I felt like a child again reading this imaginative book about mythical creatures and magical happenings. I’ve read many Irish and Russian folk tales about the changelings and little folk, faeries or creatures who can wreak havoc around a home and this story had them all.

Our main character, Emily is a professor who travels to a remote village to study the folk in order to write a professional paper on her findings. Soon after arriving, her friend and classmate (or whatever he is) arrives and proceeds to interfere with her research, which ends up helping her in a roundabout way.

I loved the back and forth between the two characters. Their interactions with the villagers was fun and sweet and I loved how they all came together for the good of the community. This is a wonderful wintertime read and fun to go back in time to reading fairy tales like I did as a child.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for allowing me to read an advance copy. I am happy to review and recommend this to other readers.

Really loved this one. As someone who doesn't read a lot of "cozy" fantasy, this book was just a blast. I related in several key ways to the main character, I loved the way the story was told, and the romance was delightful. I really hope to see more adult fantasy from Heather Fawcett in the future. This is a book that I not only plan to read again and again when I need something sweet and cozy, but I will definitely be recommending it to everyone looking for a fun and fast fantasy read.

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries sent me down the rabbit hole! I snuggled in by the fire ready to read a cute story about a young little researcher finding her way through the forest in search of magical fairies (note the spelling there). The faeries that she found were unexpected, and it was an evil delight watching what happens from there. The first half of the book was a build-up, i felt at about 50% I was fully vested and didn't realize I had been sucked in!!!!!! I loved the setting, the ambiance, the lore, and the fun that this book took me to. I would recommend to all my fellow readers that enjoy a good fairy tale directed towards us grown-ups!

Thank you NetGalley, Heather Fawcett, and Del Ray Books for a pre-publication read in exchange for honest feedback. I also received this book from Fairyloot, and the special edition and sprayed edges are beautiful!

Enjoyable gentle fantasy of a woman scholar in an early 1900s world that has faeries. Some might be considered to be of the Good Neighbor variety and some are not. The peril is never too perilous and she is as plucky and spirited as a heroine set in that era ought to be. Not a terribly long book. I look forward to book two but book one dies wrap up nicely by itself.

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett is currently scheduled for release on January 10 2023. 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's Encyclopaedia of Faeries is a highly engaging and interesting tread. I could easily connect with Emily as a character. She is awkward and scholarly, which I related to very much. I loved her honest and curiosity, which did not always meet the expectations of those around her but matched my inner dialogue in many respects. I liked her dynamics with Bambleby, Shadow, and the villagers as she strives to both complete her book and help those around her as best she can. I really like that I have never read anything quite like this book before, there are elements of all of my favorite genres all mashed up together, and it created a wonderful thing. I will be looking for more from this author.

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries is an engaging and unique read. I really enjoyed it.

I’m a bit conflicted about this book. The prose was often beautiful and author painted such a beautiful and vivid picture of the landscape and characters. I even liked most of the characters. So I had to spend a long time reflecting on why I didn’t like this book more.

What it came down to was I didn’t really care for Wendell, Emily made some of the dumbest decisions I could imagine, and I know that there is another book coming, but I felt like there was very little resolution so the ending fell flat.


What I did love what the awkward situations Emily put herself in because of her lack of social skill and her banter with Wendell. Although it felt incredibly platonic on her end so the two of them ending up together doesn’t free quite right. Wendell as a romantic interest just didn’t make sense to me they had no romantic chemistry but were amazing academic frenemies.

I loved the town folk and Emily’s brownie friend Poe. It was funny how much more at ease she was with Poe than any if the humans. I did really like seeing her character growth from strict academic who never participates and only observes, to thinking about others and even enjoying spending time with them.

Overall I did enjoy parts of this book but I’m not anxious to pick up the next in the series.

Plot: 9/10
I will say that this book was slow to start. It seemed that for a while it was going to be primarily Emily's research and obstructions posed by the people of Ljosland, uncooperative fae, and her work-avoidant colleague, Wendell, but it picked up soon enough. It is still a very slow plot, but the gaps are filled. There's thorough worldbuilding to fill in the gaps, and it seems as though Fawcett is building up a bigger story for the next books (which there will be!). This story seemed like an assortment of smaller adventures, but looking back it was all building up into the climax. The plot stayed pretty light up until said climax, where it took a pretty dark turn. It was certainly a shock in the moment, but it wasn't a complete tone switch. I think it did a good job of capturing the darker side of faeries since the book had stayed mostly on the light side so far.

