Emily Wilde is a Cambridge professor, she goes to a small village to study fairy folklore for her book she is working on. She wants nothing to do with the people who live in the village, she works better alone and in the company of her faithful dog Shadow than she does. But when Wendell Bambleby, her academic rival, looks all handsome and ready to make the villagers swoon, she decides to avoid him. However, is her charm starting to infect her or has she somehow been enchanted by the fairy people?

What can I say… I loved the atmosphere of this story, the wacky world and the writing so smooth and never too heavy, or forced. Emily is a wonderful character and with her being stubborn and awkward, she turns out to be perfectly designed for this story. I also loved her little jokes, or at least her interactions, with Wendell that allowed me not to tire and not give up on this reading. It goes without saying that it starts very slowly, with Emily getting to know the people of the village and slowly stumbling upon bigger and bigger adventures, only then becoming the most compelling tale. Unfortunately, however, I am not convinced of the ending as it all seemed a bit rushed as we got closer and closer to the last page. So that's why I gave 4.5 stars, mostly because I'm looking forward to the sequel.

Thank you Netgalley for this arc

Amazon synopsis- Emily Wilde is good at many things: she is the foremost expert on the study of faeries; she is a genius scholar and a meticulous researcher who is writing the world's first encylopaedia of faerie lore. But Emily Wilde is not good at people

So when she arrives in the hardscrabble village of Hrafnsvik, Emily has no intention of befriending the gruff townsfolk. Nor does she care to spend time with another new arrival: her dashing and insufferably handsome academic rival Wendell Bambleby

But as Emily gets closer to uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Ones - the most elusive of all faeries - she also finds herself on the trail of another mystery: who is Wendell Bambleby, and what does he really want? To find the answer, she'll have to unlock the greatest mystery of all - her own heart.

My review

I was a bit hesitant to read this book as I had heard it was written in a journal type way but it suited the boom so much and I really enjoyed it and could put the book down.

Emily is awkward reserved and really bad and social interaction but she is also brave and fearless which makes you fall for her by the end of the book, the story is a brilliant tale on the fae and I wish we saw a little more of their terrifying world.

My only critique is that I didn’t want it to end and I wanted to what happens next in Emily’s life, I have a feeling the adventure hasn’t ended for her but I think this is a stand alone which makes me so sad. 5 stars for me 🤩

First of all, I have to admit to losing myself so completing in Heather Fawcett’s writing that I read the whole book in one sitting. Much like the enchantments of the Fae I lost all sense of time!

There was just something so utterly enchanting about Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Fairies. From the most beautiful and vivid imagery of rural Ljosland, to the the descriptions of the Fae themselves. While definitely an adult read, with it’s occasional grotesque descriptions and elements, this book had such a whimsical feel to it. It felt like the perfect cosy fantasy read and yet I was still sat on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen next!

Emily was a surprisingly lovable and endearing character, she was an academic through and through with such an inquisitive nature. Her interactions with the charming Wendell added the perfect amount of humour and reading how she learned to care for the towns folk, and they her, how she no longer felt alone, was absolutely beautiful!

I loved the style of writing, written as journal entries, it was such a unique style that I felt really helped bring the characters to life with such a flair. Especially Wendell’s takeover, he added such a charming element to the story. The charismatic opposite to Emily’s more socially awkward, the one who hates to work overly hard compared to Emily’s independent nature. It was lovely to get an insight into his mind as he wrote to Emily in entries.

I love love LOVED the stories of the Fae, how Emily would work to find the grain of truth amongst the exaggerations and how they would apply to her interactions with the Fae. It was so cleverly done! The Fae portrayed in this story were fascinating, how they live by such completely different rules to the mortals and the stories definitely helped showcase this.

Overall I loved it. It will remain a favourite read, and I truly look forward to reading more from Heather Fawcett!

