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

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Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

83 reviews

thefatgingerone's review against another edition

I wanted to love the book but the scene of torturing a changeling child really disturbed me. So much of the language used is similar to language that used to be used about disabled children and it’s clearly a metaphor for disabled children but the actions towards the child are disgusting and disturbing. The fact that the protagonist is never called out or faces repercussions for her actions was so upsetting to me. Ruined what would have been a lovely story.

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teabrewer's review against another edition

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adventurous funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I cherished the characters and their interactions and felt connected to all of them. I appreciate Emily as character. Her social inadequacy, obsession on certain subjects, dedication to objectivity and fear of rejection all felt truly relatable to me. I loved how the book reminded me of real life field journals I've read before. From the language used in them, to the little details in the footnotes, to her opinions on controversial topics in the scientific community, it just felt real. I can see how the writing style may not be for everyone but it is certainly for me.

I loved how she didn't even consider that insisting on paying for things could the reason why the villagers hated her, because neither did I and I've seen other, more socially skilled people catch on it immediately.

I did think the romantic side of their relationship was a little neglected, it does make sense from the narrator's perspective but it made me a little less on board for that development when it happened. This is not a a negative necessarily since it felt extremely on character for Emily to treat the situation a she did, as it was for Wendell to treat it as he did.

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theliteraryteapot'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

4.75

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries was one of my most anticipated reads as of lately and I loved it! This exactly suits my literary taste especially in terms of fiction and fantasy. And as I've said previously, it has several ingredients I love: cosy fantasy, academic research, set in Scandinavia/Nordic countries (!!) and set in early 20th century.

I understand why some people dnf'ed or thought the book would put them in a reading slump because I thought so too between the 50p. and the 100p. marks. But after the 100p. mark, I flew through it. I was also scared of the romance subplot because romance doesn't interest me much these days but this one was quite light and at times I found myself smiling. Emily and Bamblebly's dynamic was funny.

I had never really read about faeries before (haven't dived into fantasy much these past years I guess) but I enjoyed a lot of the worldbuilding, the footnotes were really nice additions showing the work the author put into it. I loved Emily too, her strength, her character development, and all the characters I think. The writing being adjusted to an early 20th century setting was so well appreciated too!

(Also these beautiful covers!! I have the UK one and love it so much)

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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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susanatherly's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

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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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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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pandemonicbaby's review against another edition

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adventurous inspiring mysterious 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

Never underestimate the power of an autistic bitch with a special interest in faeries

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bexi's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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bzliz'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’m so utterly in love with this book that I’m considering starting it again immediately until I can go get the next one tomorrow. I hesitate to call this a cozy fantasy in spite of what other reviews say, mainly because I have never encountered a cozy fantasy that has real stakes endangering characters. Likewise, faeries have never been my number one fantasy fascination (I’ve always been drawn to witches), but I may seek out more in the future because this so thoroughly enchanted me. Often the romance overtakes other genres but this felt like the perfect dose for me.

Emily is such a rich character who is sometimes hampered by her neurodivergence but in a roundabout way it leads to a wonderful found family. Wendell is endlessly charming and I adore Poe and the villagers. Watching Emily grow to love them all and care for them in her own way (even if it wasn’t her first, second or third thought) made my heart grow three sizes.

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