Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

 

Sometimes there are books that call your name either because of the cover or title or subject, but you just don't find time to read them. This is one of those books for me! I guess the good thing about having waited this long to read the book is that all three books in the trilogy are already out so I will be able to read them relatively closely together.

Emily Wilde is an academic who is working towards completing an encyclopaedia of faeries. She believes that this encyclopaedia will finally bring her the respect she deserves in academic circles. She has travelled far and wide to hear the stories from locals, to encounter the fae at any opportunity and to learn and record everything she can about all things faerie. Emily is a very self sufficient and contained woman, who often struggles to connect with ordinary people. 

She travels to Norway to a small island where she hopes to learn more about the local faerie population. In the town, she soon finds evidence of a changeling child and of townspeople being lured away either never to return or to return a shadow of their former selves. After getting the townspeople offside pretty much straight away, Emily has no choice but to work by herself, traipsing over the snow covered lands to find the doors into the faerie lands.

Emily is nothing if not independent, and the last thing she needs is the dubious assistance of her colleague Wendall Bambleby. As far as Emily can see, Bambleby is out to steal her glory for his own purposes, is far too lazy, and somehow manages to make all the locals like him with very little effort. Oh, and he is far too handsome for his own good! Charming, handsome, likeable. All the things that Emily is not. And now he is sharing the very small cottage with Emily. 

What Emily doesn't seem to be able to see is that far from wanting to take Emily's work as his own, Bambleby loves Emily. He loves her methodical and logical brain, her persistence and determination to finish her book and her direct nature. But Bambleby is not necessarily being truthful with Emily about who and what he is. It is only as they go through various trials that Emily begins to understand him, and to begin to work with him instead of fighting against him.

This is historical fantasy, not a genre that I read that often. Whilst the book is filled with the fae, both everyday and royalty, with danger and intrigue, it is also firmly set in the early 1900's when you look at the setting, the challenges and perils of travel and the attitudes towards women, particularly those who are ambitious and trying to do things outside of what society expects of women. It is a very interesting mix.

This is the first in a trilogy, and I do intend to read more. This one did take me a little bit of time to get through because other deadlines kept on getting in the way. I think it also took me a little while to come to appreciate Emily's way of working. She really doesn't see how her manner is offputting to those around her, although she does find herself wondering why people don't warm to her. You can see how the possibility of working with Bambleby will bring some balance.

In the end, I did like this book, enough to know that I will read the next couple of books. I think it will be easier going into the next book already understanding the dynamic between the two main characters, and who they both are. Given that this is a combination of historical and fantasy there are many different directions the story can go in. I am looking forward to the adventure.

Oh, and a shout out to the publisher for this lovely cover! 

This is one of the books that I nominated to read for the 20 Books of Winter. I am also counting it towards the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge which I host.

Rating 4/5