This book didn’t grab me until about 20% in. I struggled through the beginning and picked it up and put it down many times. I liked the writing style and I’m a big fan of epistolary-style books, so I’m not sure where my disinterest came from. The premise is great, too, and the relationship between Emily and Wendell was so fun to read. I’ll say that if you’re struggling through the beginning, just stick with it.

I really appreciate the refreshing new take on the Fae. This is no ACOTAR, y’all. Since this is coming from Emily’s perspective, how we learn about the Fae is more clinical and studious in nature. It was a nice shake up from the usual litany of Fae stories that all feel similar to one another.

Thank you to NetGalley, Del Ray, and Heather Fawcett for the opportunity to read and review Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries. My thoughts and opinions are entirely my own. This book gets a 4/5 from me!

Wow, just wow. So different, unique and compelling. I loved the characters, loved the plot, loved the wit, the sarcasm, the "dog"! There was just so much to love. I did not however love the ending. It was too abrupt...just a cut-off really. I mean, what?

This is a fantastic book set in a wonderful world where faeries and other supernatural creatures co-exist with humans. Emily Wilde is a scholar of such people, a faerie anthropologist. She's on a research trip when her thorn-in-the-side colleague shows up to, well, showboat around and work his way into her investigations. There's a slow-burn romance, lots of mysterious and beautiful and dangerous faerie-ness, and an adventure to help and save the people of the small town that serves as Emily's base.

I enjoyed this book it was a quick fun read and I'll definitely recommend I finished in a day enjoyed the story and the plot along with the characters

Epistolary literature is a hard sell for me. Most people do not record dialogue—or at least not large swathes of it—in their correspondence and journals. I simply don’t find most of it believable so it’s a big treat when I find an exception to the rule. In this case, Emily is a scientist and we’re reading her field notes. She has an incredible memory, as well as a mandate to faithfully record her observances and discoveries, dialogue included. Plus, footnotes! I was all in.

Emily is in a fictional Scandinavian country to research the fae in the area. Ljosland’s fae have never been studied in depth before and they’re the final piece for the encyclopedia she’s been working on for years. It will be the pinnacle of her career. In the course of the story, we meet many different classifications of fae, as well as hear stories and legends. She’s acquired a lot of knowledge about how to interact with them, along with a few of their secrets, which she puts to good use. Although it can also get her into trouble.

But Emily alone does not a story make. She’s antisocial and abrupt and so focused on her work, she has no real idea how to interact with others. This might make her off-putting to readers at first but hang in there because it’s worth it. Wendell, her colleague and only friend, surprises her by crashing her research trip. Wendell, who she suspects might secretly be fae. He was a treat! They have such a fun dynamic, in part because Emily has no idea what to make of him half the time. Plus, he is very clearly pining for her, even if he shares his affections elsewhere. They make an interesting team through kidnappings, cursed kings, and changelings. While what befalls Emily and Wendell is interesting in its own right, I was just as gripped by Emily going from antisocial loner to experiencing community for the first time, even as it discomfits her. There was so much to enjoy about those Ljoslanders coming alongside her.

This is fantasy, not fantasy romance, but there is a promising romantic arc between Emily and Wendell. It’s only a hint though—things stay chaste. I ate up every glimpse we got of Wendell’s suppressed feelings for her. As a romance reader, I was hoping for more development along those lines in the latter half but the way it ended gave me hope. It also made me wonder if this might be the first book in a series. I, for one, would love to read about any and all of Emily and Wendell’s future dryadology adventures!

When it comes to fairies and weefolk, this book covers it all. But don't be confident about what you think you know. There is literally one surprise after another from page to page. When one woman is determined to write the definitive book on these little creatures, her world is turned upside down. Only her obsession with notetaking and the love of a faerie and the good people of the Scandanavian village she is visiting save her life.

Fabulous book chock full of details, including things the reader never knew.

If you want to know about the mysterious world of weefolk and faeries, this is the book for you.

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries has a lot of potential. The various stories about different types of faeries is amazing and provides a lot of color. In full transparency, it is a slow starter. It takes a while to fully become immersed in Emily’s character without the parallel of Wendell. It might have grabbed the reader quicker if there was a “prologue” previewing one of the more climatic moments of novel.

While the interactions between Wendell and Emily helped to entertain the reader and propel the narrative forward, it’s a nice touch that the author chose to leave the state of their relationship undefined. It left an opening for the reader to imagine what adventure they might find themselves in next.

Overall, it’s a fun quick read and provides a lot of descriptions of the setting to help isolate the experience the characters live through.

In an alternative world in which fairiefolk coexist with humankind, an academic prodigy travels to an isolated island North of Norway to investigate sightings of some beings who would make a fine entry in the Encyclopaedia of Faeries she is compiling. This is the beginning of a wonderful adventure that results in the making of a host of new friends as well as an unexpected marriage proposal.

