A great resource for anyone interested in the mythology around fairies. It covers a wide range of stories from various cultures in an accessible way.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

I love fairies, so I was excited to dive into this book to see what it could offer. This covered a wide variety of fae and fae related subjects, all organized alphabetically. Clearly well-researched, this was easy to read and could be used as a reference book or be read from cover to cover. I'd recommend this for those curious about the fae, wanting to expand their knowledge, or wanting to do their own research.

I love this book! Morgan Daimler doesn't disappoint with her information on fairies. This book is very comprehensive. It's a great reference. I highly recommend.

This was great. This is a good resource for Celtic and Irish mythology and folklore. If one is interested in the subject of faeries, this one is definitely recommended.

Alp Luachra. Bogles. The Dearg Due. Gwragedd Annwn. Merrows. Nicnevin. Robert Kirk. Spriggans. Uraisg. Ylfig.

Recognize the names? No? Not surprising. Outside of their regions of origin — primarily Ireland and Scotland, as well as far western Europe — fairy lore tends to stick to a few well-known examples. Or are they well known? How much of what we think we know about fairies is based on original folklore, and how much is based on poor memories, bad translations, and fiction authors running wild?

I thought that I was moderately well-versed in fairy lore. The more I read of Daimler’s A New Dictionary of Fairies, the more I realized how little I knew, and that a significant portion of that (incorrect) knowledge was based on Disney films and pop fantasy novels. (To be clear, I have no objection to Disney films or pop fantasy novels. I watch the former regularly and I write the latter myself. The problem is when information is presented as ancient and authentic, and it is not, or when people assume that it is ancient and authentic, and it is not.) Daimler does an excellent job of separating the two categories — original versus new — and presenting examples and source material for the former. For instance, I had never heard of the Alp Luachra; now I want to read or write a horror story centered around one. Similarly, I knew of the name Bridget Cleary, but did not know her whole tragic story. And I had no idea that there were so many versions of the Wild Hunt scattered across a dozen cultures and just as many centuries.

The more I read, the more I wanted to pick up a highlighter and start marking the interesting bits. But I would have ended up with a book that was mostly highlights.

I have only two complaints, and these may or may not affect your decision to purchase a copy; ultimately, they do not affect my recommendation that you do add it to your personal library.

First, A New Dictionary needed a more thorough edit. Use of commas may come down to personal aesthetics in many cases, but here there were just too many missing — in addition to missing periods, quotation marks, and parentheses. There were also a number of spelling errors, with swapped letters resulting in the incorrect term being used; e.g., “signing” for “singing.”

Second, the dictionary lacks a pronunciation guide. I have absolutely no idea how to say Gwragedd Annwn. Is the w pronounced like a u or an i, or something else completely? Is that dd a th sound? While some readers who pick up A New Dictionary will have a familiarity with Gaeilge (Irish Gaelic) and Gàidhlig (Scots Gaelic), I suspect that many others will not. I would have found it immensely helpful if unfamiliar terms had been sounded out at the beginning of each entry, or if a short introduction to non-English letters and letter combinations had been added.

That being said, I am keeping my copy of A New Dictionary of Fairies handy. It has a prominent place in my writing space, as I have found it wonderfully inspirational and informative. Highly recommended to fans of Daimler’s other books (especially from the Pagan Portals series), as well as writers, gamers, and anyone with an interest in fairies and fairy lore.

As always with Ms. Daimler, a thorough and well-researched work. As clearly stated in the title, this is definitely a dictionary and best utilized as reference material. Only the most devoted pursuer of fairy lore would enjoy reading this from cover to cover. As such, it probably has a limited appeal to the average reader.

A New Dictionary of Fairies is a veritable treasure trove of information and history, ancient and old. With entries on everything from Redcaps to the Puca, there are stories of individual creatures and people as well as explanations of lore such as the use of salt and Christian symbolism connected with the Fae.

Although this is a dictionary, don't be put off by the word. This is a compendium of stories, poetry and explanations that will keep you flipping pages later into the night.

The breadth of subjects is beautifully diverse, and although the well known Fae are each addressed, there are also entries on lots of lesser known creatures and concepts, which are fascinating to read about.

There are references in every entry, with which to build a gargantuan list of further reading. The bibliography at the back is pages long, and filled with well known and fascinating sources.

It is very clear from start to finish that this book was compiled by an accomplished academic, who has a true passion for fairylore and mystical mythology. The author's love of the subject shines through her stories and explanations.

I would love to have a paper copy of this to reference from time to time, and to read through on blustery autumn evenings. I will certainly be looking out for it at bookstores, and will consider it when I am looking for a gift.

Those of you who have been with me since the start of my blog will know that it was intended to include posts about my attempts at writing a novel. You will no doubt have noticed that these posts have fallen completely by the wayside as my writing efforts stalled. I had an idea for a fantasy novel based in British folklore, but after an enthusiastic start, I lost my mojo a bit. Sitting down and reading this book, however, has inspired me once more though and I now have ideas for not one but four books set around each of the Celtic nations, and I am excited about writing again. I owe Morgan Daimler a debt of gratitude for this.

A New Dictionary of Fairies is exactly what you would expect – an A-Z of all things fairy. It is an easy book to dip in and out of, and feels incredibly thorough. As I was reading it, I found myself making notes about folkloric accounts and poems that I wanted to look up and read in their entirety as my creative juice really started to flow. I have a LOT of books on folklore and fairies, but this is by far the most accessible that I have read so far.

I know this is a book that I will refer back to time and again as I write, and I already have more of Morgan’s books lined up ready to read – more on those coming soon!

