Magical monsters and where you may discover them

The title of this post was my husband’s idea. We went to see Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them the other week – we’re both big Potterheads (well, he thinks he is, but he’s never read the books and in my book that doesn’t count). Afterwards, he said “I think you should write a book called Magical Monsters and Where You May Discover Them,” and then he had a good laugh at his own joke.

So, this week, we’re talking about mythical monsters and legendary creatures.

My WIP, The Fair Queen, contains a fair few fantastic beasts. As with the names of many things in the novel (characters, places, etc.), the creatures are all based on British myths and legends.

I use this pin on Pinterest to help me come up with mythical creatures:

Let’s have a look at said beasties:

Banshee – a banshee is a kind of wraith, a female spirit dressed in white with a ruined face, whose scream kills by rupturing the victim’s blood vessels.

Barghest – an enormous black, dog-like beast with bone-white and razor-sharp teeth and claws. An omen of death.

Drac – a water demon, a cross between a mermaid and a sea dragon. Dracae drag victims down to the bottom of the lake, usually resulting in drowning.

Hag – a shape-shifter that appears to young men as a beautiful young woman, and to girls as a haggard old crone. They use visions to manipulate their victims into going with them, before killing them.

Nat – a twig-like creature in a symbiotic relationship with a tree. Usually harmless and peaceful, but will attack in droves to defend their territory.

Selkie – a water creature that appears as a seal-like animal under the water, but on land takes on human form. They are very seductive and manipulative, and are known to entice humans into joining them in their underwater kingdom forever.

Troll – a large, simple beast that usually keeps to itself, but when angered will attack. Not very intelligent, or skilled, but they have brute-strength on their side.

So, those are the magical creatures that appear in book one of the duology, we will probably (read: definitely) meet a few more in the sequel, The Solitary King. They all keep to the original myths quite closely, with a few small tweaks here and there. They may change slightly over the course of editing and revising, but that’s all part of the writing process!

Do you like your fantasy novels to tie into existing myths and legends, or do you prefer exciting new creations?

I hope you’re excited to see how these fantastic beasts fit into my novel and what kinds of trouble my characters get into!

What would you like to know about my WIP in my next blog? Let me know in the comments – I’m thinking ‘get to know my antagonist’, or if you have any questions you’d like answered based on what I’ve already shared.

I can’t wait to hear from you!

Lyndsey