This was alright! Extremely excited to see some of my favourite contemporary online artists represented right next to old masters' works again, but I wish more words were spent on informative descriptions instead of quirky internet language. I realize I'm critiquing much the same stuff as I've done about The Art of Darkness: A Treasury of the Morbid, Melancholic and Macabre... so I'll stop here.

A wonderful book. Highly recommended. You will enjoy reading it. Written in a very engaging prose. Nowhere would you feel being stuck or bored. Pick it up if you get a chance. Thanks to the author for a review copy.

Well I certainly turned to this with some trepidation. Last time (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4962074409) I clicked through to an S Elizabeth (aka Mlle Ghoul) (aka Sarah Walter) book I found a wonderful look at bizarre, macabre and downright peculiar art, that really showed someone knew their stuff. And then something made me click through to one of the pieces, and lo and behold ten minutes later I had found three instances of outright plagiarism and errant mistake. I assume the lack of response suggests lack of defence. And so I knew what this would lead to – a well-presented and indeed quite eye-opening look at visual creativity of the fantasy kind – not necessarily the humongous boobs and irrelevant thongs of fantasy fiction illustration, but you know, the other kind. And of course a ripe bit of thievery.

And this time it took seventeen minutes since I ever first clicked through to a next page to find anything that had been cribbed. The sections of the book get their own introductions, and then each chapter within those the same, after which you're given lovely visuals with the little explanatory captions such as you'd get on those tiny placards in museums. And just as before it's blindingly obvious which ones Mlle Sarah Elizabeth Walter Ghoul has written and which ones she's not. Raqib Shaw's first result on a quick google search bears striking similarity to what we get here, even if it might have been shunted about a bit. It's the first search – the gallery that represents him – and it's potentially been given two errors and not improved. And it's not been written by the creator here, unless the said Floridian also moonlights as writing web content on behalf of British artists at a London-based gallery collective.

And the mind boggles. Why did the publishers allow this to happen again (and potentially, given the earlier book I didn't see, for a third time)? Do they really give free digital copies to all and sundry (the likes of me) and never read what they're paying for? How can the editors allow these captions to pass when any fool can tell they're written by multiple hands? These books are potentially world-beating, with their scope, their variety, their richness of pieces the reasonably interested art lover will not have heard of. And they're cobbles. Not cobblers, because this is intelligent stuff, but cobbled, cut 'n' pasted, stolen. These books should have been five star achievements – they're unrateable plagiarism. And so dear reader I clicked through this for the wallpaper, not reading another untrustable word. And I hope this kind of thing ends in the dumper of ignominy it deserves – and that's no fantasy.

Thank you so much NetGalley, Quarto Publishing Group – White Lion, and Frances Lincoln fir access to this beautiful arc!

5/5 stars

Thus honestly a must have for any fantasy reader and art lover, which I happen to be both! The little write up's with each painting were informative, and I love how there's art from all different time periods in here. I can't WAIT to see this beauty in print! 🤩

A beautiful book with a wonderful selection of fantasy art of all types. Perfect for lovers of fantasy, and great inspiration for artists! Highly recommend.

"The Art of Fantasy" by S. Elizabeth is a wonderfully curated book that immerses readers in a world of fantastical art. From medieval masterpieces to contemporary gems, the collection spans generations, offering a rich berth of creativity. As a lover of art, I enjoyed poring over favorites like Evelyn De Morgan's "S.O.S." and John William Waterhouse's enchanting "A Mermaid." However, what truly surprised and thrilled me were the discoveries of new talents, including Eric Velhagen's captivating "Little Wings and Heavy Hooves," James Gurney's evocative "Garden of Hope," and Julie Dillon's mesmerizing "Medusa II." The diverse selection also features works from iconic artists like H.R. Gieger, Yuko Shimizu, Kiki Smith, and the legendary Alphonse Mucha, one of my all-time favorites.

S. Elizabeth's curation introduced me to a treasure trove of artists that I now hold dear. Her prose adds to the enchantment, weaving a lithe and magical narrative that accompanies each artwork. The descriptions are both intriguing and quirky, drawing us deeper into the fantastical realms depicted. I noticed that the longer chapter intros, which delve into the profound human fascination with fantasy, were reminiscent of the profound insights found in Clarissa Pinkola-Estes' "Women Who Run with the Wolves." I was elated to find a significant representation of women artists, a rarity in art history, and it warmed my heart to see their incredible contributions celebrated.

Many thanks go to NetGalley and Frances Lincoln Publishing for providing me with an advanced e-reader copy of this awe-inspiring book. As an artist and art enthusiast, I cannot wait to buy the physical edition for my permanent collection. "The Art of Fantasy" is more than a compilation of art; it is a wellspring of inspiration that will undoubtedly fuel my creativity for years to come.

Just an incredibly stunning portrait of art and fantasy. Some of the most beautiful illustrations highlight the fantastical nature of art and additional information associated with it. I believe the curation of art is a form of art in itself and the author of this book has chosen some of the most exquisite forms of art I've seen. I would recommend this book to anyone who is trying to look for inspiration.

Informative yet not too overly complicated or overwhelming. I liked how many different artists were packed into this books, and this was very useful for my A-level art study, which is based on literature. I wish there was more craft based art though, as all of the work shown was based on painting and drawing.

This book does a great job showing various techniques and approaches to cheating fantasy art. I also enjoyed that the author included art from across the centuries and gave a brief description of the history behind each piece. The book effectively achieves its goal as a sourcebook for this kind of art since it provides some background information so that people who want to research deeper are able to do so, as well as organize the art into subcategories.

I loved this.


