The Illustrated Bestiary by Maia Toll (Review)

Title: The Illustrated Bestiary
Author: Maia Toll
Type: Nonfiction
Genre: Animals, Paganism
Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC
Date published: October 1, 2019

A physical copy of this book was kindly provided by Thomas Allen & Son in exchange for an honest review.

Author and spiritual wellness guide Maia Toll turns the insight and wisdom that birthed The Illustrated Crystallary and The Illustrated Herbiary — her best-selling volume on the mystical power of plants — to the mysteries of the animal kingdom. She profiles the mystical, meaningful traits of 36 powerful animals and explores how those traits can guide our intentions, inform our actions, and offer wisdom and insight. Spring Peeper’s ability to reemerge from frozen hibernation can inspire us to reinvent ourselves. Katydid’s five eyes can lend clarity of vision when we need to see the bigger picture. A deck of 36 oracle cards beautifully illustrated by Kate O’Hara, plus suggested rituals, readings, and reflections, guide readers in cultivating and accessing each animal’s special energy.

⤖ My Review ⬻

I already kind of reviewed The Illustrated Bestiary while unboxing it in my Instagram Stories, but here’s a text version for those of you who missed it! (P.s. if you still feel like watching the unboxing after reading this, you can still find it in the “Book Mail” section of my Story highlights on my Instagram.) The first observation I made about The Illustrated Bestiary was that it’s beautifully illustrated inside and out! The oracle cards that came with the book are just as beautiful, illustrated and designed in the same style.

The cardstock that they were printed onto is also quite good! I wasn’t sure how thick the cards would be since they’re stored within a sleeve inside the book itself. But I was very pleased with the thickness for sure. I also liked the way that the book’s interior is organized, and how easy it is to find the information about a particular oracle card or animal you’re curious about. Overall, and I’ll say it again, this book and cards are absolutely beautiful. The book is also informative and I like how info about each oracle card and/or animal was written. I want to pick up Maia Toll’s Illustrated Herbiary next, and will definitely pick up her Illustrated Crystallary when it comes out next year!