Heather Fawcett

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries

Emma Miller

It sounds odd to admit that I find the company of such a boisterous person restful, but perhaps it is always restful to be around someone who does not expect anything from you beyond what is in your nature.

rain

I could not tell if he was terrible at drawing cats or if he simply had a terrible cat.

Taryn

“One doesn’t need magic if one knows enough stories.” 

He leaned back, a smile playing on his mouth. “You know, Em, you could make life so much easier for yourself if you tried to be liked once in awhile.” “I do try,” I said, over loud. His words stung more than he could have guessed. I tried and tried - or at least, I used to, and nothing had ever come of it.

“If something is impossible, you cannot be terrible at it.” My hand tightened briefly on my pen. He smiled again. “You are not so terrible, Em. You merely need friends who are dragons like you.”

I gazed at him a moment longer. His mourning was a tangible thing that hung in the air. I have never loved a place like he has, and felt it’s absence as I would a friend’s. But for a moment, I wished I had, and felt this as it’s own loss.

In any event, these are practical people, and they care more about what you did than the why of it all.

He had a habit of doodling, marginalia I was inclined to ignore given that a full half of these sketches were of me, including one that made me very still. In it, I was bent over my notebook, hair tumbling over my shoulders as it usually does in the evening, my chin on my hand and a small smile on my face. It was a very detailed work, each stroke carefully chosen. I could see the places where he’d smudged the ink with a thumb to create shadow - the curve of my neck. The hollow between my collarbones.

Shadow padded up to me and put his head on my knee, all forgiven, as it always is with dogs. If I had frightened my cat as I had Shadow, she’d ignore me for days, or possibly put a curse on me, but then cats have self respect.

I gave him a long thoughtful look. “What?” He said. “It’s your chin. It’s still a little crooked.” His hand went immediately to the feature. “It is not.” I shrugged. “Perhaps it’s my imagination.”

Alexa Writes

few were about, being most likely in their felds or fish- ing boats, but those few stared at me as only rural villagers at the edge of the known world can stare at a stranger.

I pushed it open, I found a sheep. It stared at me a moment, chewing at something, then sauntered off to rejoin its fellows as l politely held the door. 

A knock upon the door launched me to my feet. But the visitor was already erntering without bothering about my permission, stamping his boots with the air of a man entering his own abode after a long day. "Professor Wilde," he said, holding outa hand. It was a large hand, for he was a large man, both in height and around the shoulders and midsection. His hair was a shaggy black, his face square, with a broken nose that came together in a way that was surprisingly becoming, though in an entirely uninviting way. "Brought your dog, I see. Fine beast." "Mr. Egilson?" I said politely, shaking the hand. "Well, who else would I be? my host replied. I wasn't sure if

open the door and spat a great breath of snowflakes into the cottage. Egilson shouldered it closed again. "It's snowing," I said, an uncharacteristic inanity. I'm sorry to say that the sight of snow drifting into the fireplace had me edging once again towards morbid despair. “It does that on occasion," replied Egilson with a touch of black humour that I found preferable to false friendliness, which is not the same as saying I appreciated it. "Not to worry, though. Winter isn't here yet, it's just clearing its throat. These clouds will open up momentarily." "And when will winter arrive?" I enquired grimly. “You'll know it when it does," he said, a sideways sort of answer

"Any more?" he called from his sprawl at the foot of the stairs. What?" I shouted. I believe I had gone slightly deaf. “Any more of your demented beasts lurking within? Should I simply lie here until they take their leave? They're not mine, I felt it necessary to say. "Well, one of them is."

Altogether the place had such an unwholesome air about it that it was hard to look away, dark smoke drifting sluggishly from the chimney like the ooze of an infected wound. 

Sarah

It was then, as I stared at the empty hearth, hungry and cold, that I began to wonder if I would die here.

Emily McMeans

“The Folk were of another world, with its own rules and customs—and to a child who always felt ill-suited to her own world, the lure was irresistible.”

Fiona

I wish […] to peel back the carpeting of the world and tumble into the stars.

If something is impossible, you cannot be terrible at it.

