i read this while away in the mountains and it was the perfect setting. if i could describe this book in a few words, i'd call this a dark cosy fantasy - practically two things i love in books! do not come in expecting a light fae book. despite being dark, it was incredibly heartwarming as well. the imagery is vivid and the atmosphere evoked transports you into its world. 4 out 5 stars!

I wanted to love this book but it felt a bit too YA for me in terms of characters, prose, and dialogue. Also - there were very questionable messages regarding difference that I didn’t expect but hope I read wrong

I was so excited to read this book. I am a huge fan of Even the Darkest Stars and All the Wandering Light. I'm happy to inform that this is a title I can add to my all time favorite list. Emily Wilde is a professor who studies faerie folklore, and discovers dark fae magic. I felt SO connected to Emily, it was such a relief to find a character that felt so much alike.

The story itself was written beautifully, and the dynamic between characters were so good. I'm so psyched for book 2, and I'll be counting down the days!

This book, whilst it was enjoyable and whimsical. I absolutely hated the disability portrayal in this book. I will be reading the sequel to see if this is built on and redeemed. Hopefully it is because I really loved this world.

I really, really wanted to like this one. The cover is gorgeous, it has fairies, it's histroical fiction/fantasy, and it's light academia, what more could I want...apparently a lot!

The pacing was so incredibly slow, and the plot quite boring, that many a time I considered DNF. The journal entries were fascinating, however I feel like they overshadowed any direction of plot and substance to the story, like what I was actually reading was someone's academic journal. The characters were sadly lacking in their personalities that there was nothing for me to connect to them.

I am a huge sucker for anything fairy and folklore, it reminded me of Miss Cottingley's Fairies. (albeit pales in comparison). I wanted more action, more drama, and much more magic to be included.

I would still recommend this book for people to read as it has been received well by many other readers, but you may need to alter expectations on what this book is actually about. I honestly thought this book would become my new fave but alas, it was not to be.

Thankyou to NetGalley and Little Brown Books for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Cozy reading to read on a Sunday by a fireplace during the winter.

Struggle a bit at the beginning to get used to the writing and the way the story was being told, but when got it right, it was a smooth read.
Loved how original the plot is

I really loved this book and am so glad I carried on with it as I won't lie the first 20% was rather dull. Emily's bond with the little Fae Poe was so cute I really liked that the Folk were creepy/scary in this book. Wendell was a needed and much liked character of mine which picked up the pase and really engaged me. This will be a series but you could read it as a stand alone as there is a satisfying end.

Emily Wilde is a Cambridge professor, specialising in the study of Faeries, and is writing an encyclopaedia of Faerie Folk which she hopes will advance her standing in the academic world. She decides to visit Scandinavia to study some little-known Fae, but as she is rather socially awkward, things don’t initially progress as she had hoped.

Much to her annoyance, her academic rival (the splendidly-named Wendell Bambleby) arrives, together with some students - intent perhaps on stealing Emily’s thunder - but as Bambleby is a handsome charmer, he actually proves a useful addition to the team.

I won’t give away more of the plot - which is quite complicated, and involves some quite Dark Fae magic and interactions - because to do so would spoil the book for potential readers!

I must admit that I found the book rather slow to begin with - there is a lot to take in, and quite a lot of characters - but the pace picked up later. Definitely worth persevering!

Overall though, this was a fun read - some of the interactions between Emily and Wendell are hilarious, and I particularly enjoyed his love of sewing!

I suspect that this is going to be the first in a series - I hope so as I would love to read more of Emily and Wendell’s adventures.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC. All opinions my own.

Such an enchanting book! Why can't I find any more academic books tinged with faeries and magic? I loved Emily's character and I fell even more in love with Wendell. The two of them together were a perfect match and I want to read a million more of their adventures in the snow and the woods with the weird and wonderful fae. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book!

Academia, the wild dark world of faerie, an arctic setting, and a scientific heart warmed by hearth fires, blossoming friendships, and slow-burn romance.

