If you are a fan of fantasy fiction, and aren’t afraid of a dark change of pace, Heather Fawcett’s latest book is for you. It is a different look at the world of faeries, and appears to be the beginning of an exciting new series in the genre.

In this story we follow Emily Wilde during the academic study of her dreams into a far north village with a unique and undocumented kind of Fae that Emily wishes to include in her book, the world’s first encyclopedia of faerie lore. She’s determined to focus only on her studies but her trip is interrupted by her academic rival, Wendell Bambleby, who manages to charm the townsfolk, muddle with Emily’s research, and utterly confuse and frustrate her. She finds her research on the Hidden Ones, the elusive Fae of this town that lurk in the shadows of the forest, interlocking with her questions about her mysterious rival and his real motive for being out here with her. 

For fans of Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones, this book is a cozy fantasy with the perfect balance of low-stakes, light romance, magical atmosphere, and intriguing writing. Emily and Wendell are interesting characters to read in that they both represent different sides of the academic world that they surround themselves in, which creates a strange dynamic between them. Emily wants nothing more than to be renowned in the academic world and noticed by the other professors at Cambridge, where she and Bambleby work, but she can’t seem to secure her place in the college. Bambleby, having easily secured his place in the academic world after a few sketchy research papers, seems to have something else on his mind other than his studies. 

Although this book seems very cozy at times it does tend to get dark and sometimes violent, especially in regards to the Fae of the world. Fawcett takes a more traditional folklore approach to faeries that strays away from more modern depictions. Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries is the first book in an unfinished series and it’s also formatted like a diary. These unique elements of the book make it stand out among other fantasy books currently being released and I thoroughly enjoyed the change of pace. I hope that Fawcett continues with this series and that this allows other books with similar themes to make their way into the popular fantasy genre.