Rating: 
Summary: Not the best, but good to have in a collection of fairies...
Review: Certainly not the best book on fairies but still a good source anyway. I read through it and when I got to the dictionary I was a bit disappointed. It seems very incomplete and not accurate.
For example; When you go to the Barabaos it refers to the Masseriol. The fairies are two different fairies. Similar but not the same. The Barabaos are small shape-shifters. Usually they appear as a fat man in a red cap. He will change himself into a thread to nestle between breasts. For he loves human women. He crys out in pleasure and when the woman looks down he has already vanished to nestle between the next victims breast. He is a bit of a trickster. He likes to steal bread and pull clothes off lines before they have the chance to dry. He also squeezes in keyholes to watch couples making love.
The Massariol; also known as (Little Farmer) are northeastern Italian male house fairies. They help out on farms with livestock and they braid horses' manes every Friday. They also help out in the farm house. They like to lure women to mountains. There they dance with the pretty young women but do not harm them. They dress in red and look like elderly men with large red hats. They have a laugh like a horses' and are very kind creatures.
It aggravated me that Edain McCoy did not give the differences of these two fairies. Instead she treated it as if they were the same. That is just only one example. But it is a small dictionary and not an encyclopedia. She does give origins, other names they may go by, elements, appearance and temperament, the time they are most active, lore, where to find them, how to contact them, and magical and ritual help.
Other than that the book is great. It tells you allot about fairies and where they came from. The chapter I liked best was The faery Experience Around The Globe. There you learn about other cultures and their belief in the fairy. Celtic Beliefs, The Welsh and English Experience, and Germanic and Nordic Faeries. Those are only a few that are in this book. I found it very informational.
I must also include that if you are a Wiccan or Pagan and deal with magic. This book also has a few fairy spells. Including protection spells from the fae.
Rating: 
Summary: Very nice book, but some fluff...
Review: Edain McCoy has another good book with Faery Folk. It is a must-have for any collector of all things fae, however, like many Llewellyn publications, there is a percentage of questionable material.
Rating:
Summary: Very nice book, but some fluff...
Review: Edain McCoy has another good book with Faery Folk. It is a must-have for any collector of all things fae, however, like many Llewellyn publications, there is a percentage of questionable material.
Rating: 
Summary: Fuzzy, but not as bad as it could be
Review: I am an academic folklorist, and my specialties are fairy lore and classical fairy tales (which are related, but not identical areas of study). Speaking as a scholar, I have to say that her scholarship, while not outstanding, was better than a lot of New Age fairy books. She occasionally indulges in the fluffs, but she has the sense to list most of the fairies in her rather interesting "Dictionary" as dangerous, and not to be contacted. In this aspect, I found her to be better than Ted Andrews, and even the otherwise excellent Patricia Telesco; most of her fairies aren't adorable, and she advises respect at all times, even with benevolent fairies. The breakdown of the steps involved in spell and ritual construction were useful, and she included a halfway decent bibliography. On the other hand, this book definitely has problems. Her sections on the fairies of various lands are generalized and sloppy. She doesn't footnote -- her scholarship is strongest when she's referencing Katharine Briggs, but she doesn't credit her. To top it off, she commits one big, blistering error, which, if contact was attempted, might get some dumb fluff bunny killed: the bannik -- the Russian spirit of the bath house -- is most definitely a "Contact not advised!" entity. Folklore relates that, while banniks have occasionally been known to do good deeds, in general they are considered among the nastiest spirits in the Russian fairy pantheon; one of their favorite activities is skinning unwary bathers alive (see _Russian Folk Belief_, by Linda Ivanits). In general, I agree with the person who stated that if you want accurate fairy lore, go to Katharine Briggs (I would also suggest Carole Silver and Maureen Duffy); however, this is the most useful book for Neo-Pagans interested in making contact with the fairies in a ritual context. Just be sure to cross-check fairy types with Briggs' _Encyclopedia of Fairies_!
Rating:
Summary: Interesting
Review: I found this book to be useful as a resource. For those who are concerned about people harming themselves by not knowing what they are doing, I would have to say that more often than not the faeries Ms. McCoy lists fall into the "Contact Not Advised!" category. Anyone who wishes to ignore that information is blatantly ignoring what is written and it is not the fault of the author at that point. Also, it is a book about faeries. How scholarly should it be? If it is a scholarly approach that is wanted, visit a university library and hit the stacks. The only downside I can really pinpoint with this book, when taken in the context it is intended, is that the black and white photographs are not shot very well and detract from rather than enhance the book.
Rating:
Summary: McCoy's book is a revelation to Faery Wicca!
Review: I have been a practicing wiccan for quite a while, but I had always felt that something was lacking in my majik practice. When I found this book, I knew that working with the Wee Folk would add a new and amazing side to Wicca. This book gives all the important details one needs to know when working with the Faeries: everything from how to identify malevolent faeries to finding signs of the Faeries' rades. A triumph!
Rating:
Summary: Treasure Trove of info for Intro to Fairies & Little Folks!
