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

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Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

70 reviews

anaraeofbooks's review against another edition

adventurous funny relaxing medium-paced

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

5.0

Absolutely charming and delightful. Well written and with great world-building that's easy to follow and not overly complex. The characters are authentic to themselves throughout the entire book, even as they change and grow in little ways. The style of how the book is written won't be for everyone, it's written like an academic journal of empirical evidence, and Emily herself has a very scientific approach in how she describes things. It's a not the typical fantasy-romance-adventure book and that's what set it apart for me. I breezed through this book and loved every second of it.

I enjoyed that this never felt like an over the top love story but it was a love story in a lot of other ways. Not just Emily and Wendell but a sort of ode to loving our passions and interests, the work that we do, even loving ourselves, our strengths and weaknesses. Its not super obvious but it’s in the way Emily is so consistently passionate and committed to her work (although she also shows what happens when that passion and commitment goes a little too far - living out her very own faerie cautionary tale first hand). How she has no trouble being honest about who she is, acknowledging her faults, but also her strengths. We could all be a little like Emily in that regard. It’s the best non-romance romance I’ve read in a while. I say non-romance romance because even though it’s fantasy fiction with romance elements, I don’t think romance elements does the depth of Wendell and Emily’s relationship justice nor who she is at the end of the book and her relationship with the townspeople like Aud and Lijla. Overall I recommend it if you're looking for something different in fantasy.

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trips's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

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

5.0

This book was everything I'm looking for in a book in 2023.

It had faeries that ranged from charming to terrifying, a stubborn MC with a sunshiney counterpart, and honestly just made me feel like I was being told a fun tale wrapped up in a blanket by the fireside. Also it was a bit epistolary, and I'm a sucker for any story like that!
More than anything, it just had faeries that follow common faerie folklore convention with its own spin, and I really just want more of that in the faerie stories I'm reading!

I loved Emily and Wendell, and I am really looking forward to reading the 2nd book in 2024.

It was just perfect for me! I don't know if it would be perfect for everyone, but it suited me great.

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kendal_reads's review against another edition

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adventurous funny slow-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

4.5

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craftysnailtail's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny hopeful mysterious relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

4.5

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dogoodwithbooks's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.5

During an expedition to Hrafnsvik, Ljosland, Cambridge professor Emily Wilde uncovers unknown secrets of the fae world she has spent her whole life studying as she tries to save Hrafnsvik from the Hidden Ones alongside her colleague and frenemy Wendell Bambleby.

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries is an interesting take on the fantasy genre: a low-stakes novel that's not quite so cozy and is a perfect blend of magical realism and Victorian elements. Written entirely from journal entries during Emily's time in Ljosland, the epistolary format works really well for this book as readers are transported in the intricate world-building behind Fawcett's fae world.

Additionally, Emily is such an interesting narrator for this book, and provides a unique POV throughout the book. While Fawcett doesn't say that she's autistic in the book, as an #ActuallyAutistic reviewer, one can notice that there are some of her attributes are similar to other autistic individuals. Regardless of whether Emily is autistic or not, Fawcett does a stellar job with detailing Emily's growth throughout the book as she learns to open herself up to others.

That being said, if you're looking for a low-stakes fantasy novel with fae, cozy aesthetic with dark undertones and a hint of romance, and/or a strong female protagonist (who may be autistic), you would probably enjoy reading Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries.

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natyourusual_'s review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This book was immaculate and I loved every second of reading it. I laughed, I tested up a little, and I felt much better during a hard time in my life while reading it. If you love strong character work and fantastical almost campy plots, you will like this book.

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