The worldbuilding is where this book really shines. It pulls from faerie lore from all over, but it doesn't just use existing folklore. New scholarship is created, as are new tales and kinds of faeries. Emily's observations and previous experiences are so interesting to read about, especially as a big faerie nerd myself. There's a ton of detail, which I loved, but it might be a little tedious to people who prefer a faster pace or aren't as interested in faeries.

Characters: 10/10
Emily is one of the best main characters I've read about in a while. She's very well developed, and her characterization is consistent. She's clever and driven, but she's also proud and curious, to the point of endangering herself. It was great to have a main character who was incredibly likable with reasonable and obvious flaws. Her insistence on maintaining objectivity while simultaneously getting very attached to the inhabitants of Ljosland was quite entertaining. One of my favorite character relationships was between her and Poe, a common faerie, which was a first transactional then became much closer.

The most major side character is Wendell Bambleby, Emily's charismatic but uniquely annoying colleague. She also suspects him of being a faerie himself, though she is hesitant to voice it. I supremely enjoyed their relationship, as they reminded me very strongly of Sophie and Howl from Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. A work-focused, sensible woman who is averse to social situations with an annoying, work-avoidant, charming-to-everyone-but-her man? Sign me up. He was so ridiculous at first that that I wasn't sure if he was the love interest, but I am very pleased he was.

The side characters didn't get quite as much attention considering Emily's aversion to interacting with...anyone, but they were distinct in their characterization. There were quite a few townspeople introduced, but once they'd shown up a couple of times I had a good idea of who they all were. My personal favorites were Lilja and Thora. Finally, although specific faeries were rare, limited to Poe and a certain king, I feel the typical characteristics of faeries were well-represented.

Writing Style: 9/10
This book is told through the personal journal of Emily Wilde. Even in her private records, she does her best to maintain objectivity, which makes it all the more hilarious when she fails, especially when it comes to Bambleby and her growing closeness to the townspeople. Emily's voice is distinct. I think it's part of why it was so easy to get attached to her. Even in her "empirical" observations, there are always hints as to how she's feeling, and the way she writes reflects the way a socially-inept academic would speak.

My one gripe is with the pacing. It was tough to get through the first part of this book, and I feel like some extra occurrences would help the reader pull through better. It starts of slow, though I will grant that it picks up well later on.

Overall: 9/10
What a fun book! It's rare that the word "fun" be used to describe a book about proper folklore faeries, but I feel this fits the bill. It was a great balance between the malicious and benevolent sides of faeries, and everything that happened in the main plot just felt like what would happen in a story with them. Emily and Wendell are in the running for one of my favorite couples; they might not have the intense chemistry associated with romance today, but their dry, begrudging care for each other is just what I love. I definitely recommend this book; it's perfect for anyone who likes faerie lore, pseudo-academic fantasy, or Howl's Moving Castle.

I ended up not finishing this arc. I found the journal style writing to be really difficult to get into especially because there was such a lack of dialogue in the early chapters. Because of the journal style writing, the pacing was very slow, and it felt like there was no motivation or inciting incident that made me want to continue reading. I loved the premise of the story because of its fantasy elements, but felt no meaningful connection with the characters or the overall story.

Thank you to Random House and Ballentine publishing for the advance copy.

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries was such a delight and gave me some of the most fun I've had reading in years.

The overall premise caught me immediately--the story of a professor in the early 1900s doing field research on fairies is exactly the sort of thing I want to read. I have to admit I was a bit tentative during the first part of the book as I kept worrying that the next chapter wouldn't be as good as the last, worrying that the next page would somehow sour my fun by introducing some terrible misunderstanding or hurting the wonderful dog. But this tale never let me down. There was always a bit more magic to be introduced into the story, another beautiful snowy scene brought to my mind's eye, and while the danger was real it was also exciting and the characters gave us confidence that they could face it and win.

