Customer Reviews
good read 
2004-11-12
This is a really good and accurate study of the things in harry potter.
it gives you the histroy and the background aronud some of the more mysterious subjects you come across in the harry potter series and of corse so of the more common subjects.
it even teaches you a little bit about each subject. it gives you a good explanation of arithmancy and enough info to do some basics on it.
Same with tea leaf reading.
good read and worth it.
A Welcome Companion Along the Road of Wizards 
2004-09-13
I found this book VERY entertaining, and funny. It doesn't offer anything in the way of clues to the mysteries of Harry Potter, but it will broaden your understanding of mythology throughout history, and give you a better understanding of many things mentioned in the the HP books. Including a bit on Arithmancy (which you can actually do yourself), and Transfiguration, and the meaning of those Rune stones Hermione's always talking about. It also takes a look at the origins of spell casting and mythical beasts like the basilisk, hinkypunk and kappa.
Understanding better why JKR choose some of the creatures and myths that she did for her books helps in your enjoyment of them, and this book will certainly do that. It's also helpful when trying to form some of your own theories on the HP books.
Expanding on the legend of the Grim, this book notes that they are creatures found only at graveyards or in burial grounds, and that if Harry knew this he might not have thought the dog he was seeing in POA was a grim, we then hear from JKR that indeed there is a graveyard at Hogwarts that will turn up in book 6. I found this to be very interesting and wonder if JKR will use that part of the grim myth in her next book. It was also funny to read the part about vampires being irresistibly drawn to counting anything. And can be distracted by throwing a bunch of pebbles in front of them, so you can get away.
There are many more bits like this to be found throughout the book, and whether you use it for sleuthing purposes or not, it's a great read!
Shallow and not really about HP, but very interesting 2004-06-01
A great night table book, it is arranged in short, alphabetical entries that can be read quickly. The authors seem uniquely suited to their subject-matter and obviously know their stuff. But, while they try to cite passages from the books as much as possible, most of the material just doesn't apply. JK Rowling seems to have skimmed a volume like this, then put it into a blender and extracted her own take on it all. It's liable to make purists a tad angry. It's all very interesting in its own right, though. I would have liked a lot more info on the "real" stuff, and less of a stretch to make it applicable.
Interesting, but very little to do with HP 2004-05-08
This is a very interesting book and I read it over and over. The only thing wrong with it is that I was expecting for it to have something to do with HP, but it didn't, aside from mentioning it every once in a while. It's like an encyclopedia of monsters and magic and it's interesting, but it's muggle lore, it's what people actually believed in the middle ages and other times. While JKR certainly based some of her magical creatures on traditional folk lore, it is her book and she changed the creatures to suit the plot. By itself it's wonderful, but don't expect much insight on the books.
A Pottermanic's delight 2004-03-24
"The Sorcerer's Companion" is a great fun resource not just for us Pottermaniacs, but also for those who have a passing interest in magic and occult lore. It's an invaluable companion book for the HP series but it stands very well on its own. Those who already have David Colbert's "Magical Worlds of Harry Potter" may want to add this book to their library; it covers a lot of areas the Colbert book doesn't and it's more comprehensive. Written in the form of a mini-encyclopedia covering everything from Amulets to Zombies, "The Sorcerer's Companion" provides links to the first four HP books (it was written two years before HP5 was published) with notations for easy reference. (Check out PA 8/154 for mention of Grindylows -- PA being "Prisoner of Azkaban", and 8/154 being the chapter and the page number of the American edition.) We learn that there are many kinds of Divination (ever heard of Astragalomancy? It's a fancy term for throwing dice) and the difference between amulets and talismans, along with a zillion other delicious tidbits of information. Want to know just what a Hinkypunk is? Or what the study of Arithmancy (the bane of Hermione's existence) involves? Did you know that the Kappa is a Japanese demon which loves cucumbers and the best way to keep it off is to placate it by feeding it kappamaki sushi? (Okay, I admit that one sounds a tad farfetched, but hey, it's all in fun.) It's not necessary to go through this book from A to Z; you can browse through it however you like and still come up with a bounty of entertainment and information, as well as practical advice on how to read tea-leaves (maybe you'll do better at this than Harry and Ron who couldn't see anything in the leaves but a big mushy mess), where to find a basilisk (guess what? there really is a basilisk lizard) and how to rid your premises of goblins. The book is a browser's delight -- fun and educational at the same time. Enjoy!
HMMM. 
2008-03-08
Definately doesn't compare to J.K. Rowlings writings. I'm not a fan of reading books based upon others. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J.k. Rowling is more like a guide to Harry Potter. :)
Magical Breif Encyclopedia 2007-08-24
I do like the book, very interesting indeed.
Although I am still waiting for a book that talks especifically about Harry Potter's characters and sites. That it'll work , nothing like an aside book to keep cheking a quick review of a character you just don't remember in that moment, even a spell or a plant or an animal, whatever it is. Oh well.
LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS BOOK 2007-03-20
I can't say enough about this book, I have bought a copy for every Harry Potter fan I know! This book is a must have for anyone interested in all the myths and legends behind the books. I had gotten the book from the library awhile ago and just had to own it. It is a great companion book for any Harry Potter fan! Great detail! My son has used this book on several of his school papers already...just a wonderful read!
A great companion 2005-07-09
This book helps to explain all the different kinds of characters one encounters in the world of Harry Potter a great companion piece with the set of books.
Good beginner's mythology book 2005-01-01
If you're expecting a "Harry Potter" book don't buy this one. If you are interested in learning about the myths that inspired Rowling, then you'll like it. In fact this book could have been written pre-1995, the only difference would be that there would be no refereces to JKR's work. (Rowling would have found it usefull in writing her stories.)
I have been studying the occult for 8 years, so not much of the information in this book was new to me. I bought it because I have been reading the Harry Potter books for 4 years, and have recognised many things in the books that closely resemble occult truths. I wanted to see someone else's take on the subject, (given the way Rowling is criticised for the occult-ness of her books).
This book would be best for those who are beginners in the area of mythology/occult teachings. Those well versed in this area will probally not find a great deal of new information in this book, but would probally still find it an amusing read. Also for those who are totally Harry obsessed (as I am).
If they come out with a new edition for the remaining books I will definitely buy it.
