This is a great beginners book on Runes, or one for those experienced but just want a refresher. I found the descriptions very easy to understand, and the whole book to be very informative.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Packs a punch.

Runes Illustrated may be short and overloaded with stock photos, but it is stunning. As someone who has been overwhelmed trying to learn about runes for years, Newcombe's book was the one that finally got my foot in the door.

Runes 101 (as it could also be titled) gives clear, concise, and cordially-written details about the study and practice of reading the runes. You are given enough information to reach an understanding, as well as enough fascination to pursue further avenues of study. Truly an excellent starter guide.

And did I mention (I know I did) how absolutely beautiful this book is for your displaying pleasure?
To the point that there is an annotated page about the method of printing and binding used to achieve the unique effect of the publication.
If you can, I would absolutely recommend picking up a physical copy of this one. You will not be disappointed.

[Thank you to NetGalley and amber Books for a free copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.]

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for a copy of this eARC in exchange for a honest review.

This book is a great beginners guide to understanding and reading runes. It has clear illustrations and meanings that helped guide my way through starting my journey with using them. The history was also very informative and often something that is missing for divination books so this was appreciated and something that I will be looking into further.
Overall a really great resource to have for anyone interested in using runes.

A huge thank you to Netgalley and Amber Books Ltd for giving me the chance to read Runes Illustrated by Rachel Newcombe in exchange for my honest review.

A most helpful guide to someone starting to interact with runes, this book was a most analytical companion to any reader who not only wants to understand and learn about runes and their meaning, but also their origin and some of the most important runes ever found in human history. So it's not only a detailed guide to learn the meaning of each rune and use them in readings but also a history lesson about the importance and origin of runes as a languange.
I would definetely recommend this to anyone who would want to start dwelling with runes for their reading and their inner meditation and healing.

I've read a few different books on Runes and I've enjoyed the format of this one. It's not just focused on how you read the runes. As a history nerd, I loved the section on the history of the Runes and the portion on Runestones, they were full of brilliant information and I learned quite a bit, especially about the Runestones.
The writing format is straightforward to read and toes that line between you knowing a little about runes and nothing at all about them. The various layouts for Rune readings were interesting but if I'm honest my favourite part was learning how to make my own Runes, and I'd have loved that section to have been a bit longer maybe.

Runes Illustrated was so much fun to browse. It is clearly organized, easy to understand, and well-supported with photographs and illustrations. I appreciated that, although the overall focus was on divination or reading runes, it also provided some solid historical context. Like the tarot books at my public library, I would expect this title to disappear from the shelves in no time—maybe not officially checked out, but gone nonetheless.

“The word ‘rune’ aptly means mystery, secret or whisper.”

Rachel Newbombe's Runes Illustrated: How to Read Them is an exceptionally detailed collection that extends beyond interpreting runestones. As you work your way through the book, you'll learn a wide breadth of information including how to cast and read runes, the various runic alphabets, and you will also explore real-world examples of ancient runestones..

Runes Illustrated is filled with beautiful photographs and illustrations. The book follows a well-planned progression and the topics covered would appeal to a wide variety of audiences including those with an interest in Norse, Germanic, or British history as well as divination.

Kind thanks to Amber Books and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy of Runes Illustrated.

I can't wait to get my hands on a paper copy of this book. The e-format is very well done, it's just that I've been waiting for a runic tome like this one for quite some time. What I'm saying is that it is shelf-worthy.

I used to work with the runes a lot (cough, cough 20+ years ago), and there really wasn't a lot of quality instruction out there. I mostly worked by intuition and a little uncertainly.

All of that to say, I still don't think today's guides are all that great. But this book by Rachel Newcombe get the balance of history, divination, and meaning just right. And as someone who has made a handful of clay rune sets in her life, I appreciate that this is also her recommendation. What sets this book apart is the large number of photos and illustrations. I understand that can make producing a book a little pricey, but it's so much better than just putting in one glymph per rune.

Fascinating! I can see this disappearing quickly- it includes a good deal of information on casting runes, which patrons will love but possibly never return! I loved learning about runes and the history of their use.

I really enjoyed this book. There were detailed instructions and the photographs were a really nice touch. I didn't expect to see the history and real world examples included in the book. I will be adding this to my divination library.

4 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Amber Books for the advance reader copy.

This book seems perfect for those only Runic divination and learning the history of runes.
There’s great sections on the common symbols and what they mean, different layouts for using runes and also historical locations where you can see runes and their influence.

Quite a quick read and I imagine a great resource if you were learning or just to have on hand as a reminder.

Well Written and Easy to Understand

Rachel defines what Runes are, stating that they are ancient angular symbols that are typically carved into stone, wood and metal. She provides some background as to their origin and symbolic meaning when combined and used as a form
of alphabet. Additionally, she states that various different alphabets are used on runes and, like other forms of communication, they have been adapted over the years with one of the oldest and most well-known forms is the Germanic runic alphabet called the Elder Futhark, which consists of 24 runes. The author discusses some of the ways in which Runes can be used.

The author outlines and discusses several Rune casting layouts, to include:
• The Single Rune Cast
• The Three Rune Layout
• The Five Rune Layout
• The Seven Rune Layout
• The Nine Rune Layout

In addition to the above mentioned casting layouts, Rachel discusses others.

This is a great book for anyone desiring to learn about Runes and hoe to make your very own set. I found this book to be very interesting and informative, one of the best explained books on Runes that I have read. I highly recommend it.

A very well illustrated guide to Runes and their history and divination practices of today. The artwork and the layout are excellent. The pictures of runestones and Viking era buildings are well thought out and add to the book. The meanings of each rune is given as well as sample readings . The examples IMO are accurate and reflect an author that is versed in Rune divination. Overall a great book for beginners or otherwise.

Runes Illustrated: A Guide to Reading Them by Rachel Newcombe is an enthralling book that presents a comprehensive collection of captivating illustrations and invaluable insights into the world of runes and their profound influence.

I've always been curious about runes. I think that curiousity comes from my Scandanavian roots. This was great for a beginner such as myself who really knew very little about them. Most of my experience has come through novels where runes played a part in the storyline. I have a little better understanding now and will be reading more. Thank you for the opportunity to satisfy my curiousity

As a complete beginner to the runes I was very interested in reading this book, and thank the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an e-copy for review.

The book is laid out very clearly with lots of photos and illustrations. Some of the photos seem to be fillers with little direct connection to the text, but this may be a feature of the e-book reader and they may not be as prominent in the printed book. The text itself gives a good introduction to the runes: what they are, the different types, how they are used in divination and how to make your own runes. Each rune is illustrated and explained well, both in the description and the potential meaning in a reading. I particularly enjoyed this part of the book as my primary interest is in divination,

The last part of the book consists of photos and explanations of historic runestones around northern Europe, Personally I found this section a bit 'dry' to read in one go. If I had a copy of the book I would probably revisit it periodically, especially to find stones I could visit nearby.

Overall I think this is a good introduction to the subject.

I really enjoyed this book! It was straightforward while still including a good bit of history and background. I recently got some runes and this book has really helped me understand how to use them and their greater significance.

Thanks so much to Amber Books Ltd for the ARC! I will be making a video on my TikTok on pub day!