The Runes of Elfland

Highly Recommended, but a short read. Good for a day spent at the beach or holiday.

When I first picked this book up from the library I was a little dissapointed. I was trying to hold this book to the standards of the Good Fairy, Bad Fairy book. My mistake. Perhaps a week ago I realized how long I'd had this in my home and gave it a second chance beyond the gruesome and charming watercolors.

I advise that the forward be skipped, it shades the book into a more new age feel than it really delivers. In reality the runes are merely excuses for the shamelessly decadent Froud art to be paired with a rune and tale. The tales are of the fairy kind, but lean to be telling of morals and ancient customs. Whimsical minor fae decorate the pages around the introductory page gaurdians, twisting themselves into the runic alphabet.

Not without a few dark tales, this book is fairly safe to read to any member of the family. The dialog of forgotten realms and deeds is irresitable and inspiring, which of course is due in no small part to the pens of Ari Berk. No doubt the Froudian collector will cherish this 110 page book, but also find home in many more hearts with the classic touch of story telling.