Folklore is such a fascinating topic, and the second I saw the eerily illustrated cover, I knew Freaky Folklore was a must-read for me!

The format of Freaky Folklore works very well. Each creature gets an introductory section with some fast ‘Freaky Facts.’ They included things like where the creature was first sighted, how the creature is classified (shapeshifter, etc.), and what the creature's personality is said to be. I loved this because it gave me a rapid rundown of what I was about to get into! After that, we’re presented with the legend of the creature itself and then, finally, a fictionalized story featuring the monster. Unfortunately, some of the stories worked better than others. What did work incredibly well were the illustrations! They were equal parts fantastic and horrifying.

I listen to many podcasts that discuss various creatures, cryptids, monsters, etc., so I was familiar with many of the monsters in this book; however, there were also a lot I hadn’t heard of before. This was also an incredibly fast read. I had finished it within just a couple hours of downloading it. If you don’t know much about monster and creature stories worldwide, I think it’s a great introduction to their legends.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read the ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased opinion.

This was a fun read if you're generally interested in this topic. I will say though, other than the interesting illustrations, there isn't much that sets this apart from others that are about the same thing.

It gets one star as I couldn’t give zero

Really hate books that talk about how native tribes had a long history of certain cryptids and beasts but base the first sighting date on when a white invader saw it

Terrible

"Freaky Folklore" does mention different types of folklorish creatures and cryptids, but doesn't go into as much of their histories and backgrounds as much as I would like if I were searching for something for my classroom. It's important to understand the "why?" behind a lot of these entities, and the author, Darkness Prevails does a great job of telling stories on their podcast but less so of giving good explanations in this book. The illustrations however are pretty spooky without being too terrifying, which is a plus. It may be a fun read for a middle-schooler who is developing an interest in this topic, but it's mediocre to have as a non-fiction resource for a classroom. It needs more historical and cultural background to be a good non-fiction book.

I didn't realize that this book was mostly a vehicle for tiny, mediocre horror stories about the cryptids and folklore instead of, you know, information about the folklore. The vignettes are not very good and they outweigh the history and actual folklore. I am rather disappointed.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and author for the copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a perfect addition for cryptid lovers collections! The illustrations are gorgeous!

Thank you netgalley.

Freaky folklore is the perfect book for those who love cryptids. Throughout this book you’ll find a wide array of legends and creatures sure to haunt your nightmares with stunning artwork throughout the book. Which really was the selling point for me. I love cryptids, and seeing how other people depict them.
One thing that took me by surprise was that the artwork was done in full color on a beautiful background reminiscent of old parchment paper, which goes perfectly with the theme.

My favorite section was the one about African cryptids, because I wasn’t familiar with them at all. Which brings me to my next point, this book has a wide variety, and doesn’t only focus on more common legends like Bigfoot and moth man. (Mentioned but not a focus) the book is broken up into regions, and is well organized. Towards the back is an index so you can find and reference each creature quickly if you want a quick refresh.

though this book isn’t without its faults. While it has a wide array from around the world, the compromise is there isn’t much allotted time to give in depth discussions. Each cryptid gets maybe two pages, sometimes three. So it’s more like a dictionary in that’s respect. Which was a personal let down for me when I wasn’t well aquatinted with the subject. That being said, I think it’s great for beginners, or writers who need a quick guide, and overall I think it’s a beautiful book to have on the shelf.

I’ve listened to a few episodes of the podcast, and it is terrifying. While scary, it’s very well written and performed, so I was interested in picking up this book. I thought it was a great compendium of cryptids from around the world. There were so many I had never heard of! I felt like I got a mini history lesson from each cryptid. Even if you aren’t a fan of monsters, this is a great look at cultural lore. Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun, if not terrifying read. The monsters and cryptically were well described, art was gorgeous, and I really enjoyed reading this book!

This is such a cool little guide to folklore. As a huge fantasy reader, it is cool to have read this and put some visuals to the names and where they came from.