I had a lot of fun with the book and the funny drawings especially those creatures I already stumbled upon while playing Dungeons and Dragons

Dungeons and Drawings is essentially a Bestiary, which provides a rich and detailed array of fantasy creatures and folk monsters for the RPG fanatic and the avid Dungeon Master to draw on. Beautifully illustrated with unique and colourful depictions, this book is full of unusual histories and fascinating facts about both familiar creatures and obscure ones.
Each creature is categorised by its alignment to good or evil, its dominant element and its creature type (humanoid, fairy, undead etc.), and then is rated on its combat, magic, smarts, loot and danger.

From gorgons (like medusa) and homunculus (a sort of small golem) to jiangshi (a soul eating, hopping vampire) and the oni (a mountain devil), Dungeons and Drawings is amazingly thorough and diverse as it draws on folk tales and night terrors from around the globe. You may recognise the will-o’-the-wisp and the banshee, but have you heard of a zaratan or a hecatoncheires?
Some creatures appear cute and even loveable: things like mushroom folk and the elven-hound who looks like a fairy corgi, whilst others are immediately repulsive, like the child eating lamia and the hideous basilisk. Whatever style or difficulty level you are looking for, Dungeons and Drawings has a monster for you.

As a fantasy and fairytale nerd myself, I would absolutely consider having this book simply as a coffee table conversation starter, or as a resource to draw on when writing stories, drawing, or of course planning a D&D campaign. I loved the “adventurer's tip” on each entry, and I know they could add wonderful dimension and fun to one’s game.

An immense amount of love, time and dedication has gone into the creation of this book, and I applaud the writers and artists who made it happen. It is clear that it was a passion project, from the detailed descriptions to the creatively re-imagined images, every element of this book has been carefully crafted.

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this lovely bestiary.

While I don't play TTRPGs, I have a good friend who does, and I know enough about the games to be able to tell this is a very useful book. Even if you're not into TTRPGs, it's a good read- the information is interesting, the art is really cool, and there's a nice long bibliography at the end to help you find more info. For gamers, there's a key at the beginning to help you figure out a creature's stats at a glance- tables for alignment, abilities, type, etc. The folklore information in each entry is also helpful and interesting. A great book for the geek/nerd in your life (which might be you)!

#DungeonsAndDrawingsAnIllustratedCompendiumOfCreatures #NetGalley

Thanks to the publishers for sharing this one. I really liked some of the illustrations, and there was a good range of monsters represented. This book isn't just for gamers, it would be handy for writers too. My full review appears on Weekend Notes.

Dungeons and Dragons and some great drawings. They really are interesting and well drawn. There are many people who would love this book.

'Dungeons and Drawings: An Illustrated Compendium of Creatures' by Blanca Martínez de Rituerto and Joe Sparrow is an illustrated bestiary of creatures that one might encounter in role playing games.

In alphabetical entries from Ahuizotl to Zombie, the reader learns on one page about the stats and dangers of every creature. A system of icons gives alignment, element, and type. An infographic ranks each monster on a scale of 1 to 5 for things like combat, magic and loot. There is a description of what an encounter with the creature might be like and some interesting text noting where in the real world the origins might have come from.

The second page is a full page drawing of the creature. There are some nice variations of drawings for things like vampires or a colossus. The drawings are colorful and some are kind of funny. The book ends with sources for further reading.

What could be more fun than an encyclopedia of monsters? I had a fun time reading this.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.

Dungeons & Dragons is having a major revival this decade, in large part thanks to Stranger Things and shows like Critical Role. I'm a not so secret Fantasy-lover, so D&D has always been on my radar even if I haven't actively played it in years. In their Dungeons & Drawings de Riuerri and Sparrow re-imagine creatures from folklore old and new. Thanks to Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Martínez de Rituerto and Sparrow started off posting drawings online after discovering they shared a passion for tabletop RPGs and Dungeons & Drawings is very much a best-of collection. Each creature, be it spirit, monster or alien, gets a brilliant drawing that draws (ha!) both on the folklore and legends around it as well as on more modern visuals. The drawings are very easy on the eye and somehow very recognizable, yet that belies how intricate they are as well. Martínez de Rituerto and Sparrow didn't go for the easy get with their drawings, often highlighting features of the creature that have been overlooked before. Dungeons & Drawings walks the line between nerdy excitement and artistic venture. It's as much about the art as about the creatures, which means that those looking for an in-depth bestiary or for a Dungeons & Dragons starter guide, will probably be disappointed.