An excellent reference, and a lot of fun as well! Daimler visits worlds and characters that a lot of authors overlook, and the result is a title that can keep you browsing for hours at a time.

This is a lovely little reference book for anyone who is interested in or who loves fairies and anything mythical.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest and unbiased opinion.

A New Dictionary of Fairies
A 21st Century Exploration of Celtic and Related Western European Fairies
by Morgan Daimler

The title says it all. This is A New Dictionary of Fairies, a list of names given to various fairies and an exploration of the way they have been described in various cultures. It is a useful reference work. It would be a great addition to any book collection. Keep it on the coffee table, or night stand. Dip into it when you have a few minutes to spare.

This book is exactly what it says a dictionary. Anyone interested in the fae or folklore should have this on their shelves as a reference book. It was very well researched and written. I bought a hardcopy for my shelves.

An excellent resource on all things fae and fairy. Bought a hard copy to use as a reference.

Many thanks to the publisher, the author, and NetGalley for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

A definite must read for any fans of fairies, folklore etc. It is very well researched and written and a very enjoyable read.

My thanks to John Hunt Publishing/Moon Books for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘A New Dictionary of Fairies’ by Morgan Daimler in exchange for an honest review.

Its subtitle ‘A 21st Century Exploration of Celtic and Related Western European Fairies’ is a fair summary of its contents. I had been impressed by an earlier book by Morgan Daimler on Faerie Queens that I read and reviewed and I am aware that she has written a number of works on Faerie.

In contrast to her other books this is a reference work and intended as a follow up to folklorist Katherine Briggs’ 1976 work: ‘A Dictionary of Fairies: Hobgoblins, Brownies, Bogies, and Other Supernatural Creatures’. Indeed, in her Introduction, Daimler states that she was inspired to create this new dictionary because Briggs’ Dictionary was not only out of print but that in the last 40 years the field of folklore and faerie lore has moved on. “There have been new ideas advanced and new material covered, and in some cases uncovered, yet there is no work that equals Briggs in its scope and depth on the subject.”

Certainly I agree with her that it is time to update Briggs. She also highlights the important point that an increased popularity and inclusion in fiction has led to such lore becoming “divorced from both the root cultures and actual belief to create the twee fairies that populate many current media sources, and yet the genuine belief in fairies and the older folk beliefs still remain, found as they have always been in the lives of people and in stories preserved by folklorists–historic and modern.”

Overall, I found this a well researched and very informative resource. I loved the inclusion of poetry and folk ballads. I would have loved illustrations though including these likely would have been prohibitive in terms of cost. However, one of the benefits of the internet is that it is easy to search for images and artwork.

I enjoyed reading this very much and discovered material that I hadn’t previously been aware of. I found the main text scholarly yet accessible. I was very impressed by the extensive bibliography included.

As this is a reference book, it is perfect to dip into rather than necessarily read from cover to cover. I expect that I will buy my own hard copy in due course to add to my existing collection on folklore and Faerie.

An interesting and comprehensive read that made me learn of lot of new things about fairies.
I liked how well researched and well written this book is.
A useful read, recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

A dictionary of fairies. A full comprehensive look at the world of fairies.If you love the idea of fairies if your curious about them this book full of knowledge is for you. Really loved reading this book.#netgalley#johnhuntpublishing

I am in love with this book. Morgan has a wonderful style that shows even in a dictionary, making reading enjoyable, entertaining and useful. Normally I would have passed this title aside, but knowing who wrote it, I knew I would find nothing less than perfection and professionalism.

It should be pretty obvious that I like fairytales and folklore. So when I heard about this book on Netgalley, I was immediately intrigued. It’s supposed to be a comprehensive resource on all things about the Good People and it definitely delivers.

Organised alphabetically (duh!), A New Dictionary of Fairies covers subjects like Elf-Shot and Possession by Fairies, people like Bessie Dunlop and Beady Early, and ballads like Tam Lin and Lady Isobel and the Elf Knight. It’s a fantastic resource that looks at the history and beliefs regarding fairies.

I was initially a bit worried that the subject matter was going to be too narrow, because I was pretty interested in fairies in Asia and how they compare, but it turns out that the book wasn’t narrow enough for me. While the fairies have a lot of similarities, the dictionary organisation of the book meant that it was pretty difficult to distinguish between fairies of different countries. I have a pretty good understanding of the fairies in Western Europe/Celtic cultures now, but I don’t think I can explain much about the differences within regions.

Another ‘drawback’, if you can call it that, of the dictionary format is that it’s harder to get an overview of the study of fairies because the information comes in small topics. I suppose it would be hard to structure a general overview because there’s so much to cover, but I would have really enjoyed the book that way as well. But I did learn a lot from the book as it is so this is really more of a wish than a complaint.

I was also really intrigued by the mentions of Christianity in the book and how they related to fairies. The discussions of how fairies seem to treat the religion was fascinating and I would love to read more about the history of fairies and Christianity. Surely someone has written about it! The book mentions a minister named Robert Kirk who has apparently written about fairies – I’ll have to check out his writings.

On the same note, the discussion of whether fairies have souls/can go to heaven reminds me a little of the controversy surrounding ghosts (from A Cultural History of Ghosts). In the book, the author mentions that the arguments for and against the existence to ghosts depended on the denomination of Christianity – I wonder if it’s the same here.

Overall, this was a fascinating and evidently well-researched book on the subject of fairies in Western Europe (in particular, Celtic culture). If you are interested in the subject, I’d recommend that you check it out.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.