Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett | Book Review

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett is a cozy fantasy novel that mixes academic research with magical adventure. It follows Emily Wilde, a Cambridge professor and dryadologist (a scholar of faeries), as she travels to the icy village of Hrafnsvik to complete her encyclopedia of faerie lore. She prefers books over people and is happy to focus on her research, until her annoying yet charming colleague, Wendell Bambleby, shows up uninvited, invades her research trip with his suspiciously too-perfect knowledge of the fae. Wendell is lazy, full of secrets, and seems way too interested in Emily’s work. Worst of all, he makes her talk to villagers. Ugh. Suddenly, Emily’s not just writing an encyclopedia, she’s dodging faerie curses, decoding ancient bargains, and maybe catching feelings for the guy who’s probably hiding wings under that posh sweater.

(Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries oleh Heather Fawcett adalah cozy fantasy yang menggabungkan riset akademik sama petualangan ajaib. Ceritanya tentang Emily Wilde, profesor Cambridge yang jadi dryadologist (ahli fae), yang lagi ngerjain ensiklopedia tentang fae di desa beku Hrafnsvik. Emily adalah tipikal "books over people" dan santai aja fokus riset sampai Wendell Bambleby, koleganya yang nyebelin tapi charming, tiba-tiba nongol uninvited. Doyan bermalas-malasan, penuh rahasia, dan weirdly tertarik banget sama penelitian Emily. Parahnya? Dia maksa Emily sosialisasi sama warga desa. Ugh. Sekarang Emily nggak cuma nulis ensiklopedia, tapi juga menghindari kutukan fae, mempelajari perjanjian kuno, dan mungkin mulai merasa sesuatu buat Wendell yang mungkin aja menyembunyikan sayap di balik sweater mahalnya.)

💊 SIDE EFFECTS

🔺Sudden urges to research obscure folklore at 3 AM

🔺Over-identification with the "grumpy academic" archetype

🔺Suspicion of charming, lazy people (they might be fae)

🔺Cottagecore envy (snowy villages + books = dangerous aesthetic goals)

⚠️ CAUTION: Contains academic footnotes, slow-burn tension, and fae who will ruin your trust issues.

TL;DR: Socially awkward scholar + chaotic sunshine dude + dangerous folklore = cozy academic adventure with bite. Books ≠ real life.

🎯 THIS BOOK IS PERFECT FOR YOU IF

✔️ You highlight random facts in books "for research"

✔️ Your ideal date is a library with suspiciously good lighting

✔️ You believe grumpy vs. sunshine in a slow burn romance is a love language

✔️ You want fae who are actually terrifying

✔️ You’ve ever googled "how to survive a faerie bargain" unironically

✔️ You love brainy, introverted protagonists who weaponize knowledge

✔️ You stan folklore-heavy world building 

🚫 NOT FOR YOU IF

✖️ You need constant action (this is a slow simmer)

✖️ Footnotes make you twitch (Emily would judge you)

✖️ You prefer your romance without academic tension

BOOK REVIEW

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett is a mix of cozy fantasy, academic research, and faerie folklore. It is not some adrenaline-pumping, sword-swinging fantasy, it’s more like vibing in a cottagecore dream while low-key fearing the fae might steal your socks (or your soul). Meet Emily Wilde, a socially awkward, hyper-intellectual scholar who’d rather research faeries than talk to people (relatable). Her mission? Document the elusive Hidden Ones in a frozen village that’s equal parts charming and cursed. The pacing? Slow burn, but in the best way, like watching a pot of tea simmer while mysterious shadows move outside your window. If you love journal-style storytelling with dry humor and zero cringe, Emily’s your new favorite queen.

Emily’s field journal entries serve up scholarly sass, folklore deep dives, and the chaotic energy of a PhD student who’s this close to losing it. The fae? Not your sparkly, DM-sliding love interests, they’re capricious, brutal, and bound by rules that make no sense (kinda like uni deadlines). Enter Wendell Bambleby, Emily’s annoyingly hot academic rival, who’s all smirks and secrets. Their banter? Immaculate. The tension? Chef’s kiss. It’s a story about learning to trust others, even when you’d rather hide in a library forever.

But wait, it’s not just cozy vibes. When Emily and Wendell go full detective mode to solve fae crimes, things get spicy. Picture eerie forests, villagers vanishing into thin air, and high faerie lords who’d ruin your life for funsies. The faeries range from cottagecore brownies to terrifying, ethereal predators who’d swipe you mid-sentence. It’s the perfect blend of "aww, small-town feels" and "oh god, was that the Hidden Ones??" Heather Fawcett nails the balance to make this the ideal read for light academia girlies and folklore nerds who want magic with bite.