Dungeons & Drawings covers the world, with creatures from Japan, Mexico, Ireland and everywhere in between. Each creature's illustration is prefaced by a short introduction that rates it, according to different, partly Dungeons & Drawings-related categories. How dangerous are they, are they smart or can you outwit them? The introductions give you an idea of how they might be defeated and what their powers are. It also digs into the the history of the creatures' names, the different regions from which it hails and the different forms in which it can be found. I loved those sections the best, as a lot of creatures actually have a fascinating background story.

Dungeons & Drawings is a beautiful compendium of mythological creatures with modern but layered illustrations. It's perfect for those looking for a stunning book to lead through to gather some inspiration for their own RPG games.

This book was adorable. It's perfect for DMs who want to be thoughtful with their inclusion of various types of monsters based on setting, theme, or influence. It would also be great for players who may be less familiar with monsters who don't come straight out of folklore/mythology, so they can get an idea of what they're up against (figuring out what a kobold was took my campaign, like, way too long). The art is lively and animated, and it practically jumps off the page. I really loved this.

Dungeons and Drawings was bound to catch my eye, given that I and many of my friends are dedicated tabletop RPG gamers. I’ve read and owned bestiaries (books that explain the monsters of a game world, along with specifics that apply to interacting with them in-game) for several tabletop gaming systems. So the promise of another book, a little more general in subject matter (as opposed to dedicated to one specific brand of game and its worldbuilding), with artistic illustrations sounded perfect for me, and I was delighted when #NetGalley approved my request for an advanced copy.

Unfortunately, this book falls a little flat for me. It’s fine. Absolutely fine. It just didn’t blow me away. Some of my disappointment was probably due to my own misplaced expectations, and some was due to the fact that the book seems to be trying to tread a path midway between geeky/ gaming and intellectual/ artistic, that didn’t seem to fully satisfy either need, at least for me.

The art is arresting and often beautiful, but it’s not necessarily practical art for familiarizing players with their opponents, instead being more purely decorative. suited to wall art or coffee table books. (Dragon, Good and the Feathered Serpent are two of my favorites.) It may have also challenged my own expectations, by not being as Eurocentric and Tolkein-esque in look and tone as the fantasy basis for my gaming experience thus far has primarily been. That is in no way a poor reflection on the book, but on my own tastes and expectations, especially since in theory I appreciate the broader artistic influences.

The brief descriptions of each monster are interesting, especially the second paragraph of each section that details the folkloric and mythological roots of each monster. That bit of research is something I haven’t encountered in bestiaries before, and found fascinating–in a nerdy intellectual way. It is less relevant for the geeky gamer who wants to know how to best interact with it, though, and so again seems caught suspended between the two categories, not fully satisfying either.

So in general, the book, both in art and in content, seems to try to be two different things at once, and doesn’t particularly succeed at either, in my opinion. The striking art and bits of information about each monster might make the book a lovely coffee table/ conversation piece, though, for those who want to reflect both their geeky sides and their intellectual and artistic sides. It’s certainly worth looking through at least once, if you’re a gamer with interest in monsters or a folklore buff with interest in how past myths and lore have merged into games now, a fan of artwork with diverse cultural influences depicting monsters from myths around the world–or espeically if you’re all three at once.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for giving me a chance to read #DungeonsAndDrawingsAnIllustratedCompendiumOfCreatures in exchange for my honest opinion.

A cod bestiary, only to be bought if you really, REALLY like such things. It wins in the script, with a paragraph about how it might fit in with the mythos of your D&D game, and then another about the real-life mythology and derivation. Where it loses is the artwork, which really did not seem the standard fare, and was all the worse for it. The Banshee doesn't deserve picking out, but if you pass this volume and need to see how wackily nonconformist it is, turn there. Or pretty much anywhere – the Disease Demon and Hell Hound are particularly risible. Still, in mentioning so much stuff I'd not heard of (Slavic wood fairies, Jan Tregeagle, the fomorians etc) it does show an immensely rich scope. I still think the design is a huge negative here – since when are succubi going to be successful looking like that?! Two and a half stars, and all for the authorial erudition.

