I have a real interest in myths and legends from around the world. One of the reasons I studied anthropology in university was to find out more about the commonalities between ancient cultures and how they influence the world today through belief systems, structural hierarchies and etymology.

I knew a little about British folktales but probably not much more than the average person on the street- Joseph of Aramathea visiting Glastonbury, King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table and the Loch Ness monster. You know, typical stuff that you pick up from living on these sceptred isles. When I heard about Storyland by Amy Jeffs I picked it up as I thought it would be a good way to plug my knowledge gap.

The stories are told, one per chapter, with all the lineages of the families and details about the geography. It adds a real academic element to these fantastical stories but I often found that stories are clearly told but lacked the lyrical flourishes of Neil Gaiman's Norse Gods or Stephen Fry's Troy or Mythos series of Greek myths. What we have are a smorgasbord of myths and legends from creation to about the 1200s but with none of the personality of these stronger writers.

Jeffs is obviously passionate about the subject and her stories are meticulously researched. Her critical commentary after each tale provides an informative breakdown of the symbolism and the provenance adds an element of academia to it but it lacks the lyricism of prose to make it an engaging read. In places, it felt stuffy and dry which is difficult to achieve considering these are tales of daring-do, mighty battles and magic. Having said that, this is a handsome tome with the linocut artwork adding a unique artistic style to proceedings.

Overall, this is a useful book to have for research purposes or to have access to a wide range of tales in one handy volume, but it is not a great read.

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