Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries

This book was so entertaining and well crafted - I had a great time reading it and I can't wait for Book 2.
Through her diary, we follow the footsteps of introverted academic Emily Wilde and her dog as she studies fairies in a fictional Nordic island, soon to be joined by her flamboyant colleague and friend (although describing him as a frenemy might be more appropriate at the beginning... no spoilers about the end!) Wendell Bambleby.
The language, archaic-ish, precise and witty at the same time, made me smile several times, and the banter between the two researchers even more. I loved all the details about the lore and fairy academia, the villagers personalities, and all the secrets that we progressively uncover.
It's unique and show more delightful.

I want to thank NetGalley and Little Brown Book for giving me a copy in exchange for an honest review. show less

"One doesn't need magic if one knows enough stories."

Cambridge dryadology scholar Emily Wilde is traveling to Ljosland to study the Folk there, for the encyclopedia she is compiling - the first of its kind. But no sooner has she arrived than she inadvertently offends the townspeople by refusing their hospitality. Her work is complicated further by the arrival of her charming colleague Wendell Bambleby, who Emily is fairly certain is one of the Folk himself. Unusually for her, Emily begins to be drawn into the townspeople's lives and begins to care for them, especially as her expertise could help save their young people from being stolen by the Hidden Ones (the Ljoslander version of the courtly fae).

Emily's suspicions about Bambleby show more prove correct; he's exiled faerie royalty searching for a door back to his world - and Emily is the expert to help him find it. But first, they must deal with faerie kings and queens in Ljosland, and save the people in the town. With Emily's loyal dog Shadow at her side, and with some help from the townspeople, they manage it...just in time to present their findings at a conference.

Quotes

"Stories are of great use....Indeed, they are the foundation of dryadology. We would be lost without them....when it comes to the Folk, there is something true in every story, even the false ones." (Emily, 13)

"...you refused to allow her to treat you as a guest. If you do not admit kindness from others, you cannot be surprised when they fail to offer any." (Wendell to Emily, 110)

My mind whirred, the pages of my inner library flick-flicking again. (141)

My life has been one long succession of moments in which I have chosen rationality over empathy, to shut away my feelings and strike off on some intellectual quest, and I have never regretted these choices, but rarely have they stared me in the face as bluntly as they did then. (152)

It is an intuition I have come to trust, for if you spend enough time studying the Folk, you become aware of how their behaviour follows the ancient warp and weft of stories, and to feel the way that pattern is unfolding before you. The third question is always the most important one. (156)

I was used to recording stories of the Folk - I had not expected to become one, had never wished to. I was supposed to remain comfortably outside the stories with my pen and my notebook. (195)

"One doesn't need magic if one knows enough stories." (Emily to Wendell, 195)

It sounds odd to admit that I find the company of such a boisterous person restful, but perhaps it is always restful to be around someone who does not expect anything from you beyond what is in your nature. (226) show less

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 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 show more 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

Emily Wilde wants to complete her Encyclopaedia of Faeries and win tenure at Cambridge in the early 20th century. On a near-arctic island, she happily searches out the enigmatic Hidden Ones to complete it. But she has offended the head woman of the town and may not be able to buy the supplies or get the local cooperation she needs. Enter the Cambridge professor who charms everyone and always has assistants to carry his loads. A sprightly told story of using Fae lore to deal with Fae, a character that is always more interested in and comfortable with scholarship than people. Oh, and she has an interesting dog as a companion.

Well, this is just freaking delightful. Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by @heather_fawcett, from @delreybooks, is the start of a cozy new fantasy series following the exploits of plucky yet curmudgeonly Emily Wilde on her adventures to write the world’s first encyclopedia of the Folk.

Having discovered the Fae are real, the science of dryadology has blossomed, and one of the youngest scientists in this new field of study is Emily Wilde, who has made it her mission to catalogue all the myriad species of Fae in the world. Her latest expedition takes her to the frozen land of Hrafnsvik, in search of the Hidden Ones, a heretofore undiscovered Folk. Preferring the company of her dog, Shadow, and her books, Emily wastes no time in show more unintentionally alienating the local townsfolk, until her colleague, Wendell Bambleby, arrives more or less unannounced and charms them with his wit and good looks.

Through a series of (mis)adventures, Emily and Bambleby discover the mystery behind the Hidden Ones, rescue a handful of abducted villagers, and Emily finds herself more involved in her investigations into the Folk than she ever thought possible. She also may find that making friends may be easier than she had imagined.

I quite enjoyed this introduction to Emily Wilde and the eclectic cast of characters she has surrounded herself with. Fawcett’s writing is clever, telling the story via Emily’s journal entries, giving us a first person view into how she views the world around her. The descriptions of the Folk are fantastic in all their beauty and brutality; Fawcett keeps to the idea that they can’t always be trusted.

I know I’ll be picking up a copy of this when it’s released on Tuesday and am already looking forward to Emily’s next adventure.

A huge thank you to @netgalley & @delreybooks for an eARC in exchange for a review.

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Books that garner that much attention make me nervous because I tend to have differing opinions of the novels popular on social media. Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett is one of those novels that was all around the book world earlier this year. I hesitated to read it because it was THE book last winter. Thankfully, what I discovered upon reading it is a charming story that I loved.

The heart of the story is the characters, and at the very center is Emily Wilde. Emily is a character to whom any bookworm can relate. She is nerdy, awkward, single-minded in her pursuit of knowledge, extremely bookish, and prefers solitude over anything. I think we all can commiserate with Emily's uncomfortable social interactions. show more It is easy to fall under Emily's spell because we are her.

Bartleby is the yang to Emily's yin, providing the levity Emily needs (as do we all). Their easy banter and their words left unspoken show how in tune they are with each other. If ever two characters balance each other into one harmonious whole, it is them. While we learn a little of Bartleby's past, you know Ms. Fawcett has more to reveal about him. I am curious how it will affect their relationship.

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries lives up to the excitement around it earlier this year. It is not a flashy story, but that is okay because it is well-written and has a cast of characters that make up the heart and soul of the novel. Ms. Fawcett even makes the remote setting appealing in its way. I love when a book surprises me, and Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries did just that. I cannot wait to read about Emily's next adventures! show less

I received an early copy through NetGalley.

What a magnificent book! This is a cozy fantasy that makes me feel like I'm snuggling into a blanket by a warm fire with a cat on my lap. You want a delightfully academic and fun approach to the well-trod trope of fairies? Done. Unique setting? Yep. A curmudgeonly heroine who prefers books to people? Oh yes, and I relate to her a bit much. Fantastic banter that makes you want to giggle aloud? Yes, yes, yes. I am EXCITED that the Goodreads listing says this is the first in a series. I want more Emily. More Wendell. More Folk-related chaos.