Heather Fawcett (1) (1989–)

Just fantastic, in every sense! Emily Wilde is a dedicated faerie scholar, tersely lacking in people skills or basic friendliness, and working to receive acclaim and tenure in the dryadology department of 1900s Cambridge. The story is relayed in journal entries from Professor Wilde's expedition to a freezing cold, physically and magically dangerous Norwegian village, where she needs to study the final faerie types to finish the first ever complete encyclopedia of faeries. And this story has show more got everything—fantasy! mystery! fairy tales! excellent dogs! scholarly publishing! history! action! adventure! a little romance, with Tam Lin vibes! It's one of those rare epistolary novels that works for me because Emily is so complete and exacting in her recollections and descriptions and so completely, refreshingly honest and clearsighted about her own faults and mistakes, you never feel like you're missing part of the story by just getting her daily journal perspective. I am so happy there will be a sequel. show less

I am not sure what I expected going into this novel, but the novel turned out to be so much more that whatever I imagined. I couldn't help but think of Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell (and not just because of the footnotes). The two books couldn't be more different and yet they reminded me of each other. Perhaps it was in the way Mr. Norrell was the mentor to Jonathan Strange just as Wendell Bambleby is sort of a mentor (and rival) to Emily Wilde. Or the depth of study that show more went into their fields (for one magic and the other faeries). Whatever it was, I loved every minute of Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries and cannot wait to read more.

Emily Wilde isn't the warmest person. As described in the summary above, she's quite curmudgeonly. But very intelligent and resourceful--at least when it comes to getting out of tight spots. Having traveled to a small village called Hrafnsvik in Arctic Norway for the winter, she hopes to study the local faeries and finish her book. She keeps to herself mostly and at first refuses to lean on the locals for help of any kind, much to their consternation. She is more comfortable in working with the Folk, or faeries, studying their ways and learning as much as she can about them. The last thing she wants is for her rival and colleague Wendell Bambleby to show up, but show up he does. His charm and easygoing nature immediately endear him to the townsfolk and their hosts. His lack of focus and laziness only serve to annoy Emily more. She finds she needs his help more than she wants to admit, especially the more she uncovers about the Hidden Ones, the mysterious faeries who live in the forest outside of the village. I enjoyed the banter between Wendell and Emily quite a bit. I cannot forget to mention Shadow! Emily's dog is perhaps one of my most favorite characters.

The world building is amazing. The folklore about faeries is extremely detailed and well researched, and the author weaves it seamlessly into her story. I enjoyed getting to know the town folk. The setting itself was a character of it's own, a small Norwegian village in the early 1900's and its surrounding forest and land. Most of the novel is written from Emily's perspective in epistolary style, taken from her journal, and this format worked very well. It was easy to forget I was reading a journal entry. I am glad I finally got the chance to read this book. Heather Fawcett's novel had so many qualities I love wrapped up in one. It was a charming historical fantasy with a touch of the dark, a hint of romance, and quite a bit of mystery and intrigue. show less

Emily Wilde is an awkward but fiercely independent Cambridge professor who lives and breathes her field of expertise – the fey and fickle Faerie Folk. She travels to far-flung places to do fieldwork, seeking out rare species of Hidden Ones to study and document, in the hopes of publishing scientific papers as well as her magnum opus – the titular Encyclopedia of Faeries. Her colleague, Bambleby, is a thorn in her side, appearing where he’s not expected and getting in her way.

Bambleby show more is the perfect foil for Emily, as suave and charming as she is awkward and unsociable. Their relationship dynamics and banter are delightful. The wintry landscape is so vividly described I felt chilled even before the temperature takes a magical plunge. And Shadow, Emily’s boarhound, is simply adorable.

Full of charm and whimsy, magic and mayhem, this novel is a thoroughly enjoyable romp that’s perfect for the reader who enjoys fairy tales about the unpredictable Faerie Folk. I loved all the scholarly asides that add so much to the whimsical feel of this fantastical world. And the bonus story at the end was absolutely delightful. Can’t wait to read more from this author. show less

his was my first cozy fantasy, so I went in kinda skeptical. I didn’t know if I’d like it or if I’d end up bored. Turns out, I really enjoyed it.

The cozy vibes pulled me all the way in, but I stayed for the fairy lore. I loved that it wasn't all sweetness and whimsy. There were changelings, missing people, twisted bargains, and an actual sense of danger. The folklore brought just enough darkness to balance out the cozy. That kept me interested, especially since I tend to like stories show more that have some darkness to them.

Unfortunately, the main character, Emily, drove me a little crazy. I get that she’s a brilliant academic who struggles socially, but her inability to read basic emotional cues got frustrating fast. She clearly understands how social interaction works, but refuses to engage with it, and not in a charming way. She’s so wrapped up in her own mind that she misses what’s right in front of her. It got old pretty quickly. And her dynamic with Wendell felt more like her stumbling forward while he patiently waited for her to catch up. And by the end, I wasn’t convinced she ever really would.

Wendell, on the other hand, was a delight. He’s smart, charming, a little ridiculous, and very fun. I liked him immediately, and thought he deserved better than Emily. Besides, their relationship didn’t read like a romance to me, though I don’t actually think it was meant to. Emily doesn’t seem wired for romance in the traditional sense, which is fine, but it made the slow burn feel like it was barely smoldering. There’s tension, but it’s mostly intellectual. That’s interesting to a point, but I wanted more fire throughout.

The writing itself is really strong. It’s got a slightly old-fashioned tone that fits the setting and the academic frame of the story, but it’s not heavy or dense. The worldbuilding is woven in naturally, and the diary-style narration kept things personal without dragging.

Overall, this book surprised me. I didn’t expect to get pulled in the way I did. The setting is cozy in the best way, the folklore is rich and sharp, and Wendell stole every scene he was in. Emily tested my patience more than once, but the world and atmosphere made it worth sticking around. Cozy fantasy might be new to me, but I’m open to more of it now. show less