This book is so me, I can't believe it's taken me so long to read it.

The main character, Emily Wilde, is an introverted, inquisitive, intelligent academic writing the authoritative study of faeries, despite the distraction of her academic rival, and effortlessly charming Wendell Bambleby. The setting is cold, the faeries are shadowy, wild, and dark, if they are seen at all, so the book has an edge, a bite of chill against the cosy cramped quarters and firelight vibes.

I don't think it's a spoiler to mention that there's romance in the story, the blurb pretty much gives that away, it's very gentle, non-explicit, slow-burn romance. For me, it isn't entirely believable, but I don't tend to mind that, this is fantasy fiction, and I don't need my characters to have realistic love lives to still get excited for them and where they're heading. If I think about it too much, other than comments about his good looks (which do have context, so there is reason to comment on them), there isn't much else to explain why Emily develops feelings for him. There are no personality traits that she seems to like, or even come round to like, though a strong protectiveness is mentioned. Just putting that out there, because I know that some readers can't stand that, I quite like it, but I do wish there was just a little more to it that amazing hair and a daring rescue.

I always write more in my reviews about aspects I'm a little less fond of, because I really like to explain why they might have bothered me, or struck me, but despite that one small thing, I just loved this so much, so take that last paragraph as just as aside. I loved that Emily isn't an all-powerful, all-intelligent female character, she is strong in so many ways, clever, instinctively good, brave, but she also has flaws, those that she knows about - her social awkwardness, and those that she comes to learn about through the story. This is as more about her journey, than about the 'adventure' or 'romance' parts of the plot, and I think if you go into this expecting a traditional fantasy romance, where the fantasy world, or the romance, takes centre stage, then it might feel slow-paced to you.

As someone who also struggles in social situations, Emily's surprise and emotion when connections appear to be made, or kindnesses are shown, is something that really touched me, and I found myself welling up a couple of times.

I really loved the academic style, the footnotes, the stories, and the focus on Emily. A lot of research and thought has gone into this, and I highly recommend it. This is YA, but with a bit more to it than many I've read so far this year.

I'll be re-reading it this year as the nights deepen, and the cold sets in, and I can't wait for the next book!

I took my time with this slowly, not sure if it's the genre or the pacing that isn't really my comfort zone to read. The reveal was slow, perhaps because it is a cozy fantasy? But I sorta hoping for a more... peek into the faeries world instead of her ventures bridging between the chaos they (faeries) made on human realm. Hmm, perhaps on next book? I feel like the main plot only kicks around 60-70% way into the book, which is rather too slow or late for my personal preference, so there's that. But if you're looking for a book that gives green academia vibes, a character who's socially awkward and prefer the company of non-humans, I'm sure there's a specific type of reader perfect for this book! Perhaps just not my alley. The love line is cute, though. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me to read the eARC for the title, I enjoyed it well!

I love the style of this book and its so cosy! Its not very fast paced and I dont think its exactly my style but I know others would definitely enjoy it!

Charming little read. I would recommend this to any lovers of cottagecore or similar vibes as it gave me all of those feels!

This novel is, in my opinion, kind of cozy fantasy, and I loved it! The author presents a world where Faes are known to the general public and even the subject of study and research, especially for Emily, the heroine.
I really enjoyed this naturalistic approach, this very scientific way of dealing with the irrational world of Faes, and the well-done footnotes.

Emily sets off to Norway in the cold to study Faes, but she is quickly joined by the HILARIOUS Wendell, who literally made me laugh out loud: impertinent, obsessed with cleanliness, and passionate about sewing, I fell in love with the character. Emily is a bit more puzzling, so obsessed with her research that she sometimes makes disastrous decisions. I didn't connect with the character too much, but in truth, I find her consistent from beginning to end!
There are quite a few twists and turns in the end, although the beginning is very cozy. I felt some slowness in the middle, but the ending was really, really good.

