Synopsis:

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:

I have been in a severe reading slump for the past several months.  Although I have plenty of books to read, I just haven't been motivated to read.  But Emily Wilde's Encycloaedia of Faeries, by Heather Fawcett, was the book that made me fall in love with reading again!  It was full of engaging characters, set in a small village, and had a charming romance.  The story was full of mystery and intrigue, as well.  I just loved this novel so much, and I hope the next book comes out soon!

What I Liked:

Characters:

Emily is an unconventional main character.  She is messy, not conventionally pretty, and incompetent in social situations! But, she is lovable, all the same.  I really like that Emily is in her thirties, and has no thoughts of finding a mate.  Emily is in love with her research.  And who wouldn't be? It is about chronicling all things related to faeries!  She is so absorbed in her work that she doesn't know how to make friends, or even recognize when someone is interested in her.  I felt that she set herself apart from others because she really didn't know how to relate to most people (and perhaps didn't want to get rejected from others).

Wendell is her colleague, and fellow Faerie researcher, who follows her to the small Nordic village where Emily is studying the local Fae.  He is her exact opposite, easily charming anyone he meets, and effortlessly getting others to do his work.  Although Wendell exasperates Emily with his ways, they do get along quote well, and accept each other for who they are.

The people of the village don't know what to think of Emily, and (of course), don't like her at first.  The village has strict traditions of hospitality, which Emily hasn't bothered to learn about.  So on her first evening at the pub, she immediately gives offense by refusing to let someone pay for her dinner.   But Emily eventually wins the affections of the people with her knowledge and assistance with the Fae.  

I really liked the townspeople.  They were naturally cautious about outsiders, and needed to see that they were being respected by Emily and Wendell.  As they come to see Emily as a deeply caring person, the villagers slowly begin to cooperate and help Emily.

Setting:

Emily is researching the Faeries of the Nordic regions of Europe.  Winter is setting in, and there is a stark, yet majestic  beauty to the landscape.  Full of forests, crystal-clear lake, and towering mountains, this is already a magical setting.  The author does a wonderful job of integrating the landscape into the story, and made me want to visit this fictional place!

I loved the small village, where Emily is quite the outsider.  Having lived most of her life as an academic in England makes her ill-equipped to handle the unforgiving weather.  At first, Emily is constantly cold, and hungry, as she must learn how to chop wood, make a fire and fetch her own water.  As expected, the townspeople find this hilarious, but do step in when they realize Emily really doesn't known how to do things.  They teach her how to survive in their harsh climate, showing Emily great patience.

Romance:

Although Wendell and Emily are colleagues, and are used to each other, they are really thrown together in this situation.  The reader gradually sees that Wendell is in love with Emily; but the character herself is oblivious.  There is also the mystery of why Wendell is in the village in the first place.  Is he really there to do research on Faeries?  Or is this just a ruse to spend more time with Emily? I love how the friendship evolves over time.  As I really liked Emily, it was lovely to see that others really valued her as she was.

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Release Date:  January 10th, 2023

Author:  Heather Fawcett

Publisher:  Del Rey Books

Genre:  Fantasy

Page Length:  336 pages 

Source:  NetGalley

Format:  E-Book

Recommendation:  Overall, this was a highly entertaining book with characters and situations that made this a quick and enjoyable read.