Cryptids & Monsters of North Carolina is an interesting examination of the state’s rich folklore, legend, and sightings of paranormal creatures and supernatural beings. W.J. Brendle, Ph.D., delves into a wide variety of cryptids inhabiting the state of North Carolina, from the ancient Native legends to comparatively recent sightings of monster-like entities and unexplained occurrences.

The book is divided into stand-alone chapters, each of them written about a different creature or phenomenon. These range from mythical ones such as Judaculla, the Cherokee slant-eyed giant who guards the natural world; Lorelei, a siren reputed to haunt the French Broad River; and the Beast of Bladenboro, a vampire-like monster that terrorized a 1950s town. Some of the other standouts are Dogman, Bigfoot (his local cousin Knobby), The Boojum, The Wampus Cat, Mermaids of the Cape Fear River, and Normie, a lake monster reputed to haunt Lake Norman.

The author mixes historical background, native mythologies, first-person reports, newspaper accounts, and cryptozoological speculation to create a well-balanced but provocative narrative. The book does not set out to prove the existence of the monsters nor does it request the reader to disbelieve them but welcomes readers to participate in the mystery, symbolism, and cultural value of the legends. From the dark woods of Appalachia to the misty shores of its rivers to her seaside, every account offers an insight into North Carolina’s mysterious and distinctive heritage.

Cryptids & Monsters of North Carolina is a provocative journey into the unknown that challenges readers to confront the blurred lines that separate myth and truth, whether they are reading it as local history, speculative science, or folklore.