Dear Readers,
Have you ever read a book that enchanted you so much you wished you could read their adventures ad infinitum? This happened only once in my life with the trilogy of "Lord of the Rings" from Tolkien.
This time it happened with the Emily Wilde book series from Heather Fawcett. The first book is entitled "Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries". It's the story a young lady named Emily Wilde, a professor from Cambridge, who goes on a journey to a cold faraway village to study faeries.
I read this book in July 2023 and it had been a while since I was this happy about reading a novel. This book alone rekindled my interest in reading fantasy fiction. I would give it more than 5 stars if I could.
The premise is original, and the plot evolves in slow motion at first but it picks up a faster pace eventually and I could not put the book down until I was done reading. I was never bored and the twists and turns kept me wondering what would happen next. The main character is relatable; I was slightly annoyed at her mistakes but soon found her very human in her flaws and it made me cheer for her whenever she was able to overcome her problems.
Another professor joined her in her quest and I didn't like him very much at first. A handsome and elegant man who goes by the name of Wendell Bambleby. I found him insufferable and arrogant, but I eventually warmed up to him after seeing how witty and brave he could be.
The other minor characters were also likeable and I was very invested in knowing everyone's fate. I read this novel in one seating, and I never had the urge to skip pages or stop reading. And this says a lot about how interesting this book is because I had my fair share of abandoning stories from sheer boredom.
I waited with much anticipation for the sequel which was released this month! The second book's title is "Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands" was published in January 2024 and I devoured it in 6 hours, staying up into the night because I absolutely couldn't put the book down and wanted to know the ending!
I loved it even more than the first book because I could see Emily in her element at Cambridge university, and I could also read more about the other teachers unlike the first novel where the action was at the village and her school was only mentioned occasionally.
I also like her secondary characters a lot more in the sequel. The first one being her 19 year-old niece Ariadne who is an enthusiastic research assistant. She has such a bubbly and innocent personality! But she is also very brave and resourceful. I hope she will be part of the next sequel.
The second sidekick is another Professor, Dr. Rose, who is head of the Dryadology department. At first, he appeared antipathic. The old professor seems more like a foe than a friend. It took a while for me to warm up to his character because he behaved like a bumbling fool on many occasions.
One thing about Heather Fawcett is that there is a good dose of humor in her novels and this series is no exception. Despite the sometimes sad circumstances, there are many moments that made me smile.
But I must warn you: there are some descriptions of killing and loss of body parts but the gore is not too scary, even for someone like me who usually despises reading about violence or deaths.
Overall, reading these novels feels like embarking on a thrilling but cozy adventure. The author seems to convey a light-hearted ambiance for this story, and it doesn't takes itself too seriously either so it makes for an enjoyable read. If you like academia fantasy and fairy fantasy, this will be right your alley.
I recommend these books wholeheartedly and I can't wait to read the third installment of this series! Did you read these books yet? Please let me know if you have!
I wish you all a great month in February!
Disclaimer: All opinions are my own. I was not paid nor received gifts to write this or mention any store or website.
