Reviews with content warning for Confinement - Emily Wildes Enzyklopädie der Feen

I loved and hated this book.

The amazing parts were about the faeries and their realms. Inventive transporting stories that gripped me.
I adore the pet-like Poe and would devour a whole series told from his point of view.
The enveloping wintery atmosphere was beautiful.

The parts I hated concerned the humans -like some male authors can't write women, I think Heather Fawcett can't write humans, the people in this tale were drawn so broadly.

One event in this book confused me-

when Emily tortured a child faerie (who was abandoned by their parents in a strange world) for giving people bad visions. She STABBED him and then writes in her journal about how much he's screaming in pain like it's great? Portrayed as deserved, but it really wasn't, it was a horrible scene. Emily is an evil character now but we're supposed to root for her? follow her romance?😮‍💨 From here I was reading on hoping a faerie ate Emily's head

I do not understand at all how this book is considered 'cosy'; it's full of violent acts, vitriolic hatred, beheadings 🤔 -that's fine but it's not cosy🤷🏻‍♀️

I wish this book had been just an actual encyclopedia, it would have been pure magic.

Content Warnings

flyinglark's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes

3.25

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries is a solid read, combining faerie lore and academia. Emily is a relatable character, and she eventually warms up to the people of Hrafnsvik. She often risked her life for her research, which put me on edge. I appreciate the banter between Emily and Wendell and their grumpy/sunshine friendship.

I loved the whimsy of the book, and I wish I listened to this book in the winter with a hot chocolate instead of a hot summer day.

(Spoiler for the ending)

The last arc was kind of weak. I understand it is a culmination of the effect Emily and Wendell had on helping the folks in Hrafnsvik, but the vibes were different? The speed running of romance between them was kind of out of the blue too? I’m not that eager to pick up the second book in the series.

POV: 1st Person (Journal, with an addendum from the second character)

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autumn33344's review against another edition

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adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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fkshg8465's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

I find myself very surprised for liking this book as much as I did. Usually, fairy stories are too violent for my liking, but this one, though it did have violence in it, was more charming than anything, and that had everything to do with our maybe neurodivergent lead protagonist. She was adorable, full of heart and courage, smart, outspoken, determined, and ethical. Also loved her dog Shadow.

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alanahcw's review against another edition

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adventurous tense

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angorarabbit'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? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The tale of The Woodcutter and His Cat (34% of the way in) describes the murder of an animal and can be skipped. Female leaders and same sex relationships are normal and healthy.

Context: This was the fourth out of five books I wanted to read on the Kindle Series Pioneer achievement and one of two that I may continue the series with. I was quite concerned when the first character introduced was Shadow, checking the StoryGraph content warnings and Does the Dog Die give me the reassurance I needed to carry on.

The book is mainly the journal of the main character Emily with occasional tales and a few entries by Wendell. Emily is for the most part an engaging writer and keeps the story at a decent if not blazing pace. Emily herself is charming and Wendell is enchanting, it will be interesting to see how the two get on once they are back on home ground.

I read a few reviews commenting on how Wendell purposefully laughs at an autistic coded Emily that I would like to talk about. While Emily does see herself as socially inept, I’m not sure that counts as autistic or if she is just an introverted academic. In any case, I saw Wendell as not laughing at Emily but being remarkably understanding of her. If anything one could argue Emily is the cruel one, considering Wendell’s background.

I was afraid that this was going to be a enemies to friends romance, but instead it was a heartwarming story of people helping each other through some tough times. I also appreciated how the lead male character asked for help from mainly women and people whom, considering his background, may have seemed to him to be not worth asking.

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