Okay, let’s talk about the real magic of this book: the characters. Yeah, Emily’s research is the plot’s engine, but the soul? That’s her chaotic academic rivals-to-??? dynamic with Wendell, a golden-retriever-himbo in scholar’s clothing who’s definitely hiding something. Their banter? Hilarious. The tension? Palpable. Imagine a rom-com where the meet-cute is arguing over faerie taxonomy. And don’t sleep on the villagers, like Aud, the no-BS shopkeeper, or the local kids who low-key know more about the Hidden Ones than any textbook. The lesson here? Book smarts won’t save you from faeries, you gotta listen to the people who’ve survived them.

Fawcett’s faeries aren’t your basic TikTok cottagecore sprites. The low-tier Folk? Adorable low-ranking Folks (like brownies and kelpies). But the Hidden Ones? Oh honey, they’re the Slytherin elite: gorgeous, terrifying, and absolutely gonna make you regret eye contact. Their rules make zero sense, their bargains are traps, and their punishments? Artistically brutal. Emily’s encounters read like a survival guide written by someone who barely made it out alive (because she did). And the vibes? Gold. Snow-locked forests that breathe, faerie parties where dancing = danger, and the creeping dread that Hrafnsvik isn’t a human village, it’s a fae buffet.

This book is that exact aesthetic of drinking cocoa in a cabin while something scratches at the door. It’s for the slow-burn readers who live for books with "I’m-not-in-love-I-just-obsess-over-your-research-methods" energy, folklore deep dives, and romance that simmers like a forgotten teakettle. Not your thing if you need constant action, but if you’d trade 10 battle scenes for one scene of Emily and Wendell bickering over ancient faerie law while the world literally frosts over, congratulations, you’ve found your new obsession. Just remember: curiosity is cool, but the fae will ruin your life over a technicality. Proceed with caution. ⚠️

(Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries okeh Heather Fawcett adalah perpaduan sempurna antara cozy fantasy, riset akademik, dan dunia fae yang gelap. Ini bukan fantasi action-packed kayak Lord of the Rings, tapi lebih kayak cottagecore aesthetic sambil waswas jangan-jangan fae iseng bakal mencuri kaos kaki kita, atau menculik kita sekalian. Di sini kita berkenalan dengan Emily Wilde, scholar with antisocial tendency yang lebih memilih mempelajari literatur fae ketimbang ngobrol sama manusia (big mood). Misinya? Mendokumentasikan Hidden Ones, fae misterius di desa terpencil yang charming tapi kayaknya angker. Pacing-nya emang slow burn, tapi pas banget kayak nunggu air teh mendidih pelan-pelan sambil merasakan ada something yang mengintip dari jendela. Kalau kamu suka cerita bergaya jurnal dengan humor sarkas dan zero cringe, Emily adalah queen-nya.

Catatan lapangan Emily isinya gabungan sass ala akademisi, kajian folklore yang deep, dan energi chaotic kayak mahasiswa S3 yang udah mau kena mental. Fae di buku ini? Bukan tipe sparkly kayak gebetanmu yang ada di DM, tapi lebih ke capricious, brutal, dan punya aturan aneh yang nggak masuk akal (mirip deadline kuliah, dah). Nah, kemudian muncullah Wendell Bambleby, rival akademis Emily yang annoyingly hot, senyum sok cool, rahasianya banyak. Chemistry mereka? Immaculate. Tensionnya? Chef’s kiss. Intinya, ini cerita tentang belajar percaya sama orang lain, meskipun kamu lebih pengin kabur dan sembunyi di perpustakaan seumur hidup.

Tapi jangan salah, buku ini nggak cuma berisi vibes cozy doang! Pas Emily dan Wendell berubah jadi duo detektif fae, ceritanya langsung spicy. Bayangin hutan seram, penduduk desa yang tiba-tiba hilang, dan raja fae elit yang isengnya level destroy your life for fun. Jenis fae di sini variatif banget, mulai dari brownies imut kayak cottagecore gremlin sampai predator elegan yang siap menculikmu di saat kamu lagi baca review ini. Fawcett berhasil menciptakan balance antara "aduh suka banget vibes desanya" dan "astaghfirullah itu Hidden Ones ya?!" Perfect banget buat para light academia girlies dan pecinta folklore yang pengin magic tapi tetep ada gigitannya.

Riset Emily memang yang menggerakkan alur cerita, tapi soul-nya? Itu semua ada di hubungan chaotic rivals-to-??? dia sama Wendell, akademisi cool yang kelakuannya kayak golden retriever tapi jelas-jelas menyembunyikan sesuatu. Banter mereka? Ngakak. Tensinya? Bisa dirasakan. Bayangin rom-com dimana meet cute-nya debat klasifikasi spesies fae. Jangan lupa sama penduduk desanya juga, ada Aud si penjaga toko kelontong yang gak mau ribet, atau anak-anak desa yang low-key lebih paham soal Hidden Ones daripada textbook mana pun. Intinya: pinter teori aja gak cukup buat selamat dari fae, kamu harus dengerin orang-orang yang udah berpengalaman langsung.

