The Book Depository The Element Encyclopedia of Witchcraft by Judika Illes
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Price: £35.00
Brand: The Book Depository
Description: The Element Encyclopedia of Witchcraft : Hardback : Harper Collins Publishers : 9780007192939 : 0007192932 : 05 Sep 2005 : Following on from the hugely successful Element Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells, comes the next bumper encyclopedia celebrating all facets of witchcraft. This definite book is the most comprehensive, authoritative and entertaining guide you'll ever find on the mythology, folklore and traditions of magic. The Book Depository The Element Encyclopedia of Witchcraft by Judika Illes - shop the best deal online on thebookbug.co.uk
Category: Books
Merchant: The Book Depository
Product ID: 9780007192939
MPN: 0007192932
GTIN: 9780007192939
Author: madi72
Rating: 5
Review: General: Love this book! Even though it’s titled an encyclopaedia, and loosely laid out like one, the entries themselves are written more in a brief chapter way. Personally I loved this, as I do struggle with Encyclopaedias that follow a dictionary-layout style. A lot of hard work as gone into this and it shows. It covers so much and I would highly recommended it, whether your a beginner looking to augment their path, or a writer that’s trying to expand on their world building. In fact, I would highly recommend this for fantasy writers that want to incorporate magic-systems into their world/story. While I’m not an expert (FAR from it) it does seem also, the things covered here are mostly from European traditions, elements of different cultures are mentioned and given their due respect, but the bulk of it does feel European. As mentioned it covers so much but the author takes her time to clearly explain things. It’s written in a clear and easy manner to read and comprehend. I bought this as hardback and kindle, both were delivered very quickly and in fantastic condition. Pros: 1) well researched and evident a lot of work has been put into it. 2) easy to read 3) laid out clearly, easy to dip in and out - but doesn’t feel as impersonal as dictionary/Encyclopaedias can sometimes be. 4) wonderful nuggets of information. Cons: 1) a lot of entries are designed to be quick intros - nothing in depth. Will need to do further research/reading if that’s what your after. 2) while it does cover ALOT, naturally there will be things missing. Especially, from paths that lie outside of European traditions. 3) not a strict encyclopaedia in the strictest sense. If your looking for something with a more dictionary-layout then there are other great books.
Author: Mr. P
Rating: 3
Review: A good reference book with plenty of information about witchcraft helpfully broken down into various sections (by fiction, popular culture, by country, characters from witchcraft mythology etc...). It compliments my other 'Element' encyclopaedia's fine but I've docked a couple of stars as the item is described as 'hardback' when in fact it is the 'softback' 2014 reprint of the original 2005 edition and doesn't even come with a dust-jacket for extra protection. This is a shame as it's a fairly large tome (the same size as the hardback series) but it's flimsy cover and binding are cause for concern regarding it's longevity if used or read with regularity. A shame.
