A review by katrinarose
Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

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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