5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Book for an E-ARC copy. All thoughts are my own.

This is the best book released in 2023 to date. I loved this book from start to finish and constantly think about it even long after reading it. Everything about this book was perfection. I loved the format, the characters, the magic and the banter. I didn't want it to end.

It's not often we get clever concepts in how a story is presented and Heather Fawcett using journal entries to tell Emily's story is very memorable. You get all the details of a normal fantasy story, yet the journal format allows the reader to enjoy the progression through time being documented. You get a real sense of the journey being well-documented without it becoming cumbersome. I loved Emily's voice as our narrator. She's easily joined my ranks of top-tier female protagonists. She's strong-willed, intelligent, eager to achieve results and expects a level of performance from herself that I quite enjoyed.

Wendell is a delight and I loved him from the first moment we hear about him. His cheeky inserts to the journal over time were helpful, both with getting to see the situation and Emily from another perspective. Their banter was the best thing, and whilst I guessed early on about his heritage, I thoroughly enjoyed the process of uncovering it and what it led to. Their differing personalities reminded me of Howl and Sophie from Howl’s Moving Castle, so if you liked that, then you're in for a treat with this one! The romance, whilst a subplot, worked well in among all that was happening. I loved the slow pace of it brewing constantly in the background, and how rewarding it was at the end.

The magical system is deeply enchanting, and the world-building is superb. I felt as if I were there experiencing both the whimsy and darker moments with Emily and Wendell. I think this would make the most perfect cosy autumn/winter read, especially with how unforgiving the weather is in Hrafnsvik.

Full transparency: I accidentally reapplied for this when I previously read this as an ARC back in January because I'm so eager to read the next installment in this series. If there's one thing book friends know about me this year is that I will recommend this book to everyone, and it's still very present in being shared on my social media accounts. That should speak volumes of how great a book this is!

First, Thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK for providing me with a review copy via NetGalley.

Also a big thanks to my bookclub, this was the July Book Choice and idk if I had read it without them but I am so glad I did!

This one was so comfy, magical, warm and whimsical. I loved Emily’s Character and also how Wendell treated her, it was lovely.

The story was magical and so slightly to read, nevertheless, there were a few moments where I missed something more action. But that didn't hurt the book either it was easy and pleasant to dive into emily's world.

It’s full of humor, friendship, folklore, love, academic, mysteries, magic, fairies and so much more!

I'm really looking forward to the second volume and will definitely not miss it!!

Emily Wilde is a Cambridge professor, she travels to small Scandinavian village to study the faerie folklore for her book she is working on. She wants nothing to do with the people who live in the village, she works better by herself with her loyal dog Shadow. But when Wendell Bambleby her academic ravel shows up all handsome and ready to swoon the people of the village, she determined to avoid him. However, is his charm starting to rub off on her or has she been charmed somehow by the Faerie folk?? She finds herself starting to care and the need to help the people of this small village.

Without talking too much about the plot, I loved this book! Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries is a perfect book for the winter period, a book to read under a warm and soft blanket while it's snowing outside!

The first 20% of the book is quite slow and I struggled a bit to get to the heart of the story, but after the first part, and with the arrival of Wendell, the story becomes more and more exciting. The vibes of the book are very cozy and fairytale but at the same time in some chapters there is a lot of tension and the atmospheres are tinged with dark and terror!

The worldbuliding is really well structured, I loved the fact that the book was set in 1900 and the world of the Fae created by the author is extremely rich and vivid! Even the settings of the "human" world are beautiful: small villages, breathtaking landscapes, snowy forests, glacial lakes and much more! Even the writing is really smooth and the book is a sort of diary kept by the protagonist, I really liked this choice!

Anyways, the romance is also very cute ... I would have preferred a few more scenes but even so it was enjoyable and very sweet!

In a nutshell: Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries is a truly unique book! Perfect if you love fairies, magical creatures, cozy and winter settings!

Thanks to Netgalley, OrbitBooks and Heather Fawcett for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A somewhat finicky academic travels to a Nordic country to conduct research into the fair folk assisted by her giant dog and flighty colleague! I absolutely loved this story, the magic, the location, the characters - everything was so well rounded to me and it's made me more interested in the lore behind the fairy tales that you may know parts of. A cosy magical tale perfect for when the evenings start drawing in and you can snuggle up while reading.

It's been almost a year, but I still haven't found cozy light academia fantasy that could match this book. The more time I spent away from this book, the more I love it. it's just exceptional.

I didn't know what to expect, and I really enjoyed this book, despite the fact that fairies have never been one of my favorite characters. Emily Wilde is a researcher and takes on the world with her notebook, and although her brain is then what saves her, she has some decidedly peculiar adventures and encounters in the process. I can't wait to read the second volume in this series!

Non sapevo cosa aspettarmi e questo libro mi é piaciuto moltissimo, nonostante le fate non siano mai state uno dei miei personaggi preferiti. Emily Wilde é una ricercatrice ed affronta il mondo con il suo taccuino e anche se poi é il suo cervello quello che la salva, nel frattempo le capitano avventure ed incontri decisamente particolari. Non vedo l'ora di leggere il secondo volume di questa serie!

I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

What a wonderful book. I’m delighted.
The story isn’t complicated – Professor Emily Wilde travels to Hrafnsvik to study faeries. However, the simple research trip turns into so much more.

The style of a book in form of diary entries made me a bit sceptical at the beginning. You can’t exactly write a diary in the middle of a fight, for example, so the result of every conflict is basically obvious. Realistically, even a diary entry written after a fight wouldn’t be written in the same way one would experience it. You wouldn’t remember all the details, you wouldn’t be in the moment anymore. On top of that, Emily, as a scientist, has a very sober outlook on things. But the execution is fantastic. The book was simply enthralling, and I couldn’t put it down.

Emily was truly great. I’ve grown very fond of her and I could very much comprehend her behaviour. Science is the most important thing for her and she knows the fairies like no other. But deep down she hides a good heart. I enjoyed that she’s actually smart – if she does make a bad decision, she does it consciously and with a good explanation.
Wendell was also great. The perfect mixture of charming and annoying, arrogant and simply very sweet. The relationship between the two of them was wonderfully presented, both with their peculiarities, both understanding the other so well.
I also loved Shadow and the villagers, all of them awesome.

I liked the character developments. They were very subtle, as it often is with books like this. It’s not about a complete change of heart, but about growing with your actions and developing further and this worked out very well.

The whole writing style is fantastic. I love everything Scandinavian and the descriptions of ice magic and sleigh rides pulled me deep into this world.

The book is definitely cozy fantasy – but with a whole lot of excitement. Compared to Legends and Lattes, for example, this one has a much higher Fantasy content.

I’m already looking forward to the next book!

Thank you, NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.