Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A curmudgeonly professor journeys to a small town in the far north in this “incredibly fun journey through fae lands and dark magic” (NPR), the start of a heartwarming and enchanting new fantasy series.

“A darkly gorgeous fantasy that sparkles with snow and magic.”—Sangu Mandanna, author of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches

HUGO AND LOCUS AWARD FINALIST • A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The New York Times Book Review, NPR, PopSugar, Polygon, The Globe and Mail, She Reads


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, muddle 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.

Book One of the Emily Wilde Series

Don’t miss any of Heather Fawcett’s charming Emily Wilde series:
EMILY WILDE’S ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF FAERIES • EMILY WILDE’S MAP OF THE OTHERLANDS • EMILY WILDE’S COMPENDIUM OF LOST TALES

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Published Oct 24, 2023

352 pages

Average rating: 7.47

627 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

What Bookclubbers are saying about this book

✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI

Readers say *Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries* blends cozy romance, faerie lore, and academic adventure with imaginative journal-style storytell...

Kristin Rose
Feb 15, 2026
Almost immediate DNF. I may come back to this at some point but I’m incredibly bored.
Sarah Habeeb
Oct 11, 2025
8/10 stars
This is such a cute story, I loved how witty the characters were and the story line was super unique!
faetedfantasy
Aug 18, 2024
10/10 stars
This books was SO GOOD! It’s giving cozy fantasy vibes with awesome humor and characters you can’t help but love!
Hergypsydresses
Feb 17, 2025
3/10 stars
DNF
LMahoney
Jan 26, 2024
6/10 stars
meh, I liked the idea of this book and it was packed full of faeries and adventure but written in a dull way.

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