Leisure Reading

Historic Magical Realism

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries

by Heather Fawcett

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, and the Fair Folk.

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 by Emily Homolka - Special Collections Reference Librarian

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries takes you on an academic field trip to an icy village in Norway as Emily Wilde, renowned scholar of all things faerie, goes to the remote edges of the world to document a complete record of the Folk. Along the way, Emily is unexpectedly joined by her academic rival and only friend, Wendell Bambleby, who has taken it upon himself to help her with her research. As local villagers start disappearing, Emily begrudgingly accepts Wendell’s help to solve the mystery of where the locals have gone and more importantly, who took them.

The polar opposite personalities of Emily and Wendell make their interactions throughout the book a blast to read. Wendell is dramatic, elegant, and charismatic; Emily is serious, socially awkward, and whip smart. This makes for dry banter and prickly interactions, but at the core they have a very sweet friendship (that may blossom into something more if only Emily will let it!)

While the relationship between Emily and Wendell is a central part of the book, it’s not the only thing it has to offer. Given the premise of this book, there is a surprising amount of action in it. Emily is impulsive and brave, which gets her into a number of situations where she has to use her quick wits to save herself. The danger is real, as the Folk have their own agenda that rarely aligns with humanity’s.

Emily Wilde is, to me, the perfect protagonist. She is anti-social, average looking (in her own words), curmudgeonly, and extremely passionate about her research. She also has a secret heart of gold. Her biggest barrier is her complete lack of social skills, which thankfully Wendell has in spades. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun, quirky adventure with characters that are imperfect, but still extremely likeable.

You can find this book in the Hodges Library Leisure Reading Collection. Check it out and let us know what you think of the book! Make sure to tag your responses on social media with #utksharedshelf so we can see what you think! 

* Book Description and image provided by Goodreads