Boris Vallejo is a name and style I was aware of through nerd osmosis, though Julie Bell was not someone I was consciously aware of previously, more's the pity.

Vallejo is...Vallejo, the Fabio romance cover artist 'for the lads'. Undeniable skills with a seeming obsession with one perspective on the 'perfect physical form' and a fantasy icon. I don't have a nostalgic connection to him and I am of the feminine persuasion, so perhaps I feel less kindly towards him than others. His talent and imagination are spoiled for me by the lasciviousness of his male gaze and the his focus on masculine fantasy, both in the bodybuilder demigods he models his men after, and the swimsuit models he bases his women on. His scenery, monsters, and sci-fi elements are wonderful, but these are few and far between.

Julie Bell on the other hand has a little of Vallejo's propensity for swimsuit models, but tempers the male gaze with her own vision. You can see her style and portrayal of women evolve and it is beautiful to see. The depth and range of her work is something else with all manner of striking and affecting scenes that, in the same way fantasy stories have evolved, contain so much more than muscle-bound and scantily-clad power fantasies. I am truly glad to have discovered her.

A number of pages were sadly torn from the library edition, so the only collaborative work I can be sure of was a science fantasy floating pyramid piece that was truly spectacular. It says they only worked together on four pieces. I would very much like to see the test and wish they had done more.

A fascinating book, but honestly I could have just done with a book of Bell's art.

This was my first in-library read/ peruse, which makes it a bit special. ( )

No story, but wonderful paintings. ( )