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Rating: 
Summary: One of the most beautiful and entertaining books I've seen
Review: I am only 16 years old, but I am one of the biggest bibliophiles you'll ever meet. I love reading every kind of book and fantasy books are some of my favorites. I got this book as a present when I was 8 (hardcover version) and even still, every time I look at it, I find something new. As others have pointed out, there are some editing errors and some things are left out, but in my opinon, the sheer beauty and wealth of information in this books allows the reader to easily overlook it. This book can be used as a reference book, but I enjoy just thumbing through the pages and reading random entries (my favorite is "White Cat's Castle"). So, I entreat any lover of books, especially fantasy, to pick up this book and enjoy!
Rating: 
Summary: Quite Good
Review: I bought this book a couple of years ago in a moment of pure whim, and I've not regretted the purchase. It isn't fully reliable when it comes to facts, and therefore should not be used for research, but if you discount that and approach it as entertainment or seed for story ideas, it is lovely. The illustratious and gorgeous and the way the book is arranged is clever and useful. The authors chose such a wide variety of topics and sources that the book is very good for expanding your knowledge base or finding new interests. I really appreciate that they did not focuse entirely on the Greeks as if theirs were the only mythology! I run across that too often. However, for a more accurate take on mythology, I suggest something more serious like "World Mythology," edited by Roy Willis. This book is more useful in terms of facts, but the Encyclopedia of Things that Never Were is the one I read more often.
Rating: 
Summary: Not what I expected
Review: I love this book. After many years and many other books and magazines, I still go back to this book for the facts. It covers such a broad spectrum of creatures, myths, fairytales, and other fantasies. It also has some very good artwork.
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Summary: Thankyou school library!
Review: I love this book. I sleep next to it at night. I hold it close and coo words of endearment.
I found this in my school library when i was about seven or eight. (to avoid confusion from here, my school is K-12) from then on, every few months i'd check it out for a project or just fun (i was intensely into this stuff) about my freshman year they revamped the library and i couldnt find it (GASP!!) eventually i located it on the floor, open and in pain. I cried to the heavens WHY?! and promptly put it under my arm and walked away. I've had it for about 4 years in my bed between the sideboard and matress and every time i open it i find something new, interesting and inspirational. only downfall is everything is written as exact so its doesnt include many variations of myths but in these situations its a good starting point anyways.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic!
Review: I loved this book, it is very informitive, and it's extreamly useful in my research while I write. Almsot everything magical, mystical, and mythical all over the world is in here. From African magic ritual masks to Mark Twains's St. Petersburg, Missouri from Tom Sawyer, and everything else in the world's mythologys.
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Summary: The book's unrealized potential is frustrating.
Review: This book's unrealized potential is frustrating. The book calls itself "the complete book of fantasy." Unfortunately, the book is not in the least comprehensive. For example, the god Hephaestus is given a treatment in the text but Ares, Athena, Aphrodite, Hera, nor Hades get individual treatments. All of these are far "greater" in the hierarchy of Greek mythology than Hephaestus and deserve a treatment in text (especially considering that they appear in other entries of the text). It is also important to note that a grave editorial error has allowed several instances of mis-alphabetization to occur. On one page the entries occur AS, AQ, AR and on another set of pages occur BE, BH, BR, BO, BO, BL, BL, BO. The incorrect order would cause a great deal of frustration to the reader looking for a specific entry. The illustrations are magnificent and the material that is included is informative and entertaining. With some editing, this book has potential. As it is currently, the book is a beautiful bird that is pleasing to the eye, but falls short of the expected breathtaking song. It is unfortunate because the beauty of the book makes the errors that much more obvious and distracting.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful and Detailed
Review: This is a large, beautifully illustrated book, full of information on a wide-range of fantasy topics. Some authors of books on mythology and fantasy take on a snooty, lecturing tone, like they're imparting true occult wisdom upon the unenlightened masses. Page and Ingpen get a little mystical but I never had the impression that they really thought they had met pixies or been to Valhalla. My only problem with it is that the entries are not sourced. There is a nice bibliography in the back but there is no indication in the individual entries where the information came from. It would have been nice to be able to follow up on the entries that I found especially interesting.
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