Rating: 
Summary: THE MONSTERS OF MIDDLE-EARTH
Review: "A bestiary is a book about beasts," writes author David Day in the introduction to his own splendid addition to that unique literary genre, a class of books that has come down to us from the medieval imagination and refuses to be extinguished by modern science altogether. And Day's book is indeed about the beasts and alien life of Tolkien's wonderful world (fire-drakes, dwarves, giant spiders, elves, eagles, orcs, trolls, ents, half-orcs, and of course Hobbits, to name but a few), but it is so much more as well. Intermingled with all the articles and descriptions about Middle-earth's various monsters, animals and even races are valuable nuggests of information and history tied in to virtually every facet of Tolkien's beloved dreamworld, plus a quality map of Middle-earth and a pair of timelines helpful for sorting out some of the historical background at a glance. Turning through this book's beautiful pages is not only an opportunity to savor monsters of myth and magic, but a chance to see how the various elements of a great writer's imagination all fit together to create one of the most enduring literary landscapes of all time. Be that as it may, it is still a book that fulfills its face purpose masterfully. The alphabetized catalogue of Middle-earth's legendary denizes is written in a clear, rather academic but eminently friendly and engaging style that makes reading its contents an easy, almost compulsory task. The illustrations, both color and monocrhome, are eye-catching, classy, and distinctive. Perhaps too distinctive for some tastes; attractive as the pictures are individually and as a whole, they are highly stylized and often quite unrealistic. Those who are accustomed to more true-to-life pictures may not be satisfied with much of this book's otherwise outstanding artwork. Overall, however, the book is both visually appealing and intellectually stimulating, and one that most any Tolkien devotee or fantasy afficianado should enjoy through many repeated perusals. Definitely recommended.
Rating:
Summary: THE MONSTERS OF MIDDLE-EARTH
Review: "A bestiary is a book about beasts," writes author David Day in the introduction to his own splendid addition to that unique literary genre, a class of books that has come down to us from the medieval imagination and refuses to be extinguished by modern science altogether. And Day's book is indeed about the beasts and alien life of Tolkien's wonderful world (fire-drakes, dwarves, giant spiders, elves, eagles, orcs, trolls, ents, half-orcs, and of course Hobbits, to name but a few), but it is so much more as well. Intermingled with all the articles and descriptions about Middle-earth's various monsters, animals and even races are valuable nuggests of information and history tied in to virtually every facet of Tolkien's beloved dreamworld, plus a quality map of Middle-earth and a pair of timelines helpful for sorting out some of the historical background at a glance. Turning through this book's beautiful pages is not only an opportunity to savor monsters of myth and magic, but a chance to see how the various elements of a great writer's imagination all fit together to create one of the most enduring literary landscapes of all time. Be that as it may, it is still a book that fulfills its face purpose masterfully. The alphabetized catalogue of Middle-earth's legendary denizes is written in a clear, rather academic but eminently friendly and engaging style that makes reading its contents an easy, almost compulsory task. The illustrations, both color and monocrhome, are eye-catching, classy, and distinctive. Perhaps too distinctive for some tastes; attractive as the pictures are individually and as a whole, they are highly stylized and often quite unrealistic. Those who are accustomed to more true-to-life pictures may not be satisfied with much of this book's otherwise outstanding artwork. Overall, however, the book is both visually appealing and intellectually stimulating, and one that most any Tolkien devotee or fantasy afficianado should enjoy through many repeated perusals. Definitely recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: The Perfect Tolkien Companion
Review: A Tolkien Bestiary is certainly an indispensable work for any Tolkien devotee, and helps one get to grips with the elaborate world of the Undying Lands and Middle Earth. If you want to do some research into a topic related to Tolkien's world, the Bestiary provides a perfect source, without having to spend ages flipping through the pages of 'The Hobbit', 'The Lord of the Rings' and 'The Silmarillion'.
Furthermore David Day, brings these works together, and presents the whole picture of Middle Earth.One intriguing way in which this is done is through three beautifully illustrated sections in the book which trace the history of Tolkien's world, from the 'Vision and Creation of Arda' to the 'Departure of the Ringbearers'. A Tolkien Bestiary is a highly comprehensive work, with maps, timelines and genealogies.
If one refers to the 'Genealogy of the Races of Elves' for example, one can look at the entries for all the groups mentioned, starting with the lengthy article on Elves, as well as the smaller articles on the various other names used for Elves, such as 'Fair Folk'.
