[REVIEW] EMILY'S WILDE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF FAERIES - HEATHER FAWCETT (ENGLISH REVIEW)

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source: Goodreads

Title: Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries

Author: Heather Fawcett

Publication: 19 January 2023

Pages: 336 pages

ISBN: 9780356519128

Language: English

 

BLURB

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.

REVIEW

Thank you for NatGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK, Orbit to provide me the ARC of this book with exchange an honest review

I requested this book because I was interested in a review from an acquaintance of mine who said this book was good and even gave a really big rating. My expectations for this book were even higher after reading the blurb. I think I will get a lot of "knowledge" about this fairy because the story is Emily wants to make an encyclopedia means there will be a lot of discussion about the fairies she has met so far. But sadly my expectations were too high. This book is indeed a fantasy book, at the beginning it was also opened with us seeing Emily who came to Hrafnsvik to find the Hidden One. But I feel like I'm lacking a lot about the Hidden One being discussed.

This book is quite slow, it makes me feel a little bored when I read it and I don't enjoy seeing the descriptions or stories about the fairies discussed by Emily. Even though it was actually quite well conveyed because through the story and direct interaction between Emily and the fairy. So we can recognize the nature and characteristics of the fairies. There are also several conflicts that are brought up so it's like an accumulation of conflicts and maybe the peak of the conflict is related to Emily.

The thing I like the most is Emily's interaction with the villagers. At first Emily was not able to win the hearts of the villagers at all, but because of Emily's persistence in wanting to help the villagers over time they opened up more to Emily. I like watching the interactions of the villagers and Emily who look awkward with them. Moreover, there is Bambelby! The character is full of surprises. I didn't think that he would have an important role here, even though at first I thought he was just an annoying character. Not to mention that Emily and Bambelby's relationship is exciting to follow. Their very contradictory nature makes their interactions invite smiles while reading. And of course I'm still waiting for Emily's answer to Bambelby.

One thing that a bit disturbing is the legendary story that is tucked in the middle which doesn't know what it means. Maybe it should be put at the end or at the beginning so it doesn't disturb the flow of reading, especially when it gets into conflicts.

My rating for this book is 3.5 ⭐! I quite enjoy reading this book even I felt bored sometimes. But I still recommend this book for anyone who enjoy fantasy book but not with complicated conflict and world.

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