This is such a beautiful read. Literally got the feelings I had as a child looking at pictures in my parents books for hours, the illustrations are absolutely wonderful and varying from a huge number of creatures from philosophy,dreams, religion, different worlds, realms, time zones everything.

I 100% plan to buy this and I urge everyone to do so as well. Whether you're an artist looking for inspiration like me or just want to stare at breathtaking pictures of fantastic beings of all sizes and abilities look no farther.

☆☆☆☆

Honestly, I'm not too sure how to rate this book, I haven't read many (any) other art books to compare it to and to say whether it's truly good or not so I just decided on a 4-star rating as I enjoyed it enough for it not to get a low rating. I didn't have many thoughts whilst reading this (that weren't just 'ooh look at this pretty art!') so this will be a short review.

I found there to be some interesting facts and information in the book, especially as someone who isn't too knowledgeable about art and I thought it was interesting to read about the interpretations of art and to learn a little about the artist's time and how it may have influenced the piece. I enjoyed the variety of the art used from recent art to very old art (dating hundreds of years back) and how it didn't just include paintings but other mediums too. Unfortunately, I didn't care for all the pieces and skimmed their information as I wasn't that interested but there were also pieces in which I found myself very interested by. I thought the overall layout of the book was okay but nothing special. One thing I didn't enjoy too much was the author? tried to be funny with certain pieces and it just left me feeling a little like uninterested I guess. I also had an issue with the book where none of the art was in good quality no matter how much I zoomed in or out which hindered my enjoyment of the book a little though I assume it's a problem with the Netgalley shelf app rather than the book itself.

My favourite section of the book was probably the one on Heroes (I believe it was titled How to Save the World).

Thank you to Netgalley and Quarto Publishing Group for the ARC.

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Quarto Publishing Group – White Lion, Frances Lincoln for an advance copy of this look at the art of the fantastic, the stories and myths that art can share and tell, and the freedom it gives to those who experience it for the first time.

I think I first became aware of art when my father explained to me that all those pretty images I was experiencing while watching Walt Disney's Robin Hood were all drawn by hand. Even at my young age this blew my mind as I could barely color in the lines, and got tired after a page. To draw a movie seemed stunning to me, and I knew I wanted to be an artist. However again the not coloring in the lines, lack of stamina, and a problem making lines with a ruler ended that dream, but I knew I liked to admire pictures, for how I felt and the work that it took to create this. Comic books were next, but the art that grabbed me again early, was the covers to my favorite novels, mostly of a fantastical setting. The covers to Conan, the works of Michael Whelan, the art of Dungeons & Dragons, and slowly moving out. A picture can sometimes tell a story better than words ever can. Art can make the world look beautiful, fresh with possibilities and love, or miserable, full of demons, and crushed hearts under heels. The Art of Fantasy: A visual sourcebook of all that is unreal by S. Elizabeth part of a series about the art of the fantastic, and occult looks at the art of myth and creatures that might have lived once, dwelling now in the dreamlands, and places that cartographers never thought to map.

The tome features works of art classical and modern, by famous artists, artists known to niche crowds and a few unknowns, but all dealing with the fantastic, the wondrous and the strange. The book begins with an introduction featuring an essay on what makes certain works visual, and why some things and places translate so well in a picture or painting. Creatures from myth, from fiction, from song and folk tale, sometimes a few times as there are many interpretations of various beings. Ideas from philosophy or religion, and places that were dreamed to be, hoped to be, or never were. The pictures are really wonderful.

A book that many will be drawn to, no pun intended. S. Elizabeth is a very good writer, and even better has a very good eye at picking works, and being able to explain why this work and not another should be represented. Covers, works that hang in museums, ideas and sketches, there is quite a lot here. Even though I read this in an E-book format the works chosen really had a power to them. I am sure that I am going to have to buy this, as well as others in the series, as this really is an outstanding collection.

Recommended for artists, readers of the fantastic and those who want to understand what art attracts people. Also for any creative types, as this book will inspire people to create, even if they can't make a straight line with a ruler.

✨ E-Arc provided by Quarto White Lion via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review ✨

The collection of art in this book are well thought out, span hundreds of years right up to 2022, and were just beautiful to look at.
Each section of history is entertaining, and the write ups for each piece of art were too, with a few laughs sprinkled in for good measure!
All round fabulous art book, need a physical copy for my coffee table.

loved reading this. so interesting and mesmerizing!!

— thanks to netgalley and the publisher for providing a free early e-galley to read and review.

A gorgeous book full of beautiful illustrations that I will definitely be ordering once it is published. This book was full of interesting information and introduced me to many artists that were new to me in addition to old favourites.
I loved the variety and depth of the book and wouldn’t hesitate in recommending it.

This is a beautifully curated collection of both classic and contemporary artwork. The pictures are absolutely gorgeous and are not the normal popular pieces that you see everywhere, which I found incredibly refreshing.

I would highly recommend for both art and fantasy lovers alike, this is a great melding of fantasy lore, history, and art through the ages.

I loved this collection of fantasy art and will be purchasing it to add to my shelves! I appreciated the inclusion of some modern and contemporary art as well. The book was organized well, and while it included a lot of information about each piece, it wasn't long winded. I learned quite a bit. Great coffee table book, would be a lovely gift for any fantasy lover. Thank you for the opportunity to read!

I absolutely loved reading this book. I was completely drawn into the topic and could not stop reading it.

A wonderful collection of Art and illustrations throughout out history. All inspired by some sort of myth, legend or a made up fantasy. Book contains a beautiful selection of images and is a refreshing look at the art of fantasy.

The book has great illustrations and I found it very interesting. I am an art history scholar and I was very pleased to find works that I studied in the book, it was a light but very interesting read.