Title: Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries
Author: Heather Fawcett
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Publisher: Orbit UK
Pages: 336
Release Date: 19 January 2023
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Hello fellow book lovers, today I'm sharing my review of Heather Fawcett's Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries, a deliciously cosy and whimsical historical fantasy that delves into faerie folklore with an enthusiasm I absolutely loved!
With faerie kings, anti social scholars and a sprinkling of humour this whimsy-filled ‘Light’ Academia will almost certainly warm even the coldest, and most pessimistic of hearts and make all those dark, wintery evenings just a little brighter.
Synopsis
A curmudgeonly professor journeys to a small town in the far north to study faerie folklore and discovers dark fae magic, friendship, and love in the start of a heartwarming and enchanting new fantasy series.
Cambridge professor Emily Wilde is good at many things: She is the foremost expert on the study of faeries. She is a genius scholar and a meticulous researcher who is writing the world's first encyclopaedia of faerie lore. But Emily Wilde is not good at people. She could never make small talk at a party--or even get invited to one. And she prefers the company of her books, her dog, Shadow, and the Fair Folk to other people.
So when she arrives in the hardscrabble village of Hrafnsvik, Emily has no intention of befriending the gruff townsfolk. Nor does she care to spend time with another new arrival: her dashing and insufferably handsome academic rival Wendell Bambleby, who manages to charm the townsfolk, get in the middle of Emily's research, and utterly confound and frustrate her.
But as Emily gets closer and closer to uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Ones--the most elusive of all faeries--lurking in the shadowy forest outside the town, she also finds herself on the trail of another mystery: Who is Wendell Bambleby, and what does he really want? To find the answer, she'll have to unlock the greatest mystery of all--her own heart.
Review
This was such a delightfully charming and enjoyable read that I absolutely loved! It’s written in a journal format which definitely helps with the academic/ research style premise of the entire book but can be a little slow to start but It does pick up pace once Wendell makes his (rather dramatic) entrance and things only get better from there.
I was utterly charmed by the lyrical and beautifully detailed prose and found the world building (and all of Emily’s interactions with the fae) soo wonderfully immersive I never wanted to leave—especially all the strange, atmospheric and tense encounters that Emily has with the various creatures and magical beings that call Ljosland home. I was particularly fond of Poe, the first fae Emily encounters in Hrafnsvik (and ultimately strikes a few bargains with.)
I loved our protagonist Emily, who far prefers books and her research to actual people (which I know many of us book lovers can fully relate to) and I couldn’t help but find her socially awkward interactions and dry sense of humour rather endearing.
Wendell (her co-worker, rival and sometimes nemesis) was just as endearing, and his loud, eccentrically charismatic personality really pairs perfectly with Emily’s self effacing demeanour. The chemistry and blossoming relationship between Emily and Wendell was fairly slow-burn, but I loved how natural it felt and definitely enjoyed the almost endless back and forth’s they shared.
The people of Ljosland were also well written characters who I really liked (once they began warm up to Emily and show us more of their personalities, that is) and I really enjoyed getting to know them all (Lilja,Thora and Aud especially) and I hope we get to see more of them in the upcoming sequel.
Heather Fawcett also manages to interweave several interesting folktales into the plot (which I absolutely loved) it really added to the enchanting, fairytale vibes (as did some of the darker, more macabre scenes which had a distinct Grimm’s -esque tone.)
Overall, a richly imagined, cosy and beautifully immersive tale with a whimsical, wintery charm that fans of Naomi Novik, Margaret Rogerson or Holly Black are sure to enjoy and I personally can’t wait to see what Emily and Wendell get up to next!
Also, a huge thank you to Nazia and the folks over at Orbit UK for the absolutely stunning proof.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
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