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

adventurous funny relaxing 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? No

5.0

Book Review: Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries is an adult historical fantasy novel about a Fae expert and Cambridge University professor who travels to the far north to research the Fair Folk in their icy habitat and finds herself right in the middle of a cautionary tale. 

The novel opens In 1910 when Dr. Emily Wilde travels alone with just her dog Shadow to a small remote (fictional) village in a country in Northern Europe. She is one of the world’s foremost experts of the Fae but not so great with actual humans and it doesn’t take long for her to alienate the village residents. Without the assistance of the locals Emily is struggling to get research done for her upcoming Encyclopaedia of Faeries or keep a fire going in her cottage when her dashing colleague Dr. Wendell Bambleby appears with two student assistants in tow to help. Emily and Wendell will plunge into the snowy forests hunting the Hidden Ones and come to the aid of local villagers who find themselves victims of their cruel tricks. 

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries is a refreshing and unique novel among the many fairy themed fantasy books that have been released over the last few years. Not only does it have an adult female main character who is educated and an expert in her field it also has a male counterpart that isn’t your typical hyper-masculine love interest. There also isn’t a lot of endless paragraphs dedicated to Emily’s beauty or her wardrobe. Heather Fawcett writes great dialogue and witty retorts which gave the entire novel a lightness despite some of the dark doings of the Fae. I enjoyed all of the characters and I hope this is just the beginning of a series starring Emily, Wendell and Shadow.

Overall, this is an enjoyable adult fantasy that despite describing some very dark deeds done by the Fae is an almost cozy addition to the genre. I look forward to reading more about Emily and her adventures studying the Fair Folk (especially if Wendell and Shadow are along for the ride). 

5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️