This was a delightful, fun read! I admit to not thinking I would really like it but it was very charming. Emily Wilde is a great character and I enjoyed her interactions with this world. Will def read the sequel!

Thanks netgalley and little brown book for the arc !
I’ve read Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries, and I absolutely loved it.
It’s the perfect book to read when it’s getting cold, it’s a cozy fantasy with charming characters.
Emily is not charming by all mean, she’s ruthless, a little bit self-centred and she has goals: I love her so much.
Wendell, beloved loser. I love my men being a little bit pathetic 🥰.
Their dynamic was just SO good. I laughed so much because of their antics.
The writing was delightful, and honestly I’m so glad I got an arc because it pushed me to read it at last.
If you enjoy cosy setting with a bit of plot and mystery: this is the book for you !

If the month of September was a book, it would be this one.

Despite the fact it is set entirely in a freezing cold winter, the deep dive into the folklore and mythology of the Fae interwoven with the light academia discussions of research papers and the foot notes all culminated into the most September of books. It felt simultaneously like I was reading for pleasure, and I was easing myself back into using university terminology. I loved it. Emily Wilde as a character is wonderful and feels entirely different to any others in the genre, and I really enjoyed the journalistic format of the book. I’m so excited to see where Emily and Wendell go in book 2.

4/5 Stars

I want to thank Little Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

There are tons of reviews for this up everywhere already and the amazing overall rating is definitely justified. This is truly not only very pleasant to read but also very well written with loveable characters and lots of atmosphere.

I believe this is the kind of book that most everyone will like, but some people will truly adore. Sadly, I am not part of the latter, but I still believe it is worth picking up, especially as a cozy autumn and winter read!

Fawcett has had quickly and definitely become one of my favourite authors too, because I can’t really explain it any other way. This book was so good! This was a fun and heartwarming with enchanting atmosphere and easy-to-love characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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.

Emily Wilde is an interesting character, driven by her studies and desire to discover and uncover all things Faerie. She’s methodical in her approach, both to her encyclopaedia and to her interactions with others. I did like Emily and the way she was presented. I always have a liking towards characters who are dedicated to something as it shows a fire and tenacity in them. She goes through quite a few discoveries over the course of the book but handles them well, taking them in her stride and allowing them to bolster her research. I do think we could have seen a bit more of her background to understand why she’s so interested in everything Faerie, why she’s so cold and closed off to everything. This would have helped me feel more of a connection to her.
Wendell Bambleby is a character that rather annoyed me, to be honest. He’s arrogant, at times belittling and frankly oblivious to everything that matters around him. Whilst his mannerisms are explained as the story goes along, I felt little to no connection to him at all. In fact, I wasn’t too pleased when he was involved with what was going on. Not a character for me.

I’ve heard a lot of good things about this book and when the chance to read it came about, I just knew I had to jump in. Unfortunately, it didn’t live up to the hype for me. The plot was okay, relatively solid and the pace was pretty good but I felt like it stalled at various points of the book before suddenly picking up again. I much prefer a plot that flows seamlessly from one event to the other as that massively holds my attention more. The characters weren’t too bad but we only got to know Emily and Wendell, all the rest seemed to be passing mentions - even if they had a bigger presence. I like to get to know characters, big or small, in stories as I find it always adds to what’s going on. The sudden romance? Nope, not for me. The entire book there are feelings of annoyance and nothing more than friendship and then suddenly, oh yes I do love you too! It’s a no from me. I think my biggest issue with this book is how wordy it is. I was constantly finding myself losing interest and having to push through and continue reading because my brain was too overwhelmed by how much it was having to read. This definitely impacted how much I enjoyed the story. The ending was okay but felt extremely rushed and far too open ended for my liking. There is going to be a second book but, unfortunately, I don’t think I’ll be picking it up.

Overall, Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries is a story that sadly didn’t live up to my expectations.

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you again to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for an advanced copy of this book. Review will be live on my blog on release day.