One of things I really enjoyed about this book was seeing things I've adored in YA books explored in a more adult story. Now, by "adult" I don't mean spicy, I mean that the characters are older than teenagers. I was delighted to find an academic fantasy that wasn't centered on students taking classes, but rather on professors doing field work and being concerned with getting that next conference paper finished. So many of the books that seem to be doing interesting things with the fey are appearing in YA and it was exciting to see that type of world and society building being done with characters who are adults. It was good to see Emily established in her work and looking to progress in her career. I kept wincing in fear when she started her research on the unknown fey of the frozen lands—didn't she know those creatures could be dangerous?! But Emily is no teenager blindly confident in her own abilities because she made good grades in fairy class but rather a professional who has practical experience in the world. Wendell has a weight and patience to him that makes him really feel like a grown, if magical, character. Yes, he has a goal he's desperate to achieve, but he's going about it in a methodical manner that makes him seem like someone with years of life behind him. As I'm middle-aged myself it was good to be able to just enjoy the characters' adventures rather than finding myself worrying about them as if they were children.

The author was particularly adept at weaving in dark and frightening elements into a story without allowing those aspects to control the overarching tone of the book. I've seen this described as "cozy" and it really is very amusing with sparkling dialog and winning characters. Yet it also brings in the darkness that folklore is known and loved for. We're shown the horror of a person being "hollowed out" by their time with the fey and drained of will and initiative. The heartbreak and ongoing stress of a couple caring for a changeling in hopes of protecting their own child who is beyond their reach was deftly sketched. These parts of the book manage to raise the stakes to something beyond "professor does research on magical creatures" while the writing still allows us to laugh with the amusing characters and cheer on the power of community.

This balance of light and dark comes through very strongly with Wendell. He charms the village and the reader with ease (and Emily with a bit more work). He's shown being quite concerned with domestic matters of food, tailoring, and decorating. Yet he's also the sort of exiled fairy royalty with a backstory that easily could have set him up as a brooding, tormented Byronic style character. He misses his home and is working with clear purpose to get back there. But he's still going to go after Emily's clothes with a needle if he gets the chance and he always makes sure that he's the center of the crowd whenever he shows up at a tavern. I don't want to say too much because I know some people don't like spoilers, but I have to note that he's stunningly capable and powerful when danger arises.

I just adored this story and I can't wait to join Wendell and Emily on future adventures!

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for a copy of this work in exchange for my honest review. My review was posted to goodreads on January 9th, 2023.

Thank you so much to Random House and NetGalley for this scholastic and intimate eARC! One of my favorite literary chestnuts is books that are written in a diary format; and this novel captures the uninhibited and intelligent voice of Emily Wilde so well that you may feel like you're listening to the musings of an incredibly close friend who asked you to proofread their memoir. It is also chock full of unique lore about the Fae-- and it combines that fictional history element with a cozy mystery that was hard to put down.

We meet Emily as she is settling into her place in a remote spot in Scandinavia to continue her research on faeries and the like. At first, the scholar seems aloof; her interactions with the locals not doing her any favors. However, as her writing goes on-- she settles into herself and lets her true feelings fly... especially about a certain academic rival. Wendell is Emily's perfect foil, and their will-they-won't-they is a much appreciated romantic aspect in an otherwise dark fantasy novel. As Emily gets closer to her favored subject, the more dangerous things get. The story ramps up in a wonderful way; and the climax will leave you absolutely breathless.

I can't say too much without delving into the mystery elements of the plot, but that's okay-- because the characters really drive the story here. You get to watch Emily grow through her own words, take a backseat journey into the slow burn romance between she and Wendell, and revel in Fawcett's prose that will send you straight into the snug, snowy location that Emily finds herself in. It's a story you can truly lose yourself in; and I very much appreciated that. With the holidays having just ended-- it was nice to have a reprieve that felt like an actual escape. Definitely pick up this book if you need to be transported into whimsy and absurdity. You will find yourself a stranger in a strange land-- just like Emily. If you're like me, books are your faeries, and sometimes it's all that makes sense in the world.

Standoffish Emily Wilde is a 30-year-old folklore professor studying the faerie folk in a remote and chilly island up north, alongside her annoying yet charming colleague Wendell Bambleby, who may or may not be fully human.

