Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the advance copy to read.

I sadly ended up DNFing it at 30%. I really struggled to want to read this and it just wasn't for me.

If you enjoy diary style writing, with a slow pace and secretive characters this is for you.

I received this book as an e-arc by NetGalley and Orbit in exchange for an honest review, thank you!

« I have met one. »

Rating: 4⭐️
Genre: Fiction, Romance, Cozy Fantasy
Pages: 352
Series: Emily Wilde #1

I quite enjoyed this book. I knew from previous posts that this was a cozy fantasy and I was excited to read it. This book was four stars to me and I can’t wait to continue the story with book number 2.

I found the plot line interesting. I thought I knew where the story was going to go and then bam, it shifted somewhere else. The pacing was a bit slow at times which was the main reason I gave it 4 and not 5 stars. I still like all the descriptions and the author's voice. I found it pretty easy to read, even if I was a bit distracted at times. For that reason, it took me a bit longer to read since I was not 100% grabbed the whole time. I still really liked the book and definitely will recommend it as a cozy fantasy!

4.5 stars

I absolutely loved Emily and Wendell's story.

The cosy and whimsical vibes make "Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries" the perfect read for the spooky season.

I'd like to say a huge thanks to the Little Brown Book Group UK for allowing me to read an ARC of Emily Wilde's Encylopaedia of Faeries!

What a sweet and cozy book! Everything about this book screams autumnal, cottagecore, and wholesome vibes. And I loved every second of it!

Emily Wilde is a fae researcher and at the beginning of the novel she treks to a village where she begins researching the fae local to the area. Due to her personality, the beginning is rough, but when her rival colleague Wendell Bambleby comes to assist her in her research, we find the book picks up pace and goes on a wild adventure.

It is refreshing to read about a main female character who is an expert in her field! I loved the musings of Emily's journal and found that I was flying through the pages, eagerly reading to see the relationship between Emily and Wendell grow. This book had a lot of heart, explaining the mythological fae concepts well, even including footnotes in some areas, which I find really assisted the reader in feeling more of Emily's academic style but also conveying her deep knowledge in this area.

The only reason this is a four-star read and not a five is just due to the slower pace at the beginning. I found myself feeling bored, and was waiting for the storyline to pick up, and found that once Wendell was introduced, this is where I found the story had better stakes and became more interesting.

This was such a cosy fantasy read, and I can't wait to read the sequel! I loved the format of the diary, and that we also had a dual POV at times. It's definitely the perfect book to pick up during the autumn/winter seasons.

I did really enjoy this one, and I will be reading the sequel, but I am somewhat disappointed in the ending. It feels like it was perfectly plotted and paced, but then something about the ending didn't fit. Like something had been pulled out, or tacked on? I'm not sure, but it was a real shame because 90% of it was absolutely brilliant. I'm kind of hoping that the sequel will help me answer what happened there.

Well then, that was an interesting book. I struggled with the writing style throughout the whole book. It was whimsical and fancy and the British feel dripped off the pages.

It was an interesting tale, that's for sure, but not a good kind of interesting I'm afraid. I finished reading it because I had nothing better to do with my time, but honestly I should have just DNFed it. It wasn't worth it. Although the writing is interesting it's just not a story I'm particularly interested in. I love stories about faeries and the like, but this one was just not it.

Emily Wilde has no personality whatsoever. It was extremely hard to connect to her. And because we were getting only her part of the story through a journal entry it all felt very unreliable. And Wendel? How boring. This could've been such a grand tale about love and faeries and kings, and instead we get the boring parts.

It's very obvious it was written by a scholar, which is definitely impressive, but I makes for a boring book. I would usually give it one and a half stars, but because I am impressed by the whimsical writing and the fact that it does give the academia vibes, I'll give this book two stars.

If you're after a slow-burning, cosy fantasy comfort read - Emily Wilde is the book for you. It's a warm, light-academic fantasy novel set in a fictional Scandinavian village in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by forests, mountains, and inclement weather. It has a delightful, enchanted atmosphere throughout with a sprinkle of romance for good measure. This would be a perfect book to read in the dark of Winter.

The reason I rate this book 4 stars rather than 5 is because the first few chapters of the book were a little too slow-burning for my liking. That being said, I'm looking forward to reading the second volume.

Rating: 4.5⭐️

Summary:
Cambridge scholar Emily Wilde excels in faerie studies but struggles with people. Tasked with creating an encyclopaedia of faerie lore, she arrives in Hrafnsvik, a small town in the Artic, where people are nice (mostly) and she can research the elusive Hidden Ones for her last chapter. As she unravels, Wendell Bambleb, her academic rival’s enigmatic intentions and her own emotions, leading to new discoveries and a heartwarming revelation.

What stood out to me:
The concept, writing style, the world, Poe and the village.

My thoughts:
This was such a great book, I really enjoyed its concept: rather than a character just going through events in their quest to self-discovery or to saving the world, Emily Wilde tells her story through a researcher’s perspective. I loved how well the story flowed and the characters from it. I also can’t wait for book two and to hopefully see more of Wendell’s story and their love. The main reason this book is not a five for me is that the love aspect felt at some points (especially sat the start) like a bit last minute addition. But. All in all I LOVED this book and can’t wait for the next one to come out.

