Reviews with content warning for Kidnapping - Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries

If this is your first time reading a book about fairies, you'll probably like it but there are definitely better books out there. That's not to say this book is bad, however.

Pros

The setting was really unexpected, but I really enjoyed it as someone who has spent several holidays in Norway. The author really captured the vibe of a small, insulated Scandinavian town that is distrusting to outsiders.
On a related note, I really liked Lilja and Margaret. They were a very sweet couple and I'm glad they survived
Spoiler
being taken by fairies</spoilers>. Aud really grew on me as well.
This is definitely a "your mileage may vary" thing, but I liked the use of footnotes to discuss existing academic texts, their authors and their lives.

Cons

The pacing is a bit all over the place. I felt like it was a very slow start to actually get to the plot it wanted to tell, and then went at haphazard paces when it got there.
The romance felt really half-baked. Emily felt like she went from hating Wendell's guts to entertaining the idea she liked him very suddenly. This isn't to say I don't like slow burn romances, but I think Emily and Wendell lack the chemistry to pull it off. I'm sure this will get fixed in the next book but I'm not particularly itching to read it.
I don't really understand what possessed Emily to
Spoiler
chop down the magic tree and free the king. Especially when all signs pointed it to being a very bad idea and she just went "how about I do it anyway?". I think if Emily and Wendell argued over the merits of doing so, with Emily speculating that maybe freeing the king would stop the children from being spoiled, it would have made more sense.

Amusing tangents

As someone with a queer identity, I always find it unintentionally funny when authors use the word "queer" to mean "strange" when describing abstract or inanimate objects. This book is no exception. Get ready for lots of unexpected queer things!
I'm definitely inclined to think Emily is autistic - intentionally or not.

Content Warnings

littleflowerfairy's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I'm going to be honest; in my personal opinion, most popular fae fantasy books don't depict fae accurately. They're hardly ever like how they're depicted in folklore. People tend to just use the term 'fae' to as either a catch-all for any type of mythical creature, or the term for only a very specific, beautiful, human-like species. This may not bother most people, and there's nothing inherently wrong with it, but as a fae enthusiast frequently doing research for my own fae book, it really bothers me when 'fae' is used very loosely.

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries does none of that. Heather Fawcett weaves a beautiful story that combines the typical mystery and mischief of fae, with her own twists and addition that make sense and really feel like something you'd read about in an old book about faerie lore! The way she describes the fae and how they interact with our world is incredible and makes for such beautiful imagery! Though I read this in the height of summer, I almost felt like I could step right into the wintery landscape.

Honestly it took me a bit to get really into the book, the first half felt a little slow, but by the second half I was thoroughly hooked!! I loved the characters, the atmosphere, and the feeling like I was reading through an old journal nearly lost to time. It was seriously such a cozy read to curl up with at the end of the day! I can't wait for the 2nd book!!

Content Warnings

catherinedsharp's review

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hopeful fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Started off slow but got better as it went on. Some aspects of the plot seem a little underdeveloped but overall a cosy and fun read with lots of adventure

Content Warnings