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Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

147 reviews

bree_h_reads's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted 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

5.0

This was so fun and delightful and casual. It was just such a pleasant read, the more relaxed tone emphasising that.

The plot was consistent and largely casual. Things were happening, but not wild displays of action. The characters would learn things, do things, advance the plot, but in more casual feeling ways. It suited the story’s feel very well.

The character also all felt very dynamic and real. Each one felt unique and different. This variety of character also leant to interesting relationships. I especially appreciated the variety of women in the book and how unique each one felt. Though my favourite character was Shadow, easily the best character and goodest boy. The interest of the characters and their dynamics also really leant to the book’s subtle romance. It snuck up on me and when it did, I was delighted.

I especially liked the world building and how fey lore was handled in the book. Everything drew me in and kept me fascinated. It was also delightful when I recognised some of the lore and I liked learning more. The faerie lore was just so interesting and I’m looking forward to read more of the series.

I only have a few more notes for what I enjoyed. Which are the amazing performance of the narrators, the framing device of the story being told in Emily’s journal, and the casual approach to queerness. Overall a great read, I definitely recommend it.

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alexasolis98's review against another edition

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adventurous informative lighthearted mysterious 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

3.25

Low stakes cozy fantasy. Emily Wilde is an endearing character that prioritizes her research above all.
Wendell Bambleby is an interesting faerie that is longing to go back home but is in love with Emily. My issue with Wendell is that he is just doesn't particularlycare about anything, and yes i know it's in his nature for the most part.

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paradicsomleves's review against another edition

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adventurous funny mysterious 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

4.5


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mantnam's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


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day23dreamer's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious tense 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


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kshertz's review against another edition

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mysterious 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? No

3.5

I feel like it had all the elements I love so I’m not sure what didn’t click! I was stoked to see neurodivergence and the romance for them. Maybe not enough romance for me, maybe too much information on fairies? I’m not sure but I wasn’t swept away by it. Often I was just reading and not really retaining all the stories being told. Perhaps it was the narration? Either way, I’m going to pass on continuing with the series. 

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dinipandareads's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny informative mysterious tense 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

5.0

My first re-read of 2024 couldn't have gone better because this was an absolute delight! I remember enjoying it well enough when I first read it last year but I also recall feeling slightly disappointed by the ending. Those same thoughts do not hold on re-read and I'm happy to say that I loved it so much more this time. It could be because I was listening to it on audiobook and annotated the heck out of it too which made me feel more immersed in the story.

Emily Wilde's isn't a fast-paced story and neither does it have a concrete plot beyond Emily researching the most elusive Hidden Ones to complete the final chapter in her encyclopaedia of faeries, which she has been working on for most of her adult life. It's very much a cosy slice-of-life fantasy that moves along at a steady, although not particularly rapid, pace. We're treated to Emily's POV through her journal entries and being who she is, it does read very academically and that might not be to everyone's taste but I thoroughly enjoyed it because of how well it captured her personality.

I found the world-building exquisite. This is a historical fantasy set in a world where faerie studies are a very real thing and the existence of fae across the world have been chronicled and catalogued and numerous studies have been pursued. It shouldn't surprise you to know that you will come away from this knowing a whole lot more about faeries than you ever did before—at least, that's what happened to me and I loved the whimsical, enchanting and utterly terrifying nature of these creatures. The way the faerie world is explored and dissected through Emily's journal entries is magnificent and although I have no idea what I will do with all this information, I'm delighted that it's been imparted! 😂 Aside from everything faerie, I also loved the way Fawcett's writing brought nature to life. The biting cold of the bitter winter on this tiny island near the Arctic Circle was almost like a character on its own and as much as my tropical ass loves the idea of winter, I don't reckon I'd survive this, lol.

As wonderful as the setting was though, the best part of this was Emily, Wendell and the villagers who I grew to love so much by the end of this book! Sometimes I wonder if we're meant to like Emily at all but in all honesty, I loved her and appreciate her character so much. She's brilliant, curmudgeonly, and incredibly passionate about anything and everything to do with the folk. But the minute it comes to interacting with people she clams up and doesn't know what to do or say. I can relate so much to that! She grew up as a "too smart" young woman with a family that didn't know what to do with her and she had to rely on herself to get anything done. If there's anyone who could teach a Masterclass on how to suppress emotions, Emily would be the one. What you see is what you get with her and I loved that she knew her shortcomings just as well as her strengths! Although she doesn't try to actively change herself throughout the story, as she realises that people are willing to accept her for who she is, it comes about naturally. I thoroughly enjoyed her academic mind and I especially loved it when Wendell came into the picture!

From Emily's pov, Wendell is her academic rival and begrudgingly on her part, her only friend. He's the sunshine to her grump and the exact opposite to her in every way. Where she's rigid about her research, he orders his minions around and kind of flops about everywhere. Where she's socially awkward to her core, he's the light and life of every party and conversation. He's an incorrigible flirt and charms his way through everything he does. I adored his character, especially the sharp, witty banter that he has with Emily! There were serious moments that I knew I probably shouldn't have been laughing but I couldn't help it because of how they spoke about and to each other. It was always respectful and honest but also incredibly endearing. And I loved that even as he needled her to tears, you could tell that he always did so with a great fondness for his dear dragon, Emily. 😍 I loved them so, so much!
That said, I do think that the love confession felt a bit sudden considering he was still hooking up with village women throughout the story. That honestly made me feel a bit uncomfortable but I guess, he's fae? And Emily didn't seem to mind, at least she never raised it as an issue.
His backstory was fascinating but I can't talk about it cos major spoilers but I can't wait to read more about him in the sequel. I hope that we get more of his POV too because I enjoyed them and in the audiobook, the narrator did a fantastic job of capturing his personality.

I think the only qualm that I have, although it hasn't affected my rating this time around, is how neatly the ending wrapped up. It happened very quickly and it felt too clean considering it has to do with such a powerful faerie. But as I said, it didn't take away from my overall enjoyment of the story. I'm so glad that I decided to re-read this before continuing with the second book because I feel so differently about it compared to last year! If you're also thinking about the audiobook for this, I would highly recommend it because the narrators did a fantastic job with all the character voices, especially Emily's and Wendell's! 

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vjlp22_reader's review against another edition

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adventurous slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25


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katrinarose's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

I’m sad about this one. I think if I had known it was more magical realism than fantasy vibes maybe I wouldn’t have picked it up. I don’t like the magic system which is never logical or consistent, and never even attempts to be. I get that that is kind of a hallmark trait of magical realism, but that’s why I prefer fantasy. In addition, the characters are mostly all dull, often unlikeable, and undergo almost no character development. The main character makes so many stupid decisions I wonder how she’s survived this long researching in the field. The romance was weird and unconvincing with no emotional chemistry. Also, the writing style is so flat and dry, which I understand is because of Emily’s academic, serious character, but it still made the reading experience worse (for me). The few action scenes were poorly described, almost being glossed over as if the readers wouldn’t want to hear all the details. I wish I got the hype but just not for me this time!

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wishbea's review against another edition

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dark mysterious slow-paced

3.5

I really enjoyed the atmosphere at the beginning, our main character Emily came across as neurodivergent-coded to me so I enjoyed reading her perspective and social struggles. The love interest grew on me, but I'm not convinced about him being a good fit for Emily romantically. 

The ending was a let down and by the last few chapters I was bored and just wanted the book to be over, I think the journal format didn't help with that.

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