The witty, academic tone mixed with the old-school faerie lore was a perfect winner for me. Equal parts cozy and terrifying, I absolutely adored this.

Also didn’t hurt that Wendell was channeling major Howl Pendragon energy, making him an automatic book boyfriend.

Emily is a scholar who researches the faerie folk. The story is based on her travels to gather information to log into her encyclopedia. I found this book to be a cute cozy read. The book follows more of Emily as she travels to a remote town to log the local faeries to complete her encyclopedia.
I would have preferred it to center around more of the faeries than the main characters. but I did enjoy this book more than I expected. It was heartwarming and enchanting.

If, like me, you grew up reading fairy tales from different cultures, you'll enjoy this historical fantasy set in nineteenth-century Scandinavia. There are parts that plod along due to flowery writing and/or overly inclusive details, but the story picks up once Wendell Bambleby--Emily Wilde's fellow scholar in Dryadology (the study of faeries and fae) whose charm and lack of work ethic greatly annoy Emily--arrives in Hrafnsvik. His optimism and friendliness complement Emily's social awkwardness and grumpiness, and his heritage plays a pivotal role later in the story. It's a book that feels highly original in the saturated realm of fantasy and fae stories.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this novel.

Emily Wilde arrives in Ljosland determined to finish her encyclopaedia on faeries. The last chapter will feature the Hidden Ones of Ljosland. They only arrive with the snow and Emily is prepared to spend the winter looking for the Folk, specifically the courtly Folk. Will her scientific mind be able to make the connections needed to succeed in the cold town, or will she remain cold and unable to chop her own firewood?

I had a fun time with this novel! I loved how socially awkward Emily is. She refuses to admit she needs other people and has a hard time making friends. I liked learning about all the different Folk in this world and I'm interested to learn more. The story is told in diary entries and is a great way to present this specific story.

The story really kicks off once Wendell Bambleby arrives. He gets under Emily's skin and she can't admit to herself why.

I can't wait to find out what else happens in this world.

Thank you to NetGalley for a eARC of Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries!

This a really unique read. I like the fact that it's written like a field journal. I would definitely categorize this with cozy fantasy. While I like the uniqueness of the writing style, I think it inhibits us a bit with really getting to know the main characters. Personally, I wasn't a huge fan of Wendell. I thought he was whiney and selfish. Though, he was growing on me the last 20% of the book. I'm shocked that there's going to be another book. I don't think this book left off on a huge cliffhanger. I am for sure going to read the sequel though, so I guess I am intrigued enough to continue.

For me this book is sitting somewhere between 3 and 4 stars. But, I'm demoting it to 3 stars since I'm not totally in love with Wendell and Emily yet.

For 3 seconds, I was salty that I got approved for an ARC 6 days before release day. How was I to read this in time? But I got over that quickly because I-got-approved! So, I tucked in and only put it down to sleep, then woke up and, after imbibing copious amounts of coffee, tucked in and promptly finished the book as the mundane world twirled around me, and I immersed myself in the world of Fair Folk.

As my new favorite, this book sets a precedent for all books to follow this year because how will any other book compete?

Historical fantasy, check

Emily- prefers to spend time alone and doesn’t people well, check (and utterly relatable)

Faeries, Scandinavia, small town community, coworker Wendell who just loves to irk Emily? Checks for everyone!

I loved how Wendell fed off Emily and her scowls. He was lazy and spoiled, but somehow, it made him endearing. I loved the small-town feel of Ljosland and how everyone banded together. And Poe? My heart, I loved him so much.

And the best part? We get a happy enough-for-now ending and know there will be more to come. More!! Now we’re all going to wander around ho-humming in sadness while we wait for book 2. My eternal thanks to Random House/Ballantine for sending over this absolute gem.

4.5 Stars
I loved this.
Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries is Historical Fantasy, wrapped in Academia, with a little Romance sprinkled in.
This book takes place in 1903, and Emily is a Cambridge Professor who has traveled to a small village in Scandinavia to study the fae there. You get to meet the people of this small village and learn about their customs, as well as learn about the faerie world that exists beside theirs. Emily is a lovable, if sometimes frustratingly socially dense character. She prefers the company of her books and her dog, Shadow, to other people (and honestly, I get that). Wendell- Emily's friend/academic rival- is her opposite in all ways, and brings some lightness and comedy to the page.
I loved the relationships that grew between the villagers and the researchers as much as I loved the faerie stories they learned along the way. This book has a bit of a slow burn to it, but was well worth it. Will definitely be looking for book 2!