A curmudgeonly professor journeys to a small town in the far north to study faerie folklore and discovers dark fae magic, friendship, and love, in this heartwarming and enchanting fantasy. Cambridge professor 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 encyclopaedia of faerie lore. But Emily Wilde is not good at people. She could never make small talk at a party—or even get invited to one. And she prefers the company of her books, her dog, Shadow, and the Fair Folk to other 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, who manages to charm the townsfolk, get in the middle of Emily’s research, and utterly confound and frustrate her. But as Emily gets closer and closer to uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Ones—the most elusive of all faeries—lurking in the shadowy forest outside the town, 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.

A Novel

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries

I swear I knew almost nothing about this book when I decided to read it after I just finished watching The Apothecary Diaries. This phenomenon seems to happen to me quite a lot lol

As a big fan of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, I would forever yearn for a thorough recollection of the Eichorn/de Grey Saga Emily mentioned in passing.

I swear I knew almost nothing about this book when I decided to read it after I just finished watching The Apothecary Diaries. This phenomenon seems to happen to me quite a lot lol

As a big fan of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, I would forever yearn for a thorough recollection of the Eichorn/de Grey Saga Emily mentioned in passing.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A curmudgeonly professor journeys to a small town in the far north to study faerie folklore and discovers dark fae magic, friendship, and love in the start of a heartwarming and enchanting new fantasy series. “A darkly gorgeous fantasy that sparkles with snow and magic.”—Sangu Mandanna, author of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches Cambridge professor 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 encyclopaedia of faerie lore. But Emily Wilde is not good at people. She could never make small talk at a party—or even get invited to one. And she prefers the company of her books, her dog, Shadow, and the Fair Folk to other 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, who manages to charm the townsfolk, muddle Emily’s research, and utterly confound and frustrate her. But as Emily gets closer and closer to uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Ones—the most elusive of all faeries—lurking in the shadowy forest outside the town, 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.

Book 1 of the Emily Wilde Series

& audiobook - Ell Potter & Michael Dodds ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Maria

Whimsical, fun banter, and strong FMC, loved it!

Jenny Engel

A curmudgeonly professor journeys to a small town in the far north to study faerie folklore and discovers dark fae magic, friendship, and love in the start of a heartwarming and enchanting new fantasy series.

“So endlessly enchanting, so rich and complete and wise that you’ll walk away half ensorcelled.”—Melissa Albert, author of The Hazel Wood

Cambridge professor 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 encyclopaedia of faerie lore. But Emily Wilde is not good at people. She could never make small talk at a party—or even get invited to one. And she prefers the company of her books, her dog, Shadow, and the Fair Folk to other 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, who manages to charm the townsfolk, muddle Emily’s research, and utterly confound and frustrate her.

But as Emily gets closer and closer to uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Ones—the most elusive of all faeries—lurking in the shadowy forest outside the town, 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. 

Had a much more enjoyable time with this than I thought!! Bit of a rough start at first (painfully boring with an unlikeable narrator for the first 20%) things DRASTICALLY improved once the love interest came on the scene and adventures started occurring. I might read the next book!

Katie Allard

I absolutely loved this book, felt like I was sucked into another world.

Olivia Rousseau 

Loved it. Just ordered book 2 and 3 😂.

Loved it. Just ordered book 2 and 3 😂.

- Loved the characters, especially Emily and Wendell. They have a bit of a grumpy-sunshine dynamic. With Emily being on the grumpy side and Wendell the sunshine one haha. 

- Turns out I love vain men (it started with Howl lol).

- Academic 

- Folklore, misleading faeries, deals.

- Winter

swoonworthy & nerdy i loved this so much imgonna eat it ALSO LESBIANS WOOOOO

Although a bit tough to get into in the beginning, I rather love this style of story telling. As a scientist myself, hearing fae and mystery described as scientific and not as a whimsical love story was a fresh way at story telling. A world where Folk, Fae, and humans live among each other is unbelievable believable. I can't wait to see what Emily decides next. 

Macy M

“I knew you wouldn’t believe it. Just because you have a heart filled with the dust of a thousand library stacks does not mean everybody does.”

I loved this story, and these characters, so much! The Grumpy/Sunshine trope definitely applies to Emily and Wendell, and I enjoyed the bit of role reversal here with allowing the female main character to be the grumpy one for once. 

This book is fairly slow paced, with a big emphasis on Emily's field studies and her knowledge and background of the Fae and Fair Folk. This wasn't something that bothered me since I was so interested in learning about her work, but it may come across as tedious for some readers who prefer more action. 