So amazing! Such a warm, lovey story with very interesting world. I love how Faeries are and how nice mix of real work folklore it is.

I expected to like it as based on all the rave it would fit what I like to read. But I didn't expect to love it this much! It goes very high on the list of my favourite books I read this year.

I can't wait for the next one, I gotta see if I can get ARC of it somewhere.

I didn’t know what to make of this book at first as the more formal writing style threw me off a bit. But the cosy, whimsical vibes really drew me in as I read more. I really loved the group of characters that we meet and how they slowly chip away at Emily’s sometimes frosty facade. Wendell provides the perfect balance to Emily’s aloofness and I enjoyed how their endearing relationship develops throughout the book. I think the first half of the book could have been condensed slightly to improve the pacing but all in all, a really charming read.

This is one of my favourite books of 2023. I adore it with all my heart.
If you love folklore, light academia, whimsy stories, a smart and independent protagonist, slow burn, kind of rivals to lovers this is the novel for you. I fell in love with all the characters and could not stop reading. I could write essays about how wonderful this novel is, but I want you to experience it for yourself. Please do yourself a favour and read it. I can't wait for the sequel!

charming and delightful. This is a skow paced, low stakes, cosy adventure with endearing characters. Partially epistolary - which I didn't particularly enjoy as I found it interupted the flow of the story. It could also get a little dark at times which was at odds with the general quirky and whimsical characters and story. Character driven, there is some character development but Emily can be remarkably unobserved and ignorant at times!

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries is a magical realism novel following Emily Wilde (as the title suggests), our beloved Dryadologist, one who studies the academic subject of faeries. In the hopes of finishing her encyclopaedia on faeries, having already taken much of her adult life to complete, she travels to the remote island of Ljosland which is said to be home to the mysterious 'tall ones' - humanlike faeries who like to cause as much trouble to the mortals on Ljosland as possible. To Emilys annoyance, she's soon accompanied by her insufferably charming academic rival/ colleague, Wendell Bambleby.

I was captivated from the first page, being taken through the days/ weeks/ months of Emily and Bamblebys time in Ljosland through journal entries. I not only loved this for it's unique manner, but also in that it kept the plot low stakes, adding to that cozy feeling as you knew Emily and Bambleby had lived to tell the tale during their many antics.

Our smart, sassy, and downright wannabe recluse heroine, Emily, is one of my favourite characters ever written. I found her 'leave me be with my book and dog' vibe to be VERY relatable, and it was nice that although she had character growth, Fawcett still kept the base of her personality the same, showing that although she struggled to communicate and charm people like Bambleby did she had her own strengths others did not.

The village in which Emily and Bambleby are staying is the perfect setting for the novel, with the way that Fawcett weaves the faeries stories and tales into the wintery landscape, and into the diverse cast of villagers who have had their fair share of troublesome creatures.

Speaking of troublesome (yet charming) creatures, I absolutely adored the character of Bambleby and the way he interacted with Emily. The banter between the two of them was great but yet so very natural - I could feel the chemistry between the two of them as if I was there. There was also a 'touch her and die scene' and when I say I swooned...

The romance in this one is definitely a slow burn, and doesn't overshadow the main plot line which I really appreciated. Sometimes, novels give in way too easily to make sure it ends on a romantic high note, but it didn't in this one as it wasn't needed.

This is my first time reading a work of Heather Fawcett, and she did not disappoint. Full of low-stakes adventure, mysterious and sometimes dangerous creatures, and sprinkled with one of my favourite tropes of all... reverse grumpy x sunshine slowburn, it left me feeling like I was being wrapped up in bed with a hot drink.

This novel is the epitome of a cozy fantasy, and I recommend to all to pick this up, ESPECIALLY during the colder months. I can't wait to read the next, I just know this is going to be one of my favourite series!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Net Galley UK for a copy of the book in exchange for a review!
It was a very enjoyable read that made me smile and laugh throughout. The characters felt unique and fun, and I enjoyed their interactions. I also really liked the lore and faerie stories and the way they were incorporated into the book. I'm definitely excited to read the next installment when it comes out!

