On the Horizon – emily wilde’s encyclopaedia of faeries (Heather Fawcett)

Ahoy there me mateys!  I received a copy of this fantasy novel eArc from NetGalley in exchange for me honest musings . . .

Title: emily wilde’s encyclopaedia of faeries
Author: Heather Fawcett
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Del Rey
Publication Date: YESTERDAY!! (hardback/e-book)
ISBN: 978-0593500132
Source: NetGalley

The crew has been raving about this one and I see why.  Emily Wilde studies the fae of the old-school style – malevolent, tricky, and otherworldly.  This book showcases her journal entries written while doing field research in Hrafnsvik near the Arctic Circle.  Scholarly research on the fae in this region is nonexistent.  Emily sets out in the spirit of adventure and learning with only her dog, Shadow, as companion.  Unfortunately Emily’s personal skills aren’t the best due to her solitary nature and she inadvertently upsets the village.  Matters are made worse when her academic rival Wendell Bambleby shows up unexpectedly, takes over in his insufferable usual way, and begins charming everyone.  Shenanigans ensue.

I very much enjoy Emily with her intelligence, self-regard, and no-nonsense approach.  I loved her interactions with the fae and her quick thinking.  Wendell was disliked at the beginning but managed to become rather weirdly personable in the end.  This story kept me guessing and I do not want to give spoilers.  The ending was delightful.

One of the main highlights for me were the stories and myths about the fae woven through the journal and Emily’s adventures.  I thought this was excellent.  This be the first book of a series and I want the next one already.  Arrrr!

Goodreads has this to say about the novel:

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.

To visit the author’s website go to:
Heather Fawcett – Author

To buy the book go to:
emily wilde’s encyclopaedia of faeries  – Book 1

To add to Goodreads go to:
Yer Ports for Plunder List

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