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abbyschalupa 's review for:
Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries
by Heather Fawcett
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I can see how this worked for a lot of people. It just didn’t quite work for me. It was still enjoyable but had me wondering if cozy fantasy just isn’t my jam?
The plot is very slow. There’s low stakes, low pressure, and it moves incredibly slow. It’s written in the style of journal entries, so you always know the protagonist, Emily, will end up just fine since she has to go back and write her entries of previous adventures. I did enjoy the Faerie interactions. Poe is my favorite. I didn’t love the love interest, Wendell. It was a bit off putting that while he claims to have been pining for Emily, he’s still busy sleeping with numerous women. While it doesn’t bother Emily I’m just not a fan.
I did enjoy reading about our grumpy scholar protagonist, who’s very neurodivergent. The dynamic of grumpy and sunshine with her love interest was funny. Plenty of cute moments. Many will love it and Wendell. Just not me
While this is categorized as a cozy fantasy, there were certainly moments of violence that were not cozy. They do feel a bit out of place. It’s also odd how there were 2 axe injuries and all the characters needed were bandaids and cleaning cloths.
My last issue was that throughout the book, we’re told how clever and cautious Emily is. She thinks critically before making any rash decisions. Okay, so then why is she jumping to make some honestly dumb choices towards the end of the book? It felt very out of character. Not only are we told how clever and cautious she is, but she does demonstrate that for the first half of the book. I can see why it happened to further the plot, but girl what even was that?
By the end I was really annoyed with Emily and couldn’t wait to get the book over with. I just wanted to finish it and move on. I didn’t care much for Emily or Wendell by the end. About halfway through they had some charm, but it was lost on me.
All in all, it’s a cute time. I can see why so many people love this book. It was enjoyable although slow, even with my complaints. I wouldn’t read it again. It was a nice palette cleanser. But I didn’t love it either. So I guess I’m a bit indifferent?
The plot is very slow. There’s low stakes, low pressure, and it moves incredibly slow. It’s written in the style of journal entries, so you always know the protagonist, Emily, will end up just fine since she has to go back and write her entries of previous adventures. I did enjoy the Faerie interactions. Poe is my favorite. I didn’t love the love interest, Wendell. It was a bit off putting that while he claims to have been pining for Emily, he’s still busy sleeping with numerous women. While it doesn’t bother Emily I’m just not a fan.
I did enjoy reading about our grumpy scholar protagonist, who’s very neurodivergent. The dynamic of grumpy and sunshine with her love interest was funny. Plenty of cute moments. Many will love it and Wendell. Just not me
While this is categorized as a cozy fantasy, there were certainly moments of violence that were not cozy. They do feel a bit out of place. It’s also odd how there were 2 axe injuries and all the characters needed were bandaids and cleaning cloths.
My last issue was that throughout the book, we’re told how clever and cautious Emily is. She thinks critically before making any rash decisions. Okay, so then why is she jumping to make some honestly dumb choices towards the end of the book? It felt very out of character. Not only are we told how clever and cautious she is, but she does demonstrate that for the first half of the book. I can see why it happened to further the plot, but girl what even was that?
By the end I was really annoyed with Emily and couldn’t wait to get the book over with. I just wanted to finish it and move on. I didn’t care much for Emily or Wendell by the end. About halfway through they had some charm, but it was lost on me.
All in all, it’s a cute time. I can see why so many people love this book. It was enjoyable although slow, even with my complaints. I wouldn’t read it again. It was a nice palette cleanser. But I didn’t love it either. So I guess I’m a bit indifferent?
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail