Faeries: Deluxe Collector's Edition

Faeries: Deluxe Collector's Edition

Over thirty-three years after its initial publication, and with well over a million copies in print worldwide, Brian Froud and Alan Lee’s Faeries has defined the world of Faerie for generations. Now, Froud and Lee return to their most enduring and beloved work with this deluxe collector’s edition. The ultimate must-have for any Faeries fan, the edition includes eight frameable prints, as well as a large, foldout poster of the iconic cover image. Previously unpublished art by both Froud and Lee is featured alongside the classic pencil drawings and watercolors of the mythical creatures – faeries, sprites, goblins, pixies, bogies, leprechauns, trolls, and dwarves – that inspired a global faerie renaissance.

More than just a reissue, this revised and updated edition also contains new essays from both Froud and Lee on the continuing influence of Faeries, and a foreword by bestselling author Jane Yolen. This remarkable package is sure to delight the millions of fans of the original Faeries, as well as readers discovering the book for the first time.

I have to admit that I haven’t read the first Faeries book. I know that seems absurd with how many Froud books I’ve talked about in these reviews, but I haven’t. So, I don’t know how much content has been added to the book for this edition.

But the amount of information and art in this one book is astounding.

Let’s talk about the art first. You all know how I feel about Froud. His sketches and paintings are my favourite pieces and I’m constantly on the look out for new work from him. If there is such thing as a collective human consciousness that we are all privy to subconsciously, his art encapsulates lost history in that consciousness. It’s amazing.

Add to that Alan Lee. Alan Lee, for those of you who don’t know, is a fantastic fantasy artist famous for his vistas and landscapes and incredibly detailed creature sketches. He’s one of the defining illustrators for Tolkien’s books. I’m amazed by what he can create with a simple set of pencils.

The imagery in this book is astonishing.

But the book isn’t all images like some of the Froud reviews I’ve done before. I will use this book for years to come as a reference book because it includes loads of information, description, and anecdotes about the residents of Faerie. It even includes abridged versions of some of the Welsh faerie tales I’ve been reading.

I loved it. It was everything I could possibly hope for in a Froud and Lee book. If you only ever buy one Froud or Lee book - which is entirely justified because they can be very expensive – this is the book that you should buy. It’s amazing.