Guide to Tolkien's World seeks to do justice to the creatures and their world through more than one hundred fantasy illustrations. All kinds of beings are shown, be they vast winged dragons, earthbound creatures of evil, or simple flowers. David Day has identified and analyzed 129 separate races. Each is clearly explained in terms of its physical appearance, language, behaviour and culture.The purpose of Guide to Tolkien's World is not to retell their stories, but to make Tolkien's own book more accessible by identifying his creatures and explaining their roles in his epic world.