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A review by lastblossom
Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
tl;dr
A bright professor paired with a roguish charmer lead this extremely satisfying tale. A fun adventure with a dash of romance, strongly recommended for fans of fantasy and fae.
About
Professor Emily Wilde is great at studies and terrible at people, but her current research trip to finish her Encyclopaedia of Faeries should be enough to elevate her as an expert in the competitive world of fae studies. Enter: Wendell Bambleby - colleague, rival professor, and Emily's exact opposite. Bambleby swears he's not in town to ruin her research, but he's clearly here to find something. But with ancient magic on the horizon, the two might have to work together just to make it out alive.
Thoughts
I don't often find myself at a loss for words, but here we are. Wow! The first thing I did after finishing this book was turn back to the beginning and start it again. Not only is this a good book, it's an exceptionally clever one. Presented in the form of an expedition journal with some fun footnotes and strong character voices that change based on who's writing, the story opens at a gentle walk and then takes off running after the first few chapters. Emily is an excellent heroine. Her frank discussions on the difficulties of being social really resonated with me, and I'm relieved that the story doesn't force her to try to learn to be social in order to fit in. I also appreciate that she's genuinely an expert in her field, and confident about it without being arrogant. The fact that she basically figured out Wendell's secret just from casual observation is excellent, and saves me the frustration of a heroine who can't seem to take an obvious hint. And speaking of Wendell, he's an excellent contrast to Emily - navigating social situations with ease, and treating her research with respect and understanding. Fans of roguish charmers and attractive troublemakers will love Wendell almost immediately. Their relationship is a personable one, and I felt like it progressed very naturally. Secrets and mysteries are tightly plotted, with a lot of answers available to clever readers before the reveals, but not in a frustrating "everyone else is stupid" sort of way. Fae rules and lore are well-researched, and should be very satisfying for fans of tales involving the fae. Overall, strong recommend for folks who like fantasy.
My collector's heart yearns for a special edition that includes illustrations and perhaps some of the notes mentioned with the text.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an advance copy! All thoughts in this review are my own.
A bright professor paired with a roguish charmer lead this extremely satisfying tale. A fun adventure with a dash of romance, strongly recommended for fans of fantasy and fae.
About
Professor Emily Wilde is great at studies and terrible at people, but her current research trip to finish her Encyclopaedia of Faeries should be enough to elevate her as an expert in the competitive world of fae studies. Enter: Wendell Bambleby - colleague, rival professor, and Emily's exact opposite. Bambleby swears he's not in town to ruin her research, but he's clearly here to find something. But with ancient magic on the horizon, the two might have to work together just to make it out alive.
Thoughts
I don't often find myself at a loss for words, but here we are. Wow! The first thing I did after finishing this book was turn back to the beginning and start it again. Not only is this a good book, it's an exceptionally clever one. Presented in the form of an expedition journal with some fun footnotes and strong character voices that change based on who's writing, the story opens at a gentle walk and then takes off running after the first few chapters. Emily is an excellent heroine. Her frank discussions on the difficulties of being social really resonated with me, and I'm relieved that the story doesn't force her to try to learn to be social in order to fit in. I also appreciate that she's genuinely an expert in her field, and confident about it without being arrogant. The fact that she basically figured out Wendell's secret just from casual observation is excellent, and saves me the frustration of a heroine who can't seem to take an obvious hint. And speaking of Wendell, he's an excellent contrast to Emily - navigating social situations with ease, and treating her research with respect and understanding. Fans of roguish charmers and attractive troublemakers will love Wendell almost immediately. Their relationship is a personable one, and I felt like it progressed very naturally. Secrets and mysteries are tightly plotted, with a lot of answers available to clever readers before the reveals, but not in a frustrating "everyone else is stupid" sort of way. Fae rules and lore are well-researched, and should be very satisfying for fans of tales involving the fae. Overall, strong recommend for folks who like fantasy.
My collector's heart yearns for a special edition that includes illustrations and perhaps some of the notes mentioned with the text.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an advance copy! All thoughts in this review are my own.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Blood