As per the emailed guidelines I will share my review two weeks before publication date (on the 5th Jan) on the links provided

I have to admit that I went into this book completely unsure what to expect from it. I couldn't find a full synopsis or setting explanation so I just ran the story as it discussed fae as real things and a vague time line setting. Having been unsure and confused at the beginning I came to the end having mostly enjoyed the round about journey and story.

My one complaint is the main character, Emily. I found her more irritating than awkward, more boring than mousey and more weak than waif-ish. Wendall the male lead was irksome, but passable. However, the background characters and the fae characters were very enjoyable and kept the story going. Plus the adorable oaf that is Shadow had my heart from the start.

The story is more two tales in one and the latter one in fairy could have been its own book. A fleshed out full formed story that would have been enjoyable as a book 2 rather than crammed in as an after thought. The ending did feel rather blink and it's over.

The writing is a mix of a journal, diary and field guide. It's an interesting writing style that suits the story well and certainly leant itself to the timeline.

All in all I enjoyed the book and would certainly study Dryadology should it ever become a course.

Grab this book for a weekend read to snowier shores on a journey into the fairy realm.

Oh wow, I have not felt this conflicted about a book in a long while. I will say that if the things I didn't like don't bother you, this book is fantastic.

Lets start with the things I really liked.
The writing is pretty, easy to follow and engaging. It makes reading this book a delight. The overall plot is also really interesting and flows at an appropriate speed. My favourite part of this book is the Lore though. It's based on actual Fairie lore instead of the annoying Fae books we've seen so much of lately. THese creatures are mysterious but rule driven, fantastical and extremely scary. Absolutely wonderful.

Now, the reason I'm only giving this book 3 and a half stars is mainly the Loveinterest. He is incredibly annoying, I hate him. He's arrogant and lazy, rude to his 'lessers', gives Emily nicknames without her consent, alters her clothing to be more formfitting without her consent and, and I can't believe we're supposed to root for him after this...he annotated her manuscript. Herhand-written manuscript of her book that she spent a big part of her life working on. He scribbled in it, switched stuff around, CROSSED STUFF OUT!!! No. Just no. That is so disrespectful. Plus a few other things.
Another thing that bugged me was that he constantly tells Emily how coldhearted and inconsiderate she is. She also seemes to belive that about herself. But she just isn't? Sure she is a little socially awkward but nowhere close to as cold as the book wants us to believe she is. Or at least it doesn't show us that. It was just weird.

So as I said, if these things don't really bother you this is an amazing read but for me these 'flaws' just made the reading experience a lot less fun.


Reviews on other sites will follow closer to the release date.

Thank you Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group for the opportunity to read this magical book.

I really liked reading this book, it was like nothing I've ever read before. The diary format was so innovative and I especially loved the footnotes throughout the chapters and when we had chapters written by other characters.
I loved that the we got to grow up with the characters and how at the end of the book we got to see how much the characters got developed. I really related to Emily, our main character, and probably that's why I enjoyed reading about her adventures so much. The only thing I think it was missing was the romance part, I was hoping for there to be way a little bit more romance from all the blurbs I've read.
Overall, I really liked the style it was written and I really hope for the author to continue this series or write more books in this format.

Unlike anything I have ever read before. So whimsical and cozy and you just love all the characters. I just really enjoyed it and looked forward to reading it every day. Very nearly never read it after the first couple of chapters as I was a bit confused but just had to read on a tiny bit more and everything came together. I really hope Heather does more books like this or a sequel to it as I adored it!

First of all I would like to thank the publisher for sending me the ARC copy of this book.

I must admit I was really curious about it, I love legends and stories about the Folk, fae and fairies of all sorts.
This book is a sort of diary of the pretty famous scholar Emily Wilde, who is writing an encyclopaedia about folk creatures.
Emily is the best researcher about fairies but she is not good with people and when she arrives in the cold village Hrafnsvik where everyone is too much friendly she gets anxious.
While she is trying to unravel the mystery of the Hidden Ones she finds herself in another “problem”, Wendell Bambleby is coming to the village. He is a sort of enemy/friend of her, even though she has some doubt on his nature.

