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A review by aforestofbooks
Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I have heard incredible things about this book, but had no plans to pick it up just yet. Except Libby, of course, told me my hold was expiring in 4-5 days, and my brain went "challenge accepted!"
Turns out, apparently the stress of my hold automatically being returned makes me read a lot quicker. That, and I was in postpartum my last set of shifts, so I wasn't as mentally and physically exhausted.
I'll admit, I was not the biggest fan of Emily at first. I did wonder if the author was writing a commentary about academics and the way they treat their work/research as priority over everything and everyone else. It did bother me a bit that both Emily and Wendell were not able to take care of themselves and had to rely on other people to keep the cottage warm, do their laundry, cook, etc. And their main motivation was their research, over the people who had invited them into their home. While Wendell, I could kind of understand considering the time period–he definitely gave off privileged white boy vibes–I also understand how my bias that women should at least know how to take care of themselves has a lot to do with the way I was raised. So in a way, it kind of made Wendell and Emily more equal if anything. I also think Emily might be autistic though I haven't really looked into whether that was done intentionally or not. It does explain a bit about the hyperfocus on her work that sometimes took precedence over everything else. That being said, Emily grows a lot in this book and I loved following her journey from being super focused on her book, to developing relationships with the people in Hrafnsvik, to doing her best to save their lives, all while still motivated by her work. I think as a character, she's very complex and real, and I think most people make decisions that are self-motivated, but just don't admit to it because it's seen as a "bad thing". When in reality decisions/choices aren't always black or white and can have multiple motivations behind them.
The world this book takes place in so rich and interesting to read. I loved all the tidbits we get about different Fair Folk and their customs. And I liked seeing Emily use her knowledge of these stories to get out of her messes. We learn all stories are intertwined with a bit of truth, and this book doesn't brush all Fair Folk as hot, sexy fae lol. They're dangerous and deadly, but also sometimes caring and helpful. Poe was honestly my favourite side character and I really hope we get to see more of him in the next book. (His bread made me crave freshly baked bread, which I do not have and I'm still sad about.)
Now for the dynamic between Emily and Wendell. Aqsa and Namra described their relationship as Sophie and Howl and I totally agree. Wendell and his dramatics were hilarious to read about, and their back-and-forth banter was absolutely precious. I couldn't put this book down because of them, and eventually grew to love them both. The reveal we do get approximately midway through the book made it even more fun and I'm still asfskfjdskfjks about so many things, but I don't want to spoil.
This book is just plain fun. Yeah, it's dark sometimes, and sad, but you have a grand time reading it, and the relationship between the two main characters really leads the story. The book itself was fast-paced. Something was always going on, and I kept wanting to pick it up to find out what would happen next. The villagers were so endearing and caring. And just overall this book felt like it could be a Studio Ghibli movie. The vibes were there. And I could see this being a great book to read during a winter storm.
4.25/5 stars.
Turns out, apparently the stress of my hold automatically being returned makes me read a lot quicker. That, and I was in postpartum my last set of shifts, so I wasn't as mentally and physically exhausted.
I'll admit, I was not the biggest fan of Emily at first. I did wonder if the author was writing a commentary about academics and the way they treat their work/research as priority over everything and everyone else. It did bother me a bit that both Emily and Wendell were not able to take care of themselves and had to rely on other people to keep the cottage warm, do their laundry, cook, etc. And their main motivation was their research, over the people who had invited them into their home. While Wendell, I could kind of understand considering the time period–he definitely gave off privileged white boy vibes–I also understand how my bias that women should at least know how to take care of themselves has a lot to do with the way I was raised. So in a way, it kind of made Wendell and Emily more equal if anything. I also think Emily might be autistic though I haven't really looked into whether that was done intentionally or not. It does explain a bit about the hyperfocus on her work that sometimes took precedence over everything else. That being said, Emily grows a lot in this book and I loved following her journey from being super focused on her book, to developing relationships with the people in Hrafnsvik, to doing her best to save their lives, all while still motivated by her work. I think as a character, she's very complex and real, and I think most people make decisions that are self-motivated, but just don't admit to it because it's seen as a "bad thing". When in reality decisions/choices aren't always black or white and can have multiple motivations behind them.
The world this book takes place in so rich and interesting to read. I loved all the tidbits we get about different Fair Folk and their customs. And I liked seeing Emily use her knowledge of these stories to get out of her messes. We learn all stories are intertwined with a bit of truth, and this book doesn't brush all Fair Folk as hot, sexy fae lol. They're dangerous and deadly, but also sometimes caring and helpful. Poe was honestly my favourite side character and I really hope we get to see more of him in the next book. (His bread made me crave freshly baked bread, which I do not have and I'm still sad about.)
Now for the dynamic between Emily and Wendell. Aqsa and Namra described their relationship as Sophie and Howl and I totally agree. Wendell and his dramatics were hilarious to read about, and their back-and-forth banter was absolutely precious. I couldn't put this book down because of them, and eventually grew to love them both. The reveal we do get approximately midway through the book made it even more fun and I'm still asfskfjdskfjks about so many things, but I don't want to spoil.
This book is just plain fun. Yeah, it's dark sometimes, and sad, but you have a grand time reading it, and the relationship between the two main characters really leads the story. The book itself was fast-paced. Something was always going on, and I kept wanting to pick it up to find out what would happen next. The villagers were so endearing and caring. And just overall this book felt like it could be a Studio Ghibli movie. The vibes were there. And I could see this being a great book to read during a winter storm.
4.25/5 stars.