This book was delightful. That's not an adjective I use very often, but it fits this book perfectly. It was a read i wholeheartedly adored, and one I'll be recommending for quite a while

A few days ago, a friend and I were discussing the Fae we truly loved. Together, we came to the consensus that the best Fae are the tricksy, manipulative ones. So when I dove into this one and saw the bargains it played with, I was over the moon. It didn't paint any of the Fae as good or bad, they were simply another species living by their own rules and morals. That made this so much fun, and although it wasn't my favorite part of the book, it's one of them.

Another thing I really loved were our characters. Or really, Poe. Poe deserved more page time. He was so adorable! I would kill for an entire book of only Poe and his escapades. He made this book the cozy fantasy it was, he was the perfect side character.

Yet another thing this book does extremely well is the academia aspects. Emily felt like a researcher. Following her on her studies was so much fun, especially because they allowed us a deeper glimpse into the Fae. And best of all, it made the ending logical! She didn't make it out just because of a long-ago game of luck. No, her smarts and hard work saved her. It was brilliant.

I could talk about this one for ages, it was that good. I needed a great book after the atrocity that was Violet Made of Thorns, and this delivered. It was the perfect cozy fantasy, full of tricky Fae and complicated bargains. I'd definitely recommend!

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review

A curmudgeonly professor journey to a small town in the far north to study faerie folklore and discovers dark fae magic, friendship, and love, in this heartwarming and enchanting fantasy.

Well, that sounded interesting. Nothing I love more than an academic-based tale on faeries!

Emily Wilde is a professor at Cambridge. She is an expert in the world of faeries. She is a brilliant researcher and scholar and is now getting more research to finish her Encyclopaedia of Faeries. She shines doing research and communicating with the faerie folk. Actual people, however, she isn’t so good with. She is good with her studies and her dog, Shadow, who has some secrets of his own.

Her best friend would have to be her only friend. Wendell Brambley. Wendell has the biggest secret of all. Part of it Emily has already guessed, but oh there is so much more!

As they travel to the village of Hrafnsvik, all she wants to do is find the Hidden Ones. But as she gets closer to that goal, there is a mystery lurking that could frustrate her to no end.

As frustrated as she is with the townsfolk and Wendell, she may just learn to open her heart just a bit.

What a lovely fantasy story. Academia-based is definitely one of my favorites. And I loved diary writing.

A very good story.

NetGalley/January 10th, 2023 by Del Rey Books

What a delightfully unique, dark academic fantasy based on faerie folklore! From first glance at this cover, to the very last words, I was mesmerized and enchanted.

Professor Emily Wilde is Cambridge’s lead expert in the study of faeries, also known as “Folk”. She has nearly completed her comprehensive encyclopaedia on the subject. Professor Wilde needs only to complete one final chapter before she is ready to present and publish nearly a decade’s worth of work. Thus, she travels to the small village of Hratnsvik in order to research and interact with the “Hidden Ones” of Ljosland. Until this point, the Hidden Ones are thought by many to be only a myth. She is joined in her research by her friend, co-author, and fellow fae expert: Wendell Bambleby (who may be keeping a big secret...)

This book is written in the form of Professor Wilde’s academic journal of her field studies. Complete with footnotes throughout, the book initially reads as a very scholarly focus on faerie folklore. I found this style to be unique, refreshing, and enjoyable! Wilde’s observations of the natural world are both beautiful and meticulous, as she describes moss patterns, tree types, odd mists, and mushroom rings. The details given regarding various species of fae/folk have both a scientific and romantic feel to them, and I just couldn’t get enough of that!

As a home educator, the timing of this book was quite serendipitous for me. My children and I have been studying world mythology and folklore together. Having my own, darker read to treasure by night was such an enrichment to the whole experience. Despite Professor Wilde’s initial heavy reliance on scientific thought, she ends up calling upon story and folklore to guide her studies. What more could you ask for in such a book? I look forward to recommending this book to my fellow home educators for their personal reading!

Overall, this was a 4.5 star read for me. I particularly preferred the more scientific leaning of the first half of the book to the action of the second half. However, I’ve seen others saying just the opposite. I suppose I just couldn’t get enough of those observations of the world that Heather Fawcett presented to us readers! I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the e-arc!

This was delightful! It's very interesting how many cultures around the world have faeries, by one name or another, but seeming so unified. This book has a scholarly vibe to it, with the main character, Emily, being a socially awkward professor on a mission to catalogue all the faeries of the world. The story is told in the form of her journal entries. She finally lands in a remote island in the Arctic so removed from her people-avoidant experience that she is forced to get some help from the locals and open herself up to forming some bonds. She is soon joined by her friend/fiercest competitor presumably to poach her research, and uncovers some big things about him. She relies on her intellect and will to keep her safe as she ventures in to the midst of dangerous and casually cruel faeries, and is stridently competent in her work. She finds joy and beauty in the solitude and harshness of the forest and mountains. The climate doesn't seem quite as harsh as it should, but Emily's ineptitude chopping wood and therefore risking freezing to death rather than asking for help is such a real quandary. If the ending isn't exactly happily ever after, she leaves the island arguably better off than it was before she came, and having experienced some personal growth.