This novel is perfect to be read during a cold day of winter with a hot chocolate mug. The author brings us in a fairy and magical world through Emily’s eyes. The characters are well structured and the style of writing is both sweet and witty.

I suggest this book to readers who likes myths and legends of the Folk and also to whom likes a strong and witty female character.

Emily Wilde is a Cambridge professor, she travels to small Scandinavian village to study the faerie folklore for her book she is working on. She wants nothing to do with the people who live in the village, she works better by herself with her loyal dog Shadow. But when Wendell Bambleby her academic ravel shows up all handsome and ready to swoon the people of the village, she determined to avoid him. However, is his charm starting to rub off on her or has she been charmed somehow by the Faerie folk?? She finds herself starting to care and the need to help the people of this small village.

Without talking too much about the plot, I loved this book! Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries is a perfect book for the winter period, a book to read under a warm and soft blanket while it's snowing outside!

The first 20% of the book is quite slow and I struggled a bit to get to the heart of the story, but after the first part, and with the arrival of Wendell, the story becomes more and more exciting. The vibes of the book are very cozy and fairytale but at the same time in some chapters there is a lot of tension and the atmospheres are tinged with dark and terror!

The worldbuliding is really well structured, I loved the fact that the book was set in 1900 and the world of the Fae created by the author is extremely rich and vivid! Even the settings of the "human" world are beautiful: small villages, breathtaking landscapes, snowy forests, glacial lakes and much more! Even the writing is really smooth and the book is a sort of diary kept by the protagonist, I really liked this choice!

Anyways, the romance is also very cute ... I would have preferred a few more scenes but even so it was enjoyable and very sweet!

In a nutshell: Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries is a truly unique book! Perfect if you love fairies, magical creatures, cozy and winter settings!

Thanks to Netgalley, OrbitBooks and Heather Fawcett for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review! Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries is out everywhere on January 19, 2023! Run to pre-order it!

P.s. some fairies have told me that in December there will also be a "fairy" edition of this stunning book! I can’t wait!

4.5 Stars - review will be published on release day on goodreads & tiktok

This is such a unique and charming story! Told through diary entries from the titular Emily Wilde (and occasionally her academic rival/close friend Wendall), we follow Emily's adventure to the far-flung northern village of Hrafnsvik on a scientific expedition to complete her studies on fae.

I absolutely adored this book. The characters are so loveable and I loved Emily's characterisation as a scientifically minded, socially inept introvert as a protagonist - it's refreshing to see this without it being put forward as something that she needs to change about herself in her character arc. (Loved Wendall also - don't see how it's possible not to love Wendall.) The plot and pacing were also well balanced, I was engaged the whole way through the story and could barely put the book down in the last half.

As a historical fantasy lover (and a lover of whimsical books) this was perfect for me. It's cosy in parts but also has moments of tension - the faeries in this world are pretty scary (as they should be). The worldbuilding was fleshed out thoroughly and I loved the academic twist to it all. There's a light dash of romance which I can't wait to see develop in later books.

It wasn't quite five stars as the ending was a bit easy for me - it all seemed to be over a bit too neatly and without much difficulty.

Thank you Netgalley and Orbit for this e-arc received in exchange for an honest review.

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries was an enjoyable read, although it turned out not quite as enjoyable as I had anticipated after the first half. I’ll get to that in a moment but, on the whole, this was fun and one I would recommend.

The story is written as a field journal by an academic who travels to discover and examine species of faery. So far so interesting. Believing herself to be the sole academic on her current trip, she’s surprised when her not-quite-friend, not-quite-rival shows up too. Then, what seems to be a routine field study turns into something a bit more dangerous.

There are two aspects to this book, really. The romance and the plot outside of it. It felt that these two parts of it weren’t quite as integrated as they could have been. The first half of the book focuses more on the romance and developing the potential for that and, while the second half doesn’t quite set that aside, it does put its focus more on the plot that impacts the world.