This book had such an interesting blurb and promised all kinds of cozy vibes. It did start out as a cozy fantasy but it had darker undertones than I had expected. I loved Emily’s character sooo much and how her relationship with the villagers developed. Her equation with Bambleby was also fascinating. It did have a lot of elements I loved but somehow it still left me wanting. It needed something extra which I am unable to pinpoint at the moment. A little bit more development in the relationship between Emily and Bambleby perhaps? A bit more insight into Bambleby’s character mayhaps? I realise this is a trilogy and there’s space left for development in future instalments but I still needed a little extra something to say I loved this book and would continue with this series. For now this is a 3 star read but I would definitely recommend you checking this out if you like the blurb

At the start I really wasn't sure about what I'd got in to as it seemed to be set in an indeterminate period but certainly historical (pre- technology) with often complex language and I wasn't sure I'd connect with it, bit somewhere a few chapters in I was completely hooked. Verging on terrifyingly creepy horror these stories of faeries are not the cheeky little ones of modern fairy stories but more the torturing, murdering, psychopathic types, with our brave and unassuming group of scientists out to study them. This has so much cultural and mythological traditions weaved into the story but set as journal entries in the study of these different groups of Fae from hobgoblins to changelings. It was compelling, unique and completely engrossing

This is a wholesome and cozy read that is certainly perfect for the autumn. I would 100% recommend reading this curled up under a blanket with a cup of tea!

This is one for fantasy lovers who don't necessarily want the high stakes high drama experience commonly associated with fantasy books, or even if you do this could be a good pallet cleanser book to sink your teeth into.

This is a well written book that is almost a love letter to the cottagcore, whimsical side of fantasy. The characters are chaotic and cute, there is magic and mischief to be had, and the story is full of beautiful detail.

It was a cosy sweet enchanting read, with faeries and magical creatures which are living amongst humans.

It’s written in a form of a journal, which was different but was a nice touch as the whole story is about Emily’s journey and keeping a journal.

I enjoyed the mystery elements, with a sprinkle of romance without it been the main focus. It was such a nice cosy fantasy read.

Thank you for Netgallery for the chance to read.

This is another great book in the cosy fantasy, low stakes trend.

Emily is a Cambridge professor, working on gathering data about fairies, to compile an encyclopedia on the subject. Her studies brought her to the northern Norway, where she hopes to find evidence on the illusive Hidden Ones.

The story is told through her thorough and extensive journal notes, in a tone aligned with the 1909 setting.

The book is slow paced and it took me a bit to warm up to Emily character, and the writing style. After Wendell enters the story, things start to warm up, and Emily experiences several interesting and magical encounters that made me start enjoying the book.

I appreciate how hard working and dedicated Emily is, and how perfectly her personality is complemented by Wendell’s.
I wish we had more of Wendell’s POV as it should help readers warm their hearts to his character, and fully believe his character ARC. He reminded me a bit of Howl, so I would definitely recommend this book to Howl’s fans.

I loved that the book interspersed Emily adventures with some fair folk stories, showing the parallelism of what was happening with some traditional fair folk lore.

Although I never visited Norway (it’s on my bucket listo though), Heather’s writing made me feel there. I could easily picture the setting and it brought me wonderful memories of Iceland.

This is a book written to slow us down. Recommend for fantasy and cosy fantasy readers, with a cup of a hot beverage of your preference.

<i>I would like to thanks Little, Brown Book Group UK, Orbit and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.</i>

"Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries" is the first chapter of "Emily Wilde," a historical fantasy adult trilogy written by Heather Fawcett and currently in progress.

