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saucy_bookdragon's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
"You are not so terrible, Em. You merely need friends who are dragons like you."
Two autistic academics match each other's freak. Includes delightful banter, tense yearning, and fae that leaned into the weird magical elements.
Two autistic academics match each other's freak. Includes delightful banter, tense yearning, and fae that leaned into the weird magical elements.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping
Moderate: Blood and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Child abuse, and Death
eedle_cacleberry's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Death, and Violence
Minor: Child abuse, Blood, Murder, and Alcohol
vcarter7's review against another edition
dark
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
The main characters were not likeable through the majority of the book. They didn't really change by the end either. I struggled reading through the first third of the book, and more enjoyed the second and third however the ending felt rushed and incomplete. I enjoyed the descriptions of fairies and the side characters but the stakes were low and when they were high they were solved so quickly it didn't matter. An okay read but I'm not going to buy the sequel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Blood, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail
dustjacketdreamer's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Child abuse and Abandonment
pip10's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Cursing, and Kidnapping
Minor: Vomit
lizy's review against another edition
adventurous
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Torture, and Murder
btg's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Curmudgeonly, socially awkward academic must engage in Social Skills in order to convince a small town to talk to her about the faeries. She is aided on her quest by awesome animal sidekick and charismatic rival male academic, whom she coincidentally has a seething banter with.
The plot is quite engaging and really keeps you tied to the page for certain parts. It is a medium paced book, but that's to be expected with high concept urban fantasy -- overall I would consider the book to be exciting with an intriguing concept. If you are an academic who enjoys fantasy, wait no further and grab this book at your nearest opportunity -- dark fantasy academia was a genre I did not know I needed. Think of this book as an unholy blend of traditional fae lore meets Ali Hazelwood. Regarding the worldbuilding, I loved the focus on fae mythology and I find it to be impeccably done.
Emily is so fun as a character for me. As a fellow socially awkward academic, I identified strongly with her. Her arc was extremely heartwarming and I loved how her insatiable quest for knowledge was played with and explored.
Truthfully, my main problem with the book was Wendell. The character is well constructed with a coherent background, an intriguing concept (which would be a spoiler to mention), and interesting flaws. I also find him to be inconsistently likeable. As a woman in academia, his laziness (while supported by backstory) feels difficult to forgive. I like his banter with Emily and the protective turn his character takes, but felt that the relationship felt overly rushed and not well developed in the initial stages. I regularly wondered why Emily was so interested (and to be fair, she even wondered that herself). I may have enjoyed it better as a slower burn over several books.
Overall, Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia is an excellent story for fans of community centered stories, dark academia, or urban fantasy. Fans of heterosexual enemies-to-lovers may enjoy the love story as a bonus, but I would not pick up this book on the love story alone if you typically don't enjoy the genre.
The plot is quite engaging and really keeps you tied to the page for certain parts. It is a medium paced book, but that's to be expected with high concept urban fantasy -- overall I would consider the book to be exciting with an intriguing concept. If you are an academic who enjoys fantasy, wait no further and grab this book at your nearest opportunity -- dark fantasy academia was a genre I did not know I needed. Think of this book as an unholy blend of traditional fae lore meets Ali Hazelwood. Regarding the worldbuilding, I loved the focus on fae mythology and I find it to be impeccably done.
Emily is so fun as a character for me. As a fellow socially awkward academic, I identified strongly with her. Her arc was extremely heartwarming and I loved how her insatiable quest for knowledge was played with and explored.
Truthfully, my main problem with the book was Wendell. The character is well constructed with a coherent background, an intriguing concept (which would be a spoiler to mention), and interesting flaws. I also find him to be inconsistently likeable. As a woman in academia, his laziness (while supported by backstory) feels difficult to forgive. I like his banter with Emily and the protective turn his character takes, but felt that the relationship felt overly rushed and not well developed in the initial stages. I regularly wondered why Emily was so interested (and to be fair, she even wondered that herself). I may have enjoyed it better as a slower burn over several books.
Overall, Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia is an excellent story for fans of community centered stories, dark academia, or urban fantasy. Fans of heterosexual enemies-to-lovers may enjoy the love story as a bonus, but I would not pick up this book on the love story alone if you typically don't enjoy the genre.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Alcohol
ittybittybookshelf's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Death, and Violence
Minor: Child abuse
anenome's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
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.
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-
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
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
crocs's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
informative
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
spice : 1/5
humor : 3/5
emotional : 3/5
characters : 4/5
universe : 3/5
setting : 1.75/5
story : 4/5
humor : 3/5
emotional : 3/5
characters : 4/5
universe : 3/5
setting : 1.75/5
story : 4/5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, and Blood
Moderate: Infidelity, Slavery, Murder, and Alcohol
Minor: Cursing and Hate crime