I had a lot of fun reading this book. It's set in the early 1900s in a world similar to ours, but with more faeries and less bigotry. The story is told as entries in Professor Emily Wilde's diary, during her expedition to the Scandinavian island of Ljosland in order to study and record folk tales of the local faeries. It's not a fast-paced book, but it has a strong cast of characters and I was interested in what happened next throughout the book.

I found Emily Wilde a delightful character. She claims to be grumpy and humourless, but I read her as an autistic-coded woman who is far more competent in her chosen field than she is at interacting with people, and has a dry sense of humour that comes through in her diary.

Emily's foil is Dr Wendell Bambleby, her colleague at Cambridge and mirror in many ways. He is used to charming his way to what he wants, and, although intelligent, is far less inclined to effortful research than she is.

The book is the first in a series, so ends without wrapping everything up, although thankfully avoids ending on a cliffhanger.

Generally recommended, unless you need excitement and adventure right from the first page. If you enjoyed Howl's Moving Castle, there's a good chance you'll like this too.

A whimsical and academic take on a faerie tale! Emily is just my kind of MC, and despite it taking me a little time to adapt to her way of speaking, once I had I was hooked on her story. Wendell was a delightful addition to the story, and I loved how all the villagers came together to help Emily. I especially loved the diary format - I haven't read a book written in this format for a very long time so it was a refreshing way to tell the story. My favourite character had to be Shadow - I am a sucker for an adorable and loyal animal companion!

Emily Wilde is an incredible book with brilliant autism representation and features the most realistic depiction of the fae (or closest to how actual folklore stories are told) I have seen in a long while! It has definitely jumped to the top of my 'favourite books of all time' list and will be a comfort read for sure!

It's a light academia, cosy fantasy book set against the backdrop of a fictional rural Scandinavian town, in the midst of mountains, forests and harsh weather conditions. It's low stakes, with a light romance and such a wonderful and enchanting atmospheric feel to the book.

For fans of A River Enchanted, Divine Rivals and Unseelie.

Emily is a Cambridge professor who is creating the first ever encyclopaedia of faeries and has travelled to Ljosland, Scandinavia with her trusty companion, Shadow the dog, to get the last chapter she needs for her book. She is a resourceful and highly intelligent character, with autism that has been portrayed impeccably well!

The story is told through diary entries with little footnotes and extra stories and lore about the fae added in. The format made it very easy to read quickly, although I wouldn't describe it as fast-paced. And with multiple species of fae, the unexpected arrival of her Cambridge colleague Wendell, and a welcoming village full of wonderful characters, this book was such a joy to read. I laughed so much, was at the edge of my seat other times, and was so sad when the story ended. I cannot wait for book 2!

I adored this book. I was so excited to get this arc and also thrilled when Fairyloot had it as their adult pick! If you love a slow burn then you know what book to pick up. The amount of knowledge this book has on the fae was immense and I am here for that. I can see how some found Emily hard to like/understand, but there would not be many people who would happily live by themselves for long periods of time exploring for the fae. I adored this book and I am so excited for the next one in the series!

I can’t even begin to explain the immaculate vibes of this book it was so cosy and sweet and everything I’ve ever wanted from a faerie book it was like reading a studio ghibli film.

The setting was amazing, 1900’s Scandinavia/London, faerie folklore and stories, academic rivals and so much magic I just adored it.

The writing was lyrical and poetic and the format of it being like a diary was also really nice I enjoyed it a lot and loved going in the journey with Emily I felt so immersed.

And the romance… the romance was perfection, everything I ever want and love and I just can’t go and read this book everyone right now!! I’m praying that whenever the next one comes out that I can get an arc!

Overall, honestly this book healed my inner child it was everything I could ever want and more.

This book has been making waves in the book community as a highly recommended "cosy fantasy". While I anticipated a slower plot and lower stakes, I was unprepared for how different it would be from other books in the fantasy genre.

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries follows Emily Wilde, a researcher and professor at Cambridge University specialising in Dryadology - the study of faeries. In this alternate version of Earth, the existence of faeries is widely accepted and some even live with humans, but much is still unknown about them. Emily travels to a far-off land called Ljoslander to study the faeries known as "the Hidden ones" who travel in the snow, in order to complete her ongoing encyclopaedia.

The first 20% of the book was fairly slow, even with bearing in mind that it is already relatively short at approximately 300 pages long. Although I found it interesting, in the way that one might find a history or zoology book interesting, I felt it did at time abandoned the whimsy and wonder from the fantasy genre in exchange for analytical and academic narration. However, I am grateful for my stubbornness on this occasion, because the plot eventually picked up and took an unexpected turn when "the Hidden ones" became more involved in the story. From the previous chapters, I had assumed their involvement would be largely theoretical and through stories from other characters.

The author's commitment to the field journal style must also be commended, particularly regarding the footnotes and Emily's very nonchalant narration. I have never read anything like this before, and at times it was a refreshing change of pace and style. However, this style made any action or romance in the book feel underwhelming and anticlimatic. Fantasy is traditionally a dramatic and hyperbolic genre, with even seemingly small and unnoteworthy actions frequently tying into bigger plot devices or twists. This led to the story's potential for excitement being drained, making it challenging to become too invested in any of the characters.

