Publisher: 31st January 2023 by Hachette Australia
Pages: 315 pages
Genre: fantasy, fae, fiction
My Rating: 3 crowns
Synopsis:
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.
My Thoughts
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries is a unique story that combines fantasy, mystery, history, and some romantic aspects. An academic inquiry into the world of the fae - be prepared for something completely different and outside the box.
"Remarkable?" I repeated.
"Well, it's never been done before, has it? An encyclopedia of faeries? This will form a cornerstone of all scholarship on the subject for years to come. Probably it will lead to the formation of new methodologies that will enhance our core understanding of the Folk."
Emily is an introverted researcher who travels in order to study faeries in an effort to compile an encyclopedia. It is written in a diary format which has its pros and cons and whilst the writing is good, it does get a little lost at times. Looking at reviews, people either loved or hated it! It was either magical or downright boring. What I can say is that it reads as a cosy fantasy, somewhat slow paced with quirky characters and a few abrupt occurrences that surprised me. I am not yet sure how I feel about it. I really wanted to like it as the premise is so inviting, especially the whole secrets of the Hidden Ones. Then it seemed to get lost within itself, convoluted and at times, quite dark. A strange mixture.
This book is quite ambitious (it is book 1 as it will be part of a series) and is sure to appeal to many. It didn’t convince me but it had an understated charm that I found appealing. Readers who enjoy a slower academic fantasy, especially surrounding faerie mythology are sure to be on board.
‘The Folk cannot be understood. They live in accordance to whims and fancies and are little more than a series of contradictions. They have traditions, jealously guarded, but they follow them erratically. We can catalogue them and document their doings, but most scholars agree that true understanding is impossible.’
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.
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