Explanation of the Reviews | The Ratings | The Book Review List

How the Books are Reviewed and Rated

Each book review begins with the Back Cover Synopsis (what you see on the back cover, inside flap, etc.) that gives an overview of the book and what it's about. This often hints at the purpose of the book and why it's written in the first place. Next is Rhaevyn's Synopsis...my sense of what the book is about, or to fill in anything that might be missing in the official description. The books are then rated on four criteria:
Entertainment Factor - How readable was this book? Does it make you want to do the exercises or learn more about a subject? Or are you so bored that it makes you fall asleep or make you want to put it down?
Content and Information - Is the content accurate? Does the content meet the purpose of the book (for example, a book that's intended to be a guide but not the be-all and end-all source of knowledge on a topic might not include a lot of information, but has the information you need to be able to further your studies elsewhere)? Does the information encourage learning or provide an interesting viewpoint? Is it relevant to Paganism?
Usefulness - Is this book useful? Do you learn anything? Can you keep learning from it if you re-read it? Will you quote from it or adapt the exercises to your practice? Or is it the kind of book you will read once and then put down and never refer to again?
Longevity - Will this book stand the test of time? Will it date itself? Is it something you will refer back to? Will other, BETTER books be written on the same subject, rendering this one obsolete? Or will it set the standard for other books?
The four criteria are rated with a 1-5 star rating, using only whole integers. There are no fractions or decimals involved in the four criteria. Finally, the book reviews end with a Final Analysis which averages the four criteria ratings into one final rating. The final rating will often include fractions of stars, and will not be rounded. The Final Analysis will also include my conclusions regarding the book.

The Ratings

- Poor
- Below Average
- Average
- Above Average
- Excellent

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Adler, Margot: Drawing Down the Moon

Bonewits, Isaac: Real Magic

Buckland, Raymond: Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft

Cunningham, Scott: Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs

Curott, Phyllis: Book of Shadows

DiFiosa, Jimahl: A Voice in the Forest: Spirit Conversations with Alex Sanders

Rauls, Venecia: The Second Circle: Tools for the Advancing Pagan

Sagan, Samuel, M.D.: Awakening the Third Eye

Shanddaramon: Self-Initiation for the Solitary Witch: Attaining a Higher Spirituality Through a Five-Degree System

Westfield, Morven: Darksome Thirst