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Iris Compiet is the rarest of artist: That who invokes a complete and cohesive reality with every image she creates. Beautiful, powerful and contemplative all at once. -- Guillermo Del Toro Let me tell you about Faeries, let me take you away on a journey, an adventure. The Faultlines is an ancient name given to those places where the veil between this world and the Other is thinnest. It is the place where faeries dwell, creatures creep, and magic oozes through the cracks. Recently the Faultlines have been stirring, opening up to all who wish to see, and to all who dare to venture... Faeries of the Faultlines was an instant Kickstarter success in 2017, and this edited, expanded edition includes the complete original documentation from the greenmen to mermaids, with expanded sections and many more faeries to meet! "Iris Compiet's work is an astonishing and masterful revelation of the Faery Realms. She is an artist who, with stunning alacrity, reveals the fleeting personalities of the normally unseen." --Brian Froud "Iris summons and draws upon the forces that are necessary in giving life to such creatures--imagination, an intelligent curiosity, and a relentless energy. The Faeries are lucky to have her!" --Alan Lee "I have known Iris for many years. I have watched her find her voice. I am enchanted by her vision." --John Howe… (more)
User reviews
I appreciated how Iris Compiet explored the glory of the Faultlines without sugarcoating the dangers, respecting both. It was wonderful that the author encouraged a close, respectful bond with nature. The seemingly hand-written entries were a nice touch. I only wish those entries had been more legible. I did read this on a computer, though, so I may not have had a problem reading certain parts of this work had I read the print version. In conclusion, if you’re looking for a fantastical book that will capture your imagination, Faeries of the Faultlines by Iris Compiet is the read for you.
(Disclaimer: I received a free digital review copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss . All opinions in this review are my own and are honest and unbiased.)
Thoughts: This is more of an art-book than an actual story or book. It does remind a lot of Brian Froud's "Fairies" book which I was a huge fan of growing up. It is also similar to "Lady
In general this was a quick read and some of the artwork was really awesome. I also thought that some of the descriptions of the fairies were very fun and creative.
I did have some issues with this book. If you are looking for a story about faerie, this isn't that at all. It's chapters that go through different types of faeries, but even that isn't very well organized. I struggled at points to see how certain drawing of faeries really belonged in the chapter they were put in. In the end, I just had to kind of go with it and stop paying attention to what chapter I was in.
The other issue I had is with the font used for the "written" portions of the journal. The font used was a super slanted and cramped cursive font that I struggled to read, especially on some of the faerie names. It would have been nice to have these parts in a more legible font. The last complaint I have is that a lot of the drawings in here were very unfinished feeling, they were just rough sketches. I enjoy more finished drawings, but that is a personal preference.
Aside from the above this is a nice "coffee table" book for anyone who loves faerie mythology or cryptozoology in general.
My Summary (4/5): Overall this is a nice coffee table book. There is some spectacular artwork in here along with some fun/cute explanations about the faeries. This is a creative book and it is fun to look through. I did think the font used in the "written" portions was hard to read and I was a bit disappointed that so many of the art pieces were sketches rather than full color finished pieces. If you are looking for a cute art-book for your coffee table I would recommend it. If you are looking for a cohesive faerie reference or a story to read, I would look elsewhere. There isn't a story here and the book is fairly disorganized if you are really into learning about faerie lore.