Was sadly unable to view this title using my device for some reason and the title archived before I could resolve the issue. From what I could see from Internet research, the artwork in this is superb and I would recommend picking it up if you can!

This is a case of not for me! I think there were some interesting themes explored but it didn't quite capture me.

Loved the art here. It can be a bit overwhelming but I could see myself getting a physical copy one day. I think it would be easier to absorb that way.

I love everything fantastical and dragons hold a special place in my heart. That's what prompted me to pick up this book. I mean, who wouldn't want to look at beautiful illustrations of dragons?!
Illustrations accompany (very) short stories, which all have a very typical high-fantasy feel to them and feature dragons in different ways. The stories are also vaguely tied to each other, sometimes they reference some things from other stories in this book and I found that really satisfying. Most them do have a somehow sad or tragic tone to them, but they are also beautiful and epic.
I really liked how I never knew what to expect on the next page, art and story wise. That made the book very interesting, albeit a bit chaotic as well, especially because of many different art styles of the illustrations. So I could classify that as a pro and a con at the same time. This was quite a unique read.

I grew up with a mother who loves dragons and a passion for art so when I saw this book I picked up out of curiosity and with scepticism that there was much more to see. What a visual treat I received! Filled with beautiful, colourful, multi-cultural dragons, it is a feast for the eyes. Alongside the artworks are folktales and histories told in a way that allows the reader to believe dragons actually exist.

Dragons are one of those mythical creatures who can be painted as dark and evil or good and protective and all the permutations in between. As such a section (which I read with my eyes closed) is dedicated to the stories about hunting dragons but the majority of the book focused of the more positive elements and those other mythical creatures often included alongside them.

If you love fantasy art, dragons or both…be sure to pick this one up! Its a five out of five on the enJOYment scale!

I received a complimentary copy of the book from Diamond Books Distributors through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Dragon Universe is a wonderfully diverse encyclopedia of dragonkind tied together by short vignette text, but it's the fantasy art that is the main attraction. Due out 21st June 2022 and distributed in North America by Diamond Comics, it's 198 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook/comiXology formats.

This is a wide ranging collection of vastly varying styles and art of different media types from pen and ink to oils. The artists are diverse and only a few were previously familiar to me. The formatting reminds me quite a lot of "The art of..." collections from the past.

This is a nice collection for fantasy art enthusiasts and a good resource for inspiration and for finding new artists to follow.

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

After trying multiple times on different devices, I was unfortunately never able to read this. But as a huge fan of dragons and dragon lore, I look forward to reading a physical copy!

The Dragon Universe is a unique book of art and stories that chronicles the rise and fall of the majestic, intelligent dragons who once ruled the world, but were driven mad by a mysterious curse and became the hunted beasts of legend. The book was created in cooperation with many artists and a couple of writers and the finished product is beautiful and imaginative, although the art is frequently of mature content, so this is not a children’s picture book by any means.

What an unexpected surprise this book was!

As an artist and lover of all things dragons, this book was right up my alley. It is like a cross between an encyclopaedia of dragons and an artist’s sketchbook for the study of dragons which made it such a creative and fun experience.

The illustrations were mesmerising, each a unique take on the world of dragons through the application of different artistic styles. I couldn’t help but to flip through to admire them all before settling down to read the accompanying text.

The stories seemed to collect tales from around the world, including folklore from many different cultures giving us the opportunity to explore dragons from many different angles.

When this book is released in May I plan on buying it as a gift for my dragon loving Mum as it really is such a different dragon book from all the others currently available.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the authors for this ARC copy which I have chosen to review with all my own thoughts and views.

The Dragon Universe is a collection of illustrations, information and stories based loosely on dragons but includes lots more related fantasy creatures. I liked some of the illustrations, but not all and the text is a little disjointed. A good book for dipping into. It would be particularly suited to fantasy artists and illustrators..

When I saw The Dragon Universe on Netgalley one knew I had to request it with that focus on dragons. And illustrations. I love illustrations. I wasn't sure what I was expecting but what I got left me a little dissapointed.

That certainly was in no way the fault of the illustrations. It was great to see the variety of styles on the dragons and other creatures. From small drawings to large spreads. Detailed and so many things to look at.

Its downfall were the text. The book is divided into two sections. The first section seems to focus on the dwarves, orcs and humans in relation to the dragons. The second part is focused on the elves and dragons. The first part feels so very unconnected. To most of the art but also to the stories themselves. There were tid bits that were focused on more of the other creatures than dragons really. Some of the texts were long-winded and boring. A lot of the art was very random. I saw a spread of Paul Kidby's Discworld dragons for instance.

The second part tells the story of the relations between the elves and dragons, and was structured so much better. But unfortunately that couldn't save the book for me anymore.

The Dragon Universe is a compendium of stories, poems, and Dungeons & Dragons-worthy artwork. Equal parts art and text, the artwork is beautiful.

Very much a mish-mash, this collection of random, unconnected fantasy art will appeal perhaps most to those who want fantasy art to be fantasy creatures and not fantasy cleavage. Yes, there are some big bazoomas on these pages, but generally there's a far greater concentration on dragons, worms and wyverns. That said, a lot of pencil drawings of humanoid characters crop up, but the biggest problem, despite it just being thrown up in the air and pasted in in whatever order it landed, is the text, which is disjointed extract after unwelcome splodge after needless bit and so on. A tendency to get dreadfully cartoonish in the visuals doesn't help, either – and no I'm not back to the boobs. A three stars that actually is a touch generous.

Unfortunatly I could not open the book, because it was no longer available on NetGallery. The *.acsm no longer worked, Pitty, was looking forwards to reading it.

I really enjoyed this book. My favourite part were definitely the beautiful illustrations, but I also really enjoyed some of the stories told. In the first half the book got a little confusing at times, but I really loved the second half. (Especially the stories about the sea dragons, they were definitely my favorite.)

Unfortunately, after various attempts, my device just doesn't seem to be compatible with this download file. I'll be sure to keep an eye out for the printed version!

A special thanks to NetGalley and Diamond Book Distributors for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I enjoyed this illustrated book since it has so many different stories about dragons from many different perspectives. I think this would be a really beautiful book as a physical copy but I wish there was more cohesiveness between the different illustrators. I think it was a little jarring at times to suddenly drastically switch artistic styles. I also think there was a little too much text on the page at certain times. Nonetheless, it was quite pretty and it made me very nostalgic about my youth reading Eragon and Dragonology. I think this would be a very fun book for dragon enthusiasts and people who like creative stories about dragons.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Diamond Book Distributors for a copy of this for the review!

Welcome to an encyclopedia of dragons! Some good, some bad, and WOW, this book is stunning! I enjoyed every story and was met with a familiar yet different perspective of dragons, their history, and their origins. The book is an exquisite work of art. A central selling point, the illustrations are beautifully drawn and pull you into the story, unlike most standard encyclopedias.

This book is one I NEED physically on my shelves, and I highly recommend it to all who love dragons and fantasy in general!

This book contains short stories from the viewpoints of all mythical creatures (Dragons, elves, dwarves, etc.) and relevant artwork. The artwork was wonderful. I loved seeing all variety of dragons and how they interact with other inhabitants of the world.

Part One was a little hard to follow for me. It felt like the short stories wanted to tell a larger story, but it felt too out of order to give me the full picture. I did enjoy each story as a standalone though.

Part Two was great. All short stories, but it felt more cohesive. The artwork felt more relevant to the story.

Overall, the book as a whole was a fun read. The epic Dragon artwork is worth it.

I really enjoyed this book. I greatly appreciate the wide variety of illustrations. Quite a beautiful book.