As an avid loved of all things vampires and vampire related this was a very informative guide on the subject and such a good read. I lobe all the detailing, artwork and the way the boon is presented. The cover is beautiful and I learnt alot whilst reading this book, some of which I never knew before. Absoltely loved it.

I grew up obsessed with vampires so I really enjoyed reading more of it's history and folk lore. I think it's worth a read especially during spooky season

Just like the author of this book, I am someone who absolutely loves vampires and is fascinated by the multitude of different variations of the vampire mythos that have sprung up in cultures around the world. This book is an absolutely brilliant resource for vampire fans and even the most vampire-obsessed person is likely to be able to find something new within these pages.

Hollyhock writes in language that is accessible to the general reader to cover a wide range of iterations of vampires, connecting them to cultural traditions but also positioning them in historical context. The scope of this book is incredibly impressive with attention having been taken to dive into variations that might exist within vampires from each region.

I really enjoying reading this book and we engaged without. I also appreciate that there is a bibliography at the end of the book which leaves readers with further resources to dive further into learning about vampires.

This book was thrilling to read as someone who is always looking for historical references when reviewing fairytales and myth. This book is indispensable. It has references to vampire folklore of every kind from countries across the world. Not only that, but the facts are presented with stunning images and fonts that give the reader a sense that they are diving into a genuine gothic text. The observations made on this section of folklore were fascinating, and the organization of the book is made easy for anyone who is also looking for a quick reference in this subject matter. I am very grateful to Agnes Hollyhock, her publishing team, and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC.

The book's examination of the history and various interpretations of the vampire myth is captivating. It delves into the diverse perspectives on vampires their history and their associated negative connotations among other things.

It’s Divided into categories like Vampire History, Vampires in Fiction, and Abilities and Lore, as well as much more. The book offers easy navigation for both research and casual reading. Although some sections feel amateurish and reminiscent of an essay, the overall content is engaging and well-researched. I eagerly anticipate adding this book to my physical collection upon its release.

ARC REVIEW: Vampires: A Handbook of History and Lore of the Undead by Agnes Hollyhock

Genre: Nonfiction
Format: eBook
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Book # for 2024: #58

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

SYNOPSIS: Vampires explores the stories that led to the belief of vampires across many cultures and geographic regions.

MY THOUGHTS: Anyone that knows me well, knows I love a good vampire story. As a little kid, one of my favorite movies was The Little Vampire. After Twilight was released, I read every vampire book I could get my hands on and watched every movie or tv show I could find. (The Vampire Dairies is a favorite of mine.) Even though I’ve read a lot of books and watched a lot of movies/TV shows with vampires, I’ve never really looked into the historical context of how the belief of vampires came to be. This handbook is short, but covers a lot of material and is very informative. It is a great starting point for anyone who is interested in this topic. I very much enjoyed reading it.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for the digital ARC, it has not affected my honest review.

This is a really detailed and informative book about vampires that dates some of the earliest myths all the way up to modern interpretations like Anne Rice. I loved the illustrations and found it so easy to read while also learning things I didn't know before.

Lovely and interesting history of the vampire. Beautiful pages and artwork. Detailed information categorized in each section.

A great read about Vampiric lore, some factual and some fictional. It made for great reading and kept my interest. The illustrations were just divine! If you enjoy all things vampires, then this is the book for you. I voluntarily read this book via NetGalley for my honest opinion.

A book both beautiful and informative that I took great pleasure in discovering. We see all the work that was done to paint as complete a portrait of the vampire as possible, and it was really interesting. I loved !

Thank you NetGalley for approving me on this title. A very good book that is well worth a read. Highly recommend

Thanks to NetGalley and Wellfleet Press for the ARC.

I would have loved to read this back in high school. It would have made my fixation on the supernatural so much worse. This was well researched but concise, giving a diverse history of vampire lore from all around the world in a really accessible way. It addresses the key traits and fears of a society that are reflected in their mythos. It even addressed the xenophobic views in some European vampire stories, which I only first learned about in a college course on gothic literature. I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to learn more about vampires beyond Dracula and Carmilla.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6659663810

https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/7ab0afb2-bc27-4a66-b14b-43ca5160c009

I admit I have a minor/major vampire obsession and try to consume as much media involving them as I possibly can. When I saw this for download on Netgalley I knew I absolutely had to read it. This is an exploration of vampires across folklore and different forms of media, including what makes a vampire a vampire, the different forms they take across cultures and media, their strengths and weaknesses, how to make one, and how to kill one.

I absolutely loved this book. There is such a deep wealth of information available for the curious reader. This is well researched and well written. You can tell the author has a reason for the subject. I admit I already knew a lot of the information presented but I did learn a lot from this. The info is put together in such an easy to read way that is accessible for readers with all levels of background knowledge.

Overall I think this book is great. Highly recommend for horror fans in general and vampire fans specifically.

This was a fun exploration of known and lesser known folklore about the creatures that collectively haunt our imaginations. Well researched, with an addictive writing style this book was everything I was looking for and more. The illustrations are a perfect add-on, a cherry on top.