifer, who then gave it to Cain), Reapers that could only be killed by Death's Scythe (might wanna tell that to ), Michael trapped with Lucifer in the Cage for millenia (nope, Lucifer was alone, at least until season 5), Sam mentioning the Rugaru's pregnant wife when said wife hid her pregnancy from them in case they'd try to kill her too, ... Need I go on? Most of these are small things but there were way too many of them for me to ignore and let's face it, the SPN Family, me included, is a rabid fandom so you better get your facts straight ;)
On the other hand, Sam and Dean's voices were on point and I especially loved some of their input. I like Dean's theory about demons being aware of what they turned into and hating themselves as their eternal punishment. His comment about the Bisaan had me laughing so hard! Other interesting comments include Sam wondering how many changelings go unnoticed in the world (he says the same thing about shapeshifters), and his opinion on Amy, his kitsune friend, that was all the more valuable that it was swept under the rug in the show. This is the kind of details that add value to the text, because if you're not making it a manual, Sam and Dean's perspective is an interesting angle.
Also the pictures are absolutely GORGEOUS. Gosh! Super kudos to Kyle Hotz for his amazing artwork.
Basically, I think it's a good tie-in. It's beautiful and appeals to your love of the show. Unfortunately, and this is a problem I often get with tie-ins, I would have preferred something deeper and, well, accurate. So it's a nice prop, but not that great of a book. Fans will probably buy it anyway, but come on, you can do better.
First, it's a Men of Letters Bestiary, "Winchester Family edition". So basically it's a Sam and Dean Winchester Bestiary, nothing to do with Men of Letters. While I expected detailed entries for every monster seen in the show, I got quick introductions to most baddies and that's it. A lot was missing, especially in the Gods section (I get they weren't all interesting but I would have chuckled at a picture of Paris Hilton and where the Hell was Kali?) and since it was sold as being written by scholars, it just didn't cut it for me. Don't get me wrong, I love Sam and Dean and their experience is interesting, but it's not what I was supposed to get.
Then, the mistakes. There are quite few inaccuracies in the entries, which surprised me because it's not the first Supernatural book this author wrote. A few examples: the Knights of Hell being the first demons created by Lucifer (they were created by Cain), God giving Cain the Mark (the Mark was actually given to Lucifer, who then gave it to Cain), Reapers that could only be killed by Death's Scythe (might wanna tell that to ), Michael trapped with Lucifer in the Cage for millenia (nope, Lucifer was alone, at least until season 5), Sam mentioning the Rugaru's pregnant wife when said wife hid her pregnancy from them in case they'd try to kill her too, ... Need I go on? Most of these are small things but there were way too many of them for me to ignore and let's face it, the SPN Family, me included, is a rabid fandom so you better get your facts straight ;)
On the other hand, Sam and Dean's voices were on point and I especially loved some of their input. I like Dean's theory about demons being aware of what they turned into and hating themselves as their eternal punishment. His comment about the Bisaan had me laughing so hard! Other interesting comments include Sam wondering how many changelings go unnoticed in the world (he says the same thing about shapeshifters), and his opinion on Amy, his kitsune friend, that was all the more valuable that it was swept under the rug in the show. This is the kind of details that add value to the text, because if you're not making it a manual, Sam and Dean's perspective is an interesting angle.
Also the pictures are absolutely GORGEOUS. Gosh! Super kudos to Kyle Hotz for his amazing artwork.
Basically, I think it's a good tie-in. It's beautiful and appeals to your love of the show. Unfortunately, and this is a problem I often get with tie-ins, I would have preferred something deeper and, well, accurate. So it's a nice prop, but not that great of a book. Fans will probably buy it anyway, but come on, you can do better.
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May 19, 2019I loved it! I read it in one sitting.
I think it was very well done. They explained all the creatures in an efficient way. They give you all the characteristics of the creatures with there strengths and weaknesses. They made it very fun and interesting by writing it from Sam and Dean’s perspective. They’re personalities really reflect in the writing which makes it easy readable. Referencing specific events in episodes really helps you remember and connect it to the show. The art work was great and really resembles the show. Only if you ask me it could have used some color. All and all a great book and a good addiction to my bookcase.
I think it was very well done. They explained all the creatures in an efficient way. They give you all the characteristics of the creatures with there strengths and weaknesses. They made it very fun and interesting by writing it from Sam and Dean’s perspective. They’re personalities really reflect in the writing which makes it easy readable. Referencing specific events in episodes really helps you remember and connect it to the show. The art work was great and really resembles the show. Only if you ask me it could have used some color. All and all a great book and a good addiction to my bookcase.
November 19, 2025
I enjoyed this a lot, with only a few reservations keeping it from being a full five-star read. I liked that it did not feel empty. Even when it was simply entertaining, there was enough craft there to make it satisfying. Tim Waggoner gives it enough control and personality that it feels like more than just a premise on a page. A few parts did not quite hit as hard as they could have, but there was far more good than weak here. Four stars because I enjoyed it and would happily recommend it, even if it stopped just short of being a favourite.
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