There’s always a point in a book for me, when I either am completely captivated or lose interest. And around 50% throughout Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries, the characters just clicked for me. Keep reading this book review for my full thoughts.
Summary
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.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Until about 50% I was enjoying Emily Wilde’s Encylopaedia of Faeries. It was one of those, “I am entertained and I see things I like about this book” but wasn’t that heart stopping investment. A scholar will always charm my heart. So I felt like I should have been heads over heels for Emily for her commitment to research and feel that same disdain she has for Wendell and his laissez faire attitude about research. And, to be fair, I did, but it was one of those removed enjoyments. The journal style of the book felt nostalgic to me.
And I’ll always be a sucker for footnotes. Additionally, while this was described to me as an academic rivals story, while they certainly aren’t like collaborators, I feel like it’s less so of a rivalry. When I think rivalry I see more than disdain, more than a difference of methods, and more similar to bitter cut throat competition. With that addendum, I did immediately enjoy their banter. But around 50% through Emily Wilde’s Encylcopaedia of Faeries, I became entirely invested. It was like all of a sudden I could see not only Emily, but also Wendell more clearly.
Overall,
I became fully invested in their relationship, the banter that sparked between them, and this almost grumpy sunshine vibe. If you liked the banter of the Fae and a similarly academic character like from Genevieve Cogman’s The Invisible Library series, then you will also enjoy this dynamic. I think Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedie of Faeries picks up steam in the latter half of the novel. Not only do I think the darker side of the Fae are shown more prominently, but I think this is when the characters are given the opportunity to shine. To exert their own will, to act on their deeper motivations after we get to know them.
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While it may have taken me until halfway through to become fully invested – and 100% eagerly awaiting a sequel – now that I am, I sincerely enjoyed Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries. If you love faeries, which I was only on the fence about before this book, then this is a must read. I feel like I don’t read enough adult fairy books and this one fits the bill. With snippets of fairy stories, an almost reflexive tone of narration (because of the journals), Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries walks the line between charming and dangerous all at once. Find Emily Wilde’s Encylopaedia of Faeries on Goodreads, Amazon (US)(UK), Indiebound, Bookshop.org & The Book Depository.