Overall, the book was enjoyable. I am rating four stars as it was written extremely well, if at times a little verbose, in a way that was reminiscent of Tolkien and the author has published a work that is wholly unique. If you're hungry for a cosy fantasy that envelops you in its world and takes you on a wonderous journey, pick up this book today.

Book Review 📚
Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett - 4.5/5⭐

I made a booboo with this book. I read Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries many months ago, and when I saw this on NetGalley I jumped at the chance to read it, thinking it was the second book! Rookie mistake on my part. But, I will review as I did when I read the first.

The book follows Emily on her travels to write an Encyclopedia about Faeries. Emily is so much like us bookworms. She's more then happy with her head in a book rather than socialising! I love it.

The story and plot is beautifully written and so fantastic. There's adventure and knowledge and it's such a fascinating read. Well worth reading and I cannot wait to get more from Fawcett!

Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group for allowing me to read this ARC - this is an HONEST review from my own personal opinion.

This book was cute. I was expecting it to be more of a fall, cozy vibe - probably because of the mushrooms on my cover, but the story takes place in winter. It is the perfect read for those long, cold nights, with a fire crackling and a hot chocolate in hand.

Being Norwegian, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that this story takes place on a fictional island right outside Norway. Unfortunately, this also makes me worried. The names... I know it is fiction, and the author can do what ever she likes - but these are not Norwegian names. Some of them are fine, but nobody in their right minds would name their child Mord (meaning: murder). I even dobbel checked, and can confirm, that nobody in Norway has that name (and for good reason). It does throw me of a little.

Anyway, putting that aside this was a enjoyable read. I loved learning about the different types of fae, the different personalities among the locals and I liked the diary format. The story was entertaining, but I did find my self skimming a bit towards the end.

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries is the story of a woman who has set out to expand the depth of knowledge of the Fae, documenting their habitats, culture and peculiarities. She receives permission to do field research near a small village in Hrafnsvik, Ljosland and takes up residence in a small cottage alongside her highly intelligent dog Shadow.
Though planning to and quite content to research on her own, Emily’s rival Bambleby shows up to either still her research or just to annoy her, probably both.
She soon learns that her rival is much more charming than herself which is very useful when speaking to the tight-lipped townspeople. So they make a deal to work together.
It soon turns out that everyone in this story is hiding secrets, from Bambleby, the townsfolk and even Emily herself.
I truly love how well and academically this book is written. Emily is one of my favorite book characters as she really does not care what those around her think, she just wants to get her work done.
Another part of this book that I enjoy is that the romance is not at the forefront of the story. There is also a different side of the Fae that is shown in this world that we generally don’t see in the books of today.

I will be posting a review on Instagram, Tiktok and GoodReads at the end of September. Thank you!!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ebook in exchange for a review.

Emily is a professor at Oxford university and embarks on a field trip, one to complete her encyclopaedia by documenting her findings on the elusive, famous tall ones.

The Folk were of another world, with its own rules and customs and to a child who always felt ill-suited to her own world, the lure was irresistible.

I loved Emily as a character: she’s introverted, better suited to reading than interaction and is as curious as they come. Sound similar to some of us bookworms?

“You'd rather sit here with your nose in a book?"
"Vastly," I said, and he shook his head at me, not in disgust but utter bemusement.

There was also the presence of grumpy/sunshine troupe, and I loved how the woman is considered the unsociable, less delightful one. Even though I love Emily to pieces.

This book reads like a fairytale. Even the descriptions are full of folktales and atmospheric comparisons.

I was among the first to sight the snowbound mountains rising out of the sea, the little red-roofed village of Hrafnsvik huddled below them like Red Riding Hood as the wolf loomed behind her.

This was a quaint, fast read filled with discovery, intrigue and magic. I loved every second of it and each page felt like a breath of fresh air. Or like sitting by a fireplace with a mug of steaming hot chocolate at Christmas time.
I would say this would be a delightful book to read during the Winter months with the snowy backdrop and frosty weather, and I spent every minute feeling whisked away into the arctic landscapes of Hrafnsvik.

A truly fantastic book with a unique and interesting narrator in Emily. She’s a little unconventional and deeply invested in science and her research, but is incredibly adept at causing offence with social faux pas through her lack of social skills. Does she care? Nope. Her narrative style makes this book truly special and I enjoyed reading her escapades and admired her vast knowledge and experience, which was so cleverly written it’s impossible not to give kudos to Heather Fawcett for creating a character who can talk in detail about a fictional subject matter.

Wendell Bambleby is so charmingly infuriating as a character it’s difficult to know whether or not I like him and I wonder if perhaps Emily feels the same way! He adds a nice contrast to Emily’s personality and I loved discovering more about his quirks as the story unfolded. The sense of community in Hrafnsvik was sweet, along with the battle of wills Emily was having with the village’s inhabitants. All in all, a top read and I’m interested to see where the story leads us next.

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.