Professor Emily Wilde’s research sees her venture to the frostbitten Far North as she seeks to uncover the mysteries of the Hidden Ones - the most elusive of all faeries - in order to complete her Encyclopaedia of Faeries. Her arrival is closely followed by that of her dashing and insufferably charming academic rival, Wendell Bambleby, a man of mystery that Emily is only just beginning to understand.

The book starts with Emily learning to navigate the unfamiliar social etiquette of the isolated locals of Hransvik, not an easy task when one is about as far from a people person as one can get. I loved watching Emily build rapport with the villagers; as she slowly warms to them and them to her. Emily undergoes a truly heartwarming character arc.

The story soon brings about plenty of adventure as Emily travels ever deeper into the surrounding wilderness in aid of her research. She soon becomes entangled in ancient Faerie rivalries, secrets, and enchantments that threatens not only her opportunity to leave Hransvik and become the foremost authority on Faeries, but the very lives of all the local villagers.

The romance unfolds across the pages with heaps of fun and banter. There is so much joy to find in the dynamic between Emily and Wendell.

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries is a wonderfully written cosy fantasy that’s full of heart, humour and romance.

Preliminary 5-star review. Will post a full review and adjust the rating accordingly after I finish the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC copy of this book, in exchange for this honest review.

I must admit that the first two reasons I picked this book up were the cover and the title. It felt hard to ignore the whimsical but straightforward approach of the two (respectively) working together.
Emily Wilde is one of the few women in academia. She is the only one working on making a comprehensive list of Faeries solely for research purposes. It is an ambitious project, one she feels nothing will deter her from. That is until she decides to winter in a remote location to finish cataloguing the faeries she thinks she has left.
Emily makes a lot of faux pas as soon as she starts to get settled. It is almost like she needs a primer on how to interact with other humans. She is reclusive and ends up offending even where she does not mean to. There is a lot of focus in the setup, and this felt like something new in a book like this. We do not plunge into the fantasy aspects without getting a feel for Emily and feeling some emotion or the other for her. She gets railroaded into having company soon, though. This is not a person she thinks of too fondly. But Wendell is an enigma, to begin with. We, as readers, can see more of what's going on than Emily does(even as she is sure of some secrets - academically speaking). Quickly, the villainy in town becomes too obvious. The Faeries are behaving more viciously than ever, and Emily is now emotionally invested in untangling things, putting herself and others in danger. It is for the ultimate good, or so she hopes.
I liked the first half more than the final warring half, but I think it has been well set up for the next in the series. I am looking forward to the next and wondering where Emily will go from here.
The romance is slow but realistic, and the building up of the faerie world is (although not new) done in an intriguing manner, drawing one into the book.
I would recommend this to others who like reading about this kind of magical world where heartlessness is part of the magic and there is a stranger code of conduct for Faeries themselves.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

<strong>Emily Wilde was a great protagonist! </strong>She's a researcher and scholar who has dedicated her life to studying the Fae Folk. <strong>Emily struggles with small talk and generally interacting with other people, so she feels most comfortable in her research and area of expertise</strong>. It wasn't specified in the text, but I got some neurodivergent vibes from her, as she notes that she never quite fit in with others. I definitely related to her awkwardness and loved to see how much more confident she was in dealing with the Fae. <strong>She's determined, hardworking, and passionate about her work</strong>. Sometimes it's to a point where she feels like she has to do everything alone and cannot rely on anyone, so she usually keeps her distance. I loved the balance the story managed to strike between her research and the dangers the local Fae folk pose to the people of Hrafnsvik!