The story follows Cambridge professor Emily Wilde, the foremost expert in studies of faeries, a brilliant academic and meticulous researcher. A true talent in various fields, but not when it comes to people. Emily Wilde in fact is not good with people. She could never make small talk at a party, or even get invited to one. She prefers the company of her books, her dog, Shadow, and the Fair Folk to other human beings. So when she arrives in the harsh and isolated village of Hrafnsvik, on an island off the coast of Norway, Emily has no intention of befriending the gruff townsfolk. Nor does she care to spend time with another newcomer: her charming and insufferably handsome academic rival Wendell Bambleby, who manages to charm the inhabitants, get in the middle of Emily's research, and utterly confuse and frustrate her. But as Emily gets closer to discovering the secret of the Hidden Ones, the most elusive of all faeries, she also finds herself in the trail of another mystery: who is Wendell Bambleby and what does he really want?

I admit it: I had very high expectations for this book! But really, really high! I've been fantasizing about it since its announcement, attracted by the fascinating premises and the gorgeous cover! So much so that I would be hurt, but really hurt, in case of disappointment ! However, to my great luck and relief, I avoided this unpleasant possibility! In fact, I loved "Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries!" I found it an extremely bewitching, cozy and enchanting read, able to absorb me completely and convey to me the feeling of a warm embrace.

I enjoyed the writing very much! It seemed to me definitely evocative, lyrical and at times poetic, with magnificent descriptions and brilliant dialogue to say the least! I was captivated by the beauty of the words, the sophistication of the text, and the comfortable and magical feeling it gave me. This is enchanting, delicate prose, with almost fairy tale tones, combined with a good dose of irony. Seriously, it really warmed my heart, relaxing and cuddling me! The narration is quite unique: the story is presented as a kind of diary written by Emily, in which events alternate with anecdotes, reflections and observations about the Fair Folk. Which I found extremely interesting! Also, there is no shortage of slightly darker overtones, especially in some moments, which pleasantly captured me!

The setting is something magical! The story is set in 1909 at Hrafnsvik, a small, harsh village on an island off the coast of Norway. An isolated place with difficult conditions, located at the foot of mountains and on the edge of forests. A place surrounded by the beauty of nature, splendid and unspoiled, where the inhabitants all know each other and are bound by a strong sense of togetherness. The setting is basically that of our world, except that in Emily Wilde's world the existence of the fairies is officially recognized and proven, complete with studies in dryadology, treatises and lectures on the subject, research and studies on the subject. People know about the presence of fairies and frequently interact with them. What can I say? I loved this setting! I found it vividly painted, so much so that I could picture the various places. Despite the frigid weather, it gave me an incredible feeling of warmth and comfort! But then the inherent folklore part of the faeries! Help, it won me over! The book provides a lot of information regarding the Fair Folk, not only related to Scandinavia, but also to the rest of the world, inserting anecdotes here and there. And tales of folklore! I kind of ended up in jujubes from the wonder! I also enjoyed a lot the insight provided by the book about faeries: fickle and fickle creatures, benign or malevolent depending on the mood of the moment, with sometimes disturbing features. A depiction reminiscent of that of our world's folklore. Seriously, I have nothing but compliments on this element!

The plot intrigued me a lot! I found it light, fluent and easy to follow. Perhaps the first part, which is more introductory, could be slower. However I was won over from the opening lines! This is not an action-packed or eventful story, but rather a story that proceeds placidly, almost sleepily. A tale that focuses on the relationships between the characters, their interactions, as well as the search and study of the fairies. There are probably flaws, some situations left me a bit puzzled, but ultimately I loved everything! As I said above, for me this book was just such a warm and cozy hug, able to detach me from the everydayness of life, making me live for a few hours in this kind of place suspended in time.