Wendell was a joy and his clear pining over oblivious Emily was adorable to witness. He wasn't very fleshed out in this first installment of the trilogy, but I believe he will take a larger presence in the forefront of the story moving forward. 

And we can't forget about Poe! The sweet tree fellow that he is. He totally stole the show. 

Catherine

“I knew you wouldn’t believe it. Just because you have a heart filled with the dust of a thousand library stacks does not mean everybody does.”

What a sweet, fun tale! 

I loved this story, and these characters, so much! The Grumpy/Sunshine trope definitely applies to Emily and Wendell, and I enjoyed the bit of role reversal here with allowing the female main character to be the grumpy one for once. 

This book is fairly slow paced, with a big emphasis on Emily's field studies and her knowledge and background of the Fae and Fair Folk. This wasn't something that bothered me since I was so interested in learning about her work, but it may come across as tedious for some readers who prefer more action. 

Wendell was a joy and his clear pining over oblivious Emily was adorable to witness. He wasn't very fleshed out in this first installment of the trilogy, but I believe he will take a larger presence in the forefront of the story moving forward. 

And we can't forget about Poe! The sweet tree fellow that he is. He totally stole the show. 

I will be continuing this trilogy! 

This book was quite lovely, but i have to say i was expecting way more. The writing was simultaneously captivating and tedious. I liked the narration style,  but also i felt like it dragged on for ages and i had to reread certain paragraphs because i found my mind wondering. I liked the characters, particularly Emily. She’s this determined, single minded, socially awkward mess of a scholar who somehow manages to accidentally befriend faeries while offending humans. I liked that she was extremely practical, even to a fault, i found the flaw endearing. I can see why this book is regarded as cosy, it has the cute wintery vibes, an ideal small town setting, and found family. However, i wish the book had stayed on track, i felt like it veered off near the end and i got super bored and uninterested. Loved the writing and the characters. Particularly enjoyed whatever it was that was going on between Bambleby and Emily, not quite romance entirely, but quite sweet. Also it gets points for cute magical dog.

bel 

Emily Wildes encyclopedia of faeries was such a joy to read. This story is about a researcher and Cambridge professor—Emily Wilde—and her travel adventures as she compiles her own encyclopedia on faeries. I loved the journel style of this book and Heather Fawcett's writing is so good, it didn't even bother me that the plot was a bit slow

I loved Emily Wilde, she's so analytical and meticulous in her research and she prefers the company of books over people, which is honestly so relatable. Emily is brilliant, she's got this bluntness and take no nonsense personality that I just loved about her. Wendell is another great protagonist, he's charming and despite his aloofness, he understands Emily so well

I honestly can't say enough about how much I loved reading this book, it's cozy and whimsical with the perfect amounts of fantasy, history, academic rivalry and a bit of romance which was to die for 

June

Emily Wildes encyclopedia of faeries was such a joy to read. This story is about a researcher and Cambridge professor—Emily Wilde—and her travel adventures as she compiles her own encyclopedia on faeries. I loved the journel style of this book and Heather Fawcett's writing is so good, it didn't even bother me that the plot was a bit slow

I loved Emily Wilde, she's so analytical and meticulous in her research and she prefers the company of books over people, which is honestly so relatable. Emily is brilliant, she's got this bluntness and take no nonsense personality that I just loved about her. Wendell is another great protagonist, he's charming and despite his aloofness, he understands Emily so well

I honestly can't say enough about how much I loved reading this book, it's cozy and whimsical with the perfect amounts of fantasy, history, academic rivalry and a bit of romance which was to die for 

Read this for the powerful use of character voice, the dark and delightful magical world, the undeniable cozy atmosphere, and the unique formatting of the narrative itself. Enjoy the romance as an aftertaste. I can not think of any book I've loved more in many, many, years.

