A young brilliant woman who travels about looking for elves. What’s not to love?! Enjoyed the story and am looking forward to the adventure.

I truly ended up loving this book. First the light academia setting is such a vibe in addition with it being in a colder climate was very different from typical faerie centric story settings. Overall the book gives such a beautiful, and fun intro into what it could look like if the study of Faeries became an actual study. Incredible book ,my only complaint give me more Wendell backstory PLS !

I received a free arc from Netgalley and here is my honest review! I am trying not to spoil anything, because with some reviews, I feel like they do that and I don't want to go on the adventure myself because you have a synopsis of the whole book. However a very broad summary of the book is: the main character is working on completing an encyclopedia of faeries. Which means she travels all over to learn about the various types and their nature. In this specific novel, she is working on learning about a specific kind called the "Hidden Ones" and when I say it's a journey, it's a journey! I felt cottagecore vibes from this book and it worked really well with the late fall, early winter aesthetic.

I absolutely adored this book! I felt like characters were very dynamic and had a lot of charisma which helped the flow of the story. I instantly felt attached to the main character and her journey to completing her encyclopedia of faries! I also loved the side characters so much!
When I first started this book, I was skeptical because I thought it would be almost whimsical, like a children's book, but I honestly loved how she weaved and explained about different types of fae into her novel. I have read countless books on the Fae, both YA and Adult Fiction, and I loved how this one was vastly different, in the best possible way! Even though I received a digital copy of the book, I will be getting a physical copy for myself to annotate! I will also be using it as a book for my book club once it releases! Like I stated earlier, I loved it!

Somewhere between 3 and 4 stars. 3 stars because the journals-styled writing was hard to read at times and included dialogue that seemed out of place at times (I understand that it's for the story's sake, it just didn't hit home for me personally). It took me much longer to read than usual because of it. 4 stars because the characters are fantastically written and the story is unique.

Thank you to Netgalley and publishers for access to an arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’m not going to lie, the beginning of this book was ROUGH. It took me over a hundred pages to really get into this, but once the novel picked up I was hooked. That being said, Fawcett does not pull off fantasy-academia combo like other writers (thinking of RK Kuang here).

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC of this book to read and review. All of these thoughts are my own!

This was a fun little read. The first portion was a bit slow and boring if I’m completely honest and it did end up picking up and I started enjoying it. I also like the idea of this kind of being in the format of a diary or journal. It puts a nice touch on things.

One thing that kind of put me off was some of the names. I was having a hard time pronouncing them and trying to figure out what they were. But, I think that’s more of a personal issue on my part and not the author. They were unique for sure and I like unique names.

I think this is a great choice for anyone who likes folktales and faeries.

3.5 stars but rounded up to 4!

Heather Fawcett writes a delightful story, full of faeries and mischief. She draws on enough traditional faerie stories that everything feels familiar and comfortable and yet the story is entirely original which will keep the reader wanting to discover what happens next.

5 Stars for this magical little book. I am so glad to see (Emily Wilde, #1) after the title as this book absolutely needs and deserves a sequel!

Emily Wilde is a professor of dryadology at Cambridge, in an alternate world where the existence of the Fae/Folk is not only accepted but is scientifically studied. Emily observes the Fae world with a keen eye, writing in her journal her daily interactions, to be placed in her soon to be published Encyclopedia of Faeries. This novel takes the form of her journal and picks up as Emily reaches the fictional Norwegian island of Ljosland, planning to study their Fae, including the "tall folk", also known as the courtly Fae.

Emily is awkward with humans, far more comfortable to be left alone to study the Fae, and causes trouble with the local villagers, until her fellow Cambridge professor Wendell Bambleby arrives and helps smooth the path but causing his own form of trouble and havoc.

I loved this book, the new take of the Fae and Emily's interactions with the various faeries was riveting, and very well written. Emily has her own distinct voice, and I enjoyed her character development over the course of the novel. She overcomes some of her own personality defects, and forms new relationships along the way. I am eagerly anticipating the sequel; I sincerely hope the wait will not be too long!

Thank you to Random House - Ballantine and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for review.

I feel like I have to preface this review by saying that I really really really liked this book, and cannot wait for it to get into other peoples’ hands. I’m worried this review might sound more critical than I intended, but that would definitely be the way of Emily Wilde.