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for an early copy for review.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for providing a digital ARC of this book in exchange for a review.

This book was delightful. I've always loved books involving the fae and the faerie realm and this book is no exception to that. I really enjoyed experiencing a different culture of fae lore aside from the gaelic/irish fae we typically see in these types of stories. I will admit that at first I wasn't certain that I was going to like Emily as a character, but just like the people of Hranfnsvik she grew on me and I love her. I love that she's competent and confident in her knowledge when she's faced with a challenge. I can't wait for book two.
And Shadow is the best boy.

**Thank you Netgalley, Random House Publishing Ballantine/Del Rey, and Heather Fawcett for providing and allowing me to read ARC**

Overall Rating: 3.5 Stars
Spice: 0

In this Historical Fantasy set in the 1900s, a young and socially awkward Professor travels to a remote Scandinavian town to find and gather information on the elusive Fair Folk, all in hopes of finally finishing her Encyclopaedia on them. When her annoyingly charming colleague shows up, they join together and find that something more sinister seems to be plaguing this town. If this means that she could discover anything that hasn’t been discovered before, she will not hesitate to jump in head first, no matter the cost.

Let’s first start with the format and this book in general:
I loved how it is written as a scholarly journal, with footnotes and tons of Lore integrated throughout. This book could almost be the more adult and detailed book of Terry Jones’s Lady Cottington’s Pressed Fairy Book. Now, while I enjoyed all of this, I found the story to drag on at times. With it also being written as a scholarly journal, the wordiness made the book hard to understand, and I struggled to follow along.
I struggled to get into this book at first, but after a few chapters, I found myself enjoying all of the stories sprinkled within the one main story, as well as all the Lore and action the MC’s got into.
The ending didn’t go in the direction I thought it would, and while that is not an issue, I did find that it was very random and abrupt.

Characters:
I found that I actually did not like either MC very much (I think I liked the MMC a bit more).

Emily, the FMC, is a professor and very dedicated and passion driven to her work (writing an Encyclopaedia of the Fair Folk), has very high intelligence (esp. to Fair Folklore), and has the inability to grasp social cues and situations. However, I found her to be almost callous and selfish, only caring about gathering her information and completing her Encyclopaedia. She wouldn’t listen to warnings, go off on her own in dangerous situations, and constantly put others (esp. the MMC) in danger. I felt that every time she would help someone, it was for her own gain, not their safety. She went on rescue missions because she only cared about what kind of story and information she would obtain and didn’t care whether the ones she rescued lived or died. To sum it up, the FMC doesn’t care about the story being told, only about getting it.
On a positive note, as the book goes on, we do see her crack slightly open up her closed-off facade from time to time.
I also love how smart she is, and she utilized all the information she’s gathered in the field, as well as all the Lore she knows to help her problem solve many of the predicaments she found herself in.

I found Wendell, the MMC, as charming as he is to be a bit annoying. I did love, however, how even when he didn’t want to, he would help Emily whenever she was in danger.

I found that I loved the side characters the best, especially Shadow and Poe. I loved each of their individual stories and the loving family bond they all shared with one another and later on with the MMCs.

Overall: Now, I do realize that I have more negatives than positives; I still enjoyed this book immensely and would definitely recommend it! It is such a different take on a cozy, fantastical story that transports you back in time and has tons of entertaining interactions and plenty of action to keep you entertained.

LIGHT ACADEMIA AND RIVALS TO LOVERS ARE IN FOR 2023

When I said this book had me giggling and kicking my feet in the air, I literally mean it!

Everyone says it’s Howl’s Moving Castle when it comes to the world building and characters, but I believe the iconic 1999 hit movie, The Mummy, is another great comparison (prove me wrong that Emily and Evelyn would’ve been great friends).

I absolutely adored the journal layout of the novel (completed with footnotes!) and the personalities that came through Emily’s writing.

Absolutely cannot wait for the next!