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“Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries” by Heather Fawcett is an epistolary novel spoken through journal entries. This book follows the perspective of Emily Wilde, a Cambridge scholar studying dryadology (the study of faeries), in her efforts to complete an encyclopedia recounting her finds.
One of the main things to consider in this book is the use of Irish mythology. From a general study of my own, the information described throughout the chapters is about as accurate as anyone can get. The book depicts a few distinct types of fae; Brownies, Changelings, and Hidden Ones, which encompasses a couple subclasses of fae (common and royal). Brownies are your typical household fae. A recurring character, by the name of Poe, is a good representation of this. Brownies are hardworking and seek to be rewarded; if left unnoticed, various items may be found broken or milk soured. Changelings have been known to replace a human baby with a deformed or sickly faerie in its place. This type of fae is brought up as a subplot to the book as an issue to the village a majority of the storyline takes place in. Finally, the Hidden Ones are divided into two categories: common and royal. They are most likely the closest deviation from mythology this entire series contains.
My favorite part of this book is the world building held within it. So much thought was put into the backstory of the main character, her friends, and the overall history of the world Fawcett has created. There are moments where she will go into detail about past events, both providing context for the present and subtly adding hints of worldbuilding to the plot.
My least favorite part of the book, however, would have to be the pacing of the story itself. The story jumps right into the plot, but once you hit a certain point, it flattens out a bit before picking up pace again towards the end. The overall plotline can be a bit confusing if you do not already have some prior knowledge of Irish mythology and the mythology of faeries. While some context is given for the particular scenes, sometimes the storyline lacks the full information about the faeries needed to understand what is going on in its entirety.
Overall, I really did enjoy “Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries.” From the interactions between the characters, to the point-of-view changes throughout the chapters, to the fantasticality of the scenery, this book has quickly become one of my favorite series to read through. While it is by no means a simple read, it is a quick one. I give this book a 4/5.