It’s that second half where I felt myself steadily lowering my rating, I have to admit. It’s not that it outright didn’t fit with the rest of the book, and I realise that my expectations of where the book would go played a big role in how I felt about it, but I was somewhat ambivalent about it. I had mixed feelings and I don’t know how better to put it. I couldn’t even tell you exactly what those feelings were.

However, I did overall like this book. The characters were fun and the writing was good. If there’s any point where it came unstuck for me, it was only that second half. Perhaps that’s simply a blurb and/or marketing thing, setting up expectations which weren’t quite accurate. But either way, this is still a book I would recommend.

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries was not at all what I had expected. From the title and synopsis, I'd assumed it would be a faerie romance reminiscent of Sarah J Maas but is in fact a warm, atmospheric tale about researchers who are studying the fae. The prose were very beautiful and I really liked how the story was told through journal style entries. Emily was a refreshing character and I loved her passion for her work. There was romance in this book, although it didn't feel very important to the overall plot. I loved the folklore feel to the story and it really cemented my love for this book.

I got a free copy from Netgalley all opinions are my own.

I'm not going to lie, I was not at all interested in this book when I read the description. But the good reviews, made me want to read the book. Note that by saying good reviews, I just mean seeing that some people gave it 4-5 stars. I did not actually read the reviews, since I wanted to start the book on a clean slate.

I had a little hard time getting into the book at first. It was a little confusing and boring. But I really wanted to give this book a chance. I finally started to get interested around 15% into the book.
The chapters are fairly "short".
Some of the words and names confused me, I had a hard time with how I had to pronounce them in my head, but it didn't stop me from enjoying the book.

I went into the book with zero expectations, and I was really pleased.
I liked the characters and how they interacted with each other. I especially enjoyed the banter, and I really liked Wendell.

I think this book is a solid 4. I will look forward to more books in this series.

i enjoyed reading this i like books and that centre around books and magical elements i liked the relationship between the two leads how they are friends but still slightly annoyed by each other i would say its a light fantasy there is danger but it doesnt feel too intense or grim and i liked the authors version of the faery folk towards the end it seems to start another plot involving emily that part was fun to read but it felt like a change away from the format of the rest like it was additional story in this universe rather than a continuation

Right from the first page I fell in love with this book. The writing style and the characters were so charming and the atmosphere was so captivating and magical I didn’t want to put it down.

I really enjoyed the concept that the existence of faeries is common knowledge but yet not much is known about them which allows researcher like Emily and Wendell to get funding to study the fae. The plot of the story was very clever and intriguing. I loved watching the plot unfold and the characters interact together.

Emily as a main character at first seems like an unlikable person but I think that’s one of the reasons that I really liked her. She is very forthcoming with her opinions and is unashamed of who she is and I enjoyed watching her character develop during the book.

The only thing about this book that I didn’t like was the romance. I really enjoyed Emily and Wendall as friends but I didn’t feel a romantic connection between them. I think seeing them bond as friends throughout the book would’ve felt more natural for me.

Overall, I really fell in love with this book and the world and really hope the series is continued.

Thanks to Little Brown Book Group for access to the eARC.

I really wanted to enjoy Emily Wildes Encyclopedia of Faeries, but it just didn't live up to expectations. Some of the book was nice and I enjoyed, but for the most part it didn't live up to my expectations

I enjoyed parts of the journal entry style of writing and how the fae are located following local lore, It was refreshing to have a fairy story that was more of an old style of fairies with old folk lore stories, chance encounters and changelings.

I gave this three stars because I just couldn't connect to the characters and story the way I wanted to, there wasn't enough back story on how Emily started her research, it felt more like a draft and not a fully formed book.

Emily Wilde and her trusty dog Shadow arrive in Ljosland, a Norwegian Island, to study and write a comprehensive encyclopaedia of the Hidden ones and other species of Folk. Then her colleague, Wendell Bambleby turns up uninvited and it all goes off!!!!

