Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries Book Review

Spend any amount of time on social media and you're sure to see the cover for Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries pop up.

I couldn't resist giving the first in this popular fantasy series a try. It reminded me of a grown-up version of the nature study books on fairies and gnomes I enjoyed as a kid, like The Complete Book of the Flower Fairies and Gnomes.

Curious if this book is for you? Check out my full review below.

If this is your first time reading one of my reviews, you may want to check out how I score my reads with this scale guide here.

Summary of Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries

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 Stats

Published: October 24, 2023
Pages: 352
Genre: Romantic Fantasy, Action & Adventure Fantasy
Get Your Copy: Paperback | Kindle | Audiobook

What I Liked

Here's what I would tell my best friend about the book:

1. The Faerie Collection: Emily travels the world in hunt of information about the fae and their various kinds. I don't read a lot of faerie lore but I still recognized references from other books. True faerie lovers will enjoy this part of the story.
2. Scandinavian Setting: I appreciated the chilly fictional town of Ljosland which has Norwegian vibes. This has been on our travel bucket list for ages and it might be the first book I've read that was set there.
3. Cozy Romance: While there definitely is a romantic subplot it is not the entire focus of the story.
4. Quirky Main Character: I loved the smarty pants Emily on her quest for knowledge and enjoyed her encounters with the local villagers as she eventually becomes accepted by the community.
5. The Vocabulary: The prose is filled with colorful vintage words that fit the early 1900s timeline of the story and was a fun change of pace from the more modern books I've been reading lately.

What I Didn't Like

Every reader needs something different from a book. What I may not have preferred may be your favorite part.

This book is told in journal format, written by Emily herself. This means that the story is recounted mostly in past tense rather than present tense as the adventure unfolds.

I found the past-tense recaps of exciting scenes to feel very boring and drawn out. Had the same scenes been written in present tense, they would have been far more interesting and thrilling.

I've read journal style books before and enjoyed them, but I found this book to be particularly sluggishly paced.

Overall Score

⭐⭐⭐⭐

I give Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries four stars. It is a creative concept and, despite my opinion on the point of view, I enjoyed my reading time. It would make a perfect cozy read in the wintertime.

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