'A darkly gorgeous fantasy that sparkles with snow and magic, this book wholly enchanted me' Sangu Mandanna, author of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches Enter the world of the hidden folk - and discover the most whimsical, enchanting and heart-warming tale you'll read this year, featuring the intrepid Emily Wilde. . . 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. 'Forget dark academia: give me instead this kind of winter-sunshined, sharp-tongued and footnoted academia, full of field trips and grumpy romance' Freya Marske, author of A Marvellous Light 'Enchanting in every sense of the word. . . This book is real magic' H. G. Parry, author of The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep 'A book so vividly, endlessly enchanting, so crisply assured, so rich and complete and wise and far-reaching in its worldbuilding that you'll walk away half ensorcelled, sure Fawcett found Emily Wilde's journal in some sea-stained trunk' Melissa Albert 'The ideal book to curl up with on a chilly winter's evening. . . this book is an absolute delight.' Megan Bannen, author of The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy 'A charmingly whimsical delight. . . Five dazzling, gladdening stars' India Holton, author of The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels 'I enjoyed every word of this gorgeously written fairy tale featuring a grumpy heroine and an utterly charming love interest' Isabel Ibañez, author of Woven In Moonlight

millena

I don’t even know where to start, this book had been on my Kindle for 6 months and I finally got the courage to read it (I was afraid of getting bored) ((spoiler: I wasn’t bored))

The book is undeniable slow but super cozy, the city and the found family was *chefs kiss*. Emily & Wendell don't compare to any other character I've ever read, Emily was a little too cold hearted for me and for Wendell I literally don’t have any compliments, he is just me 🫂

I’ll definitely read the next ones!

This book was such a joy to read. I have always been interested in stories about the Fae, so this book about a researcher of Fae was perfect for me. Emily was such an amazing main character, and I found myself relating to her quite a bit while reading. Bambleby was also delightful to read, and I found his relationship with Emily to be quite adorable and refreshing. The pace of the story was quite slow, but I didn't mind that. I also love how Emily was able to connect with the villagers by the end of the story, and they accepted her as a part of their community. 

Mirror

i can’t think of any words to describe this other than delightful. 

Lorelei Petcu

My first cozy fantasy & i really enjoyed my time :) 

I liked the last half a LOT less than the first half, but yeah, I still enjoyed my time 

Jessie!

My first cozy fantasy & i really enjoyed my time :) 

I liked the last half a LOT less than the first half, but yeah, I still enjoyed my time 

While she starts out QUITE slow, I still had a good ol’ time. Definitely unique type of writing and style. It was just enough to keep me interested until the story picked up. But you know what, their little romance had me kicking my little feet by the end cause it was cute and it redeemed the slow start for me. I always enjoy the fantastical and whimsical fantasy books as a palette cleanser to the more war, bloodshed, and politically driven vibes you get from others. 

A silly rivals so lovers. I’m not sure when I’ll dive into the next one but I will eventually. 

Laura Wilson

While she starts out QUITE slow, I still had a good ol’ time. Definitely unique type of writing and style. It was just enough to keep me interested until the story picked up. But you know what, their little romance had me kicking my little feet by the end cause it was cute and it redeemed the slow start for me. I always enjoy the fantastical and whimsical fantasy books as a palette cleanser to the more war, bloodshed, and politically driven vibes you get from others. 

A silly rivals so lovers. I’m not sure when I’ll dive into the next one but I will eventually. 

i feel like the story changed its trajectory in the middle part and i was not fan of it? also had a hard time reading it cause of the writing style, it was not for me. nevertheless, i still enjoyed it and looking forward for the next book

Bria

I’m not really a slow burn type of girl but this was cute and cozy!

4 stars ⭐

I think this is a good enough book if you're the type of person who likes a lower stake, cozy, slower fantasy book. 

I think it was cute and it being framed around journal entries is fun! didn't fully connected with the characters but I like them as they are. 

not a bad experience at all I may just be feeling a little lukewarm.

4.5 stars

so cozy and lovely i enjoyed this very much and can't wait to read the second one

the main lady doesn’t know how human social behavior works (love that) and wendell’s kind of a little shit (also great)

plot took a second to get going but was nice once it got revved up vroom vroom

the main lady doesn’t know how human social behavior works (love that) and wendell’s kind of a little shit (also great)

plot took a second to get going but was nice once it got revved up vroom vroom

Megan

I loved this book so much, but it’s not without its flaws. It’s very dense, and as it’s a journal written by an academic, there are lots of complex sentences and large words I didn’t know. The lore is a little bit confusing (likely on purpose) and Emily is kind of hard to understand. She makes a lot of strange choices in the name of science, but they don’t make a lot of sense. Her character growth is nearly non-existent. I would have loved to see her more confident in her abilities by the end. 

