Sometimes I dream of escaping to a quiet little remote village tucked away deep in the mountains. You know… where you find cozy cottages, mysterious forests, and an ample amount of folklore…..such a dream…..Anyway, I started reading Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries and wasn’t expecting a trip in the beautiful wilderness. This book surprised me in the best way possible. And I loved it so much.
This story is based on an academically obsessed introvert who went into a tiny village full of suspicious locals and possible sightings of faeries to record it in her encyclopedia. Then one infuriatingly attractive academic rival follows her to that village. He is also very determined to ruin her research and her peace of mind, but things get in both of their favour.
Blurb
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.
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.
Genre
Fantasy, Cozy Fantasy, Whimsical Fairy Fantasy
Theme and Tone
Whimsical
Language/Writing Style
Easy to read
Characters
Infuriating, flawed characters who use their flaws as their strengths
Tropes
- Academic rivals
- Grumpy × Sunshine
- Fae folklore & faerie magic
- Enchanted forest
- Cozy small village setting
- Mystery & secrets
- Animal companion (Shadow the dog)
- Expedition / field research
My Review
I bought Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries ages ago, and like so many books we swear we’ll get to “soon,” it quietly collected dust on my shelves while I kept pushing it further and further down my TBR. Then spring arrived, and suddenly I was craving whimsical fantasies, with enchanted forests, folklore, and cozy villages. As I scanned my bookshelves, three beautiful books seemed to be silently judging me for ignoring them for so long. I finally gave in, picked them up, and decided it was time to see if they were as magical as they looked. Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries invites you to curl up with a blanket in rainy weather and a steaming hot cup of tea…….this book is the literary equivalent of finding an old field guide in a dusty library, opening it out of curiosity, and accidentally getting transported into its pages. The story inspired me so much that i started painting the edges of the book while Iw as reading, making the experience extra whimsical.
So, let’s meet Emily Wilde (what a beautiful wild name tho), who is wonderfully, unapologetically awkward to the teeth. She is very academically inclined and will identify dozens of faerie species without blinking, but when it comes to asking another human how their day is going?….she is out of her depth. It was like looking in the mirror. We also get our MMC, who is Wendell Bambleby(I cannot take this name seriously 😂). He is the one who is infuriatingly charming and socially advanced.
The relationship between Emily and Bambleby is literally one of my favorite parts of the novel. Their academic rivalry is delightfully entertaining, filled with dry humor, subtle affection, and constant bickering. Wendell strolls through life charming absolutely everyone while Emily quietly fumes in the background, and watching their personalities collide is endlessly fun. Their romance unfolds at exactly the pace it needs to; slow, believable, and built on mutual respect instead of instant attraction (well, Emily does admit he is attractive, but it doesn’t have any effect on her) Now about the Fae….it’s all derived from traditional folklore. These faeries are mysterious, unpredictable, beautiful, cruel, and ancient. Every story Emily uncovers feels like a forgotten legend whispered around a fireplace generations ago. The folklore isn’t simply decorating the plot; it is the story. (I also painted the bookmark 👇)
Hrafnsvik (Village) itself almost feels like another character. The snow-covered cottages, frozen landscapes, quiet villagers, and endless forests create an atmosphere that’s both comforting and slightly unsettling. It’s the kind of setting that makes you want to move there. The pacing is definitely slower than many modern fantasy novels, and that’s either going to be exactly what you’re looking for or the reason you set it aside. Much of the story follows Emily’s journal entries as she researches faerie customs, interviews villagers, and slowly pieces together local mysteries. If you’re expecting nonstop action, this probably isn’t your book.But if you love character-driven fantasy, immersive world-building, and stories where simply existing in the magical world is part of the adventure, you’ll likely adore this book
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries is everything I want cozy fantasy to be: atmospheric, intelligent, whimsical, quietly romantic, and completely enchanting. It proves that sometimes the greatest adventures don’t begin with a prophecy or a war—they begin with an introverted professor, an overstuffed notebook, an annoyingly handsome colleague, and the terrible decision to investigate creatures famous for ruining human lives.
My Rating
- Overall: ★★★★★ | 5 Stars
- Plot: ★★★★★| 5 Stars
- Romance: ★★★★★ | 5 Stars
- Characters:★★★★★ | 5 Stars
- Pacing: ★★★★★| 5 stars
- Mystery: ★★★★★| 5 stars
- Banter: ★★★★★| 5 stars
- Spice Level: The book is not Spicy
- Book Cover:★★★★★★★★★★| 10 Stars
The Best Part
- A lovable, socially awkward heroine.
- Rich folklore inspired by traditional faerie mythology.
- Cozy winter atmosphere that feels like a warm blanket.
- Academic rivals who constantly challenge each other.
