This is a beautiful book full of gorgeous pieces. The book opens with a section that covers all of the stitches that are used in this book -- peyote, ladder, brick, square, herringbone, RAW, nepal chain, St. Petersburg chain, and backstitch. That alone indicates the scope and extent of the projects in this book, which combine all of these stitches to create 20 elegant, lovely projects. As Maggie indicates in the introduction, the book is geared towards the intermediate seed beader.
The projects themselves are divided into three main sections: Ancient and Antique Jewelry as Inspiration, Mosaic and Textile Motifs as Inspiration, and Architectural Elements as Inspiration. While a couple of the pieces are ones that Maggie has taught before (such as Santa Sophia Pendant and Girandole Earrings), most are new and they all draw from the Italianate and Turkish influences that Maggie is most known for. The pieces also have a nice variety, with nice coverage of bracelets, necklaces, and earrings. Maggie also tends to favor cylinder (Delica) beads, and almost every project uses them. She focuses on creating small components, which are then linked together into intricate, sinuous designs.
Each project also includes a brief explanation of the inspiration for the piece. The three main sections also include photos of original, antique pieces, and the entire book includes with a lovely gallery of photos.
The supply list is given at the start of each project, and, as with other Lark books in this series, the directions are clear and are nicely supplemented with illustrations. I also love that these new Lark books are hardback, which make them so much easier to bead and work from.
Overall, this is a lovely book with gorgeous pieces to inspire the intermediate and advanced beader!