littleflowerfairy's review against another edition
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!!
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
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Confinement, Murder, Violence, Blood, Animal death, and Death
Moderate: Self harm, Child abuse, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Vomit and Cursing
butterbrioche's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
tense
slow-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
I genuinely loved this book so much. It oscillated between feeling like something cozy and a warm hug to being unnerving at some points. I may understand that people may not like the formatting of the book because chapters are journals of the FMC but it’s totally worth it. I think this style was so interesting and fresh. I grew to love the characters so much. In many ways, Wendell reminds me of Howl Pendragon and I’m wondering if that’s intention. I will say that regardless, I’m so smitten with both Wendell and his Dear Emily the Dragon.
I thought this was a great fantasy. I found the writing to be so lush and personally, I found the journal style writing to be immersive and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I definitely will be revisiting this in the future. I cannot wait for the second one!
I thought this was a great fantasy. I found the writing to be so lush and personally, I found the journal style writing to be immersive and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I definitely will be revisiting this in the future. I cannot wait for the second one!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Vomit
chrisljm's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
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. This book was enchanting and I eagerly await the next book in the series.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Animal death, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Blood, Animal cruelty, Murder, Death, Child abuse, Self harm, and Torture
Minor: Vomit, Alcohol, and Suicidal thoughts
wondereads13's review
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-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
4.5
What a fun book! It's rare that the word "fun" be used to describe a book about proper folklore faeries, but I feel this fits the bill. It was a great balance between the malicious and benevolent sides of faeries, and everything that happened in the main plot just felt like what would happen in a story with them. Emily and Wendell are in the running for one of my favorite couples; they might not have the intense chemistry associated with romance today, but their dry, begrudging care for each other is just what I love. I definitely recommend this book; it's perfect for anyone who likes faerie lore, pseudo-academic fantasy, or Howl's Moving Castle. (Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm and Confinement
Moderate: Vomit
More...