Review: I picked up this really interesting book this weekend and am very pleased! Basically it is a dictionary of about 230 types of fairies! Section one explains the nature of fairies, the fairie experience aroung the globe, how and where to find them, how to protect yourself from the bad ones and a "guided meditation to fairyland". Section two has ideas on spells and rituals for you and the little people and how to create your own fairy beings and section three is a dictionary of the "Fairies of the world". It is REALLY a great book! The descriptions are so detailed! I just opened up to a page and scanned in one of the descriptions of a fairy: Alven - Land of Origin: Netherlands. Other Origins: None known. Other Names: Ottermaaner. Element: Water. Appearance and Temperament: Alvens have bodies thatlight as to make them almost invisible. They are not winged but they can travel through the air by becoming encased in a water bubble. Occasionally they will show themselves while wearing the skins of otters. Their malice towards humans extends only to who choose to desecrate their homes and sacred plants. Time Most Active: At night. Lore: Alvens are creatures of the moon under whose light they dance and play. They are water faeries who live in ponds, lakes and rivers, but the River Elbe is sacred to them and in it they make principal home. They cherish night-blooming plants and will harm any human who attempts to pick or destroy
them. Fish are their only known enemies, and they prefer to live in water enclosures there are none. Where to Find Them: In the River Elbe, an easy journey on the inner plane. How to Contact: Look for them in Faeryland and try approaching them as a friend, someone who also loves the moon and nature. Magickal and Ritual Help: Undetermined, but they may be useful in protective and healing spells for a night-blooming garden or for the marine environment. That is just an example of one type...a few other names: Ballybogs, Baraboas, Brownies, Coblynau, Domoviyr, Elle Maids, Fireesin, Gnomes, Gremlins, Hobgoblins, Jack Frost, Knockers, Lesidhe, Lorelei, Merrows, Nokke, Oakmen, Pixies, Portunes, Saleerandees, Spunkies, Twlwwyth Tegs, Undines, Wag-by-the-way, Zips... the list goes on! There is a great resource guide in the back and suggestions for making up stories, etc...
Highly Recommended!...
Rating: 
Summary: Ill-researched
Review: I used to own a metaphysical bookstore, and was duly excited when this book came out. However, upon reading it, I sent every copy back to the distributor, with the exception of one copy I kept as an example of a badly researched book for neophyte witches.The author did not do her homework on the subject very well. In her view, the Good Folk are little, friendly creatures who are glad to be contacted and in some cases, ordered about by neopagans and witches. The bulk of extant folklore does not bear out these white-light, fluffy-bunny cutsie-wootsie beliefs. In the traditions of the British Isles, and among the Native American tribes, the Little People were considered to sometimes be allied with humanity, but were more likely to be at odds with humans or at the least, uncaring of humanity. Rituals were developed, and a complex set of rules were followed on how to propitiate these beings and to keep human relations with them on a safe level. The powers that these beings were said to wield were considerable, and not to be trifled with. As a witch for over 17 years, and as someone who has studied the folklore of the Good Folk for around 20 years, I refuse to believe that someone who has obviously not bothered do her homework on a subject could be qualified as an authority on it. No, thank you, I will stick to the tried and true methods developed by people over hundreds of years when dealing with unknown entities such as the Good Folk, and ignore the advice of someone who likely hasn't seen one in her life, and who probably only wrote the book for the money it would bring her. If anyone wants to learn more about the Little People, I would suggest that they read Katherine Brigg's work, "The Encyclopedia of Fairies," which is a far more interesting book, written by someone who has made the study of the folklore and beliefs about the Good Folk her life's work.
Rating:
Summary: An atmospheric review of Faery with excellent magical advice
Review: I've owned this wonderful book since it was initially published in 1994. I just recently checked these reviews and was very disappointed by the obviously sectarian spirit in some reviews that sometimes plagues the magical faiths. This book is not only a very thorough introduction to faeries, it is an excellent summary of the basics of magical theory and practice. Some, of course, will hate it for the very fact that it doesn't favor their particular magical tradition or belief about how faeries are. Well, it's their loss. If you love faeries, and you're open minded, you'll love this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Not as usefull as i thought
Review: Most of this book is well written, however, i do not think it is organized well enough. Half the book is on the dictionary of 230 faeries. I must say that everything BEFORE the dictionary. Most of the ways to contact the faeries are 'Contact unknown' or 'Contact not advised.' Edain mccoy is also not clear on how to contact the fae. She just says 'cast the circle and invoke them' Well edain, thats great but what do you do now? The lore of the faeries in the dictionary was good. Her perspective of the fae is also different, she sees them mostly as dangerous creatures, but not all are like this, they are more wild and playful than actually dangerous. You won't be needing this book as much as you THINK you would. But it is still a good reference to keep on the shelf. I especially liked the part of how she taught to create an energy fae to help tasks. The meditation, just as Ted Andrews are too 'forcing' She should teach to let the fae take charge while in astral plane instead of force them to speak and smile. Although this book was better than Ted Andrews _Enchantment of the faerie realm_ i still give it a very low rating. It hasn't helped me that much, and i dont think it will be much of a help for you also. Try Sirona knight's _Faery Magick_ instead.
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