The World of Lore, Volume 1: Monstrous Creatures by Aaron Mahnke
| The World of Lore, Volume 1: Monstrous Creatures by Aaron Mahnke | |
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| Category: Reference | |
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Reviewer: Luke Marlowe
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| Summary: An expertly researched dive into folklore and history, The World of Lore, Volume 1 is built on the back of the popular Lore podcast – and it's a great and spooky read for fans and newcomers alike. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 320 | Date: October 2017 |
| Publisher: Wildfire | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-1472251657 | |
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Every country, every town, every village has a folktale – a story passed down through generations that often focuses on the dark and unexplained. No matter how the modern world moves on, there's a still a part of everyone that is vulnerable to a good tale. From ghosts to werewolves, by way of wendigos and elves, author Aaron Mahnke delivers the reader legends from all over the world, whilst examining how they've become part of our collective imaginations, still striking fear into the hearts of many of us today.
Aaron Mahnke is the host of a podcast called Lore – it began airing in 2015 and has been hugely successful, with books now being published collecting the tales of the series, and a TV series based on the podcasts showing currently. Mahnke's work is backed up by incredible amounts of research, and he uncovers folk tales that are genuinely fascinating, and often extremely surprising. It's said that the truth is often stranger than fiction, and that's certainly the case here – Mahnke's tales are all based in fact, as bizarre and as unsettling as many of those facts are.
As a narrator, he strikes a perfect balance – the stories are told in a campfire fashion that speaks directly to the reader, and whilst they're often scary, Mahnke is keen to emphasise the humanity in his tales – meaning they can be as affecting as they are terrifying.
Fans of the podcast may be disappointed to find that this book is, essentially, a selection of the podcasts in text format. As someone who has listened to the podcasts though, I was excited to be able to flick through the tales at will – it's a fantastic edition to have to hand on a dark and stormy night. Adding to that, the edition is beautifully designed – and packed full of evocative and eerie pencil illustrations by M.S. Corley. This is spooky entertainment at its finest – best enjoyed in front of a roaring fire, with the shadows flicking eerily on the wall. Drink a large glass of wine, and enjoy a thrilling ride into the past – filled with nostalgic scares and thought-provoking facts. Many thanks to the publishers for the copy.
For further reading, I recommend Tales from the Dead of Night: Thirteen Classic Ghost Stories by Cecily Gayford (editor) – a carefully chosen collection of stories that will send a shiver down the spine.
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You can read more book reviews or buy The World of Lore, Volume 1: Monstrous Creatures by Aaron Mahnke at Amazon.com.
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