Particularly her decision which sets of the climax of the story had me very confused. I just don’t see why should make this choice. It seemed very stupid, yet no one gives her hell for it, either. It’s a huge f*ck up, but it’s breezed over completely. 

Wendell, however, is the star of the show. He’s a great, complex, character that grows before our eyes. His character arc is absolutely perfect. He went from someone I couldn’t stand to someone I loved so much. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I just don’t understand Emily’s motivation toward the end. It felt very out of place. However, Wendell, Poe, and the villagers made up for this completely. On top of that, Fawcett does a great job painting a world of intrigue, mischief, and snowstorms. I would definitely read a second book in this series, if there were one. 

Disclaimer: I was given an e-arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

I haven’t read a lot fantasy novels in my life (yes, I have never read any fantasy series other than that one time I read The Infernal Devices back when I was 16), especially those that involve the fae folk, particularly because it just wasn’t my cup of tea. I realized as of late that I’ve been missing out on a lot of great books that are in the fantasy genre (as well as other genres), so I decided to branch out. As someone who just has absolutely no idea of the faerie folk, I thought this novel is a great entrance to them or in general, fantasy reading.

The first part of the book was tough to get into, but I know it’s just because of all the worldbuilding that I’m quite not used to yet, and that’s probably why it took me almost a month to get back to it (oops). Even so, I appreciate that it did provide enough lore to fill in the gaps. I do love the way it’s written like an academic journal, with all those annotations that sometimes felt a little tedious, but I do get why it’s there. It’s clear that Emily does her best at remaining objective, but I’ve mentioned in a highlight that I love it when her inner thoughts make its way into the pages of the journal, especially when it came to Wendell and the townspeople.

I love Emily. I love when a character is incredibly likable with reasonable flaws. I resonated so much with her in a sense that she’d rather face anything other than her own emotions. I adore her relationship with Shadow, her ever loyal furry companion, and Poe (we love Poe), a common faerie. Wendell, on the other hand, is so annoying (affectionate). I liked him nonetheless. Another thing I would like to note is that it’s clear that Emily values her space above everything and Wendell could care less about anyone else but I love how that’s not the case when they’re together, because to Emily being alone is synonymous with being alone with Wendell, and to Wendell, he would rather spend his time with Emily.

Overall, I had fun reading it! I originally picked it up because silly me didn’t read the blurb and thought it’s actually a guide book about faeries by someone named Emily Wilde. 😭  I’m not complaining though!

Also, if anyone has recommendations of fantasy novels, I’m up for it!

nikki

I haven’t read a lot fantasy novels in my life (yes, I have never read any fantasy series other than that one time I read The Infernal Devices back when I was 16), especially those that involve the fae folk, particularly because it just wasn’t my cup of tea. I realized as of late that I’ve been missing out on a lot of great books that are in the fantasy genre (as well as other genres), so I decided to branch out. As someone who just has absolutely no idea of the faerie folk, I thought this novel is a great entrance to them or in general, fantasy reading.

The first part of the book was tough to get into, but I know it’s just because of all the worldbuilding that I’m quite not used to yet, and that’s probably why it took me almost a month to get back to it (oops). Even so, I appreciate that it did provide enough lore to fill in the gaps. I do love the way it’s written like an academic journal, with all those annotations that sometimes felt a little tedious, but I do get why it’s there. It’s clear that Emily does her best at remaining objective, but I’ve mentioned in a highlight that I love it when her inner thoughts make its way into the pages of the journal, especially when it came to Wendell and the townspeople.

I love Emily. I love when a character is incredibly likable with reasonable flaws. I resonated so much with her in a sense that she’d rather face anything other than her own emotions. I adore her relationship with Shadow, her ever loyal furry companion, and Poe (we love Poe), a common faerie. Wendell, on the other hand, is so annoying (affectionate). I liked him nonetheless. Another thing I would like to note is that it’s clear that Emily values her space above everything and Wendell could care less about anyone else but I love how that’s not the case when they’re together, because to Emily being alone is synonymous with being alone with Wendell, and to Wendell, he would rather spend his time with Emily.

Overall, I had fun reading it! I originally picked it up because silly me didn’t read the blurb and thought it’s actually a guide book about faeries by someone named Emily Wilde. 😭  I’m not complaining though!

Also, if anyone has recommendations of fantasy novels, I’m up for it!