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raimeyreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Death, and Child abuse
Minor: Animal death, Gore, and Animal cruelty
beautifulpaxielreads's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
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
4.5
Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries (hence Emily) was pretty much a delight from start to finish.
Set in the early years of the twentieth century, it follows the titular Emily, one of the foremost scholars in the study of faeries, rivalled only by her colleague, the infuriatingly handsome and charming Wendell Bambleby, who for all of his charisma Emily finds just the slightest bit uncanny.
Emily has just arrived in the tiny village of Hrafnsvik on the island of Ljosland (a fictional place which from the descriptions of the landscape and character names seems to be based on Iceland) from her native England, where she intends to research the lives of the island's faerie-folk for the world-first faerie encyclopedia, which is very near to completion.
She is also not a people person, preferring to spend her time either buried in paperwork or trampling through the countryside, making a study of the beings that look set to be her life's work. The village folk of Hrafnsvik do not know what to make of her and her - to them - odd behaviour.
Emily thinks her trip to Hrafnsvik will be like all the other field trips she has made - uneventful and productive. But she is soon to be proved wrong in the most spectacular, infuriating and heartwarming of ways.
Is it obvious how much I enjoyed this? Freya Marske, the author of A Marvellous Light, describes Emily thus:
Set in the early years of the twentieth century, it follows the titular Emily, one of the foremost scholars in the study of faeries, rivalled only by her colleague, the infuriatingly handsome and charming Wendell Bambleby, who for all of his charisma Emily finds just the slightest bit uncanny.
Emily has just arrived in the tiny village of Hrafnsvik on the island of Ljosland (a fictional place which from the descriptions of the landscape and character names seems to be based on Iceland) from her native England, where she intends to research the lives of the island's faerie-folk for the world-first faerie encyclopedia, which is very near to completion.
She is also not a people person, preferring to spend her time either buried in paperwork or trampling through the countryside, making a study of the beings that look set to be her life's work. The village folk of Hrafnsvik do not know what to make of her and her - to them - odd behaviour.
Emily thinks her trip to Hrafnsvik will be like all the other field trips she has made - uneventful and productive. But she is soon to be proved wrong in the most spectacular, infuriating and heartwarming of ways.
Is it obvious how much I enjoyed this? Freya Marske, the author of A Marvellous Light, describes Emily thus:
...winter-sunshined, sharp-tongued and footnoted academia, full of field trips and grumpy romance.
I wholeheartedly agree with Marske that Emily is all of these things - and so much more. It's a grumpy romance between two opposite-minded but somehow compatible individuals (no, I won't tell you who, that would spoil), it's a well-thought-out fantasy of what faerie scholarship would look like if faeries actually existed and were studied, and most of all, it's the story of a young woman learning to accept love and friendship into her life. Although it's never stated explicitly in the book - it would be an anachronism given the time period in which the novel is set - I, like others, believe Emily's behaviour and characteristics to be neurodivergent, though specifics are unclear.
What is clear is that reading about Emily's adventures was a great deal of fun for me, and I can't wait to see what she and Bambleby get up to in the sequel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Ableism, Alcohol, Body horror, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, and Violence
Minor: War and Cursing
Some of the faerie folk act in ways that are cruel. Humans can be abducted/possessed/left as empty vessels, or a combination of the three.a_ab's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I really liked the storytelling in this book, and the great titular character. She was complex and her social issues felt relatable and realistic to me.
The folklore was fascinating, the academic realities — true and amusing, the village social dynamics — interesting and fun to observe.
However, the romantic storyline soured some of the book for me. <spoiler >The character of Wendell did not feel real to me — he was too different from others of his kind (for no apparent good reason), so it seemed like the author tried to make him more likable. But that didn't work either, because even with those adjustments, he is appalling, especially as a potential romantic interest for anybody, and even worse as a potential romantic partner for the heroine. And her consideration of him as such seemed as either enchantment or desperation, because she is aware and critical of most of his shortcomings. If the potential romance was not part of their dynamic, I would've appreciated the whole book a lot more. <spoiler/>
The folklore was fascinating, the academic realities — true and amusing, the village social dynamics — interesting and fun to observe.
