Books and Bylines

One thing about me: I’m biased when it comes to fairies. If a book involves fairies in just about any way, shape, or form, it’s probably going to get five stars from me. I found Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett on a table at Barnes and Noble, and the moment I saw “faeries”, it was in my hand. I will be honest and say that I almost put it back down because I momentarily thought it might be an actual encyclopedia of fairies – and I’ve read more than enough of those (did you know there are a surprising amount of encyclopedias, field guides, and bibles written classifying types of fairies? I did.). I’m glad that I read the synopsis and brought this book home with me.

Emily Wilde takes place in the year 1909, in a version of reality where fairies are accepted as more than just myth. Emily Wilde herself is a smart but socially awkward young professor of dryadology (the study of the Folk, of course) who is dedicating her life and career to writing an encyclopedia that details and classifies every species of fairy. Her encyclopedia research brings her to a remote, Stardew Valley-esque Nordic village in search of the Hidden Ones, a species of fairy that she has yet to appropriately research. Accompanied by her dog Shadow and eventually her charming and happy-go-lucky colleague Wendell Bambleby, Emily finds herself caught up in more than she initially bargained for.

I will be honest – when I first started reading there were a few nervous chapters where I was unsure if I would be able to get used to the style of writing. Some might call it overwritten, I’d call it whimsical. Just like your eyes adjusting to a dark room, once my brain had a few chapters to process I found myself enthralled in the way the words danced around each other. Emily Wilde is written entirely in a journal format, complete with footnotes which are a fun and natural way to add a little exposition and a fun wink to academia. I half-expected to find a full bibliography at the end.

Emily’s character is aloof, awkward, and incredibly smart. She also somehow manages to be endearing. The juxtaposition of her character to Wendell’s fanciful charm makes for a fun and enchanting partnership. Together, they build sweet friendships with the townsfolk (despite a bumpy start thanks to Emily’s unfortunate inability to read social cues) who help them as magical events begin to unfold.

The atmosphere of this book was what pulled everything together for me. Fawcett paints beautiful pictures of a shabby-turned-cozy cabin, a snug village, and a wintry forest that all made me feel like being wrapped in a warm blanket. If I were a mouse, and I lived in an underground burrow furnished with a patchy loveseat and wood-burning fireplace, this is the book I would hope to be on that loveseat curled up with on a rainy day. Five stars from me!