A review by chezler24
Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense slow-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? No

3.25

Premise-wise, this book piqued my interest. In this version of our world, magic and faeries are not just merely reserved for folklore or a time long gone. They are currently active and involved in the lives of the mortals where they reside and distinct physical remnants can be found showing their existence. (We even get glimpses of the Fay realms! Though I won't spoil too much.) Pushed by her drive to further her academic career in dryadology, Emily Wilde goes off on a field study to the remote village of Hrafnsvik to better understand Ljosland fae for her Encyclopaedia of Faeries that she is compiling. I really enjoyed the aspect of academia and faerie discovery further shown through the book being stylized as a daily log entry for her field study. I also really appreciated the diction used by the author and picked up a couple of new words, which is always exciting. With that being said, the book took a while to hook me in when I first started. The pacing was kind of slow and almost too dull. Things did perk up after Wendell crashed Emily's solo study experience since he was able to draw more of the townsfolk's personalities out, and we, as the reader, were able to get a more in-depth understanding of them, their pasts, and their folklore. I can take or leave some of the slow-burn romance aspects of this book, but I started to warm up to the idea towards the end of the book.  (Note: I was reading an advance uncorrected proof of this book, so I'm not sure what all changed between this and the final published version.)    
Expand filter menu Content Warnings