Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries
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 this heartwarming and enchanting fantasy.
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.
- A Sunday Times bestseller
- A Washington Post bestseller
- A Canadian indie bestseller
- An Indie Next pick
- A Barnes & Noble monthly pick
- A LibraryReads Top Ten Release
★ “(Fawcett) does a fantastic job building complex characters…A great read for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Erin Morgenstern.” —Library Journal (starred review)
★ “The full cast of characters, well-developed faerie lore, and pervasive sense of cold add depth to the delightful proceedings…Emily is an Amelia Peabody in snowshoes, and readers will be utterly charmed.” —Booklist (starred review)
“A stirring exploration of mythography and storytelling, with a dark and twisted heart.” —Amal El-Mohtar, The New York Times Book Review
“Impeccable Tam Lin vibes…The world-building here is exquisite, a weather-beaten village in an incredible Arctic landscape — and fortunately, the characters are just as textured and richly drawn…Emily herself is delightful, brilliant but flawed, and often darkly funny.” —Olivia Waite, The New York Times Book Review
“A thoroughly charming academic fairytale, complete with footnotes and a low-key grumpy romance.” —The Guardian
“This cozy, academic fantasy is whimsical and endearing with delicious banter…Miyazaki fans will probably be pleasantly reminded of Howl’s Moving Castle.” —BookRiot
“Full of awe-inspiring shows of power and striking moments of humanity…(P)erfect for readers who love the atmospheric qualities of Susanna Clarke’s Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell and the pacing of writers like Zen Cho or Charlie N. Holmberg. Follow the lights into the woods and dance with the fae under Emily’s careful guidance—just be sure not to get carried away.” —BookPage
“Fawcett crafts several fine mysteries, mines plenty of faerie folklore, and blends equal parts girl detective, academic warrior, and Emma Thompson channeling-Austen into this smart and sparkling fantasy. Who knew writing an encyclopaedia could be so much fun?!” —Locus
“(A) charming story of friendship, love, and coziness. Not sure there’s a more perfect book for the winter hitting shelves this month, and certainly a great example of why we need more ‘light academia’ stories out there.” —Paste Magazine
“A stunning debut that’s as whimsical and charming as it is dark and mysterious…It’s dark academia with a cozy fantasy twist!” —Barnes & Noble
“The ideal book to curl up with on a chilly winter’s evening. I would follow Emily and Wendell to the ends of the earth. This book is an absolute delight.” —Megan Bannen, author of The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy
“So vividly, endlessly enchanting, so crisply assured, so rich and complete and wise and far-reaching in its worldbuilding that you’ll walk away half ensorcelled.” —Melissa Albert, New York Times bestselling author of The Hazel Wood
“Forget dark academia: give me instead this kind of winter-sunshined, sharp-tongued, and footnoted academia, full of field trips and grumpy romance and malevolent faeries.” —Freya Marske, author of A Marvellous Light
“Enchanting in every sense of the word, Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries is a delight of snow-laden forests and changelings, folklore and fairy kings, meticulous footnotes and academic rivalry, and adventure.” —H.G. Parry, author of The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep
“A charmingly whimsical delight, saturated with faerie magic and the equally wonderful magic of humanity…five dazzling, gladdening stars.” —India Holton, author of The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels
“A darkly gorgeous fantasy that sparkles with snow and magic, this book wholly enchanted me.” —Sangu Mandanna, author of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches
“I enjoyed every word of this gorgeously written fairy tale featuring a grumpy heroine and an utterly charming love interest who constantly surprised me. A new favorite!” —Isabel Ibañez, author of Woven in Moonlight