Dungeons and Drawings is a gallery bestiary with annotations for magical beasts and creatures. Due out 12th Nov 2019 from Andrews McMeel, it's 280 pages and will be available in hardcover format.

I was (and am) a fan of tabletop RPGs. I remember poring over the D&D rulebooks, mapping out campaigns, and spending hundreds of hours painting miniatures. This book brings back a lot of fun nostalgic memories for me.

The short introduction and author statement provide some background for the genesis of this project as well as some context which will be mostly familiar to readers familiar with gaming in general. I liked the stylized alignment, elemental, and type (humanoid etc) markings as well as the characteristics such as combat, magic, and other abilities.The book progresses directly from the introduction into the bestiary/compendium starting with ahuizotl and ending with zombie (because Z is -always- for zombie! :) ). Each of the entries includes a short description with ratings for combat, magic, smarts, loot, and dangers.

The art itself is stylized and cartoonish in a good way. It's simple, colorful, direct, and bold.The book also includes a comprehensive links and further list of resources including films, books, and games.

This would be a good selection for younger readers up through adults who are fantasy game enthusiasts. It would also likely be enjoyed as a source of inspiration by readers who are interested in drawing fantasy and monster subjects. There are a lot of sources here to practice drawing.

Four stars.

I loved this! The illustrations are beautiful! I would definitely use this in a game; although it's not a replacement for the Monster Manual, it's enough for a player to get some basic information on the creatures they encounter. Definitely recommend for any D&D lover.

The art inside this book was not at all what I expected, and I mean that in the nicest way possible. Being D&D related, I went in expecting some very typical high fantasy-type art – you know, like, Monster Manual type of stuff:
Image result for dungeons and dragons monster manual.

That is not at all what I got, and honestly it was kind of refreshing. They are stylistically very interesting – almost having a sort of Powerpuff Girls-meets-60s cartoon drawing style. I wish that I could show you an example picture, but with this book being as-yet unpublished, I don’t think I can really do that. But trust me, they are in no way what you would expect, and they are mostly very cool (some I wasn’t wild about, but whatever – art is subjective, right?).

The inclusion of character attributes, stats, and monster history was really neat. I learned some things about some stuff, and I’m never going to be upset about that. I think the illustration of the Bajang was probably my favorite in the bunch. Additionally, book runs in A-Z format, so if you’re looking for stats on the fly, this book has got you covered too.

An interesting book of creatures and their statistics to play games with. Great for any beginner or just someone wanting to make a new character that they would not normally play. Love half the illustrations, but not as excited about the other half. With the style was the same throughout the book.

This is such a fun and unique take on a monster manual. The art was flipping fantastic. I loved how the style stayed cohesive but shifted slightly to fit each monster. I know this will give me so many world building and encounter ideas in the future. I can't wait to use it in my dungeons and dragons game.

Artistic, descriptive, and extensive. What a selection of references! Take a minute to delve into those creatures you've experienced over time. The art is deceptively anime in design. The descriptions include excellent references. Beware! There is always a creature that haunts you....if there is a young artst or seasoned gamer in your midst, this is a must read.

'Dungeons and Drawings: An Illustrated Compendium of Creatures' is a fun collection of D&D-monsters. The drawings are awesome! Somehow they're cute and sometimes terrifying at the same time. I will probably buy it, and use the drawings for my own campaigns, to show the players what they encounter.

First off, thanks to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing this book for me to take a look at!

This book is exceptionally well put together! The information on all the creatures is fantastic, and the illustrations are bright and colorful and really interesting to look at! It's honestly a very fantastic compendium of creatures that any GM/DM for Dungeons & Dragons, or other tabletop games might want to keep in their library/arsenal. There's also a wonderful set of references in the back of the book that includes other books that could be useful, as well as films and television!

For anyone who just wants a simple, at-a-glance guide to some really interesting monsters and creatures, this book could certainly be useful for your next campaign, or just to have on your shelf to admire the wonderful artwork!

"Dungeons and Drawings: An Illustrated Compendium of Creatures" is a fun collection of D&D inspired creatures and illustrations.

I recently started playing Dungeons and Dragons and I really liked the illustrations in this book!

I would like to thank the publisher for giving me a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.