Title: The Dark Archetype: Exploring the Shadow Side of the Divine (As if that's not obvious from the pic razz )
Authors: Denise Dumars & Lori Nyx
Pages: 224
Genre: "New Age", Wicca, "alternative" religion, mythology
Publisher: New Page Books
This is... interesting, and not exactly what I was expecting it to be. It starts off with a brief 'intro' about what's meant by the title and such not, then moves into two sections of background and interpretations about various deities and mythological figures (Baba Yaga, Ereshkigal, the Grim Reaper, Set, Loki, and so on). If you're looking for an in-depth look at any of these, you're better off looking somewhere else, because only a few pages is devoted to each of them. On the other hand, there are some interesting interpretations concerning some of these deities or figures, and a few you wouldn't expect to be included (such as the Black Virgin).
The most interesting part of the book is the last section, which explains various rituals you can use for calling on the deities and figures covered in the previous two sections. Obviously, this is only going to be of any practical use to those who practice a magick-centered or neopagan religion of some variety (Wicca, Ordo Templi Orientus, and so on). For fellow writers or simply the curious, I definitely recommend reading it, if only because it illustrates very well how these 'dark' mythological figures can be interpreted in a helpful/beneficial way.
Since it's not a Magick 101 book, there's very little explanation provided for circle casting, cleansings, and all of that, under the (correct) assumption that there are more than enough books that already cover that so it doesn't need to be repeated. If you do want a book for that, I highly recommend Essential Wicca as a starting point (it clearly covers all of the basics concisely, understandably, and with enough detail that you won't come out of it feeling stupid), or T Thorn Coyle's Evolutionary Witchcraft for something more advanced.
My one gripe with The Dark Archetype is the authors tried too hard to go with a light-hearted style/attitude in their writing, and it doesn't always work, so I ended up getting annoyed with their attempts at humor on a somewhat regular basis confused I'm sure others may love that they did that, but it didn't exactly work for me.