One can then go on to look at the various families of Elfkind, and the entries under the different names for each.
Hence you can find articles on the Eldar also known West Elves, Avari also known as East Elves, Vanyar or Fair Elves, Noldor or Deep Elves, Sindar or Elves, Silvan or wood Elves etc.
Similarly this can be done with the other races of Middle Earth, the Dwarves, Men, Hobbits, Ents, Orcs, Trolls, Balrogs etc as well as the roles played by animals in Middle Earth. What really makes the book a pleasurable experience to look at are the wonderful illustrations from the remarkably talented artists, in this work.
These drawings really bring Tolkien's work to life, and the colour illustrations are genuine works of art which make this book the perfect coffee table book. A Tolkien Bestiary is certainly an indispensable work for any Tolkien devotee, and helps one get to grips with the elaborate world of the Undying Lands and Middle Earth. If you want to do some research into a topic related to Tolkien's world, the Bestiary provides a perfect source, without having to spend ages flipping through the pages of 'The Hobbit', 'The Lord of the Rings' and 'The Silmarillion'.
Furthermore David Day, brings these works together, and presents the whole picture of Middle Earth. One intriguing way in which this is done is through three beautifully illustrated sections in the book which trace the history of Tolkien's world, from the 'Vision and Creation of Arda' to the 'Departure of the Ringbearers'. A Tolkien Bestiary is a highly comprehensive work, with maps, timelines and genealogies.
If one refers to the 'Genealogy of the Races of Elves' for example, one can look at the entries for all the groups mentioned, starting with the lengthy article on Elves, as well as the smaller articles on the various other names used for Elves, such as 'Fair Folk'.
One can then go on to look at the various families of Elfkind, and the entries under the different names for each.
Hence you can find articles on the Eldar also known West Elves, Avari also known as East Elves, Vanyar or Fair Elves, Noldor or Deep Elves, Sindar or Elves, Silvan or wood Elves etc.
Similarly this can be done with the other races of Middle Earth, the Dwarves, Men, Hobbits, Ents, Orcs, Trolls, Balrogs etc as well as the roles played by animals in Middle Earth. What really makes the book a pleasurable experience to look at are the wonderful illustrations from the remarkably talented artists, in this work.
These drawings really bring Tolkien's work to life, and the colour illustrations are genuine works of art which make this book the perfect coffee table book.
Rating: 
Summary: From the mind of David Day
Review: As Tolkien reference work this book is absolutely useless. David Day unfortunately persists to include his own extrapolated 'facts', without any support what so ever in the source material. Much of what is incorporated into the texts of this book is pure fan fiction from the mind of David Day. Now this wouldn't have been so bad, had it not been for the fact that Mr. Day never lets the reader know what is Tolkien fact, and what is pure speculation and the inventions of his own mind. These extrapolations are sadly so incorporated into the texts, and widespread througout the book, that it is near impossible even for a learned Tolkien reader to extract just what is actual fact from the hand of JRR in each entry. A Tolkien virgin will be lead to believe that each text in it's entirety make up the known facts, and this is indeed sad. Tolkien purists should avoid this work at all costs, but for someone simply looking for an entertaining and beautiful Tolkien related book to look at every now and again, it may well fit the bill. Just be aware of it's shortcomings. As a reference work to the books, or Tolkien discussions, it is misleading at best, and a source of blatant disinformation. David Day's work as a Tolkien 'scholar' is infamous, and new readers to Tolkien's universe need to be made aware of just how inaccurate his works are.
Rating:
Summary: Magnificent!
Review: David Day has created a scholarly work, a worthy companion to Tolkien's novels. While it shouldn't be considered as authoritative a source of reference information as The Silmarillion, the indexes of The Return of the King, or any of Christopher Tolkien's compilations, it is none the less useful and infinitely more practical for the quick reference of facts. That's not to say that it is in any way dry or prosaic in terms of entertainment value, or of interest only to those initiated in the world of Middle Earth; the vivid illustrations and lively, informative text will make this a treasured possession of any lover of the imaginative.
Rating: 
Summary: Don't expect accuracy or faithfulness to Tolkien
Review: David Day is one of the more imaginative Tolkien annotators ever to be published. His work is completely without merit from a scholarly point of view because he makes up his facts and includes many misleading details. He is constantly hammered by Tolkien researchers on the Internet. What he brings to the realm of Middle-earth commentary is an imaginative retelling of Tolkien's mythology. It's unique, if not legitimate. He lacks Tolkien's style and depth, but many people have enjoyed Day's books through the years despite their inaccuracy. These books make good conversationalist pieces, but the reader should beware. They won't teach you much about Tolkien's world and what little they have to offer in the way of accurate information is washed away by the unauthorized additions and changes.