Para fae di buku ini jauh dari penggambaran TikTok aesthetic cottagecore. Fae tingkat rendah? Lucu-lucu kayak brownies sama kelpies. Tapi Hidden Ones? GIRL, mereka tuh kayak elite Slytherin, cantik banget, serem banget, dan bikin kamu nyesel pernah eye contact. Aturan mereka nggak masuk akal, tawar-menawarnya adalah jebakan, hukumannya? Brutal tapi aesthetic. Baca pengalaman Emily ini kayak baca panduan survival dari orang yang nyaris gak selamat (soalnya emang beneran). Vibesnya? Gold. Hutan bersalju yang kayak hidup, pesta fae dimana menari = bahaya, dan perasaan ngeri bahwa Hrafnsvik ini bukan desa manusia tapi lebih kayak all-you-can-eat buffet buat para fae.

Buku ini tuh vibe-nya kayak lagi minum coklat panas di kabin tapi ada sesuatu yang merayap di pintu. Cocok banget buat para slow-burn enjoyers yang suka buku dengan "I’m-not-in-love-I-just-obsess-over-your-research-methods" energy, kajian folklore, dan romance yang slow simmer kayak lagi merebus air buat bikin teh. Ga bakal cocok kalau kamu cari action yang non-stop, tapi kalau kamu rela trade 10 adegan perang demi satu adegan Emily-Wendell berdebat soal hukum fae kuno sementara dunia di luar sana literally beku, selamat, kamu sudah menemukan new obsession. Tapi ingat: rasa penasaran emang keren, tapi para fae bisa ruin your life cuma karena technicality. Proceed with caution, bestie. ⚠️)

THINGS I LOVE 

■Emily and Wendell give us that perfect grumpy/sunshine dynamic we all crave. Picture this: a socially awkward, hyper-logical scholar paired with a charming, seemingly-lazy (but secretly OP) academic rival who's completely whipped for her. Their chemistry? Immaculate. It's proof that opposites don't just attract, they create the most interesting relationships, whether romantic or platonic. Every interaction is gold, from their witty banter to the way they balance each other out.

■ Yes, there's dangerous fae lore, but the vibe? Pure comfort. Imagine a snowy village straight out of a cottagecore dream, academic research that hits like a warm blanket, and found-family moments that will make your heart grow three sizes. This is the perfect read when you want fantasy immersion without the emotional damage, just grab your coziest blanket and a cup of tea.

■ The journal format is genius, you're basically doing field research alongside Emily. The writing stays true to her character (100% detached and academic), complete with fictional references and even an appendix that make this world feel crazy detailed and well researched. It's like getting a PhD in faerie studies without paying the tuition.

■A lot of fantasy books make fae seem playful or human-like, but these fae stay true to their terrifying folkloric roots. They're unpredictable, dangerous, and 100% not to be trusted. Every encounter keeps you on edge, because just like in the old tales, you never know if you're dealing with a trickster or a straight-up predator.

■Emily isn’t a warrior or a hero, but she’s a researcher, and her weapons are knowledge, curiosity, and sheer brainpower. No swords, no chosen-one destiny, just a researcher willing to risk it all for discovery. It's refreshing to see bravery redefined as intellectual courage rather than physical combat. For anyone who's ever felt more at home in a library than on a battlefield, Emily's your girl.

(■Emily dan Wendell: Grumpy x Sunshine GOALS. Pasangan ini adalah meme hidup "opposites attract" yang kita semua demen! Bayangin: scholar kikuk super logis vs rival akademis yang charming keliatan malas (tapi sebenernya OP) yang totally simping berat sama dia. Chemistry mereka? Perfect. It's proof that opposites don't just attract, mereka justru bikin hubungan lebih seru, baik romantis atau sekadar pertemanan. Dari obrolan sarkastik sampai cara mereka saling melengkapi, semua scene mereka worth it!

■Vibes cozy tapi ada gigitannya. Jangan kira ada fae berbahaya bikin ceritanya serem. Desa bersalju ala cottagecore, riset akademik yang terasa kayak selimut hangat, terus momen found-family yang bikin hati meleleh, baca ini tuh kayak dapat pelukan fiksi. Perfect buat kalian yang pengen baca fantasy immersive tapi nggak mau trauma. Siapin aja selimut favorit + teh hangat!

