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

I had tried to read faerie genre books before and I could not sink my foot into it completely. This book has by far been my favorite.

Emily Wilde is a woman (30 years old) who struggles with the theatrics of academia and being taken seriously as a researcher. As a person not in academia, but has great appreciation for research, this was an interesting read. There were words here and there that went over my head at first, but overall the theme was a good read.

Wendell is a character and I enjoyed his presence. The

marriage proposal

scene was quite hilarious and it seemed quite on brand for Emily to wind up in another situation like that.

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letheaster's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted 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 enjoyed this book immensely. Emily and Wendell had an excellent dynamic with each other, the writing was well executed, and overall the story was just a lot of fun.
Emily was very clearly autism-coded, and I just really appreciated that aspect of her character as well.
Overall, I just truly enjoyed this story and it may be one if not the favorite of the books I've read in the past few years. I very rarely talk about the books I am reading to my family, however with this one I could barely restrain myself. This book appealed to me greatly.

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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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