4.5 stars rounded up

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries is a compendium of Cambridge professor Emily Wilde and her studies of the folk. Or it will be once she writes it that is. All that’s left is for her to complete her entry on the “Hidden Ones” - a species of fae native to the arctic north and her life’s work will be complete.

Traveling to the remote village of Hrafnsvik, Emily sets out only to document her prize and uncover the secrets of the Hidden Ones who lurk in the shadowy forest surrounding the town. She has absolutely no wish to befriend the townsfolk, nor entertain her irritatingly charming colleague Wendell Bambleby, who she is sure has accompanied her just to annoy her.

As these two sparing academics work to finish her encyclopedia, an ominous presence threatens not only their research, but them and the villagers as well, and Emily and Wendell must work together if they wish to make it back home safely.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Del Rey / Random House for access to the eARC in exchange for a review.

This book has all the making of a classic fairytale. The chilling atmosphere and setting of a winter-bitten Scandinavia seen through the eyes of our protagonist Emily, coupled with an epistolary narration style, and the inklings of romance between different but equally compelling characters, made this an absolute treasure to read. I cannot recommend it enough, and it is one that I cannot wait to read again, especially on a chilly winter night. Kind of in the same vain of Howl’s Moving Castle, Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries is a whimsical tale, but one that is also dark and with an underlying sense of mystery, and rife with hidden identities that i'm sure many readers will adore.

Such an incredible little book! Heather Fawcett does a phenomenal job of building a unique world full of interesting creatures - really enjoyed this read!

This is such a charming book and so utterly unique!

I was initially drawn in because the title reminded me of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Not the movie. The actual small book which lists all the unique creatures found in the Wizarding World, with commentary from Harry and Ron. I loved that this book gave the same vibe and offered such a different approach to a fairy tale.

As a historian, I absolutely loved the academic approach to the study of faeries and Emily is such a good representation of a curmudgeonly Cambridge academic. The banter between her and Bambleby absolutely makes this book! They are both such believable characters and I loved watching Emily go from an uncaring, inquisitive professor to truly embracing Hrafnsvik and its people. This novel has such great character growth!

I also really liked that the story was told through Emily’s field research journal. You get insights into events after they’ve passed and get direct access to how she thinks through her questions and findings.

My only complaint is the book ended with some unresolved threads so I really hope there is a sequel! That aside, this book offers such a different take on faeries, has amazing characters and character arcs, is full of folktales and magic, and even has a dash of romance. I highly recommend picking it up!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I was a bit skeptical about this book based on the title, but <i>Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries</i> is a treat if you enjoy the recent trend of folklore-focused novels. Emily is a cantankerous adjunct professor who has been systematically traveling across Europe documenting faery populations for her yet-to-be-published encyclopaedia. She arrives in village of Hrafnsvik to study the mysterious Scandanavian faeries, but understanding village life and human connections proves to be more mysterious for Emily than anything else.

<i>Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries</i> has a similar vibe to T.J. Klune's <i>House by the Cerulean Sea</i>. Both feature protagonists who have cut themselves off from society and unexpectedly find a community. At some points the book gets a little dry with all of the faery stuff, but the secondary characters like Wendell help to balance it out a bit.

Thanks Del Rey and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

This was such a great read! I loved the wintry, spooky atmosphere and the fairytales sprinkled throughout. Emily is the perfect prickly heroine, and I really appreciated that she didn't have to make herself lovable to be loved. Wendell was such a great love interest, too! I think the depth the author used for the footnotes and folklore was amazing. The fairytales in this book are a little different than the ones we're used to hearing, but they still feel familiar.

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries is a highly enjoyable adventure story. We follow Emily's exploits through her journal , with only occasional lapses in timeline (often cleared up with another journal entry). I found Emily to be fairly endearing and a believable introverted academic. Emily's voice is matter-of-fact and her descriptions are detailed. She is all one wants in a serious scholar of faerie culture and magic. Her friend and colleague, Wendall Bambleby, provides entertainment as well as a foil for Emily's stodginess. While it comes as little surprise to the reader that Bambleby's interest in Emily is somewhat more than academic, for most of the book Emily seems immune to his charms. The ending leaves open the possibility for more adventures with this duo. If so, I look forward to reading them.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A perfect blend of Howl's Moving Castle and The Mummy.

This is the kind of book that brought me back to reading fairy stories as a kid, hunched under my blanket with a flashlight. It's a funny, cozy adventure book.

So would I recommend this book? A thousand times yes! Have you ever read a novel in which you envied the main character? Well, I WANT TO BE EMILY! I want to see and know fairies. I want to be as whiplash smart as she and wander the woods and spend my life searching for fairies. (I am always searching for the fae) and am glad I could experience them while reading this brilliant, entertaining, heartfelt little gem of a story. This is the first book I’ve read of Heather Fawcett’s and I’m embarrassed that I haven’t discovered her writing before this. I can’t wait for it to be In print and find a home on my bookshelf. Now I will go to bed and will these characters to appear in my dreams.