Welsh mythology, old and new to me story, fantastic creatures. Loved it
A more extensive review will follow
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Welsh Giants, Ghosts and Goblins by Claire Fayers is a wonderful read filled with a blend of education about various creatures from Welsh legend and Fayers's way of weaving them into stories that are as enticing to adults as they would to a younger reader (albeit they may find themselves looking around warily for a goblin or two to come get them.)

I've always loved myths and legends from around the world, and with Wales being within sight across the sea from me? The creatures that can haunt the night, rile up farmers and perhaps play with the infamous Red Dragon or 'Y Ddraig Goch' have been ones that I'd read about on holidays to Anglesey or Conwy. Discovering this lovely book reawakened the child in me who would stare out of the window at bedtime waiting to see the infamous Gwrachod, or a Bwbach (Witches or a particularly friendly Sprite).

I do love how Fayers takes care to have the various characters of myth and legend be called by their Welsh names and not English which unfortunately I've seen. It adds to their stories and legends for me and acknowledges that these are unique to Welsh culture even if there may well be similar ones around the world.

My favourite has always been the Talwyth Teg who are the fae and how they were often responsible for Changelings finding their way into mortal homes. Seeing a story about them in Welsh Giants, Ghosts and Goblins had my adult self be as swept away as I had at the age of nine. Thank you so much for that joy once again Claire Fayers!

This is a wonderful book with vivid storytelling, fantastical characters and world-building that brings these legends to life for all.

If you're looking for a fun way to explore some Welsh folklore, you should check out "Welsh Giants, Ghosts and Goblins" by Claire Fayers. This book is a collection of myths that has been made super relatable and easy to read for everyone, whether you’re a kid or a grown up.

Each story kicks off with an intro from the author, which helps set the vibe. I’ve never read Welsh myths before, and I was really surprised by how enjoyable and charming they are. The ghost stories, in particular, are pretty cool—just the right amount of spooky without being too scary.

What I loved about this book is that some tales feel really modern and relatable, while others have that classic, old-fashioned fairytale feel. It would be perfect for reading aloud.

I liked this book a lot and would recommend it to anyone looking for some enchanting and whimsical stories. The author has done a fantastic job bringing these giants and goblins to life.

I am always interested to learn more about Welsh history so this was the perfect read for me to learn more about the myths of Wales.

Thank you to Firefly press and Claire Fayers to receive a copy of Welsh Giants, Ghosts and Goblins in exchange for a fair and honest review.

An amazing collection of fabulously written Welsh stories about the countries lore and legend. Very easy to read and written as a retelling in short story form. Claire Fayers' writing is engaging, fun and decriptive bring to life a beautiful landscape as a backdrop to the stories and paint vivid description of the creatures of folklore at the heart of each story. I loved the sections of Know Your Goblins. I will be definitely recommending this book to a couple of friends in Wales for their children.

These stories are quite atmospheric, which I feel is a must with any folklore. I love the bits before each story, giving some insight into their origin.

The writing is quite simplistic, which I appreciate as it makes the stories easy to read.

Perfect for a nighttime read and fans of folklore.

Thanks to Netgalley and Firefly Press for the ARC

What a wonderful collection of fairy tales and ghost stories. I absolutely loved reading them. I was shocked that I had never heard any of the myths behind these stories, despite being born and bred in south Wales. My daughter enjoyed hearing the stories too and this is book we will be able to go back to again and again.

This collection of short stories was a pleasure to read and I flew through them in one sitting. I enjoyed that a background with some information about the folklore/tales that each short story took inspiration from before each story. I had no knowledge of any welsh fairytales/folklore before reading this book and still thoroughly enjoyed it and this book has made me want to look into it all more and find more stories about it all!

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for this arc.

This is a collection of Welsh myths, legends and ghost stories that have been reimagined for contemporary readers. The book is aimed at younger readers but it is suitable for all ages.

I loved this book, it had characters and themes that popped up throughout the book. Idris the teenage giant king on his quest to collect stories had a few chapters. I loved the Know Your Goblins chapters, such a great insight into Welsh folklore. Some of the original stories I am familiar with from the Mabinogi or other Welsh folk tales, I really enjoyed these retellings.

I can’t wait to see the final copy of this book. I have pre-ordered my copy from my local independent book shop. The book is available on 1st August 2024.

Thank you NetGalley and Firefly Press for sending this book for review, all opinions are my own.

📚 Book Review 📚

A good retelling of Welsh myths and folklore, with imaginative updating into contemporary settings. I particularly like the theme of Idris the Giant as a central character who is collecting different tales throughout each chapter.

This is good for adults as well as children and although there was one misprint in the order of one of the tales, this didn’t detract from the different retelling of these myths.

A lovely, easy to read collection.

I’d like to Firefly Press, NetGalley and the author for the arc and the fantastic opportunity, in exchange for my honest feedback 😊

Book released on 1st August 2024

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

It is a rather imaginative retelling of traditional folklores. This is exactly why this book is particularly appealing. A lot of children love myths and legends, so this book is a sure fire hit among children.

I loved a previous book of Fayers which retold some Welsh myths and legends, so I was excited to read this one too.
At first I was dubious, as some of the stories have been modernised, using modern settings and characters for some stories, but Fayers has managed to keep the cleverness of the myths and legends of the giants, ghosts and goblins, often weaving the individual stories together with a character from a previous tale, bring the whole thing together in a wonderful way.
I really recommend this to anyone wanting to get a quick, fun look into Welsh myths. It's aimed at children but it's still such a fun read as an adult, I'd recommend to anyone!

This is a rich collection of stories about Welsh mythological characters. The author collected the stories from other resources and during her travels - it is fair to say that the extensive research and the incredible passion for these stories show.
The stories vary in length and complexity. Some characters reappear in different stories.
The writer’s prose is unassuming and it is a good fit for these stories. I was unfamiliar with many of the characters and the stories, hence I enjoyed this collection a lot and am eager to read the other works of this author.

Welsh Giants, Ghosts and Goblins. This is a beautiful collection of Welsh Myths and legends creatively adapted for the younger generation. Woven together by the thread of Idris the giant who travels the country collecting stories. A lovely book to treasure filled with a selection of mythical and spiritual characters. Perfect for sharing with younger children, or for reading independently.

A lovely collection of stories based around Welsh myth and legends, which manage very well to keep the sense of tradition but make them relevant to children today. These would be great to read together with younger children or for older children to read alone. They’re all well written and give a good balance of funny and scary characters and plenty to talk about. I also loved the central message of encouraging children to write and tell stories themselves.

I liked the idea of Idris the Giant as the central character collecting stories as a means of grouping them together but it then felt a little strange that his story was not furthered at the start of each tale. In some ways I feel this could have worked even better as two different books – one with Idris collecting the stories around the fairy folk, and another with the gathering of ghost ladies (which I loved) grouping together the ghost stories. The cover was excellent and there were some nice illustrations inside but I’d have loved to see each story with a unique header featuring a character from the tale.

All in all, a really lovely book which would be kept and read for years.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.