Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

I would like to thank Nazia for an advance copy of this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review

Publisher – Orbit

Published – 19/1

Price – £14.99 hardback £6.99 Kindle eBook

Enter the world of the hidden folk - and discover the most whimsical, enchanting and heart-warming tale you'll read this year, featuring the intrepid Emily Wilde. . .

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 encylopaedia of faerie lore. But Emily Wilde is not good at 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

But as Emily gets closer to uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Ones - the most elusive of all faeries - 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.

It is always interesting what the choice that everyone in a book’s world knows magic is real. We don’t have to worry about the how do I keep this secret or no one believes me tropes but then it raises questions on how does this change the world. In Heather Fawcett’s straightforward fantasy novel Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries we get a young academic travelling to a strange place to meet the fae and get more than they bargained for. A tale that for me was diverting but not one I will consider a must read.

Emily Wilde is a record breaking young Professor on faeries the well known magical beings who for years made up folklore but are well known to be real and part of a long history of scientific study. Emily is planning to write the first Encyclopaedia on the subject for academic prestige and a love of the subject. She is a seasoned traveller but now goes to the remote village of Hrafnsvik where there are accounts of the Tall Ones – the fae royalty and the more malevolent forces they can create taking people and giving them back changed. Things are not going well when Wendell Banbleby Emily’s co-worker; rival, annoyance and occasional friend also arrives – the two decide t join forces to get research done but more adventure than expected may be awaiting them.

This is the start of an intended series that for me while offering a simple first adventure doesn’t really make me want to read any more in the world it creates for now. I did have a few diverting hours reading the story. Fawcett creates an amiable sparring pairing of Emily and Wendell and I liked the squabbling despite obvious chemistry between the two. Fawcett creates an interesting adventure first with a case of a changeling child terrorising the parents and then a bigger mystery with the Tall Ones taking people and a question as to what is really going on. This also covers a question mark about exactly who Wendell may be and working for.

But my overall sense is that this tale was lacking much depth.  The characters are a bit of a contradiction. We keep getting told Emily is a academic that values fae above people and bar soe impractical lack of knowledge she never comes across as a cold character more constantly befuddled – there is a lack of any development or self-discovery jumping out at me. Wendell has a trail of village conquests in his wake; yet Emily too soon loves him – its odd and consequences raely get explored; he also has a habit of solving problems fairly quickly. While Fawcett drops in regularly back stories and footnotes I never really sense this world is connected together or actually has years of history and folklore. My overall sense is a simple adventure that sets up future ones, but shallow is the best description for how I am feeling about it. I didn’t feel any new angle on the fae or faeries came across and it’s a novel not particularly interested in exploring its world beyond the next scene. I’m conscious I tend to like tales with more bite but the lack of depth really lost me.

Overall, this book feels a missed opportunity to give me anything new and didn’t capture my interest with characters, world or plot. I think those looking for a simple relaxing read will enjoy it but I’m not sure how much will stay memorable afterwards. Not one for me.