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

A lovely soft fantasy that felt so comforting and the perfect read for a snow-filled winter.

It's stemmed in a world we're used to, but with the addition of fae and magic, so while there is world building and new myths to be learned, it still feels familiar. I loved the setting, the adventure, the characters, as well as the hint of romance we got to see.

Spoiler

I wasn't convinced about that romance at first, because Bambelby didn't arrive on the scene until well into the start of the story, and I wasn't certain that the romance was between him and Emily until well after that. But the more I learned about them and saw how they interacted with each other, the more I came to adore their relationship and how they contrast each other.

This book was enchanting and I eagerly await the next book in the series.

Content Warnings

bibliophilecats's review against another edition

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adventurous medium-paced

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

4.0

What I was looking for: I had my eye on Heather Fawcett’s books for quite some time because they all sound interesting and I heard nothing but praise for her middle grade books.

What I liked: I really enjoyed Emily’s character and approach to life. I can quite sympathise with her scientific approach to everything. Even though it seemed so from the premise, I was happy that the plot did not revolve around scholarly rivalry but that Emily and Wendell were on (kind of) good terms from the start. The fairy lore was fascinating but darker than the cover and blurb make it out to be (the depiction of the fairy folk reminded me a lot of The Call by Paedar O’Guilín).

What I did not like: Some descriptions did not work properly in the diary style, especially in Wendell’s chapters. To me, some passages did not sound like something a person would write down about themselves.
Sidenote: the footnotes did not work at all in the ebook. There was no chapter for them so if I had wanted to read them, I would constantly have had to first search for the footnote, then find my place in the main story again. I have seen other ebooks handle that better (some Terry Pratchett discworld novels for example).

Fazit: I highly enjoyed reading the book, despite a few shortcomings. But I would not at all classify this as a cozy, low stakes fantasy romance. There is quite some violence in the story (physical and psychological) and the romance is not all that important (in comparison to what you would expect from a romance novel).

Apparently, at least one more book will follow but you can also read it as a standalone.

Content Warnings

btwnprintedpgs's review against another edition

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adventurous inspiring 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? No

5.0

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