<strong>Wendell was such a delight 💕&nbsp;</strong>He's Emily's colleague, friend, and rival, but the exact opposite of her. He's arrogant, vain, and eccentric, preferring to have his assistants doing his jobs. <strong>Yet most people succumb to his charm and outgoing personality anyway</strong>. It was really easy to like him, as I love eccentric characters that have hidden depths and a great sense of humor. Wendell Bambleby unexpectedly joins Emily's expedition and he brought so much fun to the story. <strong>I highlighted so many quotes from his and Emily's interactions, as it was so entertaining</strong>! Wendell's also mysterious and I loved getting to know his story 👀

<strong>The romance was very subtle but SO good 💖 </strong>It's <strong>very slowburn and doesn't really take off until the very end</strong>, but I very much prefer this to insta love! If you pay attention you can see the little hints but mostly the romantic element is in the background. Nevertheless, you still get a lot of interactions between Wendell and Emily. Both of them are <strong>Academic Rivals ... but only Emily sees them as competitors</strong>, while Wendell is a bit oblivious 👀 Even though they might be at odds professionally, <strong>Wendell was also persistent enough to befriend Emily and is her only friend</strong>, as she struggles to make other connections. This shared history really solidified their dynamic. Both of them are pretty opposite, Emily is withdrawn and stubborn while Wendell is charismatic and outgoing. <strong>I LOVED their banter and bickering, especially as Emily knows how to needle him and vice versa</strong>. You could also see some tenderness at times, though Emily has become skilled at shutting out all emotion. I was rooting for them so much and the ending has me yearning for more!!

<strong>I loved the vivid worldbuilding and its take on the Fae Folk 🧚🏻‍♀️ </strong> The story is set in an <strong>alternate 1909 where faeries exist and are studied by researchers and scholars</strong>. I loved that the story is <strong>told through Emily's Journal and focused on her research</strong>, the titular Encyclopaedia. There are several references and footnotes about the other research in the field and Emily's passion for the subject brought the world to life. I loved how fae folklore was incorporated, it always felt fresh and exciting. <strong>This research field is still really new and fae are hard to come by, so Emily is hungry for some first-hand experience</strong>. The main difference in the Fae Folk is between <u>Common and Courtly Fae, the latter ones are your 'typical' humanoid faeries</u>. I loved the implication that there are many <strong>different faeries all over the world</strong>, as Emily has traveled with several expeditions in her career!

<strong>Emily's expedition brings her to the town of Hrafnsvik ❄️ </strong>It's an<strong> isolated Islandic town, the perfect ground for her research</strong>, as the Fae Folk like to reside in the hidden corners of the world. I loved the snowy and colder setting! Since this is such a<strong> small and tight-knit town</strong>, Emily has to deal with the villagers ... even though she struggles with it a lot at first. <u>I liked seeing the villagers slowly grow fond of her and get rid of their initial suspicion</u>.<strong> Despite herself, Emily begins to care about the people</strong>, unlike on her other expeditions where she mostly ignored anyone. My favorites were probably <strong>Thora</strong> (an older woman with a wry sense of humor) and<strong> Lilja</strong> (a beautiful Lesbian woodcutter), but Aud, Aslaug, and the others also really grew on me, especially when they all came together in the end!

<strong>The writing style and atmosphere really worked for me!</strong> The writing perfectly<strong> matched Emily's voice as it was scientific and dry but also managed to have a certain type of humor</strong> that I enjoyed. There was a great balance between dialogue and the beautiful, <strong>vivid descriptions of the scenery and atmosphere</strong>. I was immediately sucked into this world and loved to explore the desolate and frosty town of Hrafnsvik alongside Emily!

<strong>IN CONCLUSION.</strong> ➽ <i>Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries&nbsp;</i>was an <strong>intriguing historical fantasy story</strong> about an expedition to research and study the Fae Folk of a desolate small town. I loved the characters and the hints of romance we got so much! 💕

Ahh, I really enjoyed this. Emily's voice was so unique and not what I expected, it was such a pleasant surprise and she was a fully realized, relatable, kind character who was a delight to read about. A practical, cosy fantasy.

I love this whimsical tale of Emily and her interaction with the realm of Faerie. I didnt see the romance element of this happening, thinking it would have been a forced romance.