Book Spotlight: Emily Wilde’s Encylcopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

Welcome to book spotlight where instead of giving you another book review, I’m just going to talk about books I’ve read recently that I enjoyed. Prepare yourself for the fangirl gushing.

I’ve never been a fan of fae/faerie books. I’ve read several and there is just always something about them that I didn’t quite like. But I decided to give Heather Fawcett‘s adult debut, Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries, a chance since I adore her other books. And oh my goodness, I finally found a fae book I adore.

Emily Wilde’s Encylcopadeia of Faeries is an absolute delight to read. I don’t think it follows the typical adult fantasy formula, but Heather Fawcett it made it her own. It’s a blend of historical and fantasy with a dash of romance and mystery. It’s definitely more along the lines of fluffy fantasy, which I think we need more of. And it was brilliant.

I absolutely love Emily’s narrative voice. I felt such kinship with her and her plights. She’s not good in social situations, she’s very focused on her area of study, she doesn’t care for beating around the bush. I love that this book is formatted as journal-ish entries, and since I read an early digital copy, I am so curious to see what the physical book looks like.

I also love Wendell. At first, I hated him. I thought he was annoying and full of himself and ridiculous. He’s still super full of himself and ridiculous, but somewhere along the journey, he charmed me. And now I adore his character and his relationship with Emily. For a book without the typical adult content, this book sure has a lot of romantic tension.

And then there’s Shadow, Emily’s dog, who is fantastic as well despite not speaking at all. Really, all the characters are fantastic.

The world feels so real and lived in. Like it’s not even questioned that fae exist and that professors from Cambridge study them for research and papers. It’s just part of the world. And I love how all the different fae discoveries Emily uncovers tie together in intricate ways. It’s all so fascinating and makes me more interested in reading other books about fae/faeries. (I know, crazy, right?)

I don’t know what else to say about this book other than I finished it and immediately wanted to reread it and/or read a sequel. (Heather has confirmed she’s working on a sequel, which I am absolutely stoked to read.) This is the type of adult fantasy books I want more of. I want light, fluffy reads with adorable romance and delightful characters and just a dash of excitement. I want characters and worlds that feel realistic despite being about various fae creatures. I want just enough romance to make it thrilling without going overboard.

This book is targeted for adults, but other than swearing and some violence, the content is pretty light. It would be appropriate for younger readers who find the story interesting.

~I received an early digital copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.~