The final volume of the Time-Life Enchanted World series I have for you this week is Water Spirits (1985). I overlooked this one as a kid because, well, how interesting could a book called Water Spirits really be, especially when you have volumes called Ghosts and Night Creatures? Well, it turns out, very interesting. It’s my current fave of the series.

Water Spirits is a great example of how odd the Enchanted World books can be in terms of eclectic topics and surprising overlaps from other books. They basically cram everything even vaguely water related in this one, so Scylla is in here along with mermaids and ghost of the drowned dead. Testament to the quality of the writing, the book is all over the place and thoroughly enjoyable because of it.

This is Matt Mahurin’s book to shine in. All those white spirits over stormy seas, the drowning sailors, the man nailed to the mainmast, the St Elmo’s fire, it is all just a gift to my inner goth. I can practically hear the creepy, minor key single string violin accompaniment. I wish I could find more of Mahurin’s work that is on this level, but alas.

John Howe’s also here, contributing the mermaid and the sea serpent. You probably know Troy Howell, who did the drowned sailors on the ocean floor, from the covers of Brian Jacques’ Redwall books. And Scylla is by Julek Heller, who illustrated two books, Knights and Giants, that I will likely be covering another time.