This review was long overdue. I am sorry that it took so long.
We read books (and watch movies) like Harry Potter, The Hobbit, Eragon and The Game of Thrones and what do they have in common?
Dragons, of course! And if you are like me, you would want to know more about their types and characteristics much like the real life creatures. And Dracopedia Field Guide is just the book for you!
As an artist and a fantasy fan/writer, this was such a useful as well as enjoyable read. The illustrations were amazing. This guide will help in writing about these amazing fantasy creatures more accurately. Who doesn't love dragons?
From Asian dragons to Jormungander, Imperial dragons to the Hydra - this guide has everything you need to know about dragons. If you love reading about these creatures like I do, you need this book ASAP!
Thank you @netgalley for the e-copy, although I would urge you to buy the physical book where the illustrations would be clearer and less cumbersome to zoom and open.

This is my second review for a book by the late William O’connor, his Dracopedia books are a door to a vast and fantastical land full of all types of dragons from around the world.

The book is divided into 13 chapters, each one focusing on individuals from a specific genre of dragons: Amphiptere, Asian Dragon, Sea Orcs, Feydragon, Great Dragons, Drake, Hydra, Basilisk, Artic Dragon, Wyrm, Coatyl, Dragonette and Wyvern. Each specie has a scientific name and detailed information on its anatomy, habitat, distribution, diet, behavior, history, etc.

It was so much fun to read this book! I got so inspired to create my own original dragon species. It’s like watching discovery channel, but about dragons! a real field guide. You get all the facts and numbers plus gorgeous illustrations and dragon lore. William O’connor makes them feel so real, so part of this world, that I almost feel the urge to fly to the Tibetan mountains and get a glimpse of the majestic -and critically endangered- Cathaidaus jingshenlongus, which measures around 3m and lives in snow-covered mountainous areas.

If you like dragons, drawing, painting, creating original characters or just enjoying the lore and fantasy about it, I would highly recommend this and the rest of Dracopedia books. Absolutely inspiring for all ages.

**As some of you might know, Impact books was part of F+W Media which is no longer. Such a pity, I loved their books so much! What that means is that you might not find this book anymore unless you get a used copy. This book is worth the hunt tho. You can also get kindle version. **

This book is absolutely beautiful and contains so much information that your favorite fantasy fan will love! I remember having a very similar book when I was a kid (a green hardback I can't remember the name of) that I flipped through so often the pages wore to the point some of the illustrations faded and pages tore. I look forward to buying a physical copy of this book so that they can have the same experience!

This is like an encyclopedia of dragons and related creatures, treated totally seriously and giving not only size and colour information, but native area, natural habitat, diet and everything you would expect of any encyclopedia of animals.

It goes much further than just differentiating between a Dragon and a Wyvern, but explains creatures less familiar like Amphipteres and Jormundganders, Sea Orcs and Hydras.

I'm not sure of the authority for some of the 'facts', but I suspect a combination of established mythology and gaming manuals.

Explaining the relationships with some recognisable mythological creatures like the Cockatrice adds interest.

The artwork is fantastic. The pre-release Kindle copy doesn't display it to best effect, but I downloaded the PDF version to see it in full color. This is a book worth getting in hard copy for the art alone!

An excellent resource for any Fantasy fan's library.

This was such an awesome book. The pictures are stunning and the information had enough detail to satisfy my inquisitive son. I think when it's bound as a book it would look amazing on your shelf and it's one you would pick up from time to time just to look at the dragons. My son and I loved it.

“Have you ever stumbled upon a dragon egg and thought to yourself, “I wonder which type of scaly beast will burst forth from this delicate and dappled shell?” Well, wonder no more. This fantasy field guide is required reading—and required packing—for both budding and expert dragon enthusiasts. Don’t leave home without it!”

Thank you to F+W Media IMPACT Books for a free digital edition via NetGalley of William O’Conner’s ‘Dracopedia Field Guide’ in exchange for an honest review. It is currently available in ebook format and will be released in hardback on 31 May.

The subtitle ‘Dragons of the World from Amphipteridae through Wyvernae’ sums up the content. It is the fourth and sadly last of the late O’Conner’s Dracopedia series. While I previously had not heard of his work in chronicling these rare creatures I am now very keen to explore it further.

The illustrations are stunning. Many are in colour as well as black and white sketches. O’Conner also provides copious notes on various aspects of each of the dragon sub-species. Just wonderful!

The publishers note at the start that due to O’Conner’s untimely death ‘Dracopedia Field Guide’ was completed with the assistance of a number of artists. Their contributions are listed at the end of the text.