Rating: 
Summary: It's not that bad...
Review: David Day's Tolkien Bestiary is a lovely book, filled with color and monochrome drawings and maps. Arranged alphabetically, it makes researching races and groups of creatures fairly easy. The drawings are beautiful. The reader must keep in mind, however, that this is not a full encyclopedia of Tolkien's world. You won't find a listing for Aragorn under "A", for instance. Also, the descriptions of various races and animals have sometimes been enlarged from the original. This is an interesting read in itself, but do not expect this to be completely true to The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings. Most readers who pick up this book will probably already have read The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. If not, go to them first.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful but beware
Review: David Day's Tolkien Bestiary is a lovely book, filled with color and monochrome drawings and maps. Arranged alphabetically, it makes researching races and groups of creatures fairly easy. The drawings are beautiful. The reader must keep in mind, however, that this is not a full encyclopedia of Tolkien's world. You won't find a listing for Aragorn under "A", for instance. Also, the descriptions of various races and animals have sometimes been enlarged from the original. This is an interesting read in itself, but do not expect this to be completely true to The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings. Most readers who pick up this book will probably already have read The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. If not, go to them first.
Rating:
Summary: A decent Tolkien 'textbook', though a bit uneven
Review: Day calls this compendium a 'bestiary' largely because of the medieval flavor such a title conveys; but the equally medieval 'encyclopedia' would be a more accurate term. The book lays out the fundamentals of Tolkien's world, from the cosmology of the posthumous "Silmarillion" to minor details of hobbit-lore. Some attack Day's lack of Tolkien 'scholarship', though this hardly seems fair of a work intended more as a textbook primer than a serious study. He irons out some rough spots and inconsistencies in Tolkien's sprawling mythology to create a somewhat simplified, smoother corpus, and this is no mean feat. More distressing is the wildly uneven quality of the copious illustrations, which are meant to make this a richly atmospheric coffee-table book. Some of the artwork is beautifully rendered, but much is indifferent, and some is downright amateurish, despite the fact that all contributors are purportedly artists of some acclaim (different standards seem to apply in the relatively closed circles of illustrators who define themselves as 'fantasy artists'). Still, for many who'd like a glimpse at the historical depths and rich cosmology behind Middle Earth but don't wish to sift through the vast corpus of Tolkien texts extant, the Tolkien Bestiary is a generally adequate effort.
Rating:
Summary: Tolkien Bestiary, a gateway to understanding Tolkien's World
Review: Ever since I read Lord of the rings I have been fascinated by this 'new world' of Tolkien. I tried to read 'The Silmarillion', however, I found it a difficult read and so for a long time I did not know too much about the history of the middle earth and the undying lands. Recently, I got my hands on "A Tolkien Bestiary" and was finaly hooked. This book is an easy read, and is usefull as a reference book, one ends up paging back and forth referencing particular subject matter. In so doing one gets a better understanding of the complexity of Tolkien's world. It has inspired me to fight my way through 'The Silmarillion', however I am continuously referencing back to the Bestiary in order to gain clarity on certain issues. For those who are reading 'Lord of The Rings' either for the first, second or third time the Tolkien Bestiary is an essential reference manual, because it will clarify and give insite into what the characters of the three books are facing during their journeys. Terminologies used in Lord of the rings will be explained, and knowledge of the histories of the characters in 'Lord of The Rings' will enhance the pleasure of this magnificent trilogy. The illustrations bring the visual aspect to life and have been well done sticking very closely to Tolkien's descriptions.They are vivid, original and clearly of another world. There are however gaps in 'A Tolkien Bestiary' which have at times proved frustrating. Whilst David Day has been quite thorough in describing the characters in the Tolkien world, he has left out some key characters. For example, whilst there are references to Celebrimbor, in the book there is no detailed account of him and his fashioning of the rings of power. In a similar vein there are no detailed headings of Smeagol, the Rings of Power or Sauron. These are referenced under other titles, hence the need to page back and forth under various headings in order to get the full picture. I would also have liked to have seen more genealogies. Currently the 'Genealogy of the Races of Elves and Men' are a usefull reference, however there is no genealogy of the Dwarves, Hobbits and the dark characters of Sauron and Melkor. All in all this is a brilliant book and a must for any avid Tolkien follower.
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