Emily Wilde is, at her very core, an academic. It is her belief that introducing possibly leading variables such as compassion, friendliness, interaction, or even social niceties into potential research could sully said research. Emily, above all, is very pragmatic and meticulous in her approach to the research of the ways and stories of the faerie folk, and that is what makes her so good at her work.

With this approach, Emily sets out from Cambridge to the Scandinavian village of Hrafnsvik to investigate a variety of faerie folk who have remained unobserved by academia. To her chagrin, her academic rival, the dashing and quaint Wendell Bambleby follows close behind her to “help” with her efforts to study these faerie.

Emily’s tale is, ultimately, a tale of discovery: not just of the fae she seeks, but also of many of the things she has rather pushed aside in her life.

Presented as an academic diary of sorts, Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries starts off very rote and academic. There is an easy cadence to fall into, and a whole heck of a lot of information that gives the reader a lot of insight into how Emily thinks and operates.

As the crazy story progresses, Emily’s academic endeavors begin to uncover new knowledge that justifies Emily’s reason for traveling to this northern village in the first place. As situations uncover, Emily discovers that letting her guard down not only makes things easier for her in the village, but also opens research opportunities that were previously kept from her by the residents of the village.

Hilarity ensues, and we end up with a very different Emily than when the book started.

As a huge fan of world building and character development, Ms. Fawcett does a wonderful job of setting the scene. Writing from the viewpoint of a highly detailed academic, Ms. Fawcett takes advantage of being able to describe people, settings, and situations very bluntly, and with almost rude descriptors. I found it a very refreshing mechanism that you just don’t see used that often these days.

Story progression moves very quickly, but not in such a way that sacrifices detail. The use of footnotes adds to the academic charm, and, in the end, I found myself dratting that the sequel wasn’t shortly behind. Hell, this book won’t even hit shelves until January 2023!

If you are a fan of the faerie folk, historical fiction, semi-academic romance, or even if you just need a change of pace, definitely put Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries on your 2023 reading list. You won’t regret it.

The summary of this book intrigued me, so I decided to give it a try. I was pleasantly surprised! Although I typically don't like books written in a journal format, I found Emily's story delightful. As a female academic, I sympathized with her in some ways. I found the world that the author created to be interesting, and the characters were fun. I especially enjoyed seeing the mystery surrounding the town and Wendell unfold.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for a free e-arc. The opinions are my own.

A huge thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey for providing me a copy of this book for an honest review.

This book was very enjoyable. I started it around noon and finished it around 2 am because it was a spellbinding tale. I am still forever on the fence about Wendell and all of his secrets. Emily's scholarly brain was something I liked. I also liked the townspeople in the tale. The descriptions and fae were outstanding, and I will buy a copy of this book to have for my own.

However, the reason this is not a five star rating yet - key word being YET - is I read an early copy of the book. There's knicks to be undone in terms of Wendell's act that I'm not sure if the author is going to keep in or not. There's something about Emily's being in danger that feels like she wasn't in any danger at all. There's no bite to this pretty story just yet and I'm hoping the finished copy will give that bite. Also that it'll make me feel a little less confused as it is in journal format. That format is extremely hard to nail down in Kindle format unless you have a fantastic designer for the format.

So I want to give it five stars. I just can't yet because I need to see and read the finished copy. However, the one thing that will probably make this into a five star rating is that I WANT to read the story again. I want to go back into the world and relive the story. And that, to me, is the strongest indicator of a good story than any star rating could give you.

Excellent as either a standalone or the start of a series, this is an engaging historical fantasy with the lead pursuing a career that is as much craft and persuasion as science, in the vein of Mary Robinette Kowal's "Shades of Milk and Honey". I enjoyed the prickly main character and all she revealed through her complaints, her sideways acknowledgement of secrets and the way she forges strong bonds, in spite of her declared pragmatism. I love that her colleague gets an opportunity to tell a piece of the story from his perspective, and the twists of the villains of the piece (and how they other characters plan to deal with that). I'd definitely be interested to see more of this world!

Wow! I have not read a book this quickly in a while. I love the way this is written as Emily's journal from her travels and adventures. I loved all the characters, especially the townspeople. There were a few fun twists and turns, but nothing totally surprising. I hope there are more books about her!

This book was a very pleasant surprise! I was a bit skeptical going in, just based on the blurb, but wow. The premise is handled very well, and it doesn't get cutesy. That was my main concern.

Without giving out any spoilers, this is a world where fairies exist, they're well documented, the subject of university studies, and they have the regional variations one would expect, given that fairy tales vary between cultures.

