by Chloe Townson
We all know the old adage don’t judge a book by its cover. It’s an adage I often repeat when recommending Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries to others. Which, when I describe the book, seems counterproductive. When one looks upon this cover they think ‘cosey’. They think fluffy, low stakes, light-hearted fantasy. Which… okay, this book isn’t not that. But nor is it entirely that, either.
Emily Wilde is an efficient, prodigious professor cursed to live in a time where women are not given the same respect as men — especially in an academic field. She is forced to work alongside Wendell Bambleby — the same age, but already tenured. To Emily, who is not good with people, the overtly charming Bambleby is an annoyance she’d prefer to be without. She’s glad to be out of the office and in the field without him — only to have him show up on her doorstep anyway.
Set in a world where Faerie are proven real and their existence is accepted among humanity, Emily has made it her priority to write the first ever comprehensive Encylopaedia of Faeries and, unfortunately, she cannot do it without Bambleby’s introduction. She grudgingly accepts his help (though he gets in her way more than he helps), and soon discovers that Bambleby is not all that he appears to be.
Yes, this is a story set in a cold climate. There’s a cottage and warm fires and homely food, and at times you will laugh out loud at the interactions between Emily and Bambleby. The story is cosey, in so many ways. But there’s darkness, too. The Faerie are not cute and sparkly. They are dark, and they don’t care at all about humanity or their suffering. Humans, to these Faerie, are pets or mere amusements. If this story is a field of flowers, be prepared to stumble across a few thorns.
I was surprised by how much I loved this book. I fell in love with the characters — so well-rounded and fleshed out and who now live in my head rent-free. I loved the landscape and the setting, I loved the plot, which will only thicken in books two and three. For those who don’t like to start incomplete series, you’re safe with Emily Wilde - there’s no cliffhanger, and the bows are mostly tied up neatly. You can be satisfied by the end. If you want more, though, you need only be patient.
