World’s Worst Monsters & Villains

Do you know what scared children a thousand years ago? It was the same things that scare them today – giants, trolls, ghouls, wolves, serpents, dragons, sorcerers and tricksters.

World’s Worst Monsters & Villains collects 44 gruesome beasts from myth, folklore and fiction. Some of these creatures, such as Gollum from The Hobbit or the wolf from The Three Little Pigs, are known worldwide, while others, such as the Mayan Camazotz bat-monsters or skinless Scottish elf Nuckelavee, are less familiar. But all of them are wonderful, scary characters from the world’s best stories.

The book includes characters from classic fairy and folk tale characters, such as the giant from Jack and the Beanstalk; characters from myth and folklore, like goblins and elves; characters from works of fiction, such as Voldemort from the Harry Potter books; and finally characters from ancient myths about the creation of the world.

World’s Worst Monsters & Villains is illustrated throughout with outstanding new full-colour annotated artworks for each character. Alongside easy-to-follow accounts of each character’s story, there are factfile boxes, locator maps and size comparison guides.

From Indian vampires who ask riddles to Chinese headless giants who dance, from Scandinavian elves who steal children to Bohemian boys who grow out of tree stumps, this is a feast of beastly delights.