Reading this on the Kindle app wasn’t the best option as it tended to split up the larger images though their colours and details remained breathtaking. However, I did check out the Kindle sample and there were no formatting issues with the images in the final version.

I loved this so much and have preordered the hardcover edition. Highly recommended for all lovers of fantasy and dragons. I also feel that this would be a perfect choice for libraries.

Omg what can I say about this amazing book it’s more than a book it’s art work and facts all in one it draws you into wanting more and brings the smallest details to life with the pictures making them feel real
I so enjoyed this book being a huge fan and will be buying a copy in print as soon as I can

This is type of book which convince you to buy paperback or hard cover editions because digital medium is simply not enough to show it's true beauty....
My only regret is the book 'expired' before I can finish it since netgalley allows you to borrow it for only limited days....still I enjoyed a lot while I had it.

A really cool field guide about a variety of dragons and where to find them. Recommended if you like the other books in the Dracopedia series.

This is such a great book! The art is beautiful, and I love all the information about various kinds of dragons. Great book for fantasy lovers of all ages!

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Dracopedia Field Guide
Dragons of the World from Amphipteridae through Wyvernae
by William O'Connor is a book I requested from NetGalley and the review is voluntary. This book is amazing! It makes it seem as if all these dragons and subspecies of dragons are real. Each species and subspecies has it's own section explaining where it lives (complete with a world map), size, habitat, diet, image of eggs, if it is endangered or not, how to recognize it, and gorgeous illustrations! This is for EACH of the many creatures in here! The imagination is unbelievable brilliant and the images are stunning! This is truly an impressive book! I plan to purchase this book myself! I am a big Dragon lover and this covers so much!

I completely lost myself in the amazing and intricate illustrations throughout this book. Add in the detailed descriptions, and I was ready to happily start taking notes. This book is a must for fantasy fans, or those who can appreciate the beauty of the unknown and imagined.

**Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free digital copy for me to review and provide my honest opinion.

It was good that they have this book to give more information on the dragons in the book. I did not read the book, but the pictures are actually sliced and they did not look good. Maybe because i am nearly using a Kindle app to read the ARC that is why the picture is not good. But the dimension of the picture should at least change when the font is lessen. I am sorry if it seems unfair, but I was not really happy on how the pictures turned out. I would love to see the actual book but for now. I have to say that i did not enjoy the book.

Art is incredibly stunning and resourceful! I love how there's info on the biology, history, behavior and even locations of all the dragons! It is so well written that it feels like I'm reading an actual science books about animals.

It's making me want to pick up my pencil and try to draw some these awesome dragons. Im loving every page and now I want the physical copy.



//May you rest in peace.//

Digital copy was provided by Netgalley for an honest review.

With wonderful illustrations and fantastic descriptions this book will be perfect for lovers of fantasy, dragons, and budding illustrators alike. The book is so detailed and imaginative that you will become immersed in the fantastic world!

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I've seen William O'Connor's artwork everywhere, but I never found the time to sit down and pick up one of his art books. When I saw this book offered up on NetGalley, I knew I needed to read it. The art is spectacular, and this would make a great coffee table book for any dragon enthusiast. The different types of dragons were outlined well, and this had a non-fiction feel to it. My one complaint about it was that it read a little slow. It felt almost like homework to read simply because of the textbook feel that it had. I would have liked it more if I thumbed through it instead of sitting down and reading it cover to cover.

All in all, this is the ultimate book for dragon enthusiasts.

DRACOPEDIA FIELD GUIDE is a must have book for the dragon lovers! I had no idea how many various types of dragons there were in the "imaginary world" of Dragons! The illustrations are so detailed and come to life! The descriptions of the various dragons will fulfill all imaginations! I was absolutely stunned by this fascinating book! I think I'd rather have a hard copy though.. the ebook is okay.. but, for the serious collectors.. trust me.. you'll WANT the physical book! I know I certainly do!

I would recommend this book simply for the images of the dragons and the solid attempt to describe the different species and their habitats. The download did not provide me a complete version of the text, so I could not make out what a lot of it was attempting to tell me. I would love to read Dracopedia in full, but with the limitations of the PDF and Kindle downloads, that will not be possible at the moment.

Wonderful pictures and information on all types of dragons. A great add for any library or for any child who is in love with dragons.

Book feature on the release date.

This book is so much fun, and packed with creativity. It takes me back to a favourite childhood movie: The Flight of Dragons.