“Faeries explores a whole world of magic charged with the wild beauty of creatures who do not live by human rules.  Theirs is a realm of wonder, exquisite delight, and enchanted danger.
The two gifted artists who created this book, Alan Lee and Brian Froud, have made a study of the history of Faerie.  Going to old sources, they examined the myths and legends, sorted fact from fancy, and, finally, illuminated their findings with over two hundred extraordinary drawings and full-colour paintings.  Rarely have research and artistry combined to produce so beautiful a result.
All the faerie types are identified and pictured – water faeries, elves, pixies, leprechauns, tree faeries, dryads, and many others.  Information on their favourite haunts, pastimes, and ways of life are drawn from Celtic stories, from the great oral tradition of the English language, and from writers and poets.  Among these sources are the Ballad of Thomas the Rhymer, the great Irish poet W. B. Yeat’s “The Song of Wandering Aengus,” and Christina Rossetti’s enchanting poem “Goblin Market”.  Here too are the stories of Oisin, the Humpback Lusmore, the Miser on the Faerie Gump and Lutey and the Mermaid – each traced to its origins, charmingly retold, and illustrated in the most sensitive fantasy style imaginable.”