However, the romantic storyline soured some of the book for me. <spoiler >The character of Wendell did not feel real to me — he was too different from others of his kind (for no apparent good reason), so it seemed like the author tried to make him more likable. But that didn't work either, because even with those adjustments, he is appalling, especially as a potential romantic interest for anybody, and even worse as a potential romantic partner for the heroine. And her consideration of him as such seemed as either enchantment or desperation, because she is aware and critical of most of his shortcomings. If the potential romance was not part of their dynamic, I would've appreciated the whole book a lot more. <spoiler/>
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Animal death, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Body horror, Blood, and Kidnapping
butterbrioche's review against another edition
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.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.
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.
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
krisalexcole's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping, Violence, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Murder, Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, and Self harm
maublew's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Murder, Violence, and Confinement
Minor: Death
bookishflower's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
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
4.0
If any of the following appeal, pick up this book:
- light academia
- Cottagecore
- Fae
- Cosy fantasy
- Atmospheric writing
- Fantasy Romance
- Grumpy x sunshine where she’s the grumpy one
Synopsis:
Taking a field trip to Hrafsvik to continue her study of faeries, Emily is determined to complete her encyclopaedia which could be groundbreaking in the academic study of dryadology.
But Emily’s strong suit is books and research, not people.
And as if her rocky start with the town’s people wasn’t bad enough, her persistently charming and aggravating handsome rival, Wendell Bambleby, decides to arrive.
Working together Emily and Wendell attempt to piece together the secrets of the Hidden Ones, while exploring their partnership and hearts.
This was beautifully written and a perfect winter read to curl up with. It was atmospheric, lyrical and full of whimsy.
I can see how this might not be for everyone as it has very flowery language and a Howl Pendragon type love interest, but I loved that as it felt accurate to Emily’s distinct voice and they complimented each other well.
(This will come as a surprise to no one who knows me, but I love Anne of Green Gables with my whole heart so know I don’t say this lightly, this has a strong Anne and Gilbert dynamic)!
The world building was intricate and reminded me a lot of Margaret Rogerson’s books and the A Natural History of Dragons series.
Emily is also autistic-coded which was really nice to see!
- light academia
- Cottagecore
- Fae
- Cosy fantasy
- Atmospheric writing
- Fantasy Romance
- Grumpy x sunshine where she’s the grumpy one
Synopsis:
Taking a field trip to Hrafsvik to continue her study of faeries, Emily is determined to complete her encyclopaedia which could be groundbreaking in the academic study of dryadology.
But Emily’s strong suit is books and research, not people.
And as if her rocky start with the town’s people wasn’t bad enough, her persistently charming and aggravating handsome rival, Wendell Bambleby, decides to arrive.
Working together Emily and Wendell attempt to piece together the secrets of the Hidden Ones, while exploring their partnership and hearts.
This was beautifully written and a perfect winter read to curl up with. It was atmospheric, lyrical and full of whimsy.
I can see how this might not be for everyone as it has very flowery language and a Howl Pendragon type love interest, but I loved that as it felt accurate to Emily’s distinct voice and they complimented each other well.
(This will come as a surprise to no one who knows me, but I love Anne of Green Gables with my whole heart so know I don’t say this lightly, this has a strong Anne and Gilbert dynamic)!
The world building was intricate and reminded me a lot of Margaret Rogerson’s books and the A Natural History of Dragons series.
Emily is also autistic-coded which was really nice to see!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Violence, Abandonment, Confinement, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Self harm, Murder, Death, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
katievallin's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Blood, Gore, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Kidnapping, and Child abuse
Moderate: Grief and Abandonment
Minor: Cursing and Sexual content
luckylulureads's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Self harm and Blood
Minor: Murder, Animal death, Kidnapping, Blood, and Death