■Format jurnal = next level immersion. Catatan lapangan Emily bikin kita kayak ikut riset langsung. Gaya tulisannya akademis banget (sesuai karakternya), lengkap dengan referensi fiktif dan apendiks yang bikin dunianya terasa nyata dan detail banget. Rasanya kayak dapet gelar PhD studi fae, gratis pula!

■Buku ini gak menyajikan fae ala fairy tale yang imut dan friendly. Mereka beneran unpredictable, dangerous, dan 100% nggak bisa dipercaya. Setiap ketemu bikin deg-degan, karena kita nggak pernah tau ini fae cuma iseng atau emang predator beneran, persis kayak cerita rakyat jaman dulu!

■Emily: hero ala scholar. Dia nggak bawa pedang atau jadi "the chosen one". Senjatanya? Pengetahuan, rasa penasaran, dan otak encer. Nggak perlu action hero, keberanian intelektual juga keren! Buat kalian yang lebih betah di perpustakaan daripada medan perang, Emily tuh role model banget.)

THINGS I DON'T LIKE 

■ The faerie lore in this book is absolutely chef's kiss for world-building, you can tell the author did her homework. But some of these folktales hit pause on the main story at the worst possible moments. Like, imagine getting invested in Emily's drama only to get a 5-page faerie history lesson right during the climax. I get why they're there (research queen Emily would approve), but damn if I didn't catch myself speed-reading through some sections to get back to the action.

■The 1800s academic vibe is totally on point for Emily's character. But real talk, some passages read like a dictionary threw up on the page. Sure, it adds mad authenticity points, but be prepared for some sentences that will make you go 🤨 and require a quick re-read (or a Google search). Not gonna lie though, the historical accuracy slaps, even if it makes your brain work overtime sometimes.

(■Dunia fae di buku ini chef's kiss banget, kelihatan banget penulisnya research mati-matian. Tapi ada kalanya cerita-cerita fae ini nge-pause plot utama di timing yang worst possible. Bayangin lagi asik baca drama Emily, eh tiba-tiba dapet 5 halaman sejarah peri pas bagian paling seru! Emang sih ini sesuai karakter Emily yang research-obsessed, tapi jujur aja kadang bikin pengen skip biar balik ke actionnya.

■Vibe akademis era 1800an ini emang cocok banget sama karakter Emily. Tapi real talk ya, beberapa bagian tuh kayak kamus yang muntahin kata-kata fancy. Memang nambah nilai keaslian sih, tapi siap-siap aja ketemu kalimat yang bikin kita 👀 "Apaan sih ini?" dan harus baca ulang (atau buka Google). Gak bohong sih, akurasinya slaps, tapi otak bisa kerjain overtime kadang-kadang.)

🌟 RATING

📖 Plot: 4.5/5 (Folklore nerdery + slow burn = yes)

✨ Vibes: 5/5 (Cottagecore but make it academic)

🔥 Romance: 4/5

🧚 Fae Accuracy: 5/5

🍵 Coziness: 5/5

WHAT THEY SAID ABOUT THIS BOOK

🧟 The Monster (Frankenstein): "Emily understands isolation. Wendell’s persistence is… curious. I would read this by firelight, then sigh dramatically into the Alps."

Rating: 4/5 ("Needs more lightning bolts.")

🧛 Jonathan Harker (Dracula): "Ah! Another poor soul documenting supernatural horrors in handwritten journals! Emily, my dear, BURN YOUR NOTES BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE—"

Rating: 5/5 ("Relatable. Too relatable.")

🎭 Erik / Phantom (The Phantom of the Opera): "A scholar obsessed with the obscure, shunned by society, drawn to the dangerous and beautiful? Mon ami, we are the same. Wendell, however, is a RIVAL."

Rating: 5/5 ("But the romance should be darker.")

CONCLUSION 

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries is the perfect blend of academic research, folklore, and slow-burn romance, wrapped in a snowy, cottagecore aesthetic. The journal-style writing pulls you right into Emily’s world, and you'll feel like you’re decoding faerie mysteries alongside her. Sure, some folklore tangents drag a bit, but the grumpy/sunshine dynamic, fascinating fae lore, and Emily’s personal growth more than make up for it. If you’re into academia-core adventures with heart, humor, and a dash of danger, this one’s a must-read.

(Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries adalah perpaduan sempurna antara riset akademik, folklore, dan slow-burn romance, dibungkus dengan vibes cottagecore bersalju. Gaya penulisan ala jurnal bikin kita serasa ikut menyelami dunia Emily dan memecahkan misteri fae bareng dia. Memang ada bagian-bagian lore yang agak lengthy, tapi chemistry grumpy/sunshine Emily-Wendell, dunia fae yang fascinating, dan perkembangan karakter Emily bikin semuanya worth it. Buat yang suka petualangan academia-core with heart, humor, dan sedikit bahaya, buku ini wajib dibaca!)