I fell in love with this story!
I fell in love with the villagers of Ljosland,
I fell in love with Poe,
I fell in love with the folklore,
I fell in love with the Folk, all of them!
I fell in love with Emily, she was so relatable!

And of course I fell in love with Wendell (there's not many a leading man I don't love!!!) Their banter was so good! It made my chuckle! I was
rooting for them, just one of them to make a move. It was agony!!!!

But the person who stole the show for me with her brief appearances and cutting wit was Thora, the grandma to everyone, she was so funny!!

'He’s prettier when he’s asleep, eh? You don’t notice that big mouth of his.'

Although that ending was kind of abrupt and I'd love to know more (is there more?!) I absolutely adored this!

This was a book of high highs and low lows for me. It started off well but didn’t maintain it.

Let me start with the positives though.

Faeries and the such like are seldom seen in a serious adult novel, mostly in fun children stories, and it was so refreshing to see. I do like the idea of faeries being real, even if you had to take the bad ones with the good.

I really enjoyed the description of the weather and hostile landscape. I know a lot of people don’t like winter and I know the immensity of the harsh weather in this book is meant to be a negative, a warning, but I would rather spend a festive break in the isolated Scandinavian countries than a summer in the Caribbean. Heather’s description of weather and her use of weather is almost like a character in itself.

There are a number of characters but I’d say the main ones are Emily and Wendell. I immediately took a dislike to Wendell, I found him to be a most unpleasant character. I did like Emily. She knew herself and what she wanted. Yes she could be a bit blunt, a bit rigid, but she didn’t apologise for it. Her passion for faeries really shone through.

However…

I did find it started to get a bit stale about 1/3 of the way through. It felt a bit repetitive and I was starting to wonder if I could skip bits.

I’m not 100% sure who it is aimed at. It’s too grown up to be aimed at children, and whilst it says it’s an adult book, I found it a bit thin on the ground to be really captivating for adults. It needed more meat on its bones.

I definitely wanted more magic. I think the problem with including fantasy elements into a real world - unless it’s expertly done - the magic becomes everyday and it loses its charm.

By the end I was feeling quite disappointed. It started off so promising, but for me, it went downhill quite quickly.

I’m glad I got the chance to read it but I wouldn’t go mad to read it again or insist others did. Having read other reviews, I can see I’m in the minority which is fine. It seems to be a book of either 5 stars, or 2-3. I get the idea that it’s a bit of a marmite book. You either love it or you don’t.

*Thank you to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK, Orbit, for the arc. All opinions stated here are my own.*

I'm overwhelmed with this book. At this point I do not know how to rate it. The premise was so good. An encyclopaedia of fairies, written from a girl in the 1800s. So good. Even the journaling format didn't bothered me. What bothered me though, a lot, is the lack of beautifully woven storytelling.

Emily was a very pragmatistical character, which she didn't think about love. I liked the pure devotion that Emily had for her work but, I didn't know where it came from. Since she only mentions a brother, and nothing more we don't know anything about her past. And we never will know.

Fawcett's fairy system isn't like Sarah J Maas's with human-like Rhysand. It's very like old Scottish tales with changelings. I really liked this approach.

But on the other hand her whole tale seemed very incoherent to me. This book, seemed like I was reading Fawcett's manuscript of a wonderful -don't get me wrong- idea of a book, but nonetheless, just that, an idea.

I didn't connect with the characters, like at all. Usual even if you can't connect/like/admire the protagonist, at least you can connect with a side character. In this book, I tried really hard to connect to the characters, but whenever I found a connection, in the next chapter it was lost.

Lastly, how did Emily understand what to do with the fairies? How did she managed to create the sword from her tears? None of this is explained. I kept reading but it didn't came.

The main problem is, that it was a meh..for me at least. And I feel that this book is meh. Because I won't remember it tomorrow or a month after. You remember a great book, you remember a bad book just because you hate it so much. But the in-between, yeah you forget that, and it's sad.