Emily Wildes Encyclopedia of Faeries

Author: Heather Fawcett    Genre: Adult Cozy Fantasy

Summary (what is written on the back of the book):

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:

First I have to talk about the writing in this book. It was so whimsical and beautifully written. The scenery was described so well and even the weather was explained in a lyrical way. I could compare it with Holly Black's or Stephanie Garber's writing since it had that same magical tone. At some points it was harder to understand but that is partially because English is my third language so it probably will be better for native speakers or more fluent people. 

I also really liked Emily Wilde, our protagonist, herself. In other reviews I read that she is unlikeable but I find it quite the opposite. She was a bit more silent and held back character and I really liked the depiction of how she was socially awkward and was trying to figure out how to connect with people. I think it made her so much more interesting and realistic by adding that trait. I also liked the dynamic between the other protagonist, Bambley, and Emily. He was also the love interest and had a very unusual personality. He was depicted as arrogant but at the same time had some sweet traits. 

Since this book is in the cozy Fantasy Genre I wasn’t expecting something too elaborate in the plot but I was definitely wrong. The main part is about Emily Wilde's research but there are so many other things. There is the plotline about the different villagers we meet and the mysterious magical things happening. There are also some action scenes which I enjoyed a lot as well and the ending took an unexpected turn. 

The setting of the book was a little village in the mountains of a little island. Even though it was really cozy and well depicted it wasn’t something that stood out to me. The aspect I liked the most was that humans knew about faes and they were researching them. It also played in the 1930s and the vibe definitely benefitted from that. 

 I would recommend it from ages 15 and up. There are no spice or explicit romantic scenes but some action scenes that could be triggering for younger audiences. 

Buchbuzz Rating:

5/5 stars - this book definitely deserved the high rating and i can't even begin to describe how whimsical and beautiful it is. It was engaging and so fun to read.