Emily Wilde, protagonist and only first person pov, won me over! Emily is a Cambridge professor, a brilliant academic and meticulous researcher, struggling with the writing of her encyclopedia on Fair Folk. As smart and brilliant when it comes to studies and researches as she is in denial in human relations. Emily does not know how to interact with people, she cannot understand them. Extremely introverted, reserved, solitary and slightly grumpy, she prefers the company of books to that of human beings. Strongly logical and rational, she has difficulty when it comes to feelings. Own and others'. For her, knowledge tends to come first, with a rather utilitarian view of any relationships. Considered strange because of her attitudes Emily has never felt comfortable with others and has found solace in studying the Fair Folk, with whom she feels a greater affinity. Emily is a character that convinced me a lot! I felt so much her struggle in relating, her difficulties in being around others. She is not a bad person, she does not act with malicious intent, but driven by her particular character. She is a multifaceted character, who hides a sensitive and uncertain soul under a gruff, cold and selfish appearance. Over the course of the story Emily matures, evolves, thanks to the inhabitants (human and fairies) of Hrafnsvik. And especially thanks to Wendell's company.

Wendell Bambleby is a Cambridge professor, academic rival and personal torment of Emily. A charming, outgoing, chatty, know-it-all character who is often lost in his own world. I absolutely loved Wendell's character! I can't say more for fear of spoilers, but he hooked me right away! The interactions between him and Emily then are something absolutely fantastic! Their exchanges of banter made me giggle a lot! Basically their attitudes are at opposite sides, a kind of grumpy/sunshine that sent me into a swoon!

I liked the villagers! They didn't seem particularly characterized to me, but I found them functional and as a whole they really convinced me. I liked the deep sense of unity among them, as well as their interactions with Emily.

All in all, this is a very cozy, enchanting and evocative start to the series, which I absolutely recommend! I am very curious about the sequel and can't wait to continue!

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4.5⭐️ this was so so so SO fun,, the writing was beautiful, the format was such a smart choice, they were adorably chaotic,, i loved everything!! The pacing was a lil slow around the 70% mark but other than that? No notes!!

I loved that reading this was as if you were reading her diary/notebook - for someone who wasn't as comfortable expressing her emotions, this felt like particular insight into who she was and what she was experiencing. I feel like it made it a lot easier to connect with her than it would be if it was in third person. It also made it that much more sweet and adorable when Wendell put his entries in (also when she read his notes??? When he basically poked holes in the page he was so worried about her?? I could sob). In an ideal world, it would be in two different fonts/handwriting but I could imagine it so it didn't take anything away from the experience. Their dynamic was so lovely, I loved that the discovery of what he was wasn't made this big spectacle, it was lowkey, as was his confession; I think it really lined up with who they are as individuals and what was happening at the time, it made sense, I loved it, it was wonderful to read!! I also loved the little signpost and footnotes and the final story at the end, really bringing together it being her real notes.

I loved the plot, it was exciting, maybe a little drawn out in the middle but it was brilliant and absurd and wonderful and scary and so quentisentially fae that it just, really drew you into the world (almost reflective of Emily being dragged further into the far realm).

Sometimes I almost forgot that this is fiction, the emphasis on Emily's academic goals an motivations was really well done- it emphasised who she was without taking away from the fact that she was good and capable of building those connections. The level of detail recounting the stories and previous accounts of the fae made it seem like this was all real, which was fantastic. Just- the writing is brilliant this author really knew what she was doing with this book I'm counting down the days for book 2!! Poe was adorable and I love him and I reallllllyyyyy hope we get to see more of him in book 2, him and his wife :)- there was a line about it not mattering where she went which gives me hope that this isn't the end of their friendship. I loved the depiction of these creatures, oftentimes they are made too humane, too like us that the distinction between species is a little lost, but this book made every effort to communicate their absurdity, their inhumane tendencies, the violence, nonsensicality etc. and it was done beautifully. As a personal preference, I prefer fae who are more in line with the lore, which is why Holly Black and Margaret Rogerson's fae are some of my favourite- they don't shy away from the uncanny and neither did this.

Absolutely loved this, aside from the pacing I have zero complaints.

This book felt like a warm hug! I really enjoyed it, and was super excited when others were saying it was a cozy fantasy. Even though I read this in summer, everytime I was reading it felt like I was sitting in a little cottage with a winter storm outside. The vibes were immaculate!

I really enjoyed Emily and Wendalls story, and loved watching their relationship grow. I'm super excited for book two, and where it will take them.