The protagonist of the book is a university researcher who has devoted her life to compiling an encyclopedia of fairies, and has decided to research just one more locale to add a final entry before publishing.

She contacts the local fey upon arrival, and gets more than she bargained for. She is assisted by her dog and her university superior, both of whom are more than meets the eye. Explaining more would definitely be saying too much.

The book is well written, it has internal logic, is entertaining, and isn't predictable at all. Kudos to the author on all counts. I only wish I could actually read the actual Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Fairies, and not just the story about it. And I also hope there will be a sequel.

I rarely give 5 stars, but this book deserves no less.

What a charming and wonderful story this is!! Emily Wilde is one of my new favorite main characters. I loved exploring Hrafnsvik with her, learning about faeries and falling in love. I didn’t expect there to be romance, and although it’s a subplot, the tension and love is so, so good. When I read fantasy, I don’t usually expect much from the male love interest, especially not when he’s fae. They’re all impossibly hot, muscles sculpted to perfection, ambiguous golden skin, jet black or silver white hair, morally grey… but Wendell is not like other fae male love interests, Wendell is surprisingly human. The academia plot is perfect for this pair. The right amount of rivalry and irritability mixed with support and admiration… I want more of this. I hope there is a sequel!! I expect big things for this book.

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries
by Heather Fawcett
Fantasy Lore Romance
NetGalley ARC


Emily Wilde is the expert on faeries and is now on her way of being the first to create an encyclopaedia of all things faeries. But she isn't the best at being around people, especially her rival Wendell Bambleby, who takes it upon himself to join in on her research.

This story is written as journal entries and sadly is written with even less action, drama, or descriptions. Everything that happens is mostly brushed over, including the action. What happened was quickly described in a few summed-up sentences. A few deep, or even just a few general details/descriptions could've made the action grab my attention.

So it was a slow and boring read. The MC, her mostly nonexistent emotions made her a very dull person. I feel it's a very far-fetched idea that the people of the village would acknowledge her. She comes across as self-centered, and a bumbling idiot, and Wendell, I thought of him as an ***. I didn't care much for either of them.

The blurb sounded good, but the story and characters lack the personalities and depths that pulls the reader into the story.

2 Star

A young professor travels to the north to study a specific species of fae only to be intercepted by her academic rival

Told through journal entries, this novel is a charming take on historical romance and the inclusion of Fae and a cozy village add to the overall atmosphere and setting. I liked Emily's dedication to her work and the way she approached her scientific enquiry, however, the plot didn't hold my interest as much.

I did go into it thinking it was a Historical Fantasy, so I had different expectations.

An academic centered faerie fantasy?!??!? I mean it’s like everything that fantastic beasts and where to find them was supposed to be and so much more - but faerie related!!!

Emily is an amazing character. I found that her studies and research kept the pace of the novel going. It was the purpose of the entire book and knowing that, I found myself delighted with other tidbits and hodgepodge of information that was interwoven.

This isn’t a romance book. Instead, it has romantic elements. Go into this book knowing that a fae high lord isn’t going to jump in and steal Emily’s heart and take her to Faerie. This book again is about research of the fae but told in story firm about how Emily went about getting the last bits of information she needs for her encyclopedia.

I would compare this book to again fantastic beasts, if fantastic beats focused more on the beasts and less on politics, as well as a bit of Indians Jones adventure and a little bit of the lord of the rings journey to Mordor.

I gobbled this story up and really wish there are others like it.

I received an ARC from netgalley for review.

This book is easily one of my favorite faerie stories I have ever read. The main characters are absolutely incredible. Emily Wilde is the epitome of the scholar stereotype - intelligent, awkward, and introverted. Her coworker, Wendell Bambely, is the exact opposite - very handsome, outgoing, and charming, but boy does he have a secret. I also love all of the side characters. The townspeople are so quirky, while the various fae that are met are all… very fae like.

The story itself is really intriguing. It reads like a journal as Emily does fieldwork to create an encyclopedia of faerie kind. She has many misadventures, some just funny while others are very dangerous and gory.

I love this book so much. I can’t wait to read the next one in the series!

I ADORED EVERY WORD OF THIS WHIMSICAL FAIRYTALE OF A BOOK. All I want is to read and read it again, if you loved UPROOTED, I highly recommend this one. I was utterly charmed by the story and our narrator’s voice!